Affiliate marketing

David Marshall · #1 01-11-2008, 08:13 PM

Hi,

I have dabbled with af before but now feel I have the skills to make a good job a site and make af more of a success.

I have learn that planning is essential now (took me long enough) and so wondered if anyone had any advice or recomendations in this area,

many thanks in advance,

Dave

john777 · #2 01-12-2008, 01:05 AM

Hey I like the topics of your sites
I am an affilate to amazon-ebay-clickbank-commission junction and link share- you can see how I have combined all thoes on my site. I even found a way to sell the movie "The secret" and all the stuff on law of attraction.
www.nursingschoolstore.com

Hope this gives you a few ideas
John

David Marshall · #3 01-12-2008, 12:12 PM

thanks jon, will check it out.

cheers

Dave

David Marshall · #4 01-12-2008, 12:34 PM

Given me some ideas. Having looked at your site and what you sell it occurred to me that there are lots more that I can sell from the sites than I first thought of.

thenks again, I think I will make a list of everything that is connected to each site and start from there. Thanks again

if there are any other af marketeers out there, is there any real don't and any real do's before I get going? any help appreciated,

cheers

dave

karel · #5 01-14-2008, 04:08 PM

Hi David, Are you thinking of placing affiliate products on your own sites or building a totally new site to prromote products? I have done affiliated products before and have my own product in clickbank. If you give me a little more info on your plans I may have one or two tips for you based on my own experiences.

Paul

David Marshall · #6 01-15-2008, 09:44 AM

Hi,

this is my dilemma in a way. I sell my own e books from my present site and obviously know that those visitors are interested in what the site offers but I do not want to lead them away from my own products. I have added an amazon store to one site but I am interested in earning some decent money from this so want to put effort in where I will get the best reward. I have wasted alot of time not planning what I am doing so am reticent to start without a firm plan that I know will bring the results.
My sites are quite niche I suppose so am not sure I can generate the money I want to from adding a few products on them. I have an idea of doing a whole site based round holisitc living as an affiltae site as there are far more products that I could sell from that standpoint.

My real love however is writing and would really love to sell enough of my books online to continue in that vain but I am not selling enough at the moment to do that. Blimey I've written an essay. Hope all that makes sense!

As an aside, you sell your books on clickbank, any tips as I have signed up but not launched in yet as an affiliate or merchant.

thanks for any advice

cheers

Dave

Vasili · #7 01-15-2008, 09:51 AM

So ... just what is your dilemma?

There are a lot of threads in these forums that will give you a much clearer idea of how to make significant progress in affiliate marketing without beating around the bush and postulating association with Clickbank (a completely second-rate affiliate network, also discussed in these forums)!

karel · #8 01-15-2008, 02:03 PM

With all due respect Vasili the guy has come here to ask a question, I don't feel there is any need to ridicule him in anyway. I use clickbank and although it is certainly not perfect, it gives me decent pocket money at the end of the month. Also I think he was looking for some fresh ideas from what I read.

I have 300% more knowledge than I had 2 years ago and it was built up by asking questions, many simple ones, many that had been asked before. But at least I did not try and do it the easy way and went out and tried to educate myself.

David feel free to contact me through one of my sites and I will give you a detailed reply. Affiliate marketing is not an easy route to money like most things on-line, but you stand a better chance if you avoid certain things.

Marincky · #9 01-15-2008, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karel

With all due respect Vasili the guy has come here to ask a question, I don't feel there is any need to ridicule him in anyway. I use clickbank and although it is certainly not perfect, it gives me decent pocket money at the end of the month. Also I think he was looking for some fresh ideas from what I read.

Ditto!

David Marshall · #10 01-15-2008, 02:27 PM

Hi,

thanks for all your interest. It dawned on me after getting my sites onto googe with the search terms I wanted, that I could, with effort,be able to earn my living on the web and although I can do this stepping into what is a long term thing for me feels quite dawnting so I am feeling my way in at the moment. I am also aware that I can waste alot of time doing the wrong things and want to avoid that. Life is too short.

I might seem a little vague at the mo vasili and your question made me think again, so it was a good one. The dilema having thought about it, is simply to find the best way forward in this area that makes economic sense, remember this a new venture for me. I have no doubt there are lots of threads too and I will work my way through them as I normally do when exploring a subject. This forum provides a huge amount of support in my own learning so feel it was appropriate to ask for guidence.

It seems a shame to take this off if there real do's and don'ts as other may learn too. So if there is any advice please do post and I will email you karel if that is still ok,

cheers

Dave

Vasili · #11 01-15-2008, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Marshall

I might seem a little vague at the mo vasili and your question made me think again, so it was a good one. The dilema having thought about it, is simply to find the best way forward in this area that makes economic sense, remember this a new venture for me.

I am glad you saw that I was stumped on trying to pin down the real issue of the "discussion" ..... rather reflects the core issue of not only web building, but also the essential elements of Affiliate Marketing.

You are right to doubt that you can experience a significantly easy shift of revenue to online marketing on a timely basis (unless you have pre-structured a promotional or distribution network that can be laterally inserted with a new program) that would make replacing an income less than trepidacous! The real key to building success in Affiliate Marketing it to create a natural niche, desire, or renown that compels sales, and this is one of the more elusive arenas for people to get out of their own head (and unrealistic expectations, or illusions of granduer) to make a good go of it: it is always better to invest in good thinking/planning so you are a big frog in a small pond rather than a small frog in a big pond.

Before you spend too much time planning something elaborate or setting yourself up for disappointment, why don't you get your feet wet and explore the nuances of how it all works and how you feel working it: you have a few sites, right? Why don't you consider offering a very few "opportunities" for your visitors to compliment their experience with you by creating a single page to present these affiliate "partners" in a "Marketplace" or "Sggested Resources" area? If you are promoting meditation, for example, you may select one or two vendors that offer incense (aroma therapy), music, pillows or mats (to sit onor otherwise), etc. that you find listed in one of the better Affiliate Marketing Networks like Commission Junction or LinkShare?? This way you can "test" everything from how to place banners and links to the kinds of products or services available that truly mesh with your already formatted business plan.....

This accomplishes a couple of things off the bat for you:
1. You become familiar with how Affiliate Marketing Networks operate
2. You learn how to create pages around the available resources
3. You are inspired to select vendors that would compliment your sites and overall offering
4. You can understand how by adding content to actually describe the products or services these vendors offer on your site will add to your relevancy and search metrics
5. Your clients will see your site as more of a resource, and will have a greater foundation upon which to build their "loyalty"
6. You can actually sell something and earn a few bucks. This will also teach you the pratice of retiring under-performing vendors for better fits.

Affiliate Marketing is nothing more than the Good Old Boy Networking with technology applied: everyone wants to do business with the leaders, and the more you associate with them, the better off they all become.
It is not a get-rich-quick circus, but big ideas pay off big too --- it depends on your vision and how you understand that vision.

Well....that is just a suggestion I believe would pay off for most when first getting into Affiliate Marketing: add a simple page, and go from there.
KEY> Don't stoop low to participate just because someone else has. Keep your standards high and your results will reflect your standards. Despite Paul's experience, Clickbank has a reputation for playing games with your money. Commission Junction and Linkshare (and even Shareasale) are the most reputable networks.

(Trust me. Between the 2 of them I get over $1500 a month without having to bat an eye!)

David Marshall · #12 01-15-2008, 11:36 PM

that is great advice, thanks.

I have started to add some link now with amazon and in doing so I have seen that I need to think about the way I prsent these products in line with what is already there. I made a list of all the possible interests my visitors could have. I think it is a real change in mind set i need, to think of the sites differently from how I have in the past. These have been information sites really not created for affiliate marketing.

As you have said, putting time and effort into something that will not generate the money for me is simply not an option: i have done that too much in the past!!

with what has been said and some new thinking I will start on the sites I have, learn the best way and go from there. I will check out those you have mentioned and see what is on offer.

The sites I have, having thought about it, do offer more opportunities for me than I first imagined so tomoro I will start. A bit late today.

thanks for the feedback, very good stuff and alot to think about.

cheers

Dave

MoodyMare · #13 02-07-2008, 12:56 AM

Dave,
Have you set up as an affiliate merchant? I would be interested in showcasing your Reiki book on my site.

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