Affiliate Marketing?

[bluelight]

Hi All,

I'm about to embark on my first go at affiliate marketing and wanted to know if anyone could outline the do's and dont's for me?

I have just joined clickbanking and am wondering if this is a good place to start?

As if I don't have enough on my plate at the moment, I am trying to diversify (the old, 'fingers in different pies' springs to mind) and fancy opening something up online.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks
Mark

 

[DesignerNick]

Test,Test,Test,Test,Test,Learn,Test

 

[Magsite]

Clickbank seems to be more digital downloads than physical products, are you in the UK. If so check out what available on the uk networks, http://www.affiliatenetworkreview.co.uk/

 

[Normansmith]

Hi All,

I'm about to embark on my first go at affiliate marketing and wanted to know if anyone could outline the do's and dont's for me?

I have just joined clickbanking and am wondering if this is a good place to start?

As if I don't have enough on my plate at the moment, I am trying to diversify (the old, 'fingers in different pies' springs to mind) and fancy opening something up online.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks
Mark

Why not use your friend Google ?

 

[ExpoPublishing]

Yup Clickbank is very American, not that Im adverse to that, but the sales pages for some of their products read in a very American-English way.

More Niche is a good affiliate network, based in the UK, and each product they have under their wing converts well and pays a good commission.

Food for thought...

 

[bluelight]

Thanks all,

The amount of information on affiliate marketing is astonishing....... I am hoping to get something up and running this month but trying to wade through all the dross is scary.

 

[deadgoodundies]

We've been on the other side of affiliate marketing for years (as a merchant) but of course have worked with countless affiliates so if I can be of any help, offering advice on UK networks let me know and i'll do my best to help.

Also if you haven't done already check out the main UK affiliate forum http://www.affiliates4u.com/forums/

 

[Storage Prices]

Affiliate Window, Commission Junction, and ShareaSale are the ones I use.

Good luck!

 

[bluelight]

So once I have joined all these affiliate sites, whats the best way to proceed then?

Do I get my own website built and then start marketing it via facebook, google and any other marketing resource?

Thanks

 

[Storage Prices]

Yes, pretty much.

I suggest you decide on a niche you're going to enter beforehand - something that is popular but not overly-competitive.

Is it going to be a blog? A review site? Or some other website that incorporates affiliate ads whilst offering something valuable to the visitor?

 

[bluelight]

I hope if my understanding is correct that a review site is one whereby you review the benefits of the products you are affiliated with and hopefully signpost them onto the merchants site?

A blog is a series of interesting investigations into the products with adwords interspersed throughout it?

And a website is as they are just a standard advertising window to the world that is then shoved onto the search engine to gain the highest ranking through seo and adword campaigns?

Phew!! I hope that sounds about right and isn't a load of verbal nonsense, otherwise my two weekends reading all about the marketing side of affiliations will have gone up in smoke?

 

[Storage Prices]

You're not far wrong, but I think you should switch your focus more towards providing something valuable for the visitor first - not on what products and referrals you're going to push towards them.

A blog takes a lot of time, effort, and persistence (which is why the majority of blogs fail to become monetised to the extent the owner initially intended), and you also need to be offering fresh, engaging, and SEO-optimised content to both gain visibility/traffic, and that you retain it long enough to gain credibility and then begin advising product recommendations.

Go into this focused on what the visitor wants. Because if you don't provide this, then you'll have no hope of monetising your site with affiliate links or adsense ads.

 

[bluelight]

Hmmm,

Ok its back on with the thinking cap then........I suppose 'information' is the most valuable thing for a customer looking on the web, as he/she is normally looking for answers to questions that they have regarding a product or service. This could also be peppered with an incentive to buy something perhaps a voucher or its equivelent?

 

[Storage Prices]

Yes, exactly.

I always gear blog posts towards answering a popular question in my niche, then stick a couple of affiliated product/service recommendations in the post along the way.

 

[lead]

Building your own website and promoting it on social websites is good and it brings traffic soon. we all know there are million of users accessing social networking sites. So just go for it. Remember take care of your content. It should be unique and interesting.

 

[Ecnalwerg]

I've got three finance websites that you can buy off me, they are already built and monetised, I've changed my focus now and have moved on. Let's chat, I've been doing it for a couple of years now on and off and have probably brought in about £13000. Don't worry they are not going to cost the earth. Lance
lancegrew at gmaildotcom

 

[Ecnalwerg]

Hey carrying on from my last post, I have moved to a company that franchise and thought this will be brilliant for affiliates to get there teeth into. I called all the affilaite companies up to try and enter a program with them and was refused because they said it was too niche for their affiliates. The annoying thing was the company pay £1000 per accepted lead. Who cares of its niche! I'd build a new freaking website for that kind of money. Anyway if anyone is interested in a niche market that pays high without any in-betweens let me know and we'll sort something out.

 

[Ecnalwerg]

Oh by the way, all affiliate companies take a cut so it's best to go direct and get a better deal.

 

[Donna77]

Hi,
If any affiliates are looking for merchants could you get in touch please? I've just set up my affiliate programme on Refersion and am looking for bloggers/marketing affiliates interested in ladies' fashion, lingerie, swimwear and travel accessories. Thanks.

 

[garyk]

You need 2 things;

1. Traffic
2. Conversions

If you do it the organic way its a slow old process. You can buy traffic either via PPC or media buying (buying banners on high traffic websites). But media buying can bring you alot of traffic quickly, so that is #1 covered! The key is you need to target your offer for the right demographic which will improve your conversions, so thats #2!

One other thing I would add is have a pre-sell page which captures an email. My experience, and in fact with moreniche some years back is whilst I could get clicks off my ad I was sending traffic direct to their site and the conversion was extremely low. If you blindly send traffic to a low converting affiliate page then you just burn money.

There is alot to learn I'm afraid. I've been dabbling with it for 3 years and only now do I feel ready to perhaps look at it more seriously.

Gary

 

[mediaguy35]

There's hundreds of review sites, and trying to beat the leaders is fantasy.

I dont deny that a shopping site with a unique slant might be useful, but suspect what you are trying to do has been done a few times already. Then you've got the discount sites in quite a few niches who already own the market eg: Hoteldirect, Kayak, Hotwire etc etc.

Whats your strategy for promoting this as it will take years to get it established and it will be 2020 before it gets traction.

 

[bluelight]

Well,

Its been a little while since I started this discussion and the reading/research has been incredible it has taken up sooooo much time that I am still putting together a strategy and searching the market for the best schemes.

So I have decided just to get on with it now and use your replies to base my website and marketing slant on............. Many thanks to you all it is most appreciated.

 

[bluelight]

I've got three finance websites that you can buy off me, they are already built and monetised, I've changed my focus now and have moved on. Let's chat, I've been doing it for a couple of years now on and off and have probably brought in about £13000. Don't worry they are not going to cost the earth. Lance
Hi Lance,

I have pm'd you for a chat and will email you as well.
Cheers
Bluelight

 

[bluelight]

You need 2 things;

1. Traffic
2. Conversions

If you do it the organic way its a slow old process. You can buy traffic either via PPC or media buying (buying banners on high traffic websites). But media buying can bring you alot of traffic quickly, so that is #1 covered! The key is you need to target your offer for the right demographic which will improve your conversions, so thats #2!

One other thing I would add is have a pre-sell page which captures an email. My experience, and in fact with moreniche some years back is whilst I could get clicks off my ad I was sending traffic direct to their site and the conversion was extremely low. If you blindly send traffic to a low converting affiliate page then you just burn money.

There is alot to learn I'm afraid. I've been dabbling with it for 3 years and only now do I feel ready to perhaps look at it more seriously.

Gary

Thanks Gary,

Your not wrong mate its staggering the amount of do's and don'ts in this world. My offline business is a piece of cake compared to it lol.

Cheers
Bluelight

 

[garyk]

That said Bluelight offline is not without its challenges, my background is in offline

P.S. I cover both in my new book (link is sig.) plug plug

 

[MichelleLeadPerfect]

If you're looking for a great way to make money via affiliate marketing try Lead Perfect. We have a well established ping tree, and are seeing great conversion rates. Sign up to view offers or reach out to me directly for more information: website can be found at portal. leadperfect.co.uk /register

 

[kackland]

Took a look at HQPLRstore.com. I have bought some of their products and it's a great way of getting started. It's quite a lot of work but when you've cracked it it's the gift that keeps on giving.

Good luck, Kevin

 

[fonzo]

Hi all, newbie here. I was wondering how the op is doing as the thread is a few years old now. Is affiliate marketing a realistic way to make a side revenue?