No Website? No Problem.
Filed under: Affiliate Marketing, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Online Marketing, Web Sites
here are countless numbers of people who want to get into affiliate marketing but simply don’t have the skills or the knowledge to create a website of their own and so they believe that there is no way that they can create affiliate income online.
Though it is true that having your own website will help you considerably when marketing a product, it is not the be all end all of Internet marketing. And yes you can be successful and make a living as an affiliate even if you don’t have the benefit of your own website.
If you remember from our other posts, affiliate marketing is nothing more than recommending a product to a group of people who have an interest in that product. You get paid a commission whenever someone purchases the product through your own, unique affiliate link.
Now, before you go thinking that I’m nuts, consider some of these strategies that you can use to market your affiliate products or services…
- Write some articles! Even if you’re brand new to online marketing, you no doubt have heard that a great way to garner interest in a product is to write an article about it and then submit it to article directories. When you write an article, you always place a link in your author’s bio which is often found at the bottom of the article. In most cases you’ll see article authors link to their own website. However, you can simply place your link to your affiliate product here just as easily. It’s important to remember though that not all article directories allow you to place affiliate links in your bio so be sure to read their guidelines first.
- Are you a member of a forum or message board? Online communities are also great ways to promote your affiliate links. Most message boards allow you to have your own unique signature which shows up every single time you post a message. Use this as a means to promote your links. Just remember to keep your posts relevant and useful. No one likes someone showing up just so their affiliate link is posted and to top it off, it could get you booted from the board.
- Create a free online blog. There are many options available to you here and they won’t cost you a cent. Whatever your specialty is, simply write about it, give good advice and respond to those who have serious inquiries about your posts. Every so often, you can place one of your affiliate links in a post you’ve made. Again, be sure you read up on the guidelines for the blog services before you use such a strategy.
Not having your own website should not stop you from being successful. Many of these strategies can be accomplished without spending a single penny.
Good Luck!
Using Product Recommendations To Increase Your Bottom Line
Filed under: Affiliate Marketing, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Online Marketing, Web Sites
In affiliate marketing, there are many ways that you can increase your earnings and one way to do so is by product recommendations.
Many marketers already know that one of the most effective ways to market a product is to use product recommendations.
If you’ve built up trust with your website visitors, then they’ll be more than happy to check out any recommendations you offer but you need to tread carefully. If you all of sudden start promoting everything under the sun by recommendation, your credibility will wear very thin. This is especially true when recommendations look exaggerated and don’t hold much water.
Don’t be afraid to mention things that you don’t like about a product or service. Rather than say people away from the product, your honest opinion will make your recommendation more realistic and will in turn, increase your credibility.
Furthermore, if your visitors are really interested in what you are offering, they will be more than delighted to learn what is good about the product, what is not so good, and how the product will benefit them.
When you do recommend a product, some things to keep in mind are:
- Keep your recommendation true and factual. If you have indeed used the product, then say so, tell them what you liked and didn’t like about the product. If you haven’t used the product, then don’t lie and say that you did.
- If your visitors feel that you are indeed an expert in your niche, they are more inclined to make a purchase based on your recommendation.
One way to help establish your expertise in a certain area is to show proof that what you are promoting in fact works as it says it will. Offer unique and new solutions that your visitors couldn’t get anyplace else and display testimonials and endorsements from well respected people in the same field.
Whatever you do, don’t hype up anything. It’s far better to remain low-key and confident than to scream for attention by stating things like “BEST PRODUCT ANYWHERE!” or “Never Before Seen System Makes You Thousands!”. Not only does this scream hype but it also sounds incredibly unprofessional.
Remember as well that your site visitors are not stupid. They are most likely experts in their field and already know a few things you do. If you can back up your claims with hard data and facts, they’ll gladly pull out their credit cards and pay whatever amount you’re asking. If you can’t back up your data however, they’ll know that they can simply go someplace else (most likely your competition) and find a better product there.
Another thing to remember when recommending a product is to offer up some promotional freebies. People typically expect to get bonuses and freebies with a product that you own but rarely do they receive them for affiliate products. Offer up some freebies or even give out relevant and useful information about the product your recommending.
It’s also important to test the product and the product’s support. You don’t want to be caught promoting a piece of junk. Now, obviously you can’t test out absolutely everything but other’s have. What do others say about the product that have used it?
Additionally, if you aren’t quite sure how to recommend a product or have no idea what to actually say about the product, check out your competition. What are they doing to help promote the product? Who is advertising the product in Google AdWords for example and how are they doing it? Remember to keep your mind open for new ideas that you haven’t yet thought of.
