Associate Programs Newsletter #221
Brrrr. We haven't had a frost yet, but
it's getting too cold for us in
Dunedin, New Zealand, as winter nears.
On Monday, Joanna and I are heading for
sunny Queensland, Australia, for the
southern winter, as usual.
I love the way the Internet allows us
to do that.
CONTENTS:
1. Affiliate marketing experiment No.2 - $1,000 a month
2. New tool: How to find heaps of good keywords fast
3. ClickBank's testing alarms affiliates
4. Once in a lifetime chance
5. Another affiliate quits his day job
6. Don't be tempted by this garbage
7. How to stop Messenger pop-up junk mail
8. Useful resource: Add content to your site
9. Thought for today: Which door are you looking at?
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=============================================
1. Affiliate marketing experiment No.2 - $1,000 a month
=============================================
Rupert's latest report is now online.
Flushed with the success of his first affiliate web site, my
assistant Rupert has built a second site which is even more
successful.
(He has also built a third site, but that's another story.)
His second site has earned more than $1,000 a month in affiliate
commissions for the past two months.
Here's Rupert's report in which he describes how he does it:
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/articles/138/1/Web-affiliate-programs-experiment-2
If you're already successful with affiliate programs, don't
dismiss Rupert's report too lightly.
After all, an extra $1,000 a month in commissions would be very
handy, wouldn't it?
If you're fairly new to affiliate programs, you may be thinking
that $1,000 a month isn't the sort of fantastic revenue some
Internet marketing gurus promise you.
However, consider this...
You've probably spent quite a lot on ebooks that tell you how to
achieve fantastic results. But are you getting fantastic results?
Chances are, you're not.
In contrast, the technique that Rupert uses is do-able.
You can do this stuff.
You don't have to write an ebook. You don't even have to have a
newsletter.
For his second affiliate site, Rupert followed the same simple
steps as last time.
He...
* Chose a topic he already knew something about.
* Did research and selected profitable keywords or phrases.
* Wrote articles using those phrases.
* Used Site Build It! to create a site the search engines love.
* Entwined affiliate links in the articles.
There's no smoke and mirrors trick here. In his report, Rupert
tells you the URL of his second site so you can poke around
inside and see how he's getting No.1 spots in Google.
He gives you screenshots and tables showing such things as his
most popular pages, and the top 50 search phrases people are
using to find his site.
We're taking the risk that some lazy idiot will copy the site and
we'll have to bring the lawyers in.
Been there, done that.
We're taking that risk because we want to show you exactly how
we're earning this income, so you can, too.
If you're fairly new to affiliate programs, rest assured that
using Site Build It! isn't too difficult. In fact, Rupert says
it's easy.
There's an "Analyze It" button you click which helps you build
pages that rank highly in search engines.
Just follow the instructions. Take it one little step at a time.
Do one thing well, and then move on to the next thing.
Rupert isn't a trained writer. He's not wonderfully clever at
following written instructions.
He didn't know anything about affiliate programs or marketing
when I hired him.
But when he's writing about a subject that interests him, he can
produce an acceptable article, good enough for an affiliate web
site than generates $300 or, in this case, $1,000 a month.
When he's mastered that, he can build another one, and so on...
You can too.
Here's Rupert's article, in which he proves that his first
success wasn't a fluke:
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/articles/138/1/Web-affiliate-programs-experiment-2
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======================================================
2. New tool: How to find heaps of good keywords fast
======================================================
If you're building web pages to be found in search engines or
using pay-per-click search engines, you need a powerful list of
keywords that are related to your industry.
One option is to use Overture's Search Term Suggestion Tool.
You probably know how frustrating that is. You try one search,
and that gives you an idea for a new search, and then you do
another search, and so on... It takes forever.
Wouldn't it be great if you could do all that and more with just
one click.
I've found a way you can, by using Markus Allen's new
KeywordSleuth.
Test it, and you'll see how fantastic this tool is. And Markus
tells me he's planning improvements that will make it even
better.
In some ways, it's not as good as Wordtracker -
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/wordtracker - and it does only a
tiny fraction of what Site Build It -
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/buildit - does.
However, it gives you hundreds or even thousands of related
search phrases in only 60 seconds with only one click.
That's incredibly fast.
For example, I typed in "computers" and KeywordSleuth delivered
500 related search phrases.
Try it.
When I told Markus how much I liked KeywordSleuth, he let me put
a demo version on my site.
Try it here:
[UPDATE: No longer available. For in-depth reviews of keyword
research tools, see KeywordWorkshop.com.]]
==============================================
3. ClickBank's testing alarms affiliates
==============================================
ClickBank alarmed affiliates and affiliate managers when its
technicians did some testing this week.
Jeff Staniforth of http://www.affirmware.com.au alerted me to the
problem. He says ClickBank's error message said:
"Direct links to ClickBank in email or pop-up windows
are forbidden. To avoid this message all traffic
must originate from an outside web page that contains
a clickable link to the desired ClickBank address."
I checked with Harvey Segal of http://www.ClickBankGuide.com who
monitors ClickBank.
The tests horrified him.
Harvey says that at first, all standard hoplinks wouldn't work.
The error message changed during the tests. It became a warning
allowing the link to go ahead, and then the warning disappeared.
"I guess they are planning some changes and were either testing
it or withdrew it when it caused problems," Harvey says.
"I've identified a link in a newsletter as a big problem if this
goes ahead, and similarly an ad in a newsletter would not work.
But the biggest problem on reflection are existing links in
ebooks, which are currently circulating all over the Net in their
millions. For this reason I can't see ClickBank making this
change."
ClickBank advised Harvey that its technicians had been doing some
testing "for a short period of time" and apologized for any
confusion.
Everything has returned to normal now.
Let's hope that if ClickBank is planning changes, it will first
ask affiliates and affiliate managers for their opinion.
==================================
4. Once in a lifetime chance
==================================
If you don't do anything about this, you're going to miss a once
in a lifetime opportunity.
Mark Joyner is getting out of the industry. In the process, he's
offering you all the software, "back-room" tools and secrets that
he's used to produce astounding results in Internet marketing.
Mark is a highly controversial figure. He's been incredibly
successful. He's built massive lists and sold millions of dollars
worth of products.
He's also upset many people. Judging by the feedback I've
received, quite a few people will be glad to see him go.
If Mark has offended you, I suggest you look beyond the person to
the information that's being offered.
Because he's leaving, he has no reason to hold anything back.
The information offered includes his secret "Internet Marketing
Theory": How money is really made on the Internet. This is
probably the most important strategic concept you need to learn.
Whether you want the source code of a program that currently
generates $80,000 a month in revenue, or just want to read the 12
revealing interviews, there's something in the Farewell Package
for you.
Ask yourself, if you get hold of this information now, what will
it be worth to you one year from now?
Only 2,000 people will get it.
Make sure you're one of them. I am.
It's all explained in the farewell letter...
[UPDATE: The Farewell Package sold out.]
================================
5. Another affiliate quits his day job
================================
I love receiving letters like this one...
Super affiliate Jeff Ostroff writes:
I remember some time back in one of your newsletters you said you
wanted to hear when we quit our day job.
I wanted to let you know that I have finally decided to leave
Motorola after nine fruitful years with the company, so that I
may concentrate full time on our ConsumerNet, Inc. web sites
going forward.
It was not an easy decision. I have a great position at Motorola,
but I leave one great job for another great job that allows me to
spend more time with my family.
I actually could have left Motorola a couple of years ago, but
kept putting it off, making excuses, then I finally paid off the
mortgage, and decided to pull the trigger and make the transition
to the next important part of my life. So there you have it!
Best Regards,
Jeff Ostroff
http://www.CarBuyingTips.com
http://www.HouseBuyingTips.com
http://www.BridalTips.com
http://www.DebtWizards.com
http://www.BabyResource.com
http://www.ToyAvenue.com
http://www.ByTheBooks.com
P.S. What are the Top 10 Car Dealer Scams?
Find out at http://www.CarBuyingTips.com
I interviewed Jeff a couple of years ago:
How Jeff Ostroff became a top-earning affiliate
=============================================
6. Don't be tempted by this garbage
=============================================
Someone - let's just call him Rudy - wrote the other day urging
me to have a look at "a software program that can assist
affiliates in increasing their revenues".
I had a look and was disgusted.
Rudy is offering a fairly new form of S P A M.
He's trying to persuade affiliates to use instant messaging to
send pop-up messages to millions of computers, located via IP
addresses.
If you're using Windows XP, 2000 or NT you're a potential target.
Thanks to Microsoft, you already have the necessary software on
your computer.
Rudy's company says you can send out millions of pop-up messages
every day from your home computer.
I don't usually correspond with people like him, but I was so
annoyed I wrote back to Rudy and told him he should be ashamed of
himself for clogging the Internet with junk mail.
He acted surprised, replying:
"That was an odd thing to write. It is a legitimate
product, and is no different from a pop-up on a web
site."
Actually, there's a huge difference.
People choose to visit a web site. If they don't like the site,
they can choose not to visit the site again.
Rudy's product tries to remove your choice. That's a really
ugly thing to do.
Rudy replied:
"Ok we disagree. don't contact me again."
Isn't that ironic? Rudy wants to opt out. But he doesn't want you
to opt out from receiving his unrequested advertising.
Don't be tempted by this harmful garbage.
Don't help Rudy pollute our global village.
If you use this method to promote affiliate products, any decent
affiliate manager will quickly throw you out of the affiliate
program and you'll forfeit any commissions earned.
If Rudy doesn't know that, he's really ignorant.
===============================================
7. How to stop Messenger pop-up junk mail
===============================================
The idea of Rudy persuading affiliates to bombard millions of
computers with pop-up messages really upset me.
So I hunted around and found some instructions to help you
protect yourself from his junk.
Here's how to stop Messenger pop-up junk mail...
One way is to buy some software for about thirty dollars.
However, you don't need to do that.
Instead, just disable Messenger.
Go to Start, and then Run. Type in "services.msc".
Click OK.
Scroll to "Messenger". Select it, right-click it and choose
"Properties".
Under Startup, choose "Disabled", and then choose "Stop".
When the process has stopped (it won't take long) click OK.
(I've tested these instructions on a PC with Windows XP.)
Good luck!
===============================================
8. Useful resource: Add content to your site
===============================================
Here's a question I received this week.
"What resources might I locate to find various
industry headlines I could embed into my web site?"
The best source I know of for such info is FreeSticky.com.
You'll find not only info on how to add news headlines to your
site, but also marketing articles, financial content, sports
tickers, stock tickers, news tickers, jokes, cartoons, weather,
games and all sorts of other web site add-ons and tools.
If you're looking for ways to add content to your site, you could
spend hours researching at this site.
===============================================
9. Thought for today: Which door are you looking at?
===============================================
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we
look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which
has opened for us. - Helen Keller
All the best
Allan Gardyne
