Associate Programs Newsletter #131
CONTENTS:
1. Learn from the winners – not the strugglers
2. More Internet marketing gems you need to know
3. FreeShop.com’s new strategy
4. Banner tip for affiliate merchants
5. One and Only’s aggressive new promotion
6. Thought for today: Protect yourself
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1. Learn from the winners – not the strugglers
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I sell Internet marketing manuals and tools for website owners but obviously not everyone who reads this newsletter will do the same.
As I’m sure you’ve realized, the Net definitely does not need another 15,000 sites offering Internet marketing advice.
However, even if you’re not selling marketing manuals, you should sign up with the affiliate programs of the authors of the best Internet marketing manuals.
When you do, you’ll receive a steady stream of valuable insights from experts – guys who are right on the cutting edge, constantly testing and learning what works, today.
For example, I think it was way back in 1998 that I read in a newsletter from Corey Rudl that banner ads were NOT the best way to achieve sales. (Using personal endorsements instead can quadruple your sales.)
It took most companies months – or even years – to appreciate this wisdom.
By the way, I’m NOT saying all banner ads don’t work. Corey’s October “Marketing Tips” newsletter includes an article by Steve Covert describing how he designs banner ads which achieve very impressive 4% to 6% click-throughs.
That’s the sort of useful tip I’ve come to expect from Corey.
He was selling products via affiliate programs long before most people had even heard of them and he can study the sales of many thousands of affiliates.
Here’s another example of how Corey was way ahead of the pack.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that many of the large dot-coms have suddenly figured out that email marketing works. Corey figured that out YEARS ago. He explains it all in a chapter called “Newsletters – The Underestimated Marketing Tool”.
What about some of the other hot topics which excite marketers today?
Creating killer copy.
The right way to use autoresponders.
Search engine secrets.
The importance of back-end and up-sell products.
Using affiliate tracking software to track all your ads and sales…
Corey has been exploring these topics in depth for YEARS – and they’re just a few of the subjects he covers extensively in his huge home study course, “The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet”.
I do have one criticism.
Unfortunately, although he has updated the section in which he describes spammers’ sneaky tricks, he says he’s “100% neutral” on spam.
That’s a shame. He’s in a position of great influence. I wish he would use it wisely.
Definitions of spam vary greatly. I’d like the manual much better if Corey offered his carefully considered opinion and gave marketers guidance on what is acceptable behavior and what isn’t.
Corey is far too young to remember the popular saying of the 1960s: “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.”
If you sit on the fence, Corey, you’re part of the problem.
To get the best out of the manual, carefully study all the useful tips Corey gives and also examine the way he brilliantly weaves his recommendations for more products into the advice he gives.
If you want to learn how to…
Sell in context
Sell back-end products
Create joint venture deals…
If, like me, you bought Corey’s “Insider Secrets” way back in 1998, dig it out and re-read it. There’s a wealth of good stuff in there.
Better still, it’s time you got the 2000 version. You’ll find that large sections have been updated with new insider tips and resources.
Even if you don’t usually promote marketing manuals, you could add a small section to your site recommending Corey’s “Insider Secrets”. Those $65 commissions add up fast.
Join Corey’s affiliate program here:
https://www.associateprograms.com/coreys
Get Corey’s “Insider Secrets” manual here:
https://www.associateprograms.com/corey
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2. More Internet marketing gems you need to know
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Here are a few important Internet marketing insights. If you know them already, can you remember where you learned them?
POP-UP WINDOWS
Who was the first person to tell you that interstitials (those pop-up windows you love to hate) are far more effective than banner ads?
If you belong to an ActiveMarketplace affiliate program, chances are you heard it first from DECLAN DUNN, author of the new book “Net Profits – How To Win The Internet Game”.
[UPDATE: This fairly old book is no longer available. For the latest resources I recommend see Affiliate Resources.]SOLO MAILINGS
Sending a solo mailing to your list for a product will outpull an endorsement in a newsletter many times over.
I’ve forgotten who first told me that, but MARLON SANDERS, author of “The Amazing Formula That Sells Products Like Crazy” – https://www.associateprograms.com/marlon – is a strong advocate of the technique.
“The difference is night and day,” Marlon says.
SITE CLUSTERS
You know that link popularity – the number of sites which link to yours – is becoming more and more important in the main search engines. You also need to have important sites in your field linking to you.
However, that’s only part of the story. If you have a few hundred sites linking to you, for traffic-boosting results those sites must also have links going TO them.
Search engine guru MICHAEL CAMPBELL explains site clusters in his online “Vault”, to which readers of his book “Nothing But Net”
[UPDATE, 2013: Michael Campbell has stopped selling this product. If you want really good, comprehensive instruction on affiliate marketing, I recommend Rosalind Gardner’s Affiliate Blogger Pro. It’s often recommended by affiliate merchants who want their affiliates to succeed and sell lots of products. Here’s my review of Affiliate Blogger Pro.]VIRAL MARKETING
Who introduced you to viral marketing in a way which boosts affiliates’ sales? Chances are, it was MARK JOYNER. His latest viral marketing tool is the Promote-Ivator. Now he’s added an enhancement: You can paste a little script on to your page and offer your visitors automatically updated marketing tips – AND earn commissions. [UPDATE: No longer available.]
FREE EZINE PUBLICITY
Who convinced you that it’s possible to generate a lot of free traffic by writing articles for newsletters? More than likely, it was RICK BENETEAU, author of the best-selling “The Ezine Marketing Machine” [UPDATE: No longer available.]
PRE-SELLING
Who explained the difference between selling and PRE-selling in a way which made you appreciate the huge difference it can make to your sales? KEN EVOY, the guy who has grossed $750,000 in sales for a remarkably low-priced marketing manual – https://www.associateprograms.com/ken .
Chances, are, he also introduced you to the concepts of lifetime commissions and lifetime customers.
HOT PRODUCTS
Who got you excited about the benefits of promoting high-demand, hot products and told you how find them quickly and easily? PATRICK ANDERSON, co-author of “Right on the Money”
[UPDATE: This product is no longer available.]Anyone involved in marketing on the Net needs valuable insights like these. Don’t miss out. Study these guys’ books and then join their affiliate programs.
https://www.associateprograms.com/marlon
https://www.associateprograms.com/ken
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3. FreeShop.com’s new strategy
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Free-offer company FreeShop.com, which has 75,000 affiliates, has announced a new strategy and will change its name to Aptimus Inc.
Aptimus will distribute its clients’ free offers across a network of websites. The offers will be placed in context and on results pages of keyword searches. So far, distribution partners include iVillage, About.com, and NBC Internet.
Full story:
internetnews.com/IAR/article/0,,12_485751,00.html
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4. Banner tip for affiliate merchants
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Affiliate Andrew Starr of https://www.atstarr.com has a new tip for affiliate merchants.
Merchants should feel free to offer any banner size they want, but might wish to consider these standards:
iab.net/standards/adunits.asp
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5. One and Only’s aggressive new promotion
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Last week I provided a link to the beta version of One and Only’s new site.
“We’ve added a new, aggressive promotion and more new tools,” says the company’s Director of Associate Programs, Cade Herzog.
The two-tier program pays 15% to 40% from every subscription.
The new site is now live:
[UPDATE: This program has closed.]=============================
6. Thought for today: Protect yourself
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“. . . don’t pick merchants that ‘belong’ ONLY to Be Free or ONLY to CJ or LinkShare. What happens to your business if one of these backend providers folds? . . . Don’t give too much emphasis to any single program, unless you have some special reason to feel unusually comfortable with it. Things happen. So protect yourself by DIVERSIFYING.”
– Ken Evoy
“Affiliate Masters Course”
Get the newly updated, expanded (about 100 pages) “Affiliate Masters” course. Download it free here:
All the best
Allan Gardyne
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