Preparation - the Way to Success by Jude Wright

Preparation - the Way to Success by Jude Wright

I have two questions to ask you. One. How much time do you spend marketing your affiliate programs? Two. How much time do you spend preparing to market your affiliate programs?

Which of those two questions do you think is the most important? I say the second. Without doing your preparation "homework," you will lose your focus.

The affiliate programs that you promote are "your" products. Take the time to learn everything you can about that product. Even though you are not actually selling the product (you should be PRE-selling), you still must know what you are talking about.

The best way to do that, of course, is to own the product yourself. But whether you own the product or not, study the sales copy that was written by the owner of the product. You'll be able to lead your prospects toward "the click" much easier if you know why you want them to click on that link.

When preparing an advertising campaign, ask yourself what you want to achieve. That is your goal.

Now write down the steps that you need to take to get to that goal. Don't forget that there can be more than one way to get there. Use your imagination!

Let's say you want to use ezine advertising. There are several options that you can choose. You can use free ads, purchase ads through ezine co-ops, buy top sponsor and solo ads directly from each newsletter publisher, or write articles and send to the publishers.

Choose one of the options and follow through with it. Then choose the next option, then the next. Don't forget to track your ads to see which advertising method is working best for you.

Try other avenues of advertising as well. Explore new ones that you find and track the results. The more you have - that are working for you - the more commissions you will make.

By preparing the framework for an advertising campaign, you can use that framework for later advertising - with minor changes to accommodate the new information. I use it as a "task list" to follow. This helps to keep me focused on what I have to do.

Don't get me wrong. Advertising or marketing is important. But you MUST know what you want your prospect to do. Take your prospect by the hand and lead him or her to the click. The time it takes to prepare for an advertising campaign will be well worth it.

About the Author
Jude Wright has been marketing on the Internet for three years. Her speciality is providing information to new affiliate marketers who want to become a success online. She has a free online newsletter, About Affiliates Ezine, which was rated A1 by Best Ezines. Subscribe at: http://www.aboutaffiliates.com/subscribe.htm

What is a Blog? In Plain English Please. by Vickie J Scanlon

What is a Blog? In Plain English Please. by Vickie J Scanlon

If you are fairly new to the Internet, you have probably heard the word Blog flying around. But what is a blog? How does it work? And how can I use it on my website? These are all good questions, which I hope to answer for you.

What is a Blog?

A blog, in simplest terms, is a daily journal of your thoughts that is maintained by a blogger (which would be you) on the web. When posting to a blog you will notice that it is arranged in chronological orderwith the most recent additions on top.

You can choose to allow your readers to add their own comments/feedback to any issues you may have addressed on your blog. Or, you can add audio to your blog. Pretty neat, isnt it. What a great way to have contact with your customers.

Can it be used on my website?

Can it be used on my website? Definitely. It can be a great tool for you and your contacts. However, I personally feel that it would be a greater benefit to the established website that has a following. In other words, start with a newsletter first, to build your mailing list, than go for the blog.

If you have a following, than go for it. Dont want to pay for it? Thats okay, you can go to www.blogger.com, they have a great tutorial and the blog is free.

What can it do for my website?

I see many inventive uses for a website that is based on content. Such as:

1.Strong communication toola form of contact with your customer.
2.Allow you to get to know your customers and their wants, as well as, allowing your customers to know you.
3.Can provide daily, quality contentwhich will pull the search engines and thus, increase your traffic.
4.Use it to advertise your links. Taking a conservative approach, and blend it in to the topic.
5.Use it to answer inquiries that people may have.
6.Use it to inform.

As you can see, the list can be endless. But I do see only one slight drawback for those who do not want to keep a constant vigil over their websiteand that is maintaining the blog. The blog should be maintained on a regular basis. Why? People get bored, and on the Internet, its very easy to click their boredom away. Thus, keep yourself enlightened and it should keep them enlightened.

If you find this small drawback inconsequentialthen go blogging.

To your success.

Vickie J. Scanlon

====================
Vickie J Scanlon has a BBA degree in Administrative Management and
Marketing. She left the corporate world as an Reports Programmer,
to begin her journey as an Internet marketer. Visit her site at:
http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz for free tools, articles, ebooks, and how to info.


About the Author
Vickie J Scanlon has a BBA degree in Administrative Management and
Marketing. She left the corporate world as an Reports Programmer,
to begin her journey as an Internet marketer. Visit her site at:
http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz for free tools, articles, ebooks, and how to info.

Affiliate Marketing and MLM - Vive Le Difference by Stephen Brennan

Affiliate Marketing and MLM - Vive Le Difference by Stephen Brennan

I have to start this particular article with this disclaimer. I have nothing against MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) or those who have found their niche within it, unless they don't know what the word 'NO' means or they don't realize that a funeral is not the right place to sell toiletries or washing powder (why did those two come to mind?)
I've have been seeing Affiliate Marketing compared to MLM for years now and to be quite honest, I really thought that the difference between the two was so obvious that a comparison could never be made. Not so! People, who obviously don't understand what Affiliates do and how their programs work, are assuming that it is just another 'MLM' business model. Nothing could be further from the truth.
So, my mission today is to demonstrate the (obvious) difference to those who would compare the two, once and for all.
Firstly, the popular MLM business models that have been around for years, long before the advent of the Internet, are well known to most people, at least, I assume they are to those that make the comparison I speak of. Otherwise, on what do they base the assertion that they are the same or even similar? The two most well known MLM businesses, well call them the two "A's", in fact, both market very good quality products and, by all accounts, service their customers very well. I think the aspect or idea of MLM that causes some Affiliates to often be concerned about the comparison is the memory of the MLMer who tried to sell perfume or hand cleaner at a Baptism.
Basically, without going into huge amounts of detail, MLM is a network (also known as Network Marketing) of distributors, who SELL products to the distributors they have recruited. The distributors make profit on the products they sell to their underlings, and so on down an often very long line. Some Affiliates DO have massive 'Downlines' and they do make sizeable sums from the 'residual' commissions generated by those who joined under them however, Affiliate Marketing is NOT an MLM model, even if there is a 'Downline'.
In Affiliate Marketing there is no dependence on those who join underneath for you to earn a good income. It is a business model in it's own right and doesn't rely on the 'Downline' to generate the bulk of the income. Residual commissions are usually very small and are simply an encouragement and reward by the merchant for those Affiliates who bring others into the 'fold'. Conversely, in MLM you need to have your underlings selling in order to make the decent money.
The major difference, and in my opinion, the whole difference, is that Affiliates don't BUY products from their 'sponsor', who buy from their sponsor, and so on up the line (as is the case in a true MLM type business). Affiliates, regardless of where they are in the Downline, simply refer customers directly to the merchant, who is the only one who does any selling at all. All are paid the same commissions by the merchant. There is no discrimination between an Affiliate who has no downline and one who has hundreds (like the bigger discount that MLMers get for buying more product), nor is there usually any difference in commission between an Affiliate who refers more customers. Affiliates also do not touch the product, it is delivered directly by the merchant, whether it be downloaded or physically shipped.
In the nutshell, an Affiliate is in fact, an Agent (not unlike, say...an Insurance or Real Estate Agent), who is paid a fee for introducing a buyer to a seller. A 'spotter' for the merchant, if you like. Affiliates are an advertising tool used by merchants because of the great amount of website visitors that their products can be exposed to.
So, I cannot see how the two can be compared. There are fundamental differences in the business model and the activities of those working the program. There is also absolutely no similarity in the way in which the products are sold and distributed. Basically, products are NOT sold or distributed by Affiliates, at all. The merchant does all this after the customer has been referred. Again, not so in a true MLM model, where products are physically sold (even at parties) and usually delivered by the MLMer.
No cash, checks or credit cards are seen or handled by Affiliates, who have no need of these often-cumbersome aspects of any business. MLMers collect payment and generally use that to pay for the goods that they have purchased from their sponsor and resold. The number of hands that MLM products pass through before they get to a user can be astounding. Not so in Affiliate Marketing. The goods are sold once, from the merchant to the buyer. Finito.
NO, to be honest, I simply cannot see how there can be any confusion. Regardless of what the real reason is for these comparisons, one thing is certain; Affiliates do not like being told they are involved in MLM. Perhaps MLMer's feel the same way about Affiliate Programs. I don't know, but I'm sure both are all very nice people :-)
About the Author
Stephen Brennan runs the Home Based Business and Affiliate Center- http://www.online-plus.biz, is publisher of 'HomeBasedBiz' newsletter and is the author of The Affiliate Guide Book - The definitive guide to becoming a successful Internet Affiliate (at little or no cost) - available at http://www.ebooks.online-plus.biz