This is the start of a series of articles about the different facets of Internet Marketing. We start off with .......
AFFILIATE MARKETING
The idea of one person selling products on behalf of someone else, and receiving a commission in return is nothing new. As a marketing method it has been around for probably thousands of years. The idea of affiliate marketing took a little longer to make it onto the Internet though.
The World Wide Web as we know it came into existence in 1990, but it was not until 1994 that the first company applied affiliate marketing methods to its sales strategy. That company was in the adult industry, which often seems to be at the forefront of marketing innovation. However, soon after that the online music store CDNow began to operate what is generally considered to be the first non-adult affiliate program.
A couple of years later, in 1996, Amazon launched their Associates Program and affiliate marketing really took off.
Affiliate marketing is an alluringly simple idea: you show an offer from a third party company to your website visitors or newsletter readers and if they click through and buy, you get an agreed commission. Those commissions can be anywhere from a few percent, right up to 100% of the products' sales price.
Yes, some vendors will give affiliates the full value of the sale because they know that the lifetime value of a new customer is worth far more to them in the long term.
Affiliate marketing can go under many different names: associate marketing, partners programs, joint ventures and revenue sharing. Some affiliate programs are open to anyone while others insist on pre-approving applicants. Still others are only available to people who have bought the product.
It is very possible to become an affiliate for an individual company or product vendor as many run their own affiliate programs. However, the majority are run through affiliate management companies. Possibly the best known of these for online marketers are ClickBank, who specialize in digitally downloadable products and Commission Junction who represent thousands of companies under one roof.
All affiliate programs have their pros and cons. ClickBank, for example, are blissfully simple to use. You pick a product from their marketplace and they instantly give you an affiliate link to use. You need to sign up with them to become a member, but that takes only a few moments and is free. Commissions are generally between 50% and 75%. The downside is that ClickBank make it almost too easy for customers to get refunds and there is always a question-mark over how efficient their link tracking mechanism is.
Despite the potential problems, many Internet marketers make a lot of money from selling ClickBank products.
Here's an example of a Clickbank affiliate link:
http://c13a0ru6vexnuia-lihgr88uf5.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=BLOG
Pretty ugly, no? That's why we recommend Cloaking your affiliate links.
(That which is underlined is a direct link to the article).
I also made a short video on the same subject: http://dickhale.com/videos/linkcloaker
Commission Junction is great for marketers who don't want to be part of the Internet marketing niche and prefer to sell real products from real world niches. The choice is huge at CJ, but you do have to apply to be an affiliate for each company individually.
As you also have to apply to be a member of CJ initially, the reapplication every time you find something you want to promote can be annoying, and very often the companies concerned will reject your application without giving any reason.
Commission levels at Commission Junction are usually much lower - a few percent of the price, but as the products are often in high demand, you can make up for the lower commissions by volume.
Amazon, as mentioned earlier, run their own affiliate, or as they call it, Associates Program. It is free to join and pays a sliding scale of commissions depending on the volume of sales you make. Expect to start out at around 4 or 5%.
The great beauty of Amazon is that once you've sent them a customer for a specific product, Amazon are experts at building up the value of the sale by offering all kinds of other products ('customers who bought this, also like that'). As you get commission on the entire value of the shopping basket, you can often end up with a lot more than you expected.
Many affiliate programs now offer recurring income products and services, so you could make a sale for, for example, a membership site, and receive a monthly commission payment for as long as your referral remains a member. These residual income streams, as they are known, can quickly mount up and provide you with a regular paycheck for months or even years to come.
If you have a website that gets a lot of traffic, a blog with a regular readership or have built up a mailing list with whom you've established a trusting relationship, affiliate marketing can be very easy money. You hold no stock. write no sales letters, deal with no customer service issues and generally avoid all the hassles that product owners and vendors have to face.
Making money online doesn't get much easier than affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketers simply make recommendations, or put up a few banner ads on their sites, and then sit back and take their cut. There need be no overheads to start and you could be earning commissions in minutes.
As a follow-up to all this, I have an article about how to take advantage of your Clickbank affiliate code called "Saving on Clickbank." You need to read that as well.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Beach is HOT, and so is this free List Builder.
Before we talk about the beach, there's something I really must talk to you about. It's all about automating your list building efforts.
Can A Listbuilding System Be TOTALLY Automated? The answer is totally - YES.
I know we're all a bit sick and tired of promises of "automated software" that will make us rich before dinner.
And I'm always the first to be skeptical of these kinds of outrageous claims.
But today I may have to actually eat my words.
Because I just picked up a listbuildilng system that really is incredibly fast...,
And the traffic actually does keeps flow in on auto-pilot.
It's a pretty new tactic on the scene that I've heard of.
But I never really knew how to implement it.
Then I found this:
Free Plug N Play Listbuilding System
At that link 7 figure marketer Bill McRea is GIVING AWAY this listbuilding system totally free...
It's his way of getting some buzz going for his upcoming product launch (apparently he's go another system up his sleeve that's even better than this)
In any case..
I went and got this myself and it's totally legit.
There's nothing scammy about it all.
It's just a way to instantly create a win-win offer that potential JV partners can't refuse.
Bill hands you EVERYTHING you need to make it work. And I mean EVERYTHING.
So if you know the power of having a mailing list..
Do yourself a favor and go get this.
Do it now: Free Plug N Play Listbuilding System
I mean...you can't beat the price, right?
P.S. There is one catch to this...you'll have to help spread the word. But that's easy for me because I've seen this strategy in action and know that it works.
You should get Free Plug N Play Listbuilding System now!
OK - enough about that. The beach right now is HOT - I mean really HOT. So I'm going to delay our latest adventures till next time because it's too damn hot.
Can A Listbuilding System Be TOTALLY Automated? The answer is totally - YES.
I know we're all a bit sick and tired of promises of "automated software" that will make us rich before dinner.
And I'm always the first to be skeptical of these kinds of outrageous claims.
But today I may have to actually eat my words.
Because I just picked up a listbuildilng system that really is incredibly fast...,
And the traffic actually does keeps flow in on auto-pilot.
It's a pretty new tactic on the scene that I've heard of.
But I never really knew how to implement it.
Then I found this:
Free Plug N Play Listbuilding System
At that link 7 figure marketer Bill McRea is GIVING AWAY this listbuilding system totally free...
It's his way of getting some buzz going for his upcoming product launch (apparently he's go another system up his sleeve that's even better than this)
In any case..
I went and got this myself and it's totally legit.
There's nothing scammy about it all.
It's just a way to instantly create a win-win offer that potential JV partners can't refuse.
Bill hands you EVERYTHING you need to make it work. And I mean EVERYTHING.
So if you know the power of having a mailing list..
Do yourself a favor and go get this.
Do it now: Free Plug N Play Listbuilding System
I mean...you can't beat the price, right?
P.S. There is one catch to this...you'll have to help spread the word. But that's easy for me because I've seen this strategy in action and know that it works.
You should get Free Plug N Play Listbuilding System now!
OK - enough about that. The beach right now is HOT - I mean really HOT. So I'm going to delay our latest adventures till next time because it's too damn hot.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Let's Review the Anne Collins Weight Loss Program
"No Man is an Island" - I've heard that over and over. Well, it's as true today as it was yesterday, and all through these years. We can accomplish a lot more when we work in a group or have the support of our peers to help us reach our goals.
Another thing people often overlook, or are shy to ask for, is, having a mentor. There have been many studies recently that show that people who ask for, and work with, a mentor or coach have a much higher chance for success than those who stubbornly try to 'go it alone.'
Anne Collins is an Irish nutritionist and the beauty and strongest point of her program is the very active forum. All the comments I read by people who use the forum - newcomers and old timers alike - were positive and full of stories of support and encouragement as they walked their path towards good health and weight control.
Anne Collins personally moderates this forum. She will answer your questions and guide you as you progress. It's also possible for members to send private messages. Anne Collins stresses that lack of motivation is one of the biggest obstacles to successful weight loss, and motivation is one of the high points of this program.
Anne Collins doesn't just offer a "one plan fits all" diet program. Her program has nine different diet plans so you can chose which one best suits you and you can move around between the different plans whenever you chose.
Here is a brief description of each of the plans currently available:
* Glycemic Index Diet which is great for diabetics or anyone else who needs to watch their carbohydrate levels. There is also information explaining what the glycemic index is and how it works.
* Balanced Diet - this is a traditional diet that basically follows the popular food pyramid.
* Low Calorie "Booster" Diet - designed to be followed for just fourteen days to jump start your weight loss.
* Cholesterol-Lowering Diet - High fiber for those with a cholesterol problem.
* Low Carbohydrate Diet - quick weight loss.
* 10-Minute Meals Diet for those who don't have the time or inclination to do a lot of cooking.
* Vegetarian Quick Start Diet.
* Diet for Life.
* Vegetarian Diet for Life.
She provides tools to help you figure out your body mass index (BMI), what the best weight would be for your body size, and how many calories you need each day.
The price for all of this: Just a one-time fee of $19.97 for a full year's access to all of the information on this extensive website.
Here's a list of exactly what you will get for this low price:
* The 9 diet plans listed above, downloadable as convenient ebooks
* Access to any new diets Anne may develop as well as updates to any of the existing diet plans
* Shopping lists - very comprehensive and useful to just grab and go! This feature will save you a lot of time and money!
* Access to the exclusive members-only area for a full year
* Access to the private members-only community forum
* Personal support from Anne Collins herself every day of the year
* Massive amounts of motivation tips and advice to keep you on track, not only from Anne Collins, but from the whole community
* Many of the diet plans have fitness and exercise advice and information
* Nutrition and calories explained in detail
Anne Collins program offers you a 60-day risk-free money back guarantee, but notes that if you do cancel, you will pay a $5 retention fee to prevent abuse.
Conclusion: for the price and the massive amounts of information the Anne Collins program provides, as well as the excellent community forum and direct access to Anne Collins herself, you can't go wrong with this program.
Another thing people often overlook, or are shy to ask for, is, having a mentor. There have been many studies recently that show that people who ask for, and work with, a mentor or coach have a much higher chance for success than those who stubbornly try to 'go it alone.'
Anne Collins is an Irish nutritionist and the beauty and strongest point of her program is the very active forum. All the comments I read by people who use the forum - newcomers and old timers alike - were positive and full of stories of support and encouragement as they walked their path towards good health and weight control.
Anne Collins personally moderates this forum. She will answer your questions and guide you as you progress. It's also possible for members to send private messages. Anne Collins stresses that lack of motivation is one of the biggest obstacles to successful weight loss, and motivation is one of the high points of this program.
Anne Collins doesn't just offer a "one plan fits all" diet program. Her program has nine different diet plans so you can chose which one best suits you and you can move around between the different plans whenever you chose.
Here is a brief description of each of the plans currently available:
* Glycemic Index Diet which is great for diabetics or anyone else who needs to watch their carbohydrate levels. There is also information explaining what the glycemic index is and how it works.
* Balanced Diet - this is a traditional diet that basically follows the popular food pyramid.
* Low Calorie "Booster" Diet - designed to be followed for just fourteen days to jump start your weight loss.
* Cholesterol-Lowering Diet - High fiber for those with a cholesterol problem.
* Low Carbohydrate Diet - quick weight loss.
* 10-Minute Meals Diet for those who don't have the time or inclination to do a lot of cooking.
* Vegetarian Quick Start Diet.
* Diet for Life.
* Vegetarian Diet for Life.
She provides tools to help you figure out your body mass index (BMI), what the best weight would be for your body size, and how many calories you need each day.
The price for all of this: Just a one-time fee of $19.97 for a full year's access to all of the information on this extensive website.
Here's a list of exactly what you will get for this low price:
* The 9 diet plans listed above, downloadable as convenient ebooks
* Access to any new diets Anne may develop as well as updates to any of the existing diet plans
* Shopping lists - very comprehensive and useful to just grab and go! This feature will save you a lot of time and money!
* Access to the exclusive members-only area for a full year
* Access to the private members-only community forum
* Personal support from Anne Collins herself every day of the year
* Massive amounts of motivation tips and advice to keep you on track, not only from Anne Collins, but from the whole community
* Many of the diet plans have fitness and exercise advice and information
* Nutrition and calories explained in detail
Anne Collins program offers you a 60-day risk-free money back guarantee, but notes that if you do cancel, you will pay a $5 retention fee to prevent abuse.
Conclusion: for the price and the massive amounts of information the Anne Collins program provides, as well as the excellent community forum and direct access to Anne Collins herself, you can't go wrong with this program.
Now, it's true that if you buy her book, I will receive a commission. That's only fair. But in all honesty, I wouldn't be recommending it if I didn't also believe in it. It's the real deal.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Snapshots, Lifeshots, and other Ramblings
SSN and Your Wallet
Perusing an AARP publication, I came across this tidbit. They warn against carrying your Medicare card in your wallet. Why? Because your Medicare ID number IS your Social Security Number, and if your wallet is ever lost or stolen, they've got your SSN dead to rights. And it's your SSN that is most valuable to identity thieves. So take it out, keep it home in a safe place, and don't take it out unless you're establishing an account with a new doctor or medical facility.
Here's the AARP Article - Scam Alert: Your Wallet Is No Place for a Medicare Card
Government Deals via E-Mail
E-Mail scammers are now posing as the US Government. What with all the "free" bail-out money floating around, e-mail scammers have been sending out hoax e-mails trying to get your personal information. Don't believe any of it. The US Government doesn't send e-mails, period.
Here's the full story- Scam Alert: 'Government' E-Mail? Don’t Believe It
The Check's in Your Mail - Yeah Right
Ever get a check in the mail, claiming this is a refund or prize or some such? Lots of times it's an authentic-looking government check for some grant or other. And they want a "finders" fee, or processing fee, for sending you the check. Well, it's a scam. The check's bogus.
Here's the scoop - Scam Alert - the check may look real but it's not
Use Your PIN at the PUMP?
Remember seeing those scams about debit card readers at ATM's? Well, they're back, and this time they are targeting gas pumps. They are usually unattended, don't have security cameras to record goings on. These devices are installed in gas pumps, and when you use your debit card to buy gas, this device records your bank ID and your PIN. Defense? If you must use your debit card, choose the Credit Card option so you don't have to enter your PIN.
Read all about - Scam Alert - No IN at the Pump
First Lady Quotes
Lady Bird Johnson said,
"Become so wrapped up in doing something that you forget to be afraid."
Barbara Bush said,
"You don't just luck into things... You build step by step, whether it's friendships or opportunities."
That's it for this post. Stay happy, health, and well.
Perusing an AARP publication, I came across this tidbit. They warn against carrying your Medicare card in your wallet. Why? Because your Medicare ID number IS your Social Security Number, and if your wallet is ever lost or stolen, they've got your SSN dead to rights. And it's your SSN that is most valuable to identity thieves. So take it out, keep it home in a safe place, and don't take it out unless you're establishing an account with a new doctor or medical facility.
Here's the AARP Article - Scam Alert: Your Wallet Is No Place for a Medicare Card
Government Deals via E-Mail
E-Mail scammers are now posing as the US Government. What with all the "free" bail-out money floating around, e-mail scammers have been sending out hoax e-mails trying to get your personal information. Don't believe any of it. The US Government doesn't send e-mails, period.
Here's the full story- Scam Alert: 'Government' E-Mail? Don’t Believe It
The Check's in Your Mail - Yeah Right
Ever get a check in the mail, claiming this is a refund or prize or some such? Lots of times it's an authentic-looking government check for some grant or other. And they want a "finders" fee, or processing fee, for sending you the check. Well, it's a scam. The check's bogus.
Here's the scoop - Scam Alert - the check may look real but it's not
Use Your PIN at the PUMP?
Remember seeing those scams about debit card readers at ATM's? Well, they're back, and this time they are targeting gas pumps. They are usually unattended, don't have security cameras to record goings on. These devices are installed in gas pumps, and when you use your debit card to buy gas, this device records your bank ID and your PIN. Defense? If you must use your debit card, choose the Credit Card option so you don't have to enter your PIN.
Read all about - Scam Alert - No IN at the Pump
First Lady Quotes
Lady Bird Johnson said,
"Become so wrapped up in doing something that you forget to be afraid."
Barbara Bush said,
"You don't just luck into things... You build step by step, whether it's friendships or opportunities."
That's it for this post. Stay happy, health, and well.
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