Associate Programs Newsletter #196

You don't have to get everything right. The most important thing is to concentrate on stuff that works.

Today I write about an 18-year-old Internet marketer who does that.

CONTENTS:

1. How to become a super affiliate on a tight budget
2. Why you don't have to be perfect to make sales
3. New place to grab high quality domain names
4. My WebPosition Gold commission doubles
5. Another one who's been at the computer too long
6. ClickXchange pays $250 and 5% commissions
7. Popular articles you may have missed

====================================================
1. How to become a super affiliate on a tight budget
====================================================

The best way to make money with affiliate programs, ISN'T to directly promote the product or the affiliate program.

Some affiliate program managers tell you to buy advertising in ezines and promote their products.

Don't do that, says Shane Pearce, author of "Super Affiliate Marketing Exposed".

If you do, you'll probably waste your money.

A one-off attempt to make a sale is good for the merchant but bad for you. It makes the merchant better known while you're still unknown.

There's a much better way, Shane says.

If you really want to stand out from the pack and create a successful affiliate business, you must collect e-mail addresses, he says. He has a special way to do that.

Here's what you do.

First, carefully select three good affiliate programs - all complementary.

The first should pay at least 40% commission.

The second should pay residual income (you can find them reviewed at http://www.LifetimeCommissions.com ).

The third should pay a large commission.

The next step is vital. You locate or write a five-part free report, which offers USEFUL information. (Shane explains how to do this.)

Now, instead of advertising the affiliate product, you advertise your free five-part report, which you place on an autoresponder.

In the five-part report, carefully add your affiliate links in appropriate places so they actually add to the usefulness of the free report.

To increase your chance of making sales, write another five- part free report and offer it to the people who receive your first report... and so on.

Here's the beauty of this system. Not only do you have repeated opportunities to make a sale, by offering useful info you also win your readers' trust. This increases your chance of making a sale.

In his book, Shane tells you in simple language how to do all this.

He gives you examples of the products he promotes, tells you which autoresponder he uses, where he gets cheap, effective ezine advertising, and shows you a sample of a free report he's written, etc.

This is just one of many tips in his book, "Super Affiliate Marketing Exposed".

For the all the details, see...

[UPDATE: This product is no longer available.]

__________________________________________SPONSOR__________

AffiliateStorm.com - Pay-for-Performance Advertising Network

AFFILIATES - We have over 75 quality, high-converting offers for
you to promote with many creatives for you to choose from
including: text ads, banners, buttons, skyscrapers & HTML emails.
ADVERTISERS - Set up a pay-per-lead/sale program with us today
to increase your sales volume risk-free. Pay only for results!
Visit http://www.affiliatestorm.com for more info.
___________________________________________________________

=================================================
2. Why you don't have to be perfect to make sales
=================================================

I almost didn't read Shane Pearce's new ebook because of the disconcerting way in which he mangles the English language.

Shane, who's 18, says he has put "countless years"(!) into his affiliate education.

The first sentence of his book contains a grammatical error. He misuses apostrophes and forgets to use a spell checker...

He even uses two different titles to describe his ebook.

Don't be horrified. Read on...

This guy makes a living at Internet marketing, which means he probably does better than about 98% of affiliates.

As he clearly shows, you don't have to be an expert with words to succeed with affiliate programs.

You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to get every little detail right.

What you DO need is a mind that cuts through the clutter and concentrates on learning things that are important, such as how to make sales without spending much money.

Shane is very good at doing that.

He's also good at writing in a powerful, compelling way that keeps you reading.

His ebook, "Super Affiliate Marketing Exposed", is a quick read at only 73 pages.

There's not an ounce of fat in it.

He says that when he first started online the biggest reason he failed with affiliate programs was because he complicated things.

So now he simplifies them.

For example, he doesn't mess around with low-paying affiliate programs. He likes ones that pay 40% to 50% commissions.

He shows you how to write sales letters and how to succeed on a tight budget.

You don't even have to have a web site, he says. He describes a way to earn commissions without one.

He lists resources he finds useful, such as where to find good free web site templates, and gives examples of effective mini- sites.

He describes putting your affiliate income on autopilot, ezine advertising, effective promotion on discussion boards, how to create a viral marketing ebook, how to earn full profits instead of just a commission, etc.

He also gives you the names and web sites of highly successful affiliates and explains why they achieve profits of more than $100,000 a year.

Shane tells you how he succeeds with affiliate programs, by teaching people how to succeed with affiliate programs. In the process, he sells Internet marketing products.

For many readers, this will be the weakest part of an information-packed book.

He warns you that the market is saturated with Internet marketing how-to products and says his techniques can be adapted for use with other products. However, he doesn't go into that.

One problem with non-marketing products is that often they don't provide the high commissions that Shane recommends.

If you're looking for high commissions, the first place to look is companies that sell information products.

Another point that may bother you is that Shane's description gets a bit blurry when he describes converting people who ask for a free report into opt-in subscribers.

Purists will argue that people who requested a free report haven't given you permission for further contact.

Others will say that once contact has been established it's OK to continue e-mailing them. If you do that, be sure to offer them useful, helpful info - and provide an easy unsubscribe option.

Shane has quit his job to be a full-time Internet marketer.

His ebook, "Super Affiliate Marketing Exposed", is all about getting leverage - getting big results from a small effort.

It's all about diving in and doing stuff that works.

It's rough in parts, but it's a must-have book for anyone involved in affiliate marketing.

Check it out here...

[UPDATE: This product is no longer available.]

==============================================
3. New place to grab high quality domain names
==============================================

Remember Wayne Yeager's ValueNic?

It was a great idea, but Wayne miscalculated how much work it was going to involve. The site isn't operating any more.

Now Name Castle Domains has filled the void.

It hunts through all the expiring domain names, grabs the best ones and registers them.

Then it sells the pre-registered domains for $99. Affiliates are paid 15% commission.

When I looked this week I was surprised to see these high quality names still available:

InsaneTraffic.com
AmazingScripts.com
ProfitMagic.com
IconDesk.com
FusionPlanet.com
MagicStart.com
PCfolk.com
ResearchDesigns.com
MajorGames.com
SignatureWorld.com

...and a lot more.

If you're looking for ideas for a new web site, trying visiting Name Castle Domains.

You'll find the names you see will conjure up all sorts of interesting possibilities.

[UPDATE:
Name Castle disappeared.]

=========================================
4. My WebPosition Gold commission doubles
=========================================

The WebPosition Gold affiliate program is suddenly a lot more attractive.

I advertise WebPosition Gold - a web marketing tool which helps you achieve top rankings in search engines - with one small text ad on http://www.PayPerClickSearchEngines.com .

I was delighted to see that my commission stats for January show I earned $1.03 per click-through.

That's a fantastic payout rate. It's about double what I'd normally earn.

"Referral Support" (What an odd name for a human being - why do they do that?) says the increase in commissions is due in part to the company's campaign to further "mine" the leads sent by affiliates and convert them to paying customers through various special offers.

"Even better, we still have further promotions planned to help you make more dollars from each of your prospects who download WebPosition," the company says.

So right now would be a good time to promote WebPosition Gold.

Try it yourself first. You can download a free trial here:

http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/webposition

__________________________________________SPONSOR__________

It's not too late to get in on 45%+ Commissions!

Over 40 million U.S. taxpayers filed their tax returns online
last year, and more are expected this year. The busiest part of
the season is just coming up and you can still be a part of it.

All you have to do is sign-up at
http://www.filesafe.net/affiliate.htm
[UPDATE: This site vanished.]
___________________________________________________________

==================================================
5. Another one who's been at the computer too long
==================================================

Bonnie Scott writes:

Last weekend after I'd finished working for hours on my web site and affiliate programs, I put on my shoes and coat and told my husband I was going to Joann.com.

Bonnie
http://www.freecraftz.com

============================================
6. ClickXchange pays $250 and 5% commissions
============================================

Affiliate network ClickXchange has updated its services and affiliate program. The network has more than 150,000 web site publishers and supports pay per click, lead and sale. It's now offering $250 for advertiser referrals and an ongoing 5% for affiliate referrals.
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/clickx

Lycos has launched paid search and inclusion services.
itworld.com/Tech/2325/020225lycos/ [UPDATE: This link is obsolete.]

EBay's figurine scandal.
msnbc.com/news/713634.asp?0si [UPDATE: This link is obsolete.]

What makes EBay invincible?
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/16546.html

Be Free's cash burn rate was a record low of $1.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2001. At the end of the quarter, it still had $133 million in cash and marketable securities. Revenue for the quarter was $6.5 million compared with $6.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2000. Net loss was $3.7 million (plus a supplemental net loss of $1.1 million), compared with $18.2 million in the same period the previous year.
befree.com/company/pressroom/releases/2002/021302.htm
[UPDATE: This link is obsolete.]

=======================================
7. Popular articles you may have missed
=======================================

Previous articles:

Network of mini-sites earns $5,000 a month
Mini site success

Semi-neglected site earns $400 a month
Semi neglected websites

My view of a sub-tropical bay
My view of a sub tropical bay

Are you new to affiliate programs? I highly recommend the FREE "Affiliate Masters" course.

Download the 10-day free course here:

Free Affiliate Masters Course


========================================
8. Thought for today: Selling more goods
========================================

"Clever, tricky ideas often sound fine when described in a conference room. But usually some simple, basic, plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face idea will sell more goods."

- John Caples, author of
"Tested Advertising Methods"

All the best

Allan Gardyne