“Monkey See-Monkey Do” is a phrase you probably became familiar with as a child.

My mom had her own endearing version that went something like this …

“If so-and-so is going to jump off a bridge, are you going to jump off, too?!”

And the obvious answer, of course, was “No”.

But in the arena of online marketing and small business ownership, “Monkey See-Monkey Do” can be a really good business building strategy.  The goal is Not to become a copy cat but to become aware of what other success minded marketers are doing and put your own fingerprint on those tools, tactics, and techniques.

Here’s how you can start tapping into your inner monkey:

1) Have you seen an opt-in form and offer that’s really attention-grabbing and triggers you to take action?  What are the elements that appeal to you the most?  Is it the shape or colors used that caught your eye?  Or maybe the graphic?  The call to action?  The location on the page?

Scrutinize your own opt-in box and freebie offer and incorporate those elements that you find most effective.

2) Have a favorite blog or two or three that you visit regularly?  What is it about those particular blogs that strike your fancy?  What are the blog owners/authors doing that keep you coming back for more?  Are they great storytellers?  Do they offer fabulous tips related to your niche?  Is it their sense of humor that attracts you?  Maybe the layout of their blogs?

Begin weaving those ”I’ve-got-you-hooked” components into your own blog.

3) Ever come across social media profiles that just knock your socks off? A short bio that causes you to click the person’s link immediately to discover more? What kinds of adjectives or action words have they used?  Do they note only their business expertise or are personal facts included, too?  What is it about their profile that intrigues you?

Read your own profile/bio with discerning eyes.  Then re-vamp it to be as compelling as your favorites.

There are lots of creative ways to tap into your inner monkey.  When you “See” something that’s working for someone else, start “Do”-ing it!

Before you read the grand finale on affiliate marketing, be sure to go back and read Parts 1-4, if you haven’t already.  They’ll help you tie up any loose ends about the common mistakes people make as well as the wonderful benefits and expert tips for affiliate marketing success.

Here are the two questions people ask me all the time:

“What is the best tip you can give me, Melanie, about affiliate marketing so I can start making some money?”  And “What’s the best way to start?”

The answer to both those questions is the same. You need to focus on finding the RIGHT people to promote and recommend to others.

GET TO KNOW potential affiliate partners first.  Follow them on Twitter, befriend them on Facebook, communicate through emails, attend some of their free teleseminars, opt in to their list, and read their blogs.  Observe what they are doing and how they conduct themselves to decide if you resonate with them or not.

If you choose to skip this step, you’ll be missing out on the most important contributing factor to your success.

I’ve spent over three years going through this process, repeatedly, before deciding to join someone’s affiliate program.  The time, energy, and effort I’ve put into building relationships first has paid off and it can pay off for you, too.

In this final segment on affiliate marketing, I’d like to leave you with a list of experts I feel proud to represent and promote as an affiliate.  And, yes!  These links are my unique affiliate links.

Here’s your behind the scenes look at some of the people I have built a relationship with and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to others:

• Online Client Attraction:  Cathy Goodwin
• Relaxation & More Me Time:  Heather Bestel
• Cash In On Public Speaking:  Felicia Slattery
• Shoestring Marketing Strategies:  Jessica Swanson
• Marketing Brainstorm Workshop:  Michelle Shaeffer
• Blogging Mastery:  Denise Wakeman
• Write a Book in a Weekend:  Donna Kozik

If you really want to give yourself a tremendous leading edge in affiliate marketing, I would strongly suggest taking Connie Ragen Green’s course, “Affiliate Marketing Profit Secrets”. I really enjoyed this course and learned some new tricks and tips that have helped me to profit even more from affiliate marketing.

Wishing you awesome affiliate marketing sales and success!

Affiliate marketing can be an excellent way to get started in business online or a powerful, profitable addition to a current business.

There are amazing and wonderful products to sell and wonderful product owners to partner with.

Being an affiliate marketer isn’t just about making money, it’s about promoting products that you believe in and are passionate about – this is key to becoming a successful affiliate.

But what if affiliate marketing doesn’t seem to be working for you?

Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid when you are starting out as an affiliate marketer:

1) There’s a disconnect with your visitors

No matter how interesting and informative the content of your site is, most of your visitors won’t stay and browse unless you have injected some of your personality into it.  Add some personal details, perhaps a photo or an about me page, and try to make the content sound as though you are actually talking to your visitors.  Write conversationally, as if you were speaking to your sister or your best friend.

2) All lookers and no buyers

This problem is generally caused by failure to really pre-sell the products you are promoting.  Anticipating the needs of your audience and convincing them that your affiliate product will address that need should increase your conversion rate.  A well designed site will have your customers prepared to buy the product before they even click on the link.

3) Not taking names

Don’t forget to ask your customers for their e-mail addresses, whether that is to receive a newsletter, e-book, audio, video, or a free report.  If you don’t, you are missing out on a great opportunity.  Very few people buy from a site on their first visit.  So capture their e-mail addresses in exchange for something of value so you can gain their trust and confidence and ensure you have future chances to sell to them.

4) Leaving out the human element

Human elements sell better than clever copy every time!  Don’t rely on advertising over testimonials.  Although banner ads in the sidebars on your webpage can lead to affiliate sales, they are not as effective as personal recommendations and endorsements.

Online customers are becoming immune to traditional advertising but the human element of a recommendation can still dramatically increase your sales.  Even though your customers are probably aware that you make a commission from recommending a product, they will reason that you would not endorse something you didn’t believe in because that would damage your reputation and credibility.

Do write a heartfelt enthusiastic endorsement.  It may take some practice, but it will be well worth the effort when the commissions begin to roll in.

5) Tell before you sell

Too much sales-y stuff and too little content turns people off.  Whether you are promoting affiliate products via a website or information products, your customers will want to learn something from you rather than reading a blatant sales pitch.

As a general rule, you should be aiming for 90% high quality informative content and 10% sales content on your site.

6) Repeating the same mistakes

Many affiliate marketers find they are only making a small profit from one product, so they decide to promote a large number of products in order to increase this income.  All you really achieve with this is repeating a formula that doesn’t work very effectively.

If you are not generating much income from your affiliate products, look at different ways to market them.  Having a few well-marketed products is always better than hundreds that get little exposure.  Don’t be afraid to try out some new marketing platforms and strategies.

See you for Part 5 – The Grand Finale!

In part one and part two of this series, you’ve learned about different business models, how to zero in on your affiliate marketing personality, and the cool advantages of becoming an affiliate marketer.

In Part 3,  I want to share some expert tips on how to be successful by promoting and recommending other people’s products, programs, and services.

Tip #1

Dip Your Toe In First

Trying to start up too many sites and affiliate programs when you first begin as an affiliate marketer can mean you won’t have enough quality time and energy to dedicate to each one.  Beginning with one website and a handful (3-5) of relevant affiliate products will give you a chance to learn the ropes.  Once you have found the winning formula, you can repeat it over and over again.

Tip #2

Believe In The Products You Promote

Make sure you purchase and test any product you intend to promote before you begin to sell it.  By recommending it to your target audience, you are putting your reputation on the line! So making sure the product does what it claims is just good business sense.

Check out the company selling the product you are promoting.  Is their customer service up to your standards?  Is their site professional and easy to navigate? Will they treat your customers as you would treat them yourself?

Tip #3

Let’s Talk Money

Check out the payment terms of each affiliate program you join.  What percentage can you expect to get from each sale or will it be a fixed dollar amount?  Will you be paid only for the sale, or will you get commission for each sales lead you generate?  If an affiliate program pays out less than 40% in commissions, I wouldn’t consider joining.  Most pay 50% and some as high as 75%.  Now we’re talking!

Tip #4

Use The Resources In Your Affiliate Members Area

When you join an affiliate program, check your affiliate back office to see what marketing materials have been created for you to use in your promotional and business-building efforts.  These may include email marketing messages, text links, articles, blog posts, graphics, banner ads, Facebook updates, and Tweets for social media marketing.

Some affiliate program owners choose to email you affiliate tips and marketing materials over a 30-day period after you join their program in lieu of having these items stored in the affiliate members area.  In that case, you’ll need to create a file to keep those items handy.

Tip #5

Grab Your Megaphone

You can have a great website promoting high quality affiliate products and fantastic sales copy that would convince the most skeptical visitor to buy, but if you don’t have any traffic to your site, you are not going to make any money.  Successful affiliates spend around 75% of their time and energy on marketing – through e-books, articles, social media venues, classified ads, free reports, tips booklets, and blogging (my favorite).

The beauty of affiliate marketing is that anyone can do it – exclusively or as an addendum to your existing business.

See you for Part 4!

Many people are making a living from affiliate marketing online – some are doing so well, they’re known as SUPER affiliates!

Here are seven really cool advantages to becoming an affiliate marketer by promoting products and/or programs you believe in and highly recommend:

Low Risk

You’re not ultimately responsible for the product you are promoting and you don’t have to spend your own money or time to create a product.

Proven Market

The products’ creators will already have researched the demand for their product and will have some idea of their target market.

Keep your cash in your wallet

You have very low start up costs.  All you really need to begin affiliate marketing is a website or blog.  You don’t necessarily have to set up a new site, you can use affiliate programs to optimize your income from sites you already have.

No need to become an expert copywriter

Many of the tools you need will be provided for you. The minimum you will be provided with is sales materials such as banner ads and product benefits.  Some affiliates are provided with sales copy, Tweets to post on Twitter, autoresponder emails, sales letters, blog posts, and  even website templates.

Save time and money on operating costs

Affiliate marketers have low overheads. By purely promoting someone else’s product rather than creating your own, you have no inventory to look after, no orders to process, and no customer service function to provide.

Passive income

One of the most enticing benefits of affiliate marketing is that you can earn passive income. This means you stop trading hours for dollars. You can review a product once, place the review on your website, and that review can potentially make you money over and over again. This is passive income and affiliate marketing is one of the best businesses to get into for anyone who likes the idea of passive income.

Flexibility

With affiliate marketing, you can work as little or as much as you’d like – you get back what you put into it. This means that your earnings aren’t limited. If you simply want to work a few hours a week and build a business that gives you extra spending money then you can do so. If you want to work a little more and build a long-term business that gives you complete financial freedom then you can do that as well.

There’s no denying that affiliate marketing offers many benefits!

The best part of affiliate marketing is that you can fit it into just about any niche or topic you’re interested in. If your passion is pets for example, you can create an affiliate website about pets and caring for pets. You can then earn money promoting products that pet owners want.

There’s something very appealing about making money doing something you’re passionate about.

See you for Part 3!

Although I’ve been a medical professional for many years, I’m not talking about medical emergencies here.  Let’s put all of those into the hands of the skilled and fine emergency room physicians.

However, I do want to talk about what you can do to put a band-aid on your business in case of a solo entrepreneur emergency.

If you’re brand new to the internet, you’ll want to keep a big box of these band-aids on hand.

You’ll need a smaller supply if you’re a seasoned solo professional and you experience only an occasional cut or scrape.

Whether you’ve been a solo pro for years or you’re just getting your internet biz off the ground …

You need affiliate marketing band-aids!

You’ve been a “promotion and recommendation” expert since kindergarten.

When you got a new toy for your birthday, you shared it and showed it off to your friends.  And when you put on a spiffy new pair of Keds sneakers, you instantly became a walking advertisement – literally and figuratively!

In this series, I’ll be talking about how you can rely on affiliate marketing to create streams of income or heal a drop in sales.

To begin this journey with me, grab a FREE copy of Affiliate Classroom Magazine and read the comparison of different affiliate marketing business models.  No, I am not an affiliate for this magazine.

Choose a business model that fits your goals and your personality.

See you for Part 2!

Guest post by Jane Lee

One might ask why bother blogging? I just do not have the time to blog. What is in it for me? Definitely, I hear all your concerns.

With business both now online, off-line, and corporations, everyone asks do you have a website/blog?

Your website is now your storefront. Prospects, clients/customers walk into your establishment and they want to see what you are all about. Your blog is that connection with your readers just like the customers walking into the store. They find out about your specials of the day, the types of service that you offer them and information that will help them make an informed decision of which product/services is right for them.

Here are the 3 key reasons why you should be blogging on a regular basis:

1) Keep your prospects, clients/customers up to date on what is happening. Think of yourself as a newspaper or magazine. You are providing consumer information that they may not be aware of and they are coming to you for resources.

2) By providing rich content and information, your prospects, clients/customers see you as the expert in your field and this builds credibility.

3) It takes time for visitors to find you.  If you are a brand like Coke-Cola, then everyone is familiar with your service. By blogging, reciprocating, and becoming visible in the community, others will start to notice and begin to follow you.

Happy Blogging and to your Great Success!

Jane Lee is a Marketing and Sales Coach who loves to blog. She teaches coaches, service professionals, and solo entrepreneurs how to sell authentically with confidence and ease.

It’s true. Flattery will get you everywhere.  And social media venues are no exception.

Online marketers often complain that social media sites are a waste of time. They spend hours crafting and posting promotional offers and updates that bring no sales, no clients, no subscribers, and no results.

The truth is that using social media venues is a smart, savvy, effective way to get your message out to your target market. The key is knowing HOW to do it right. Having one-way conversations by posting “Me, Me, Me”, “I, I, I” messages simply doesn’t work.

Sorry to hurt your feelings but … nobody cares about “You”.

In order to get the results you desire and deserve, remember that flattery will get you everywhere. You may not be ready to hear this, but you must be prepared to “give” before you “get”.

Here’s how it works:

Compliment

Give others a thumbs up, a shout out, or kudos for a wonderful blog post, an inspirational quote, a helpful resource, a personal story, etc. that adds value to your life and/or your business. Simply let people know that you appreciate them or admire their expertise. Of course, be absolutely genuine. Don’t say it if you really don’t mean it. Everyone can spot a phony, fabricated remark. You’ll be surprised how far sincerely complimenting others will, in turn, get you noticed online and build your credibility.

Comment

Always take a few minutes to leave your thoughts in the comment box on someone’s blog. Comments create backlinks to your site, providing a tremendous benefit to you. However, posting self-serving promos, coupon offers, and other sales messages will get your comments blocked. Remember that most successful online professionals moderate their blog comments. “Selling” is not proper social media etiquette and you’ll be labeled as hype-y and probably banned from future comments. Only leave well thought out, appropriate comments that are directly related to the topic.

For more simple and creative ways to build your business on the internet and more info on social media marketing, subscribe to the Online Success Newsletter … it’s 100% free and always loaded with expert tips and fantastic resources.

Babies are soft and sweet and gentle, wouldn’t you agree?

But sometimes they can be doggone loud!

Those are the moments they will instantly and effectively grab your attention, awaken you from a sound sleep, call you away from the dinner table, or even cut your shower super short.

What can you learn from babies that will help you market your business online?

Babies are great at taking center stage, tooting their own horns, and getting someone to take action. And that’s exactly what you need to do as an online marketer in order to reach your business goals.

Pardon the pun, but you can’t take “baby steps” and be shy about it. Many solo professionals I’ve met would rather do a root canal on a Rottweiler than promote themselves. They’re afraid of coming across as sales-y and no one likes a pain-in-the-patootie sales person.

I’m not suggesting you annoy your target market by pitching, pouncing, prodding, and pestering (loud and obnoxious never wins any awards). Instead, learn how to become an expert at Bragging — the right way.

Your clients and potential clients want to work with a winner, someone who is skilled at alleviating their pain and solving their problems. They want you to brag and they want to brag about you.

Ask yourself these questions as you put together your marketing messages: “Why would someone want to hire YOU? What are your strongest selling points that set you apart and make you stand out? If someone were to brag about you, what would they say?”

Friend and colleague, Cathy Goodwin of Copy Cat Copywriting, has an mp3 recording and 25-page workbook called Bragging101 for under twenty dollars that is a phenomenal tool that teaches you how to market confidently without sounding like a used car salesman. I use it in my own business and refer back to it often. If you have a fear of bragging, check it out.

If your current marketing strategy and self-promotion resembles that of a sleeping baby, it’s time to wake it up!

According to the Urban Dictionary, “Buzz” means …

Excitement, hype, cool gossip, joy, exhilaration, tantalizing!

Something that creates excitement, hype or a thrill.

Something that generates hype, cool gossip, talk, exciting rumors.

Anything that creates excitement or stimulus.

The feeling experienced by someone in a stimulated state.

Notice the repetition and emphasis on certain words?

Urban Dictionary has certainly made their point!

The very best buzz you can create in your business is through the positive experiences of a happy client or customer.  When people start passing the word around about you, you’ll know you’re doing something right.

Great customer service, exemplary follow up and follow through, attention to detail, and good interpersonal relationship-building skills will naturally create buzz for you and your business.

So are people talking about you?  What are they telling others about you?

Word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising and, hence, the best kind of buzz.

If people aren’t talking about you, start to think of ways you can get the ball rolling!