Associate Programs Newsletter #151

Today's main article is about a first-time author who is delighted because his new ebook has achieved $750 worth of sales.

Next week I'll tell you about someone who isn't satisfied with 10,000 visitors a day.

CONTENTS:

1. MemoryGrabber - it's NOT another marketing book
2. 17 strategies from highly successful web sites
3. GoTo lowers payout rate
4. Autoresponders help affiliates sell tracking software
5. Intellectua.com improves ad tracking
6. The Most Dangerous Piece of Software in the World
7. Startling revelations about eFront and other news
8. Musician's Friend tells affiliates what to do
     ...hot topics on the message board
9. New.net to pay $5 and 5 cents
10. Useful articles you may have missed
11. NEXT WEEK: Phil Tanny wants to spend $50,000
12. Thought for today: Failures on the way to success

__________________________________________SPONSOR__________

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...learn from the Internet Experts.
(that's why you're reading Allan's newsletter, right?)

So when "Nothing But Net" author Michael Campbell says
"...read this before you buy anything else"...

...you may want to click... http://scamfree.com/isb2001/
___________________________________________________________

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1. MemoryGrabber - it's NOT another marketing book
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There seem to be never-ending hordes of people building web sites and writing ebooks in the crowded field of Internet marketing.

Here's a little success story from someone who has chosen a different path - writing about his hobby.

Michael Boyter of Rapid City, South Dakota, is excited about online marketing but didn't want to write about that topic.

With help from some brainstorming exercises, he analyzed his own interests and skills, chose a topic and ended up creating a innovative ebook called "MemoryGrabber".

"MemoryGrabber" makes writing your life story or family stories simple with its "quick start" fill-in-the-blank method and self- interviewing format.

Can't think what to write next? Just answer the questions, with lots of help from many memory-joggers.

Last year, before writing his ebook, Michael followed my recommendation and bought "Make Your Knowledge Sell" (MYKS) - http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/myks - by Ken Evoy and Monique Harris. As you probably know, it's the best, most comprehensive book on the subject. It tells you how to create, market and sell your own information product.

He used it to write "MemoryGrabber". It's a 81-page book compiled using Adobe Acrobat, and took him five months to write.

"MYKS works off the premise that everyone has a book in them somewhere," Michael says.

"Well, 'MemoryGrabber' works off the premise - actually a fact - that everyone has a life story in them somewhere.

"When I first started using the brainstorming exercises that Monique includes in MYKS, I had no idea that this would be the topic of my ebook. I had other things in mind but her brainstorming techniques led me to it, and I have benefited from it.

"Here's why I chose the topic:

"Journal writing and family history are hobbies of mine.

"Everyone in the world can relate to this topic. Many will realize its importance some time in their lifetime.

"The market for this type of product will only increase with the baby boomers moving into the grandparenting stages of their lives and begin looking back over their lives in retrospect.

"Despite my excitement about online marketing, I wanted to attack a different market, one that is huge on the Net, like genealogy and family history, but wasn't over-saturated with ebooks and marketing."

Michael says many of his customers aren't really sure what an ebook is and when they learn they are fascinated.

Michael, who is 36, is a member of the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. His sales have stretched from Woodville, New Zealand, to Liverpool, England.

"My biggest reward has been the e-mails from all over the world telling me how MemoryGrabber prompted them not only to write about their own life but that they are also getting their 80 or 90-something-year-old mother or father to sit down and preserve much of their life story, thus passing it on down to future generations. This impact will always be the greatest reward.

"But in addition to this, since December I have sold over 65 books and brought in the first $750 that I have ever earned without having to punch a time clock! It's so exciting. Not bad on a $48 investment, eh?"

He offers a money-back guarantee. So far, he hasn't had any takers.

His web site is hosted and was created using Site Build It! - http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/buildit - and he uses its search engine submitter and many tools.

He has begun promoting his ebook - for which he charges only $12.95 - in a modest fashion. Here's what he has done so far:
He has bought 24 keywords or phrases on Goto.com , most for less than 2 cents per click. (For more pay-per-click search engines see http://www.PayPerClickSearchEngines.com , which now lists 72 of them.)

He writes articles and submits them to places such as ThemeStream.com and to his own, increasing, list of web sites and newsletters which have published his articles.

He has bought three ads in targeted ezines.

He has used http://www.Jimtools.com to submit to search engines and directories on a periodic basis.

He has contributed to several targeted message boards and newsgroups.

He has started his own ezine and discussion forum. "The people who own my book help sell it to those who don't via this board, just by their good comments. I build my list by using opt-in on my web site - 100 names so far.

"I keep looking for a niche within a niche. For example, I wrote a 16-page supplement to go along with 'MemoryGrabber' that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints can closely relate to. This church is very family history and genealogy focused. For the short time it took to write those 16 extra pages, I've opened up a whole new targeted niche. The supply and demand aspects are great in the pay-per-click search engines.

"Also, I have in the works to target retirement homes with a FREE 10 to 15-page e-booklet that hopefully will be well received and used by elderly people. I of course will have a small advertisement on it about 'MemoryGrabber'. My target here is not the elderly but rather the families that care so much about them.

"Additional niches for my ebook are the ever growing homeschool market," he says.

"There are many, many more ideas that one can come up with once you get your infoproduct completed and a niche identified."

Michael says that by the end of April he will have an affiliate program promoting his digital family history products and has several web site owners already interested.

It sounds as though he's just getting started...

You can see what Michael has done with Site Build It! and "Make Your Knowledge Sell!" here:

http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/memorygrabber.html

If you want a business that doesn't seem like a business, if you want to write about YOUR hobby and earn money doing something you love, this is the book which will make it easy:

"Make Your Knowledge Sell!"
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/myks

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2. 17 strategies from highly successful web sites
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When Monique Harris told me the other day that she had written a new book, I quickly downloaded it and read it - whatever I had planned no longer seemed very important.

I have great respect for Monique.

Among other things, she is co-author of "Make Your Knowledge Sell!" - http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/myks - which is an incredibly detailed, useful book on how to create, market and sell your own information product. It's THE book to get before you write an ebook.

Monique has a lively, unpolished writing style. She doesn't pretend to be something she isn't. She admits she makes plenty of mistakes - and learns from them. Her books are great value.

Her new book is "The Swipe File: 17 Strategies from highly successful Web sites".

Monique describes it as "the ultimate solution for Internet marketers who are tired of learning about all the basics".

She says that most Internet marketing manuals offer the same re- hashed advice: "Submit your site to the search engines... start an e-zine... participate in targeted discussion groups... launch an affiliate program."

But what do you do when you know all that stuff?

Monique has the answer - actually, 17 answers. It's a fairly small book and won't take you long to read.

I've waded through an awful lot of Internet marketing manuals, so I was pleasantly surprised to find fascinating techniques in Monique's new book which I hadn't seen anywhere.

One which specially caught my imagination is a simple javascript designed to make your prospects rush to your order page. One of her clients used this script to generate an additional $162,000 during the Christmas season.

I'm definitely going to try that technique.

If you're marketing only other people's products through affiliate programs and don't have your own ezine or own product, some of the techniques Monique describes won't apply to you.

Are you advanced enough for this book?

Here's a clue: If you're bored with reading the same old advice over and over, you're definitely ready.

Monique writes in simple, easy-to-understand, down-to-earth style. If the book doesn't meet your expectations, she'll refund your money, but I'm sure you won't need to ask for your money back.

After all, even if you used only ONE of the 17 techniques in the book, you could earn hundreds of times the modest price of the book.

It has an affiliate program which pays $13.65 commission on each sale.

I strongly recommend this one.

You can learn more about "The Swipe File" here.

[UPDATE: This product is no longer available.]

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3. GoTo lowers payout rate
==========================

A few examples of a toughening market:
GoTo is lowering the payout to affiliates of its Search-in-a- Box program from 3 cents to 2 cents, effective April 1.

The PhoneFree.com affiliate program has been terminated. The company says it will immediately pay 75% of all outstanding invoices for the fourth quarter of 2000. Affiliates haven't been told if they'll receive the remainder.

JCPenney will pay out on net sales instead of gross sales, and to earn higher commissions you'll have to sell more.

Due to "extraordinary success"(!) Infospace is lowering the click-through bounty from 5 cents to 1 cent for the Health Search Box and from 3 cents to NO PAY for the Travel links.

Many thanks to readers who let me know about good news and bad news in affiliate marketing.

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___________________________________________________________

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4. Autoresponders help affiliates sell tracking software
========================================================

Here's a technique which more merchants could use to help their affiliates achieve sales.

Along with banner ads and text links, My Affiliate Program affiliates have the option of using an autoresponder e-mail address to promote the affiliate tracking software.

The company makes it easy.

"You can use your Rapid Reply address on your website, in your newsletter or anywhere else you promote My Affiliate Program Software," says KowaBunga! Technologies' Director of Marketing Rachel Honoway in the latest newsletter to affiliates.

Anyone who sends a blank message to the address will instantly receive information about My Affiliate Program. They'll also receive a variety of follow-up messages over a two-week span. All of the messages will contain the affiliate's link.

"You give them the e-mail address, we'll follow up with them and you'll earn a commission when they buy," Rachel says.

To see how it work, send a blank e-mail to:

myaffiliateprogram.2031 AT optinpro.com

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5. Intellectua.com improves ad tracking
=======================================

Intellectua.com affiliates can now use Ad Codes at the end of their referral links, and know exactly which of their links attract clicks.

For example, you could add "!pg4a" to a referral link at the top of page 4 of your web site, and "!pg4b" for the second mention on the page.

"Done properly, any Ad Codes you use will get logged to your traffic file. Ad Code hit counts are then presented to you whenever you generate traffic reports," Chief Technical Officer Eldon Sarte says.

I'd like to see more merchants making it easy for affiliates to see which campaigns work and which ones don't.

Intellectua sells modestly priced reports including "How to Install CGI programs" and "Affiliate Marketing 101".

Learn more here:

====================================================
6. The Most Dangerous Piece of Software in the World
====================================================

If you make money from banner ads, cookies or pop-ups, this is a must-read article.

It's time to start looking for alternatives.

WebWasher instantly and seamlessly removes all advertising, cookies, and pop-up ads from your browser with the promise to maintain your privacy while saving you time and money by reducing all the bandwidth taken up by online advertising.

Jason McCabe Calacanis of Silicon Alley Daily says he's fallen in love with the software that could "kill him".

The Most Dangerous Piece of Software in the World
siliconalleydaily.com

Here's one alternative...

Salon.com to Charge for Ad-Free Content
thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,22979,00.html

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7. Startling revelations about eFront and other news
====================================================

eFront What Went Wrong? - startling revelations
thedukeofurl.org/reviews/misc/efront/

Coolsavings.com Posts Wider Loss, Warning
news.excite.com/news/r/010320/08/net-coolsavings-earns-dc

Net2Phone Beats Estimates, Revamps Deals
news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200-5185157.html

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8. Musician's Friend tells affiliates what to do
    ...hot topics on the message board
=================================================

Recent discussions on the Associate Programs Message Board include:
Musician's Friend tells affiliates what to do - and affiliates don't like it.

The DialFreeCalls program has been terminated "due to a low conversion rate and questionable practices of incentivization".

How to file a small claims lawsuit.

"One of my largest sources of income moved to Be Free (where they have more control of their cookies) and instantly $100+ per day became $10 per day. You can't tell me cookie length isn't important." - Leonard Farneth, http://www.Usedcar.com.

"Underhanded" techniques by Gator.com, and its decreasing payout - from $1 to 75 cents to 50 cents.

To learn more or join in the discussions, go to:

http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/discus/index.php

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9. New.net to pay $5 and 5 cents
================================

New.net, which is selling a bunch of new domain names, has launched its affiliate program with tracking by Commission Junction.

New.net will pay affiliates $5 per domain name and 5 cents for each download of a small, free browser plug-in.

The company has the backing of large partners such as MP3.com, Excite@Home and NetZero, but does not have the support of ICANN, the body which oversees domains.

ICANN acts far too slowly, makes strange decisions and stays silent when it shouldn't, but having a body oversee domains to ensure things are orderly makes sense to me.

Although New.net calls these names "top-level domains" they aren't - they just look like them - and the vast majority of people on the Net won't have access to them unless they download the free browser plug-in or access the Internet through one of New.net's ISP partners. So far, about 16 million Internet users have access to the new domains.

One challenge New.net has to overcome is email addresses. At this stage, if you buy one of these domain names, your email address will be difficult for people to remember. It will look something like this: yourname@businessname.shop.new.net.

There's a pent-up demand for new domain names and I imagine there will be a big rush and a lot of hype over these new names.

With Idealab money behind it and a Commission Junction affiliate program pushing it, the project has a good chance of success.

If you like a little gamble, you can buy a new domain name, such as yourname.shop, yourname.club or yourname.travel.

(The site was very slow when I tried it today - looks as though the rush has begun.)

You can join the program at Commission Junction:

http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/cj

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10. Useful articles you may have missed
=======================================

Previous articles:

How fast learner Yanik Silver succeeds
http://www.associateprograms.com/search/newsletter150.shtml

15 ways to cope with GoTo.com's price rise
http://www.associateprograms.com/search/newsletter149.shtml

Seven tricks the search engines don't want you to know
http://www.associateprograms.com/search/newsletter132.shtml

At last! Practical Guide for affiliate program managers
http://www.associateprograms.com/search/newsletter145.shtml

15 things super affiliates do to achieve super results
http://www.associateprograms.com/search/newsletter128.shtml

Are you new to affiliate programs? I highly recommend the free "Affiliate Masters" email course. Download it here:

Free Affiliate Masters Course

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11. NEXT WEEK: Phil Tanny wants to spend $50,000
================================================

Phil Tanny believes building relationships with other web sites is a good way to attract traffic. The tactic is bringing Phil 10,000 visitors a day, but he has $50,000 to spend and is looking for more web sites to befriend.

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12. Thought for today: Failures on the way to success
=====================================================

"I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed; and the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I can fail and keep on trying." – Tom Hopkins.

All the best

Allan Gardyne