How To Win The Affiliate Game
by: Michael Southon
Are you frustrated with your affiliate programs?
I used to be. Very frustrated! One day, in sheer desperation,
I wrote to one of my affiliate programs and suggested
that the market was now saturated with their product
- it was no longer possible to sell it.
The next day I received a very nice reply. "The
Internet is HUGE", they said. "We predict
it will be five years before the market is saturated
with our product. And long before that, we will have
introduced our next product." They were right,
of course. The problem was not with the market (the
Internet is huge). Nor was the problem with their
product. The problem was in the way I was presenting
it.
Since then, my affiliate sales have soared. Why? Because
I learnt a few secrets to winning the affiliate game.
Here they are:
1. Choose affiliate programs that relate very closely
to the theme of your website. Let me give you an example.
Of the three affiliate products I sell from my web
site, the one that does best by a long way is an eBook
that shows people how to generate free Ezine advertising.
Why does it do so well? Because my website is a directory
of ezines and most of my visitors are already interested
in Ezine Advertising before they even arrive at my
website - I don't have to persuade them very much.
2. Buy the product yourself! Research across dozens
of affiliate programs shows that at least 70% of sales
in any affiliate program are made by the small percentage
of affiliates who actually buy the product they're
selling. It makes sense doesn't it (how can you recommend
something you've never used)?
3. Banners - they don't work anymore, and some experts
believe banners will actually damage your affiliate
sales.
4. Personal recommendation. The human factor is very
important on the Internet - people want to know that
someone else has bought the product and that it worked
for them. But to write a convincing personal recommendation,
you'll have to buy, read and use the product you're
selling.
5. 'Over-selling' - this is the most common mistake
of affiliates. Keep in mind that all you need to do
to succeed with affiliate programs is to get your
potential customer to click through to the affiliate
website in an 'open-to-buy' mindset. If the affiliate
program is good, the affiliate website will make the
sale. So don't try to sell the product from your website
- just aim to get a click on your affiliate link.
5. Standard Ads. When you join an affiliate program,
you'll probably be given some standard ads to use.
Don't use them! Why? Because your potential customer
has probably seen those exact same ads on dozens of
websites and in dozens of Ezines. And if that standard
ad hasn't led them to buy the product so far, it probably
won't now. Something new and original is required.
6. Back-end sales. Once you're succeeding in one affiliate
program, join another program that offers a related
product and use the technique that marketers call
'back-end' sales. It's a well known fact that people
are much more likely to buy from someone they have
already bought from. So when someone makes a purchase
from your affiliate link, send them a nice follow-up
letter. At the end of the letter, tell them about
your other affiliate product and how it can help them.
(c) 2000, by Michael Southon
About The Author
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet
for over 3 years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters
how to use this simple technique to get massive free
publicity and dramatically increase traffic and sales.
Click here to find out more: http://www.ezine-writer.com
