Affiliate Marketing Program in 5 Easy Steps
A strategic 'Affiliate Marketing Program', makes all the difference.
'Affiliate Marketing' is often termed as one of the best 'Online Marketing' programs, available to small business.
Do you want to know why?
It's because, there is simply no risk, when it comes to 'Affiliate Marketing'.
How?
Well, you reward your affiliates after the fact. Through your 'Affiliate Marketing Program', you agree to pay your affiliate partners, a referral fee, for each lead or sale that is generated.
But, the challenge is that, there are tons of affiliate marketing program(s) out there. You need to be a cut above the rest, to be successful.
And I am here to provide you with all the strategies, tools and resources, to make that happen.
Why should you listen to me?
Because, there are over 7 solid years of experience behind me in 'Affiliate Marketing'. I also learned the "Marketing Strategies", especially, the "Internet Marketing Strategies", from the top notch players in the online field. I do not want to wag my tail too much.
But I will say this. The monthly income generated through my affiliate marketing program, has surpassed my annual professional day job income. So, you see, this is for real, and, 'Making Money Online', is definitely possible, with a good
affiliate marketing program.
Is that not good enough for you to trust me?
OK. Let's move on.
Read This Page One Step at a Time:
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Steps to Create Your Affiliate Marketing Program
You need to identify your niche market. Remember the words, 'Market Research Analysis' and 'Keyword Research' strategies?
You need to first know where your online visitors are. I will discuss the 'Marketing Strategy' and 'Market Research' under different pages, that will detail out for you the entire process. Keep a watch on my future updates.
Here I will discuss the simple way to do a market research and analysis, to kick off your affiliate marketing program on a right footing.
Ready? Here you go.
The very first thing to do, is, start with your “free” research tool, the Overture Keyword Suggestion Tool. You are required to sign-up for, Yahoo Search Marketing
If you do not want to sign-up for Yahoo, then here is another free key word tool, Google's External Keyword Tool
Why Free Keyword Tool, you may wonder!
I want the beginners, who wanted to create an 'Affiliate Marketing Program', to feel relaxed, and not to worry about the cost etc.
OK. Here is what you do. You will type in your product/service related keyword. Let's say for example, dog training. By the way, this keyword is very popular and is regularly searched.
This is what the result looked like when I did it with the Google tool:
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Now, let’s analyze these results for a minute. You will notice that, Google's tool gives you additional keywords to consider. These are the other related keywords and phrases that are similar to the search word or phrase you typed in. You can see those other results and their numbers listed below “dog training.”
You will also notice, below, that, the total number of searches for “dog training”, is significantly higher than number of searches for the other closely related keywords or phrases.
This is what I call the art of drilling down. An essential step in your initial market research, leading to the success of your affiliate marketing program. You must consider the “angle” you want to come from, to establish your 'uniqueness', for your product/service, while looking at the market.
The dog training example, is just to give you some confidence that, how a popular topic, can be potentially big enough market, for you to 'Make Money From Home', from it consistently.
There are of course lots of markets that have far bigger numbers in terms of searches. A good example would be, “weight loss”, which, I believe, has almost 6,800,000 searches a month.
WOW!!
Wait, I am not done. Multiply that number by 3 (to include Google searches) that’s almost a million searches a month!
Remember, markets like this are intensely competitive, with a large number of affiliates all fighting to sell to the same customers.
So you have to think of how best to strike a balance. Therefore, ideally, you want to be in markets, with a good number of potential customers, with less competition, selling to those customers.
Here is a real quick way to get an idea of, the number of marketers, promoting products in a given market.
Just type your keyword(s), related to your market, into Google and see how many "Google AdWords" ads are displayed on the pages. If you see many advertisers, for that keyword, that will only suggest that the competition is high and the cost-per-click or "CPC Advertising" is likely to be relatively expensive as well.
Now, you will have to weigh in your cost-benefit (profit) ratio, and make a well educated judgment, whether you can sell your product/service, that will yield, reasonably good profit for your sale, with a high "PPC Advertising" cost. You will improve in your market research and analysis skill, as and when you progress and gain experience.
How to Do an Intelligent Market Research?
You see, how important this step is, for launching a successful 'Affiliate Programs', from the word go.
OK. Looking at the results above, of the Google search, you will also notice that there are several terms or phrases relating to dog training. Now, unlike general “dog training”, they are more precise in description. This will give you a wealth of information, as to what people are looking for (and may therefore be willing to buy) within this market.
For example we’ve got phrases like “aggressive dog training” (6,600 searches), “dog obedience training”, (110,000 searches). Although these are not, strictly speaking,searches for dog training e-books, but, this can indicate that, these potential customers, may be willing to buy an e-book on the subject, especially, if it will add value to them and if the price is right.
One thing can be sure is that, these searchers, have a keen interest in training their dogs if they are willing to pay for a course.
So that’s an encouraging sign as far as selling information on the subject in e-books.
Do you see what I am getting at?
This may look like a simple step, but, many marketers do not do the groundwork sufficiently well. This will only hurt your 'Affiliate Marketing Program'.
I just wanted to give you a basic, but, good understanding of market research, and how to interpret your "Keyword Research" data.
There are some very high-end "Keyword Research" tools that will make your "Market Research" tasks a breeze, providing, highly sophisticated marketing intelligence. Using such tools, marketers create and unfair and advantageous edge, with their, 'Affiliate Programs'.
Let’s look at the tools to set up a successful ‘Affiliate Marketing Program’.
I have covered the “Affiliate Marketing Tools”, that you will need, to make your affiliate marketing program, a tremendous success.
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I have some excellent free tools that will do the initial 'Keyword research' and 'Market research' pretty well. Just because these tools are for free, do not pre judge them. These are indeed some very powerful tools, that just come free, and this does not happen daily.
The first tool has very powerful multi-functionalities, that you normally expect from a paid one. One such function is, spying on the exact keywords that your competition is using to dominate the niche market. Exactly what you need, based on the market research step above. Go grab this excellent tool called PPC Web Spy, from the Marketing Expert Brad Callen.
Other FREE Tools:
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Cherry Picker > Cost supposedly $10,000 to make!
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Traffic Travis > Keyword Research and SEO Tool
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Keyword Country - FREE Keyword research tool to analyze profitability and popularity
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2 - Explore Joint Venture (JV) Opportunities:
Locate your JV partners in your market. Find web sites that have viewers interested in your niche market. You will want to find partners that have already built traffic and would benefit from your affiliate marketing program and offer. Your offer should be a win-win for both you and your affiliate partners.
Here are some tips on locating your JY partners for your 'Affiliate Marketing Program':
-> Start with your personal friends who will have some influence in your marketplace. These will be your buddies that will be there for you most of the time.
-> Super affiliates as your JV partner. These are the guys that will take your affiliate marketing program to sky heights. It's enough, if you can get just of of these guys, to bust open the marketplace. And to add quickly here, too many people doing your product/service launch promotion, can create a negative impression.
-> If you have done any promotions for different ‘affiliate programs’, then it is time to call in for the favor. Make a list of people, with whom, you have partnered before. They will be your 'arms-length' JV partners.
-> Getting referrals. There will be people requesting to join your affiliate marketing program. This can happen, if your campaign has created a buzz.
-> Lastly, offer your own customers’ the opportunity, to promote your product/service. They will be more than happy to do so, as they get a chance to earn some nice affiliate commission.
Mike Filsaime, the famous marketing guru, has explained the whole process of building, a successful 'Affiliate Marketing Program', in his world famous 'Butterfly Marketing Manuscript'.
You will be shocked at what I am now going to say, ready?
The entire Butterfly Marketing process is automated and is now made available for 'FREE'. Can you believe this? The software costs a whopping $1,997. Get your 'Butterfly Marketing Software' for FREE here.
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3 - Develop Affiliate Marketing Program Tools:
This will 'MAKE' or 'BREAK' your 'Affiliate Marketing Program'. Period.
The essential elements required, were covered on the 'Affiliate Marketing' page. Go to "Affiliate Marketing" page to read more.
You know what?
Provide your affiliate partners with top quality creative and promotional materials. Make your affiliate marketing program, 'STAND OUT', from the rest.
The idea is to, make their job of marketing your products or services as easy as possible. The less work they have to do, and the more conversions they see, the more likely, your affiliate partners will be motivated to promoting your products or services.
This is indeed is the hallmark of a great affiliate marketing program.
Now you can outsource the process of creating your marketing materials to a professional, which, is, what I feel you should do.
I will have every aspect of that covered in my future update on "Outsourcing" page.
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4 - Grow Your 'Affiliate Marketing Program' Onwards & Upwards:
Do not remain complacent about having some good affiliate partners. Be ever on the look out for new affiliate partners. This area is overlooked by many. You never know, when your affiliate and JV partners, may decide to jump ship.
Protect your painstakingly created affiliate marketing program, by actively recruiting new partners. You can find new partners by advertising your affiliate program on your web site, listing or advertising on various ‘Affiliate Networks’, or by contacting potential affiliates directly.
Looking for affiliates in the "Affiliate Networks", is a quick and easy way, to locate your affiliates.
Speaking of 'Affiliate Networks', here is an extremely popular one. I must mention here, that, if you have a product/service, that you want to promote, virally, through an e-book, then, you should enrol with Click bank.
Why Click bank?
Click bank, is the largest 'Affiliate Network', for downloadable products. They have excellent tracking tools and metrics, to measure your, affiliate marketing program success.
Click here to view all the "Affiliate Networks".
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5 - Taking Care of Your JV/Affiliate Partners:
Taking care of your JV partners, is like, taking care of your customers. Your affiliates are your bread winners, essentially. So, taking care of them is paramount to your success as well as your Affiliate Marketing Program's success.
Question is, how do you do that?
=> Presentation, Communication and Compensation:
A good online and offline presentation is essential. Remember, your first impression, will also be, your last. You need to create that first impression, in such a way that, your potential affiliate partner, would want to join your ‘Affiliate Programs’, right away.
Your website should be pleasing enough for your affiliates, to get them motivated. Make it simple, so that, even new affiliates joining your program, can navigate the pages easily. You can also have instructional videos, about your affiliate program.
I can feel, what you are feeling. How the heck to do all this?
Relax. I will discuss below, how to pull this off easily and effectively.
You need to communicate with your JV/affiliate partners regularly.
Firstly, you will welcome them to your affiliate marketing program, providing them with, links to the affiliate portal, profile page, account management, affiliate links and banner page etc.
You will send out updates on product additions or changes. Give them tips and advise on how to be successful in marketing your products.
Reward your affiliates' efforts, on-time and generously. This will create a good bondage between your 'Affiliate Marketing Program' and your JV affiliate.
Please visit "Affiliate Marketing-2" page, for more information, on the essential elements, required, to create one of the top notch affiliate programs available.
Having said all this, you need to do the following steps, to pull off, your own unique affiliate marketing program:
1 - Your landing page website, that will do the selling.
How to Create Killer Landing and Sales Page?
2 - Creative and promotional materials. You need to outsource this, unless you are a good hand at it.
3 - Automate the back-end process of affiliate management.
4 - Appoint an affiliate manager, to manage your affiliates. Now this is optional, and can be done by yourself, if you automate the process, as in step 3.
But, if you want to free-up your time, then, hiring an affiliate manager is the way to go. Many top marketers have their own affiliate manager, to handle their affiliates.
I have discussed the Sales funnel and backend profit strategies on the links below. These are little known, and, lesser practiced strategies, to quantum leap your 'Affiliate Marketing Program' to great heights.
Essential Reading:
=> Why Sales Funnel?
=> Sales Funnel System
=> Sales Funnel Tools
=> Sales funnel Setup
Mike Filsaime, has detailed out this process, in his, Butterfly Marketing Manuscript. You can get an insider view of integrating an effective backend sales funneling process, into your various 'Affiliate Programs'. Go to Butterfly Marketing, and scroll down to the very end of the sales page, and fill up the opt-in form, to get the report, valued at $77, for free.
I know, I have told this before also. The entire Butterfly Marketing process is automated, and the source code for that software is available to you, for free. Mind you, the cost of the software, is whopping $1,997. Get your Butterfly Marketing Software, and get your open source code, for free.
So, there you are.
Creating a great 'Affiliate Marketing Program', with a backend sales process built into, is the easiest way, to up sell and cross sell your product/service, and promote virally.
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In my future updates, I will cover the sales funnel and the backend sales process in depth.
They say, "Real money is in the backend!"
Well, you will see that, when I walk you through the process.
And this is what will make your 'Affiliate Marketing Program' a roaring success.
Therefore, you must visit this page quite often, and make it a habit, to click on everything that looks like a link. You never know what you are missing, until you read it.
I encourage you to share this website with your friends who are struggling with information overload, with most of them JUNK.
Here is wishing you all success,
CHEERS!!!
Contact Vat Thilek for Questions & Suggestions
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