3 Simple Steps To Start Making Your First Dollar In Affiliate Marketing
There are a few things that every affiliate marketer or aspiring affiliate will need to start making his or her first dollar in affiliate marketing.
From my conversations with a lot of my subscribers, it appears that most affiliates feel too overwhelmed by the information overload. They get swarmed by all the experienced internet marketers’ emails throwing them into all directions.
Frankly, there is nothing wrong with the offers and methods taught by the internet marketers. The only problem is for a newbie, that is too much to digest.
Right here, I offer a few simple steps to start making your first dollar in affiliate marketing. If you own a list or membership site that has many newbie affiliates, perhaps you might want them to read this post.
The idea is to stay focused on a single plan and take mass action!
1. Choose Your Product
One affiliate program for a start!
While this sounds basic, the truth is, many get sucked into different affiliate programs and end up distracted!
Start with ClickBank if you are new. All you need to do is register. Approval is instant and you go for to the Marketplace to choose a good product to promote.
People will tell you to go for low competition products, ie products that few affiliates are promoting or not selling in large volumes. That’s not quite true. For me, I find from my experience in niche marketing that the hot sellers sell much better.
The reasons are simple: The hot sellers are proven to sell, ie high conversion rates. Secondly, the market is much larger!
Take a look at the Gravity. This is a single parameter that tells you how many affiliates have made at least 1 sale over the past 30 days. Not the exact number though but a good estimate. Go for at least 30 to 50.
2. Create Your Sales Funnel
By that, this is the conduit of getting visitors to your sales page. Some will advocate direct linking, in other words, sending your visitors immediately to your sales page.
This works at times. But I have only seen successful models if you use targeted paid advertising. For example, buying banners ads, text link ads, etc at Ad Networks. Unless you are an experienced marketer or have deep pockets to test different advertising avenues, this option can be very expensive! Not quite suitable for newbies.
However, it is often much better if you put your prospect through a sales funnel for the purpose of educating and preselling your prospect. Conversions are much higher!
What kind of sales funnels can you create?
a. A content website that talks about the particular market you are in.
b. A blog using free blogging platforms like Blogger and WordPress is great!
c. A name squeeze page that allows you to capture the name and email address of your visitor. This allows you to follow up with him or her for at least 7 times to condition him to buy from you. Offer great content or a free report as a bait!
d. A forum signature can become your direct sales funnel. Create a catchy forum signature like this “Copy The Secrets A Newbie Used To Get A $3212 PayCheck Every Month!”. The simple way to do it is to use the headline of the product you are selling and modify it.
A case study here. If I am promoting Google Manipulator, I may actually create a signature from its headline.
Headline:
“Underground Marketer Banks $57,100 In Profit From Free Google Search Traffic And How You Too Could Easily And Effortlessly Blow Past Anyone And Everyone In Your Niche And Hit The Jackpot Using The Exact Same Simple As 1-2-3 Methods”
Signature:
“Learn How I Bank $57,100 In Profits From Free Traffic Using A Simple A-B-C Blueprint!”
3. Traffic Driving
The third part is in driving traffic to your sales funnel. This is the most challenging for most internet marketers. If you do have a budget, you can resort to PPC, ideally Google Adwords.
But if you are on a tight budget, free traffic driving techniques can also deliver a punch.
Some of the most effective and simple traffic driving methods here:
a. Article marketing – I swear by its effectiveness. After all, this is the single traffic technique that gets me well over 1000,000 visitors over a year period. Hint: Use EzineArticles.
Read my other blog posts on article marketing tips and techniques to maximize your efforts.
b. Forum marketing – Spend time contributing to at least 10 forums in your target niche. This will get you a good reputation and trust. The selling point is in your forum signature. People do make their first sales there.
c. Classified advertisements – Go to the free classified advertisement websites like Craigslist, EPage, BackPage and USFreeads. These places allow you to post a classified ad. Look for the appropriate places to post your ad.
d. Create a free report and give it away – This method is a more advanced one which I hesitated to share. Nonetheless, if you feel you are experienced to do it, go ahead and create a report with your affiliate links embedded in the report.
Give it to anyone you meet, post it to free ebook directories, or participate in a giveaway.
e. Social bookmarking at top sites like StumbleUpon, Del.icio.us and Digg.
f. List building – this is a lengthy process but you will be able to build a long-term business in the niche you are targeting. All gurus built their successes from their own lists or piggybacking others’ lists.
There are other more advanced techniques, but I shall stop here. By following these methods and duplicating it all over and over again, you will find yourself not only making the first sale, but many sales. You just got yourself a proven business model!
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40 Responses to “3 Simple Steps To Start Making Your First Dollar In Affiliate Marketing”
By Gimme4Free.net on Sep 30, 2008 | Reply
This is a great post, well explained. I find list building very hard without making your site look way too spammy!!!
By Jay on Oct 9, 2008 | Reply
There are so many pieces to the puzzle it can get overwhelming. By working on one affiliate program as a practice run, you can learn from your mistakes and benefit from the successes. It is an ongoing process you must test and retest and tweek and learn. There is more than one way to get the job done.
Jay
http://www.How2BooksandVideos.com
By David Braybrooke on Oct 9, 2008 | Reply
Davion,
Firstly, what a great site you have set up! Easy to navigate, highly informative and nice with its visuals! Kudos to you Sir!
I have been reading some of your articles on Reed Floren’s blog – I am a fellow guest blogger: David Braybrooke – and I must say that your marketing observations and teachings are spot on!
Just one small point Davion, and I sincerely apologize for not contacting you privately but I could not find your details anywhere on your site! Maybe I need my eyes checked?
Anyway, I was unable to sign up to your list as my pro security system informed me that your website was ‘highly dangerous’! I’m quite sure that this is not the case at all but the message was very clear and didn’t seem to contain errors in it!
Sorry. Most embarrassing I’m sure you’ll agree.
I shall return to your site at a later date and try again – after consulting with technical support.
Best to you!
David I. Braybrooke.
By YourDownline.co.uk on Oct 10, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for the Ezine tip, I also use article submitters
By Davion | Davion's Online Marketing Blog on Oct 10, 2008 | Reply
Hi David, I am using feedburner. See the right hand toolbar where you can subscribe to my blog?
My report is ok, guess nowadays, security system flags everything they are not familiar with.
Thanks!
By Hamid Mat Sain on Oct 11, 2008 | Reply
Hi Davion,
Excellent post and spot on for Newbies especially.Newbies in Internet/Affiliate Marketing consist largely of “9 to 5″ working professional looking out for higher self realization of their potentials through the internet.
Your post really simply the processes(simple though) to start on a profitable journey of affiliate marketing.
Cheers
Good bless
By Wayne Bell on Oct 11, 2008 | Reply
Great Post. Sometimes we tend to forget that the simple things are the most important. I intend to suggest to all of my newsletter subscribers at:> http://bellshomeprofitnetwork.synthasite.com/
that they read your article. We have been helping others the world over to achieve financial freedom by working at home since”2002″ and I am sure they will find this article very informative. At:> http://bellshomeprofitnetwork.synthasite.com/
we strongly believe that following proven business models is the best way and the fast way to online marketing success.
Wayne & Susan Bell
http://bellshomeprofitnetwork.synthasite.com/
By David Braybrooke on Oct 11, 2008 | Reply
Thanks Davion, great post!
Enjoy luxuriously tropical Singapore my friend!
Regards,
Dave. ‘Fatherspirit’.
By Busby SEO Test on Oct 17, 2008 | Reply
it such a good idea, thanks shared to me, it is a very informative details
im hoping you always keep it touch
By Web Development India on Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
Extremely wonderful suggestions, I am thinking right now to put my self in affiliate marketing business. This will helps me a lot.
By SEO Services on Dec 4, 2008 | Reply
There are really nice tips. I hope i could do better with these tips.
By Custom Web Design on Jan 1, 2009 | Reply
I m newbie about affiliate marketing. This post is really informative. Nice information sharing. Thanks.
By jp on Jan 9, 2009 | Reply
Great post! I’ve been looking to start a blog and promote affiliate products but haven’t chosen any niche yet. The MMO niche is tempting but a little hard to penetrate so im looking for altenatives.
By Learn internet marketing strategy on Jan 14, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for providing this information and really it is very useful.
By David Ascot on Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
I was just thinking about 3 Simple Steps To Start Making Your First Dollar In Affiliate Marketing and you’ve really helped out. Thanks!
By Windows Registry Errors on Feb 16, 2009 | Reply
The things you mention on your post are very great and helpful indeed. Thanks a lot!
By Jobs in Dubai on Feb 16, 2009 | Reply
I’m on my way to start earning from affiliate and I have read a lot of things about it like this one. Any other tips?
By Web Design on Feb 17, 2009 | Reply
I love to see my self earning thousands of dollars every month as you, shoemoney and other great bloggers do earn.
By learning selling on Feb 24, 2009 | Reply
thanks for your tips mate! i hope to do just as you someday!
By Felix Makmur on Mar 10, 2009 | Reply
This is a really great and informative article with lots of useful tips. I particularly benefit from the traffic generation methods. Thanks for sharing.
By Jeff Paul Internet Business on Mar 13, 2009 | Reply
I found your post very interesting. I used your post as a helping hand for my written assignment on internet marketing for my college.
By Professional Web Design on Mar 30, 2009 | Reply
Nice and Useful tips. Thanks for Sharing tips.
By data recovery on Apr 13, 2009 | Reply
You can do it with blogging and it is helpful if you have reviews of products and then link to the affiliate product after it. People want to get some idea of what they’ll be purchasing first. It is good to also have an email newsletter on your site blog for follow ups.
By belajar seo on Jun 8, 2009 | Reply
thanks for sharing
By Web Hosting on Jun 29, 2009 | Reply
I totally agree with what you mentioned. It is important, especially for a newbie, to focus on 1 project.
By Watercolor paintings on Jul 3, 2009 | Reply
So my question is when i will receive my cheques in dollars, will the bank approve it and clear my payment or is there some formalities that i have to fulfill?
By ebook store on Jul 16, 2009 | Reply
I have started to do some looking-into regarding affiliate marketing, and I need good information/ideas, if you have any information, please correspond!
Thanks!
By Watercolor paintings on Jul 18, 2009 | Reply
It is hard work, especially at first, and you have to know what you are doing. I have two suggestions. First, join the Warrior Forum (free). This is a forum where Internet marketers hang out and exchange information.
By Watercolor paintings on Jul 18, 2009 | Reply
It is excellent you need to be there because the members have much to teach you. It is all free.
By Watercolor paintings on Jul 18, 2009 | Reply
Secondly, I am giving away a document called Twenty-Two Steps to Making Money Online. It tells you exactly what to do to start selling affiliate products and to make money from doing it.
By Watercolor paintings on Jul 18, 2009 | Reply
One of the members of the Warrior Forum wrote this guide for his friend who was getting started. He is allowing us to give it away to other newcomers. It cannot be sold, but I can give it to you.
By ecommerce development on Jul 24, 2009 | Reply
search engine optimization is the best way to drive traffic, as it give highly targetted traffic yet free.
By Best Carpet Cleaners on Aug 3, 2009 | Reply
Very helpful information, liked it and so Stumbled it to share with my friends, Thanks for the brilliant idea. It is very helpful to me..
By Buy PSP Go on Aug 14, 2009 | Reply
The niche is the most important part but sometimes you can get inspirational for it by looking at niche affiliate products then build your site from there.
Buy PSP Go
By Jp on Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Hey there! I remember posting a comment here a while back. I made a few hundred on affiliate marketing already which is good
I promote different products but I think I have to concentrate on 1 first to get more results. I make lenses like the one for dropship business that I made. Squidoos are goof for affiliate marketing.
Cheers!
By Best Carpet Cleaners on Jan 1, 2010 | Reply
What is the best company for pay per click advertizing?
By Best Carpet Cleaners on Jan 1, 2010 | Reply
I would like to hear from people who have used this method to grow their business, I am looking to start internet marketing and would like to try pay per click but am not sure which company to go through, Yahoo, Google, etc.
By ebook store on Jan 3, 2010 | Reply
Besides Yahoo, Google and MSN you can try Facebook – it allows you to upload images to your ad. So far it costs relatively less expensive than Google and Yahoo and has some good effects
By Best Carpet Cleaners on Feb 1, 2010 | Reply
You need to devote time and effort into it and build it. If your going to just try a business, you will most likely fail! So here’s a few things that you should take a look at before getting involved in any company.
By ebook store on Feb 19, 2010 | Reply
you log into clickbank search for Maverick Money Makers go to his site he tells you much of what you need to market online as well as other methods if you have ALOT of patience and time to waste then go for it