Copyright 2000 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.
Every success to you!
