Associate Programs Newsletter #145
CONTENTS:
1. At last! Practical Guide for affiliate program managers
2. A different new book for affiliate program managers
3. Create-A-Click undermines CJ's two-tier system
4. Just the facts: The 2% solution saves you time
5. What's really happening at FindWhat.com
6. Affiliate merchant news
7. Thought for today: Focus on that
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1. At last! Practical Guide for affiliate program managers
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Far too many companies rush into launching an affiliate program and then wonder why it isn't working nearly as well as they expected.
They wonder why they don't have enough affiliates, and why the affiliates they have aren't making many sales. They also wonder how to find more good affiliates.
For ages I've been waiting for someone to write a comprehensive, up-to-date book telling affiliate program managers what they need to know before launching an affiliate program.
At last someone has done it - and done it very well.
Neil Durrant has just launched an ebook dedicated to helping affiliate program managers.
Neil runs his own successful affiliate program. He knows what it's like to struggle with the problem of choosing between outsourcing or doing things in-house. He also knows what it's like to upgrade to a better system.
He describes the decisions he's made and decisions other affiliate program mangers have made and explains why.
"The Practical Guide To Creating and Managing a Profitable Affiliate Program" includes:
Over 120 pages of help and advice that program managers need to know.
Exclusive interviews with super affiliates and successful program managers.
Worksheets and checklists to help program managers implement their new-found knowledge.
Special bonus audio files from Declan Dunn.
I think it should be required reading for anyone who is planning to launch a new affiliate program and for ALL affiliate program managers.
As I told Neil, I can think of quite a few managers who need his book urgently. Then they wouldn't need to ask me what they're doing wrong.
Neil's book answers all their questions - and more.
Find out why the book is getting great reviews. Click below to check the full table of contents and download free excerpts:
"The Practical Guide to Creating and Managing a Profitable Affiliate Program".
I strongly recommend it.
[UPDATE: This product is no longer available.]
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2. A different new book for affiliate program managers
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Shawn Collins' new book, "Pay for Performance: Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants," features all of the essential components of an affiliate program in intricate detail.
Shawn is ClubMom's affiliate program manager and a frequent and astute contributor to ClickZ.com's affiliate marketing section.
He chose Be Free for ClubMom's program, so his experience and perspective are quite different from Neil Durrant's.
The book is co-authored by Frank Flore, author of "Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting an Online Business".
Shawn says "Pay for Performance" shows anyone conducting business online how to plan, implement, and manage a successful affiliate marketing program.
It also provides case studies of successful programs as well as failures and scams to demonstrate and teach the lessons of building a successful program.
This link will take you straight to the book at Amazon:
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/performance
__________________________________________SPONSOR__________
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3. Create-A-Click undermines CJ's two-tier system
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Lorri Nevil of http://www.FreeStuffAndBargains.com has accused a new Commission Junction merchant, Create-A-Click, of using unethical business methods.
Create-A-Click sells a product which costs $10,000 and pays a 10% commission.
The company is undermining CJ's two-tier system - apparently with CJ's approval.
If you buy Create-A-Click's main product, second tier commissions resulting from all your CJ sales will switch from the person you originally signed up under. Instead, they will go to Create-A- Click.
This is important because CJ promotes the two-tier aspect of its system as one of the benefits of sending traffic to CJ. If an affiliate signs up under you, you earn 5% of whatever the affiliate earns. Create-A-Click chops off that revenue stream.
"Please check out what I sent to CJ - I was livid!" Lorri says.
Here's Lorri's letter to CJ:
"Do you realize that Create-A-Click is requiring people who purchase their $10,000 program to sign up under them with CJ? While this might not be a problem for someone who is not an affiliate it is DEFINITELY a problem for me.
"They additionally require that you join LinkShare and Be Free under them, but I was told I would not have to delete my existing accounts (no residual income from those two).
"I wrote them and told them I was interested in their program (I was) - and let them know that I was a long-time CJ member (my ID is 1583) and that I had thousands of links all over and I would not consider deleting my account and starting over with them, plus the chore of changing all my existing links.
"They said I didn't have to sign under them, but that they would just not have any links to CJ on the site.
"I realize that you cannot dictate the business practices of your merchants, but I consider this to be quite unethical. I would no more consider changing my account from the person I signed up under long ago than jumping off a bridge. While what my sponsor earns in referral income from me might be paltry, I consider loyalty quite important.
"Needless to say, I am no longer considering purchasing one of their business model sites. I am appalled to think that I would pay $10,000 for this product and then be unable to include CJ affiliates because I'm already a member. Additionally I have dropped them from my affiliate choices."
In reply, CJ sent an apparently standard answer, referring Lorri to a PC Magazine article praising CJ.
"That made me even madder," Lorri says.
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4. Just the facts: The 2% solution saves you time
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Do you want the facts fast?
Then SiteSell's "The 5 Pillar 2% Solution" is aimed at you.
SiteSell's Manual, 80-20 Guide, and free e-mail courses provide extensive marketing plans for affiliates.
However, if you don't have the time right now to carry out an extensive marketing plan and you want to get "something up and earning" in 2% of the time, Ken Evoy's latest free report is your solution.
For Ken, it's unusually brief, but it's highly typical of the high-quality assistance which his affiliates receive.
It tells you exactly how to promote useful products such as "Make Your Knowledge Sell - http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/myks - and Site Build It! - http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/buildit - and start earning useful commissions.
I enjoy promoting them because SiteSell always OVER-delivers, providing far better value for money than people expect.
Also, SiteSell understands the lifetime value of a customer - and rewards affiliates accordingly.
You can build up hundreds of lifetime customers and earn a commission on EVERY product they buy.
It was the power of lifetime commissions which more than doubled the monthly commission checks of many SiteSell affiliates when the latest SiteSell product - Site Build It! - was launched.
Save time. Make money faster. Join the 5 Pillar Program here:
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/affiliates
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5. What's really happening at FindWhat.com
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Nathan Powell and Jim Reardon have been figuring out the real story behind apparently bogus clicks from FindWhat.com - and Nathan has received a comment from FindWhat:
What's really happening at FindWhat:
PayPerClickSearchEngines.com/findwhat-more-information.shtml
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6. Affiliate merchant news
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eToys to shut down in April
(requires free registration)
nytimes.com/2001/02/06/technology/06ETOY.html
iVillage to acquire Women.com
nytimes.com/2001/02/06/technology/06IVIL.html
Flipside's parent to buy Uproar
thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,21966,00.html
An inside look at CJ's holiday stats
affiliatehandbook.com/nws/20010121_cjstats.html
Amazon.com's rivers of red ink
msnbc.com/news/524912.asp
Barnes & Noble.com issues 350 pink slips, closes 2 offices
internetnews.com/fina-news/article/0,,5_582671,00.html
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7. Thought for today: Focus on that
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"Anyone who thinks the Internet is just about money is doomed to failure. The Internet is about people and information. Focus on that and the money follows. Every time."
- Jim Wilson
http://jimworld.com
All the best
Allan Gardyne
