Associate Programs Newsletter #40
CONTENTS:
1. Submit Wolf success story
2. Build your network, advises Declan Dunn
3. No scam, says KwikMed boss
4. Link directly to Amazon.com Top 100
5. Superscripts.com scripts ‘excellent’
6. Snippets
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1. Submit Wolf success story
============================
Chet Brzezinski of WebsiteSponsors.com has a little success story about the URL submission program Submit Wolf from Trellian Software.
“I figured that since I liked their software so much I was sure that I could tell others about it and at least get them to try it (they offer a free trial),” Chet says.
In early December, Chet used the “great free services” of Angelfire and spent 15 minutes creating a small web site which described Submit Wolf.
“I then used the program itself to submit my new site to the search engines and free-for-all links sites. That was the last I touched it.”
On March 1, 1999, he received an e-mail from the company saying his small free site had earned him $135.75 in commissions. “I couldn’t even remember what site I was promoting it on and forgot all about my little Angelfire site. I eventually found it and touched it up a bit and then resubmitted it . . . I can just imagine if I had stuck with this program instead of forgetting about it.”
Chet’s successful little free site is
https://www.angelfire.com/mi/chtbrz/submitwolf.html
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2. Build your network, advises Declan Dunn
==========================================
The new book “Winning the Affiliate Game” by affiliate programs consultant Declan Dunn will have a profound effect on marketing on the Internet, I believe.
Declan believes that the promise of affiliate programs is not in the sale of products, but in building up your network. Teaching people how to do that is one of his goals. Now the teacher is discovering that he is also learning things from the keen netpreneurs he is teaching . . .
I interviewed Declan this week:
To market your latest book, “Winning the Affiliate
Game”, you have chosen to use a two-tier commission
structure, automatically approving everyone who applies
to join. What have you found to be the advantages and
disadvantages of such a system?
I find absolutely no disadvantages to this system. Let me share why.
I believe the Internet can empower small businesses to succeed. In my 13 years of business, I have never seen anything so powerful and easy to use as affiliate programs.
For an industry in its infancy, many affiliate programs are showing arrogance. Big companies sign up thousands of affiliates and really don’t care if they do anything at all! The waste is incredible and to me, undermines the democratic power of e-commerce.
My mission is to create ActiveAffiliates, who build their own long-term business through their own network. If each affiliate program would simply target 250 to 500 sites that they work closely with, the economic power is exponential . . . because out of those sites, it is likely that a small percentage will yield results.
That small percentage can be the difference between life and death for a small business online.
This is one of the primary reasons I demanded a two-tier system. I want the small affiliates, as well as the big ones, to benefit and build their own networks.
Of course I receive numerous e-mails with confusion on how to place links, how to get going, and trying to make sense of this brave, new Internet. To me, that is part of the joy, not a burden.
It really is a state of mind; the minute you think your affiliates, and your customers, are a burden, you should give it up. If I can help just one person make a difference in their lives, generate a bit more money, or even more importantly, a bit more time to do the things they like, that makes it worth while.
This system is designed to help people help themselves . . . to learn, adapt, and be amazed. Instead of signing up and leaving them alone, I try to send training. Like any teacher, I try to show the beginner how to set realistic goals and test them, in a market that offers little if any start up cost.
If my purpose was to just sell books, I would limit my membership. But by opening it up, I’ve tapped into people who are working hard to take advantage of what the Internet offers.
My background in training shows me that anyone, given a bit of encouragement and guidance, can improve.
I have a passion for empowering people to succeed. Two-tier programs are really where affiliate networks build long-term businesses.
In the affiliate industry today, people are getting rejected daily. Even when they sign up for a program, they rarely if ever hear from that network again. A token ezine a month later is often the best effort.
Signing up thousands of affiliates is not a burden to me; if it is, you shouldn’t be in this business. The chance to help someone realize their goals, whether it is just breaking even, making a side income, or hitting the jackpot with carefully selected programs, is simply amazing.
A two-tier program is one of the most realistic ways for someone to start building their own network, within the bigger, more powerful affiliate programs.
For me, the advantage of a two-tier system is that I can help people learn, and earn. I remember and still believe in the dream of the Internet. I’ve seen people who didn’t even have a computer at first generate tremendous results.
My two-tier system is a belief in that spirit, and something that brings me joy far beyond anything money can deliver . . .
Two-tier systems are the real opportunity for affiliates, because they allow them to form their own networks, their own relationships, their own foundations. Being part of this is incredible fun.
What percentage of webmasters are achieving sales? Is
the old 80/20 rule applying?
First, from what I have seen of affiliate programs, the 97/3 rule applies; only about 3% generate anything. And that’s sad, in fact you are lucky if 50% of your affiliates even post one ad on their site! Really, how many times have you seen a network with thousands of affiliates, and only 10 making any sales? Remember that this is our initial test, and in that we have 15% of our initial affiliates who will receive a check.
From what I’ve seen, that is a huge percentage, and much of it comes from the second tier. My goal is to keep training and honing that, and working closely with my ActiveAffiliates who generate significant traffic and sales.
For those who are not, we have patience and will keep encouraging them. Most entrepreneurs either quit too early or stay too long with an idea. The key is to keep your goals realistic, and to check your progress each month.
Again, some people may take months to make a sale, but I’m willing to work with them. That is how much I believe in what we are doing here . . . I have no illusions that I can change the nature of people or affiliate networks, but I will do my best to support my part of it . . . and encourage people to succeed, no matter what they are doing.
How large is the potential market? How many copies do
you think will be sold?
The potential market is any web site who wants to offer affiliate products from their site, or in addition to what they already offer. It is virtually limitless; in fact, the biggest problem with affiliate networks is that people don’t really know about them. The lack of understanding is incredible!
We’re here to inform, educate, and spread the word. I see this book as showing people what is going on, referring to the excellent sites that can help them learn more like yours, and starting from the bottom up, from the thousands of web sites out there that do not understand how to convert web visitors to sales.
My goal for copies is simple, and a dream; I’d like to share the empowering message of this book with anyone who has a web site. My somewhat lofty goal is the reach that Cory Rudl’s book, “Car Secrets”, achieved; perhaps not that volume, but I’d like to see this get 10,000 to 20,000 copies out there.
The best part of this goal is, even if I don’t reach it, the more people I teach, the more comes back to me. I really believe in the abundance of the Internet and the success of this book is dependent on our two-tier program, on our affiliates.
I have a passion for teaching; where else could I find so many amazing, energetic learners, who teach me as well?
How much time and money does maintaining a two-tier
program like yours involve?
Wow, what a question; I’ve been going 24/7 and adding staff the past month like crazy. It took us months to create our own two- tier program, that we must keep improving. Our emails are piling up and I’m focusing on customer service.
With this abundance comes some amazing opportunities; we just brought on Paul Galloway as our inside programmer with our system. I’ve been such a fan of Paul’s work and having him spearhead the technical/marketing end is amazing. Patrick Anderson is another partner who teaches me every day the simplest way to get things done.
Remember that our vision is far beyond this two-tier program; we are creating a system of success and honing it every day. That is the best part, sharing the information with people and seeing these networks get started.
We want to empower affiliates to sell more and build their own networks. My ultimate goal is to do for affiliate networks what LinkExchange did with banner ads, but with a twist.
Instead of just having thousands of members, I’m looking for 5,000 ActiveAffiliates with whom I can work closely, coach, and share our knowledge. And believe me, it won’t just be with this book. We have niche products ready to go and plug into our system, and spread the word to our friends.
We are trying to build a community of affiliates and help them learn, and earn. It takes time, it takes money, and we invest what we generate to help our affiliates.
What lessons have you learned in your first few weeks
of marketing “Winning the Affiliate Game”?
What I have really learned is how to delegate; every day I learn how to help my affiliates build their own networks. I have also learned that the Internet builds up this instant gratification mania on the part of some people; everything is so immediate, so impatient.
I know that the patient person is the one who wins in the long run, and I need a way to share this within an Internet culture that teaches you that nothing lasts.
For me, I know that good things do last, and that to build something lasting, you have to approach it the right way.
Believe me, there are many more lessons, but what I’ve learned is the lesson I try to teach… patience. Understanding. And having a grasp of the bigger picture.
It is easy to get caught up in the mania of a hit record, but we are really building something for the long run here. What I have learned most is to keep focused on the bigger picture, and clean up the glitches that come with any business.
All in all, our system has been terrific, thanks to Paul and Patrick. They are so great to have on our team, and I look forward to seeing this team grow even more with our affiliates.
For me, your new book, “Winning the Affiliate Game”, is
selling much faster than your first book, “The Complete,
Insider’s Guide to Associate & Affiliate Programs”. Is
that the general trend?
Of course, and it makes sense; the “Insider’s Guide” is not for everyone. After all, there is one Amazon and 180,000 or whatever affiliates. It only makes sense that one is a mass market, and the other is more select.
Setting up an affiliate network is sophisticated, and takes a lot of time and money that many companies don’t have. What’s interesting is that my experience with the “Insider’s Guide” led me to the new book, because I saw a need that could be fulfilled.
Two-tier programs are a way to democratize affiliate programs as well; it allows the smaller players to get their ongoing share of business, if they coach and support their networks.
As one of my mentors taught me, two-tier programs are really a Mastermind of businesses. Bring one business sharing resources with another, you have strength; bring 100 businesses together sharing resources, you have power.
Many of the big affiliate networks don’t see their programs as Masterminds; they see them simply as a cheap sales channel. That’s why I love “Winning the Affiliate Game” and our two-tier system. It really empowers from the bottom up, spreading the power out and building Mastermind groups if done correctly.
For me, I would invest my time only in two-tier programs now, because I can build a long-term business there. And help others do the same.
What are some of the things the successful sellers are
doing to achieve sales?
This is one of the most amazing discoveries for me; what the most successful people are doing is opt-in e-mail. From ezines to lists developed over time, the power of e-mail cannot be understated.
I still can’t believe how most programs are based on banner ads; it is shown that people won’t return to your web site, unless you are some rich portal like Yahoo. People, on average, receive 25 emails a day, according to a recent study by eMarketer.
The fact is, they will check email every day; they won’t visit your web site every day.
My most successful affiliates build trust and credibility through e-mails. When they endorse a product, that trust moves the offer from being one from a stranger, to being familiar, recommended, and approved. This is so critical for any business; establish trust and enhance it only with the best products that you really believe in.
If you don’t believe in them, your customers won’t. And I do everything in my materials to encourage people to build their lists.
As my friend/mentor Stephan Mahaney of Planet Ocean Communications taught me, everything depends on your list. If your business shuts down tomorrow, you should be able to take your list of happy customers and open up the next day.
If you don’t have an email, opt-in list, you are going to stress and waste huge amounts of time and money in low percentage advertising.
The Internet is so ancient, and so traditional; trust, respect, and being there for the long term is crucial. Email is based on writing letters, notes, and remembering people. There is nothing cutting edge about that!
Based on my how my sales have gone, I imagine you’re
thrilled with the results?
Of course I am, but I am even more thrilled by the people I am working with. Sales are great, but what is even better is when someone who has been struggling sends you an email and lets you know that they generated sales in 24 hours, for the first time, without a web site!
You’ve got to keep your perspective in these things; I love sales, but I really enjoy the ability to help people grow their business. Money without passion is boring; passion with money is just a heckuva lot of fun!
Helping others generate money for themselves is just a great part of any affiliate network. I’m thrilled to be working with my affiliates.
Are you prepared to divulge any details of sales?
At this early stage, no; what I will tell you is that I’m writing over 80 checks to my affiliates this month, at least. Some are big, some not so big . . . but helping my affiliates start making money is what this is all about.
I will divulge the most important details; people are thrilled with the book. They are thrilled with the opportunity. They are just plain tickled to actually work with a network that responds to them in a hopefully personal way.
This is no pie in the sky, but we do our best, and keep our eye on the bigger picture.
Good will is what we aim for, and it is coming in droves . . . and for that, I am thankful and will do everything I can to support your efforts.
Why do think “Winning the Affiliate Game” is so popular?
The goal of this book is to empower affiliates to sell more and benefit from affiliate programs, within a two-tier system that encourages them to build their own, independent, networks of businesses.
Affiliate programs are about the democratization of e-commerce, which is what the Internet represents to me. Spreading the opportunity to create a business with little or no overhead, with the flexibility to choose your partners based solely on performance, puts control in the hands of the affiliates.
That is why this book is so popular; it is an Internet marketing system in a box called affiliate programs. It is not based on expensive web sites or hoping your product will sell.
It offers the opportunity to set up shop and offer products, where all you have to do is market.
It is popular because the time is right; for someone without a business, what better way to start and build? For someone with a business online, what better way to add more products and services to what you offer?
It is popular because the promise of affiliate programs is not in the sales of products, but in building up your network. On the giant, international network called the Internet, this will be critical to survival, now and in the future.
—
Thanks, Declan. Now I’m ashamed to admit I’ve been so busy working on a new version of my web site that I haven’t even reached Step 2 in your Complete Insider Affiliate Training. I’m supposed to offer everyone a free report, “The Ten Keys to An Affiliate Program”. Sorry. You can get it if you buy the book – and then you’ll be able to do things properly and offer it free to your customers.
“Winning the Affiliate Game” is the most useful book I’ve seen for anyone involved in affiliate programs. Highly recommended.
[UPDATE: This fairly old product is no longer available.]=============================
3. No scam, says KwikMed boss
=============================
KwikMed chief executive officer Jude LaCour has replied to complaints from associates about non-payment. KwikMed is not a scam, he says. It has paid out more than $100,000 (US) in commission checks.
“I’m sorry that there have been so many scams on the Internet that people are so quick to scream scam. But, I certainly understand. I have been scammed myself by some of the best in the world,” Jude said.
“But, I assure you KwikMed is not a scam. We have had some technical and logistic difficulties. We also made a few mistakes. We are in the process of taking care of these technical issues and fixing the mistake we made.
“The main mistake was not reporting actual sales that have been approved. Many affiliates who have $500 in PENDING orders do not actually have that amount pending,” he said. “Due to the nature of what we are doing, there is a lot of abuse and bogus orders. On a daily basis, the bogus orders are as high as the real orders . . .”
For the full details, see Jude LaCour’s two posts to the Associate Programs Message Board. The easiest way to find them is do a search for the word “kwikmed”.
https://www.associateprograms.com/discus/index.php
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4. Link directly to Amazon.com Top 100
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Stefanie Puetz-Lehmann, editor of https://www.partnerprogramme.com/english.htm , has a hint for Amazon.com associates. You can link directly to the Top 100, which are updated hourly (5% commission on resulting sales).
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=your_Associates_ID&path=subst/lists/best/amazon-bestsellers.html
Replace “your_Associates_ID” with your affiliate ID
[UPDATE: For up-to-date Amazon linking tips, see the Amazon site.]===========================================
5. Superscripts.com CGI scripts ‘excellent’
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Eldon Sarte of https://www.e-factory.com says that Drewstar’s Superscripts which I mentioned last week “are solid – very well written, in fact – and work as described. If you want to customize them, however, you may face problems if you’re not at all familiar with Perl or programming.”
The sparse documentation is not exactly novice-friendly, Eldon says. “Drewstar’s stuff is an excellent collection (don’t forget that he sells LIFETIME access . . . he adds to this collection constantly, which makes the deal an even better value).” Commissions are a generous $50, and $10 on the second tier.
superscripts.com/topsites/cgibin/clickme.cgi?AP
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6. Snippets
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Two-tier and $1 per sign-up
Here’s a new one I added to the directory a few hours ago. APConcentrate is a two-tier associate program that pays a 40% commission (if you sign up before March 15, 30% after) on sales of synthesized pheromone products. Pheromones are natural aphrodisiacs, priced at $US39.95 per bottle. You also earn 10% on all referral sales plus $1 for each affiliate who signs up.
Apconcentrate.com
Pay-per-click dumped
Astro-Space has abandoned its pay-per-click program in favor of its associate program because of numerous cheaters who inflated their click-through rate.
The top 15%
On average, 15% of affiliates achieve 85% of affiliate sales, a Jupiter Communications survey showed, Walter Hoffman of Jupiter told Ad-Marketing discussion list.
Per-click, two-tier
Matt Drewien says that Mr Gift, a specialized directory of shopping and gifts sites, has introduced a two-tier, pay-per-click program. You earn 7 cents per click and 3 cents per click from your sub-associates. Matt says he hopes to raise the payout to 10 cents and 4 or 5 cents.
mrgift.com/superclix
Getting rid of worms
Five times in the past few days I’ve been e-mailed the Happy99.exe worm. The people sending it don’t know that they are sending it. If you recently clicked on an e-mail attachment and saw a display of fireworks on your screen, you’ve now got worms – well, one anyway. Here’s how to get rid of it:
geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/3652/SKA.HTM
Retailers scramble
By some estimates, more than 40% of online retailers say they have or are going to build an affiliate network in the next six months.
netpreneur.org/events/doughnets/990224/article.html
Context is king
“Selling in context dramatically increases conversion to sale,” says Tom Gerace, co-founder of Be Free. “If you just have a button on the page, a lot of people will ignore it. But if you have two or three products imbedded in or after an article that follows the same theme, youire much more likely to drive a transaction.” In other words, if you want to sell canoes, a good affiliate might be a site on wilderness treks . . .
netpreneur.org/events/doughnets/990224/article.html
Commissions for life
Mike McKnight says the New Spirit Jewelers and Crystal Gallery is seeking quality web sites to earn a 10% commission on referral sales FOR LIFE, not just the first sale. The 9-year-old shop sells unique hand-made jewelry, collectable crystals, and fine Asian carvings. The average online sale is $US85. Affiliates can buy products at a 20% discount. The HTML instructions look a little complex so if you’re new to revenue-sharing programs don’t start with this one.
wehug.com/affilate-plan.html (yes, that spelling works!)
Revealing details
Ann Ludwig of the https://www.shoppingplace.com says here’s another company which reveals customer details: Seattle’s Finest Coffee. Customer details are posted on the tracking page. st3.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?sfgc+PCv6ds+index.html (Ann’s link) or go direct to https://www.seattlesfinest.com/
You have to wait
Corey Rudl’s Internet Marketing Center doesn’t have online stats showing sales of sub-associates yet. Chris Martin says: “We will be bringing this online in late June.” At the moment, the stats arrive with your monthly check.
Todd gets it right
Revenue-sharing programs work best if you concentrate on one that suits your site well. Todd Sumrall has found that’s true with Corey Rudl’s marketing course. At 1-promote.com. Todd sold 1 for every 65 to 75 clicks. Now he has added it to his ez-creditcard.com site the ratio has improved to 1 sold for every 40 to 50 clicks. Me? I achieve about one sale from 95 clicks – slightly better than average. Before Declan Dunn came along, Corey’s program was by far my best seller.
https://www.associateprograms.com/corey
Where to start
People often look at my Top 10 and and me: “But what are good programs for MY site?” Here’s a quick answer – an excellent place to start looking for good programs is the small selection offered by Be Free – https://www.associateprograms.com/befree . Choose one or two that suit the theme of your site.
. . . and please check out today’s 5 ads:
*************************************************************
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No more than 5 ads in each edition.
The circulation is verifiable by a trusted third party.)
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Smart Affiliates Learn The Rules …
“You would struggle to open a shop in your local high street and
turn it into a million dollar business in less than 3 years –
but you could with your own affiliate program. People are
already doing it!”
Lesley Anne Lowe, The Affiliate’s Digest – March 1999.
– onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/the-toolkit –
[UPDATE: Discontinued.]
*************************************************************
Keep earning commissions after the first click with this affiliate progam:
Creative Industries, a manufacturer of professional potter
wheels and accessories, invites you to join their affiliate
program to earn 10% on ALL sales. Millions of people around the
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How many books do you have to sell to reach the same commission
level as a $599 potters wheel?
creative-ind.com/creative1/websiteowners.html
Follow this link for more information!
Visit ehosting.com/affiliates Affiliate
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*************************************************************
All the best
Allan Gardyne
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