Affiliate Marketing Pro Strategies

Tips and Techniques That Lead To Fast and Consistent Results

Sergio Rodriguez www.SolidWebTools.com

Copyright © by Sergio Rodriguez

All rights reserved. In no way is it legal to reproduce in whole or in part, duplicate, store in a

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The information herein is offered for informational purposes solely, and is universal as so. The

presentation of the information is without contract or any type of guarantee.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: What is Affiliate Marketing?

Chapter 2: Why Affiliate Marketing?

Chapter 3: Why Do So Many Affiliate Marketers Fail?

Chapter 4: Understanding All the Affiliate Marketing Jargon

Chapter 5: The Tools You Should Have in Place Before You Start

Chapter 6: Niche Selection and Market Research

Chapter 7: Choosing Your Affiliate Marketplaces

Chapter 8: Criteria for Choosing High Converting Products to Promote

Chapter 9: Creating Reviews

Chapter 10: Increasing Your Conversions and Affiliate Sales

Chapter 11: Building Your Buyers’ List

Chapter 12: The Best Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Affiliate Links

Chapter 13: Fulfilling Your Bonuses Promised

Conclusion

Introduction

Being an affiliate marketer is one of the most financially rewarding methods of making money

online. In fact, no other method even comes close, in my opinion. Why? Simple, you basically

sell other people’s products and services to online buyers who are actively looking to buy the

very same thing you are promoting. It’s really a very simple business model. As affiliates, we

connect buyers to sellers, and make a profit in the process. It really is that easy.

Think about it. Every other type of online money-making opportunity requires you to invest in

some sort of product or service. You either have to create your own product, which will cost you

money, or you have to create a platform (e.g. a website) to sell other people’s products, which

also requires money. With affiliate marketing, that’s not the case at all. You can easily become

an affiliate for a product vendor or merchant for free and share your affiliate link without any

out of pocket expenses. You can share your link on social media, in forum posts, and even in the

comments section of blog posts where people are discussing the very same product that you are

promoting. Sounds like a win-win opportunity if you ask me.

Now don’t get me wrong, there will obviously be some costs associated with affiliate marketing

when you’re ready to take it the next level. But the reality is that it’s the most cost-effective way

to get started making money online. As for expenses, those will come as you start to scale up

and you have full control as to how much and/or how fast you want to grow your income.

Within this book, you’re going to discover what affiliate marketing is, and how to best utilize this

amazing business model to generate an online income. I’ve covered absolutely everything you

need to know to get started. My goal for you is that you take this information, apply it, and start

to see results as soon as possible. So, without further delay, let’s jump right into it.

Chapter 1: What is Affiliate Marketing?

As an affiliate marketer, you’ll promote other businesses’ products and earn income based on

the traffic and sales you generate. When you become an affiliate, you agree to the T&Cs (terms

and conditions) of your merchant’s program, and you use a specific link to promote the product.

When a visitor clicks the link, a cookie is placed on their computer. If they make a purchase, the

seller checks for the cookie and credits you with a sale according to the terms of your contract.

Best Practices for Affiliate Marketers

The most successful affiliates apply the process to their social media accounts, lead generating

funnels, and websites. It’s best to promote products you know and those that fit in with your

past and current experience. This strategy typically falls into the area of related marketing, when

you leverage the online presence you’ve already established. However, affiliate marketing can

be unattached as well, which means that you start with no presence or authority in the niche.

Finally, there’s involved marketing, where you promote services and products you use and

personally recommend. Below is a quick guide to how it works.

Signing up For an Affiliate Program

Once you sign up for an affiliate network, you’ll find a range of offers in various niches. Most

networks allow you to search and view sellers and offers by keyword or by niche, and you can

promote all the offers on the list from the moment you sign up.

Promoting Products Via Affiliate Links

You can promote products and sellers in a variety of ways. To be successful in your promotions,

you’ll need to be engaging and creative. It pays to think outside the box when trying to gain

conversions. You can find buyers for your products virtually anywhere on the Internet.

Visitors are Redirected to the Seller’s Site

When your affiliate links are all set up, you’re ready to make money. Sellers track visitors as they

click on your links, and those visitors are tagged with your referral ID number. When the

purchase is made, the seller sends payment to you.

Affiliate Marketing Builds Relationships Between Publishers, Advertisers, and Buyers

Affiliate marketing helps to build strong relationships between sellers, publishers, and

customers. When you become an affiliate, you’re basically a publisher. The advertiser or

merchant has a contractual agreement to provide you with the creative aspects to promote

their products; these direct your website visitors and social media followers back to the seller’s

site. By gaining a greater understanding of the affiliate/seller relationship, you can advance your

e-commerce strategies and find new ways to develop and grow your business.

Chapter 2: Why Affiliate Marketing?

If you’re looking for a way to monetize your social media accounts, website or blog, affiliate

marketing is a great way to do it. Not only can you make money, you can help your followers

and visitors find solutions to their most pressing problems. Promoting products that you’ve used

yourself is easy for you, because you have firsthand experience with them, and it makes things

easier for your customers because they find everything they’re looking for in one place. When

they make a purchase, you make a commission. It really is that simple! Below are several

reasons to try your hand at affiliate marketing.

You Get to Choose Your Niche

When you become an affiliate marketer, you’re the one in charge. Use your own personal

interests and hobbies to create a profitable business around any topic you choose. Life is too

short to be stuck in a boring job you hate. With affiliate marketing, you get to do (and promote)

things you really enjoy.

You Get to Set Your Own Hours and Be Your Own Boss

While affiliate marketing isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ business, and it takes effort, you’re the one

in charge and YOU get to decide when to work. If you want to work a 12-hour shift and take the

next day off, it’s entirely up to you. When you become an affiliate marketer, you won’t have to

worry about a boss nagging you to meet important deadlines—because you’re the boss!

You Can Work From Wherever You Want

Affiliate marketers are at an advantage because they can take their work with them wherever

they go. If you like to travel, it’s the perfect solution. If you like working out of a coffee shop, or

if you want to go on a ‘working vacation’, it’s up to you. With affiliate marketing, you have the

freedom to choose.

No Selling is Involved

While affiliate marketers are in the sales business, no direct selling is involved. All you have to

do is recommend products to those who may benefit from them or find something of value in

them. You’re not selling; you’re helping others solve their problems.

You Don’t Have to Own or Store Products

One of the best things about affiliate marketing is that you don’t have to warehouse or own

products. When you recommend someone else’s products, you get a commission when a site

visitor makes a purchase. The best thing is, when you’re promoting others’ goods, you don’t

have to worry about customer complaints or returns because the seller does all that for you.

Make a Profit All Day, Every Day

Affiliate marketers can even make money while they’re sleeping. When you promote others’

products, you don’t have to be present when someone makes a purchase; the commission goes

directly into your affiliate account. While most workplaces tell you what you’re going to make,

there’s no limit with affiliate marketing. It takes consistency, hard work, and determination to

make it, but once you do, the rewards are incredible.

When you get into the affiliate marketing game, you can be there for your family, you can set

your own hours, and work wherever and whenever you want. Because you can take your work

with you, work won’t stop you from having a life. Hopefully, you can inspire those around you to

take control, follow their own dreams, and do what they genuinely love to do.

Chapter 3: Why Do So Many Affiliate Marketers Fail?

Out of the thousands of people who try to become affiliate marketers each and every year, only

a small number ever become successful enough to truly change their lives. Is it because things

are too competitive, and too complicated, or is it because affiliate marketing doesn’t live up to

the hype? Having met so many successful marketers, I can honestly say that the last reason is

simply untrue. Affiliate marketing success depends on three qualities: dedication, perseverance,

and most importantly, consistency.

Desire & Dedication

If you were thinking of taking up a new hobby and you wanted to become proficient enough at

it to quit your day job, think of how dedicated you’d have to become. Let’s take the sport of golf

as an example. A professional golfer hits hundreds of shots per day, whether they really want to

or not, because that’s what they have to do to be good at it. They carefully study the process,

they find and fix their faults, and perhaps most importantly, they stick to a training program.

While the book Outliers states that someone must put in a minimum of 10,000 hours of work to

become a master at their endeavors, I don’t think it will take you anywhere near that long to

become a great affiliate. However, you should approach the effort with the same level of

consistency and determination. It’s rare to find someone who follows a system precisely, but

this is the type of person who eventually succeed.

Choose a Method and Follow It

Over the past few years, there have been many affiliate marketing systems, and most of them

offer good advice. However, their techniques can be repetitive and tedious, and in many cases,

it may take several months to see results. Just like training to play golf, it takes dedication to

succeed. When you’re ready to give up because you’re not seeing any results, ask yourself these

three simple questions:

• How much time have I spent researching a niche before selecting it?

• How many pieces of content have I posted and/or written?

• How many social posts have I created, or niche sites have I put together?

We’ve seen most of the top affiliate marketing programs, and they all have one thing in

common: They do not promise to be successful if you don’t do your research, write content, and

engage with your audience through social media or your own website.

Finding the Time

By now, you may be saying, “There just isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done!”

While that may be true for a small number of people, it doesn’t apply to most. The average

person spends four hours per day watching television; just think of what you could accomplish if

you used half that time to focus on your online efforts. With time, effort, focus, and a system in

place, you can become successful in much less than 10,000 hours. If you’re serious about

success, you should ask yourself, “Am I doing everything possible to make my dreams come

true?” If the answer is no, now is the perfect time to start!

Chapter 4: Understanding All The Affiliate Marketing Jargon

If you’re going to become an affiliate marketer, you should understand the most common terms

used in the business. Below is a short glossary of affiliate marketing terminology.

• Affiliate: You, the site owner, who earns commissions for referring leads, sales, and

clicks to merchants.

• Agreement: The terms between you and the merchant.

• Information page(s): The part of your website that explains what the program is about.

• Affiliate link: A snippet of code in text or an image. It’s placed on your site to notify the

merchant that you should be credited for a visitor or customer that’s sent to their site.

• Manager: The person responsible for creating newsletters, setting up incentive

programs, budgeting, forecasting, supervising the front-end marketing effort, and

keeping up with industry trends.

• Affiliate program: Here, a merchant pays you a commission for sending sales, clicks, and

leads to their site.

• Program directory: A list of programs that includes information such as affiliate

numbers, commission rates, and provider names.

• Solution provider: The company that offers the software, network, and services

necessary to create and track affiliate programs.

• Auto approval: An approval process wherein every applicant is automatically approved

for the affiliate program.

• Commission: The income you get for generating click-throughs, sales, and leads for a

merchant. It’s sometimes called a finder’s fee or referral fee.

• Cookie: A small file that’s stored on a site visitor’s computer. It records information for

the merchant, such as what the customer bought and who generated the sale.

• Contextual link: Affiliate links are integrated into relevant text.

• Conversion rate: The number of clicks resulting in a lead or sale.

• CPA (cost per action): The cost of each commissionable activity.

• CPC (cost per click): The cost of each click on a link.

• CPM (cost per thousand): The cost of 1000 ad banner impressions.

• CPO (cost per order): The cost paid for every completed order.

• eCPC (effective cost per click): Affiliates earning on CPAs or CPOs will enter their

numbers into an eCPC, which is the total earnings divided by the number of clicks.

• Hybrid model: A commission model with CPA and CPC payment options.

• Merchant: An online seller of services and goods. Many merchants establish these

programs as a cost-efficient way to get people to take a certain action, such as visiting a

site or making a purchase.

• Pay per sale: You get a commission every time you refer a person to the merchant site

and a purchase is made.

• Pay per lead: You get a commission for every lead you generate for the merchant.

• PPC (pay per click): You get a commission for each visitor you refer to the merchant’s

site.

• Predatory advertising: A method that overlays banners or links on websites, or uses

other ways to redirect or overwrite affiliate links.

• Residual earnings: A program that pays you for not just the first purchase a customer

makes, but all subsequent purchases they make as well.

• ROAS: Short for return on advertising spending, or the amount generated for each dollar

spent on ads.

• ROI: Return on investment. The more sales are made, the higher the profit margin and

the greater the ROI.

• Super affiliates: The top 1% of affiliates who make the majority of revenue for a

program.

• Two tier: A marketing model that allows people to sign more affiliates up beneath

themselves, so when those people earn commissions, they earn as well. It’s also

referred to as MLM or multilevel marketing.

Now that you know the basic terminology used by affiliate marketers, you’re ready to get

started.

Chapter 5: The Tools You Should Have in Place Before You Start

Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make money online, in part because there are so

many tools that take away the tedious work. The more you use these tools, the easier it is to

promote campaigns that bring profits. Below are some of the must-have affiliate marketing

tools for beginners. I know, I said that you can get started for free, and some of these tools

require you to spend a little money. Well, the reality is, you do not need these tools to get

started, but if you want to grow your business and make real money online, you will need these

tools eventually. Otherwise, you’ll just be making minimal amounts of money on a very

inconsistent basis, and trust me when I say that you do not want to be in that situation.

Keyword Research Tools

Having a keyword research tool is a crucial thing for an affiliate marketer. Not only do these

tools help you find a profitable niche, it helps you find out how competitive that niche is. You

can use Google’s AdWords Keyword Planner, which requires an AdWords Account and is free, or

you can use a premium software program or service. While Google’s tool will tell you about

related keywords and search volume, you don’t get much beyond that. Software programs come

with a range of features that help you target your market and analyze the competition. Consider

using the Google tool when you’re just starting out; once you are established and you have a

better idea of how things go, you can make the step to software.

Analytics Tracking

Tracking software gives you a way to manage your promotions and measure your results. There

are numerous products that claim to do this, but you should read reviews and read IM forums to

learn about these products before you make the investment. There’s a big difference between

tracking and web analytics software, mainly that analytics software only tracks performance

without providing campaign management tools.

Link Redirect Tools

It’s best to think of URL redirection in the same way you’d think of call forwarding. When a

visitor lands on your page, they’re sent somewhere else. URL forwarding lets you control the

appearance of your links when visitors hover over them, and it lets you change affiliate orders

without changing links. Redirects can help you protect your affiliate ID that’s found within these

links, and there are numerous tools that help you accomplish it. Personally, I use Pretty Links.

An Autoresponder

All affiliate marketers should eventually have an autoresponder. These third-party services

manage your subscriber lists and send them messages immediately or on a schedule. An

autoresponder can track your email open rates and other marketing metrics, and you can use it

in various ways. Send a single message to your entire list or send a series of emails that starts

when a visitor signs up. I highly recommend and personally use GetResponse. In my opinion, it’s

by far the best email marketing platform for affiliate marketers, and I’ve pretty much used them

all. You can sign up for a free trial and see why I love it so much by clicking HERE.

Web Hosting

Although this may seem scary for most new comers, a website is something that you will need

to have as you grow your online marketing efforts. It will become the hub of your entire online

business. The good news is that today, creating a website is easier than ever before. In fact, you

can have a fully functional website up and running a lot sooner than you may think. All you have

to do is create an account with a web hosting company and they will literally walk you through

the entire process. What most people fail to understand is that most web hosts offer extremely

beneficial services. Nearly all of them offer niche site templates and monitoring tools, and some

even offer more comprehensive solutions that you can tap into down the road. Hosting services

often have site builders, like WordPress, that let you easily and quickly create niche sites. If you

have not yet signed up with a web host, research the best options and find out which affiliate

marketing tools they offer. I personally use BlueHost. In fact, I’ve been using them since 2008.

They are an all-in-one solution for building a website. They have excellent tutorials to help you

get started, and their customer service is very responsive and helpful. You can read all about

them and sign up for a discounted rate by clicking HERE.

Chapter 6: Niche Selection and Market Research

You can’t be a successful affiliate unless you find the right products to promote, and the product

selection process can be difficult if you’re doing it for the first time. Below, you’ll find a few easy

tips on selecting a niche and doing your market research.

Stick to What You Know

This tip may seem rather obvious, but it’s surprising how many people don’t realize how

important this really is. Selecting a niche based solely on its profitability, even if you’re not

interested in the subject matter, isn’t always successful. If you’re not creating content out of a

genuine interest, your subscribers aren’t likely to be inspired to buy from you. Even if you’re

hiring someone to create your content, you should still learn about the subject. You don’t have

to be the field’s top expert, but you should have a basic knowledge of the subject before you

start promoting it.

Choose a Good Niche

This step may be tricky. The Internet is full of blogs and sites on almost every subject, but some

are more successful than others. The online world is a dynamic one, and it’s shaped and created

by its users. Some niches come and go, while others remain popular for years. Once you have a

list of potential subjects, it’s time to learn about their potential profitability. Ask yourself these

questions:

• How stiff is the competition? If there are dozens of other sites on the same subject,

you’ll have to work harder and spend more time drawing traffic to your site.

• Is the subject obscure? The more esoteric your niche is, the less competitive it will be.

Conversely, you may get into a situation where the subject is so narrow that it may

never attract the visitor numbers you want.

• Are there enough services and products you can advertise on a niche site? Affiliate

marketing is a great way to monetize a site, but if there aren’t enough relevant

programs that generate visitors’ interest, your efforts may fail.

• Is the subject well-represented online? Some subjects are quite popular, but there’s a

lack of engaging, readable content. These subjects often end up being highly profitable.

Don’t be Afraid to Expand

As said earlier, sticking to a certain subject, even if it’s a popular one, isn’t always a way to

guarantee success. You should be prepared to branch out into other subjects in which your

visitors may be interested. That way, you’re always giving your subscribers something of value,

and you’re more likely to make a profit once your site gets a good amount of traffic. Branching

out is a great way to learn, and it can also help you raise your income.

Market Research

In this section, you’ll find some tips on researching your chosen market.

• Competition: It’s easy to research niches; competition is what you should look for. While

some believe that there’s no way they can compete with bigger sites, a competitive

niche is a healthy one, and there’s enough room for all. If the niche you chose isn’t

competitive, there’s likely little interest in it, and you should look elsewhere.

• Bookshelves: Local bookstores, libraries, and even the magazines at supermarket

checkouts can tell you which current topics are most in demand. These resources are a

great place to find niches that are just now coming into their own.

• Trends: Popular news sites can give you insights into niche trends. These sites typically

have categories for technology, science, health, and much more. Keep up with these

sites to stay up to date on what’s happening in your chosen niche. Consider setting up

Google Alerts so you get info delivered right to your inbox when things happen.

• Product research: This step is a bit more in-depth, but sites like Ubersuggest can tell you

what your audience is asking about particular products. Type in the niche topic or the

product name, and you’ll get results that point you in the right direction. Then, go to the

maker’s site and read about the product’s specs or download an instruction manual to

share with your site visitors. If it’s a product that’s available locally, go into a store and

take notes or photographs.

Do your niche and market research is easy if you’re persistent and you use the right tools. With

resources like those listed above, you’re more likely to find the right product in the ideal niche.

Chapter 7: Choosing Your Affiliate Marketplaces

Although the affiliate marketing world has become more competitive in the recent past, it still

hasn’t lost its money-making appeal. Affiliate marketing is heavily performance-based, which

makes it less risky for advertisers and merchants. With the wide availability of these programs, it

can be difficult to choose the right one. In this chapter, you’ll learn what to look for when

choosing an affiliate marketplace.

The Product

The most important thing is to choose a product that interests you. After all, there’s nothing

worse than feeling obligated to promote a product you’re not interested in. Because you’ll

spend a great deal of time with the product, it’s important to feel passionate about the material.

However, it’s equally important to consider others’ interest in and demand for the product.

Google’s keyword tool can tell you which terms are being searched and how often; if

competition is high and search volume is rather low, you should look for another product. If the

volume is high and competition is low, it may be the right product for you.

The Website

Once you find a program that’s interesting, has high demand, and is viable, look at the

merchant’s website. It should be user-friendly and simple to navigate, and calls to action (CTAs)

should be clear. Products and images should be clearly displayed so you know what you’re

getting. It’s important to check the website for leaks, or paths out that won’t generate revenue

for you. If there’s a leak, you can lose money and sales because your traffic is being siphoned

away. If you’re going to represent someone’s site, you should ensure that it’s reliable and has

the potential to create strong sales.

Conversion Rates

There are some numbers that are essential when choosing an affiliate marketplace, and

conversion rates are near the top of the list. The advertiser you’re thinking of partnering with

could have a good brand, a solid site, and high commissions, but if their site doesn’t convert,

you won’t make any money. Conversions are calculated by the number of people (out of 100)

who perform a certain action such as completing an order or signing up for a newsletter. To be

successful as an affiliate, you should look for a program with a conversion rate of more than 3%.

Payout/Commission

The payout or commission for promoting a product is the number most affiliates pay attention

to. Many times, an affiliate will automatically join a program with a high commission rate, but

this isn’t always the best strategy.

Average Order Value

Here, it gets really interesting because you can make a great deal of money. If a merchant pays

out 10% commission with a 1% conversion rate, and another merchant pays out 12% with a 3%

conversion rate, most people would sign up with the second merchant. However, it’s important

to consider the average order value. If a product pays 10% on an AOV of $400, an affiliate makes

$40 per sale, while a product that pays 12% on an AOV of $100 only yields $12. Here, the first

merchant has the higher-earning program.

EPC

Another important thing to consider is the merchant’s EPC or earnings per click. Some

marketplaces report this upfront, and it shows the average earning potential based on current

affiliates’ numbers. Alternatively, you can do your own EPC calculations to determine whether a

program is a good bet for you or not. Calculate your EPC by dividing the total commission by the

number of total clicks.

Cookie Duration

You should also consider the affiliate cookie’s length. It tells the merchant that the customer

was referred to them through your website. If a merchant has a 30-day cookie, the potential

buyer has 30 days to complete his or her order, and you’ll still get a commission. The longer the

cookie lasts, the better off you’ll be.

Tools

While affiliates use different tools, it’s good to find a merchant who offers a selection of

resources you can use to promote a product. These tools can be text links, videos, widgets,

banners, coupons, and more. It’s important to find a merchant who offers things you can use to

do your job more effectively. If you don’t have anything to work with, it makes it harder to drive

targeted traffic from your website to the merchant’s site.

Reversals

The program’s reversal rate tells you how many orders were un-commissioned, returned, or

canceled. This is a vital number because everything else can be great, but if a program has a 75%

reversal rate, it means that 75% of the orders weren’t credited for various reasons, and it also

means you won’t get paid for most of the work you do. If a program’s reversal rate suddenly

increases with no good explanation, it may be time to find a different marketplace.

Competition

It’s wise to consider how competitive an industry is, and to monitor what your competitors are

doing. Many merchants have more than one competitor, and all are looking for the top

affiliates. These programs have higher payouts and better conversions, and some even have

their in-house programs. It’s possible that merchants with lower payouts and AOVs do more

volume, in which case it makes sense to partner with that program. To get traffic to your site

(and to your merchant’s), your marketing methods need to stand out from those of others in the

same field.

TOS

Something many affiliates overlook is the program’s TOS (terms of service). It’s important to

read them, because programs vary widely. The TOS generally outlines how affiliate links can be

marketed, how they’re placed, the keywords you can use, whether you can link to your site with

direct search, the software you can use, and more. If you don’t read the TOS, you may find that

you won’t get credit for everything you’ve done, even after you’ve done all the hard work

setting up merchant links and promoting the brand.

Support

The last thing to consider when choosing an affiliate marketplace is whether there’s a dedicated

manager. It’s best to have an experienced manager, or an outsourced manager; however, it’s

better to have someone available to answer questions than to have no help at all. Managers

should be easily acceptable, quick to respond, and they should know how affiliate programs

work. They should understand the program’s TOS, and they should be able to answer your

questions or put you in touch with someone who can.

As an affiliate, you’ll have many programs from which to choose, and it can be hard to make the

right choice. However, using this list, you can quickly narrow your search to only the best and

most profitable programs.

Chapter 8: Criteria for Finding High Converting Affiliate Products to Promote

Your success or failure as an affiliate depends largely on the products you promote. At first, the

product selection process seems simple. You sign up with a marketplace such as ClickBank,

choose one of the thousands of available products, create your own links, and put them on your

site. However, these steps don’t always result in sales, and a lack of results can be frustrating.

The sheer number of products can make the choice overwhelming, especially for a newbie who

doesn’t know the business. Although there’s no foolproof way to find a high converting product,

there are a few tips that can increase the likelihood of success.

Brainstorm Your Niche

The first step to take is to decide which market you want to work in. Choosing a niche related to

your experiences, hobbies, passions, and skills is a great starting point; after all, you’ll be

spending a great deal of time on it! Do you like animals? Has someone in your family had a

specific health issue? Did you like your foreign language classes in school? Do people ask you for

advice on relationship struggles? Knowing a niche can be a tremendous advantage when

marketing a product, because it’s easier to write credible, persuasive sales copy when you know

the subject. Go through your chosen marketplace and make a list of niches you could possibly

promote. While it’s important to choose a niche you know, it’s also essential to focus on

profitability as well. The next few steps on the list will help you narrow the list further.

Know Your Customers

Let’s say that you chose “playing piano” as a possible niche. If you want to pursue things further,

it’s important to understand who’s buying and what they’re looking for. The simplest way to get

into your target market’s minds is to browse niche forums; it helps you learn your buyers’

wants, needs, and problems. For instance, some people in the niche will look for free sheet

music, and they’d likely not want to buy something from you unless it helps them achieve their

goal. Reading forums can help you learn what matters most to your target market, which will

help you choose the right products to promote. Other things to consider are how to target

impulse buyers and the narrowness of your niche. If it’s too specific, you may find that your

target market isn’t big enough to make many sales. If it’s too wide, you’ll find it hard to rank

your site in the search engines, and prospects won’t be able to find you.

Choose Top-Selling Products

By this time, you should have a solid understanding of your market and its needs. Now, it’s time

to go back to your marketplace and find some products that can meet those needs. We’ll use

ClickBank as an example here; it uses a ‘gravity’ score to show how well a product sells, based

on the number of sales and when they occurred. High gravity typically indicates that there’s a

great deal of competition in the niche, but that shouldn’t push you away. Competition is a good

thing because it means there’s a high demand for products in the niche, and it also means that

there may be a few people you could form a JV (joint venture) or partnership with.

However, I should say that in some cases, a low-gravity product can still be worthwhile. These

products may just be new, or others simply haven’t discovered them yet. While gravity is a

strong indicator of a product’s potential, you shouldn’t dismiss a high-quality product simply

because of its low score.

Multiple Products

Ideally, you should find a market with several related products. The reasoning behind this is

that, even if a single product is a hot seller, you’ll have a difficult time competing with

established affiliates. Another advantage of finding multiple products is that it lets you set up a

review page, which increases the chances of making sales. For instance, if you’re selling the

“learn to play piano” product in the example above, by including other “learn to play” products

on your page, your visitors will feel as if they have all the info they need to make an informed

purchase decision.

High Commissions

It’s pretty difficult to make a profit on small commissions. For your affiliate marketing efforts to

pay off, you’ll need to find products with higher commissions of at least $20 per sale. From that

amount, you’ll have to deduct your time and your advertising expenses. If a product has a higher

dollar value, then a smaller commission percentage may still make it a reasonable investment.

A Persuasive Sales Pitch

The last step is to take a good look at the product’s sale page. You’ll be using it to drive

conversions, after all. Does the sales page look convincing? Does it answer your target market’s

questions and address their concerns? Is it credible and persuasive, or does it make outlandish

and unbelievable claims? Would you make a purchase from a site that looks and sounds like

that? The answers to these questions, among others, will help you find the highest converting

products to promote.

To Sum it Up

Choosing the best products to promote is the first step in becoming a successful affiliate, and if

you do the process right, you can increase your chances of becoming profitable. However, even

if you start off well, you shouldn’t just set up an offer page and leave it be. Keep a watchful eye

on your reports, and use tracking IDs to see which products are performing the best. That way,

you know where to focus your resources and your efforts. By following these techniques for

finding high-converting products, you’ll reap the benefits of increased sales and bigger

commission checks.

Chapter 9: Creating Reviews

In the affiliate marketing world, high quality content is useless if your customers aren’t clicking

your affiliate links. In the end, affiliate marketing is all about earning commissions, which are

your compensation for the effort you put into creating compelling content and promoting

products to your target audience. Many marketers find it hard to include their affiliate links

without sounding overly salesy or spammy. Content should flow well, and the abrupt addition of

affiliate links can disrupt the visitor’s reading experience. However, with product reviews, it’s

easy to include these links in a natural way. Reviews encourage readers to find out more about

these products for themselves, but it’s up to you to create compelling content that sparks your

readers’ interest. I must note here that the platform to use to create product reviews is on your

own website. Below are several tips to remember when writing full blown product reviews.

Be as Thorough As You Can

One of the most common mistakes affiliates make is adding their links too early, before readers

have had a chance to ‘warm up’ to the content. It’s important to remember that more content

means a higher search engine ranking. According to recent research done on the top ten search

results’ content length, the first result usually has 400+ words more than the 10th result. Do you

want to know why? I’ll tell you. On top of offering the best content, high-ranking pages have

more to offer the search engines’ bots during the indexing process.

From your readers’ point of view, finding out more about a product gives them more confidence

that they’re making the right purchase decision. If you want people to be interested in what

you’re selling (which is the first step in driving conversions), you’ll need to give them something

of value. Providing details about the stuff you’re selling shows your customers that you’re an

expert in your niche, and it significantly increases your credibility.

Be Empathetic Toward Your Readers

When reviewing affiliate products, the content has to be believable enough that your audience

relates to it. You’ll have to put yourself in your customers’ position, and write about the

problems your product solves rather than the product itself. Reviews are a chance for you to

gain your customers’ trust, and when you show empathy toward them, they’re more likely to

trust you enough to buy what you’re selling.

If you can, test the product yourself before you offer it for sale. When you do your own testing,

you can offer your customers firsthand experience and personal insights. Don’t forget to add

actionable, easily-digestible tips to further increase each review’s authenticity. Because your

audience wants an opinion from a real person, it’s OK to use an informal, conversational tone in

your reviews. Don’t obsess over strict guidelines; write as if you’re talking to a friend.

Stay as Objective As You Can

Millennials are the most discerning group of consumers in the world, and they can spot a biased

or fake review from a mile away. That’s why you should strive to be as objective as you can

when reviewing affiliate products. Discuss the product in depth, rather than simply rephrasing

the description you find on the product page. Get to the point, stick to it, and don’t make

offhanded comments about the vendor. To generate interest in the product you’re selling, focus

on its advantages for your customers rather than listing specific features. Keep in mind, though,

that there’s no such thing as perfection, and your audience knows that. Which brings us to this

tip….

Mention the Product’s Pros and Cons

Where objectivity is concerned, you shouldn’t leave a stone unturned. Explore all possible

aspects of your affiliate product. For instance, which user group stands to benefit most from a

certain feature? How can one of the product’s drawbacks affect its overall performance, and

how can users avoid the problem? It’s important to thoroughly discuss the products pros and

cons, and doing so will give your readers the information they need to complete the decision-

making process.

Use Plugins or Add-Ons to Optimize Conversions

To create effective, actionable reviews, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with some tools. At

the end of each review, consider including a summary box that offers your readers a fast recap.

CTAs, included as popups, can turn a visitor into a buyer, giving them the extra incentive to

convert. Most affiliates build sides with WordPress, which includes an extensive selection of

plugins and tools that maximize functionality, improve the user’s experience, and drive

conversions.

Yes, You CAN Write an Effective Product Review!

In the end, reviewing affiliate products is just another content strategy that prioritizes the user

experience. To be a successful marketer, you’ll need to remember your duty to provide useful,

relevant information to your audience. In return for that information, your readers will come

back to you for data and insights that empower them to make the right choices.

Chapter 10: Increasing Your Conversions and Affiliate Sales

Do you want to earn more money with your affiliate promotions, or have you tried it and

wondered if it is really worth all the effort you’re putting forth? If you answered “yes” to the

first question and “no” to the second, you may benefit from the tips I’m about to give here. In

this guide, you’ll get 14 tricks and tips from some of the industry’s top affiliates.

Make Things Personal

Because most people like to buy things from those they like, know, and trust, they’re more likely

to buy something if you’ve personally participated in it or purchased it. Therefore, it’s important

for you to be honest about whether or not you’ve tried the product. Tell stories about the

products you promote, and be selective about the programs in which you participate. That way,

when you do promote a product, people will take you seriously.

Practice Good Timing

Timing is important in a variety of industries, but it’s especially vital in affiliate marketing. You

should build your promotional schedule around the campaigns you’ve chosen, but you should

think of important sales dates as well. A few well-timed emails can be just as effective as a list of

social media posts done at random. Scarcity is a powerful motivator, and if you do a promo with

the tagline “Sale ends on Saturday”, it’s more likely to encourage sales than if you’d said “Sale

ends in two weeks”.

Use Your Email List Effectively

As an affiliate, your email list is one of your biggest assets. It takes a long time to grow and

cultivate a subscriber list, so use the tool wisely. When you send out email promos, consider the

following tips:

• Send out emails that include helpful tips. In the middle of such an email, share a link to

the product you’re selling. Don’t forget to offer your clients something valuable, so they

don’t think you’re being too pushy or salesy.

• Write a few relevant blog posts or articles and use an autoresponder like GetResponse

to send them to your target audience. In these emails, ask questions and encourage

recipients to offer their opinions. Above all, be ready to respond personally,

professionally, and promptly.

Know What the Audience Wants

As with other content marketing efforts, as an affiliate, you’ll need to get to know what your

target audience wants. I recommend taking the time to build an audience, and once you’ve got

one, recommend products you know they’ll like. Create a blog post or video that explains your

thoughts on a product, with the goal of having them visit your sales page. Consider updating

these posts as information changes, and you’ll continue to get Google results without creating

all-new content.

Practice Cross-Channel Promotion Strategies

All the great content in the world won’t do you any good if you don’t distribute it where your

audience is most likely to engage with it. Know which social media platforms your readers use,

and leverage them when promoting your products. If you have a large enough audience, group

them according to their interests before custom-crafting and delivering messages to them.

Create a List of Industry Events

If you’re promoting products in a hot or well-known niche (and I hope you are!), I recommend

making a list of top industry events and driving visitor traffic to it. This strategy works well for

physical events, but you may be able to use it if you’re promoting a webinar as well. You should

only recommend events with which you have personal experience, as it helps you to build trust

and credibility.

Choose Blog Ads Wisely

If you’re running a blog, you have plenty of opportunities to advertise, but you should avoid

overcrowding the page. When you strategically place your ads, you can bring enormous value to

your customers. Consider these placements:

• Sidebar graphics

• Inclusion of graphics for live events

• Banner graphics within related blog posts

Run Some Ads

By this time, you likely know that you’ll have to pay to get significant visibility on the majority of

social platforms. It doesn’t take much to increase your visibility; however, you will have to set a

budget and create a schedule around it.

Create Quality, Original, and Relevant Content

Your readers trust you to give them something of value, and you should keep that trust by

presenting your offers in relatable ways. This may include doing a video product review, or

including one in a blog post. Focus on the needs you think the product fulfills, and your audience

will be grateful for the extra service. Who knows, you may even find a wider audience!

Test URLs

If you’re using your URLS in email click-tracking programs, code is added to them, and it may

even override the affiliate ID. Furthermore, when you use link-cloaking or link-shortening tools

such as Bit.ly, your affiliate code is taken away. If you want to shorten an URL while still tracking

clicks, I recommend TinyURL. Note that these tools can sometimes trigger spam filters, and they

may affect your emails’ deliverability.

Set Up a Dedicated Email Account

Another thing I recommend is to set up another email address for the affiliate programs in

which you participate. These emails are extremely important, and most programs will send

updates and news about new products and services, as well as upcoming promotions. When you

have a dedicated business email, you’re more likely to get these important messages.

These are just some of the easiest and most effective ways to drive conversions and increase

sales and profitability. Next, you’ll learn how to build a buyer list.

Chapter 11: Building Your Buyers List

When you become an affiliate, your goal is to earn your subscribers’ and visitors’ trust. It’s best

thought of as like dating, where you evaluate people before you ask them out. When you’re an

affiliate marketer, you need to let people know that you’re serious and that you’re an expert in

your niche. Whether you’re promoting products related to health, the auto industry, or anything

else, you’ll need to gain your audience’s trust to become successful. Here, I’ll give you some tips

on using lead magnets to build your list and gain customers’ trust.

Use an Opt-In Form That Offers Something Free

The best way to start putting together a buyers list is to use a third-party email marketing

service such as AWeber or GetResponse. The time to start building a list is now; if you’re not

doing it, you’re wasting money! Even if you only get one or two subscribers a day, that’s still

about 700 per year. Those 700 subscribers could bring you another $20,000 in affiliate revenue

each year, and you’ll be surprised to see how fast your list grows once you start.

Set Up an Autoresponder

The next list-building step is to create a seven-day autoresponder. Every day for up to a week,

your subscribers will get an email through your third-party email marketing service. If you have

more than 600 subscribers, and you had to send each of them an email each day for a week,

that’s 4200+ emails you DON’T have to write!

The autoresponder needs relevant content to send to the audience, and I suggest adding guides

and tutorials based on your industry experience. The goal is, after all, to build trust, and sending

your subscribers valuable emails is a great way to do it. Even if you have the world’s biggest list,

it’s useless unless your subscribers trust you and want to buy from you.

Give Away Free Gifts

The most effective way to gain a customer’s trust is to give them something for free. Give them

a software download, video, ebook, or whitepaper, and you’ll gain their trust more quickly.

Sending subscribers free gifts is a great way to get their attention, and it will keep them coming

back for more. When you give your customers something of value at no charge, they’re likely to

come back and purchase your paid items. Too many marketers send out random emails

promoting the newest products, without investigating these products’ backgrounds or finding

out whether they’ll fulfill the audience’s needs. This isn’t just a mistake, it’s a good way to ruin

your list.

Do a Joint Venture With a Top Affiliate

Another good way to grow an email list is to reach out to top affiliates who can cross-promote

your products and services. It’s important to take a proactive stance, and to constantly follow up

with your JV partners when you do a product launch or when you cross-promote with others. If

you don’t treat your JV partners properly, they won’t return!

Set up CTAs on Your Site

The final step to building a good email list and increasing your sales is to include strong CTAs

(calls to action) on your site. Whether you add a “Buy it Now” button or a “Sign Up” button, you

should always include a call to action. Many affiliates, even the top ones, forget the power of a

good CTA. An affiliate starting out may fail to do this, and they’ll wonder why they’re not getting

any conversions. Your subscribers are looking for direction, and by including strong CTAs on your

site, you’ll see a significant change in your marketing results.

Now that you’ve gotten some tips on building a great email list, you’re ready to move onto the

next step. Keep reading for more great tips!

Chapter 12: The Best Ways To Drive Traffic To Your Affiliate Links

Many new affiliate marketers make the mistake of grabbing a link and posting it everywhere

they go online. That’s a mistake, because the social sites and other places you go aren’t likely to

be populated with people who want the products you’re selling; they’re either too savvy to fall

for the sales pitch, or they’re simply not interested. To succeed as an affiliate, you’ll need to find

better ways to promote your products. Here, you’ll find a few great ways to drive traffic to your

affiliate links.

Focus on Organic Search

This step may seem elementary, but it’s surprising how many affiliates ignore it. The best way to

bring traffic to your offers is by getting your site to rank high in the organic search results. While

this is harder than simply paying for traffic, organic search can pay dividends for years to come.

Set up a Quality Niche Website

This is the first step, and it’s also the most important. Google and the other search engines have

a long history of penalizing affiliates because of their techniques, most of which have been given

the “black hat” designation. These days, to be seen as a legit marketer and not a devious

spammer, you’ll need a high-quality site filled with valuable, relevant content, and your links

should be clearly marked as being from an affiliate. You’ll need to know your products, your

audience, and how to drive conversions.

Provide Quality Content

Much of your affiliate traffic will come from organic search if your site has a narrow enough

focus, your quality is high, and you’ve earned your ranking. To do so, you’ll need to write and

keep a blog by buying content or writing yourself. To avoid Google penalties, don’t use spun or

low-quality content. It’s not necessary to post very frequently; once a week should suffice to

show that your site is active.

PPC

PPC (pay per click) through Google AdWords gives you full access to the search engine’s display

network. Create ads that point to your website, not directly to your links, as Google does not

like to directly display affiliate ads unless THEY are the affiliate. Test ads for varying keywords,

study their results, optimize them, and build your advertising strategies accordingly.

Stick to Your Niche

If you’re working in a relatively narrow niche, you can easily pull ahead of your competition.

However, if your focus is spread thinner, you won’t be able to penetrate your target market. If

you are tempted to branch out to new and unrelated products, put together a site in a different

niche rather than trying to shoehorn it into your old one.

Include Customer Testimonials

When you’re selling affiliate products, send follow-up messages to buyers to find out about their

experiences. If they give great reviews, ask them if you may use them on your website to help

teach others about your product’s benefits. If you can’t get any testimonials from customers, it’s

perfectly acceptable to invent your own. However, you’ll need to write them in a believable

way, so potential buyers don’t see them as being fake.

Write a Product Guide

Unless you’re only selling eBooks, you’re likely to be able to create tutorials using your products.

Even if it is as easy as using a supplement along with a sensible diet and an exercise plan, you

can do it. It’s always possible to find material to post and write, and if you’re in a popular niche,

these evergreen guides will attract people who may be on the fence (but will buy later).

Create Supplementary Material

This is the opposite of creating evergreen guides. When you have a niche site, you’ll need to

ensure that your content has a narrow focus. Fortunately, most topics have some degree of

depth, and you can cover the product in a variety of ways. Discuss the product’s history,

ingredients, technology, or other factors. It’s not broadening the base of your content; it’s

digging deeper to cover all conceivable angles.

Promote Your Products to Industry Communities

No matter what product you’re promoting, it’s part of an industry, and all industries have online

communities. There are forums, blogs, Facebook groups, and Twitter accounts for any industry,

and it’s up to you to find them and become an active participant. Post your affiliate link in your

profile, in your forum signature (if allowed), and in discussions wherever possible. Generally,

you should attempt to post links to real, helpful posts rather than to your sales pages; it comes

across not as advertising, but as trying to be helpful.

Get on Social Media

Even if you’re in a narrow niche, you can leverage social media to your benefit. Facebook is

especially important because of the info you can get through the Insights tool. Create a virtual

audience for your PPC campaigns, and you’ll build your buyer list.

Rent Space on an Email List

Sometimes, it’s possible to find other businesses in the industry and work with them. Pay for

newsletter space, and you’ve essentially created a sponsored post. When done with blog posts,

Google considers this a “black hat” tactic, but it’s OK to do it in email content, as it’s neither

controlled or indexed by Google.

Build a List

As said above, Google doesn’t monitor email communications, and that’s why email lists are

perfect. You can use them for promotions, repeat customers, social media growth, and various

other reasons.

Write an eBook

Although you’re selling affiliate products, that doesn’t mean you can’t sell your own stuff as

well. It’s easy to write and sell an eBook; simply expand on the content you’re already creating

for your niche blog.

Create a Video Offer

Video is highly underrated among affiliate marketers. It’s simple to create a basic video and post

it to the major sites. Encourage users to view these videos, which should compel them to learn

more about the products you promote on your blog and landing pages. When you use offer

videos, you can turn your site into a conversion-driving machine.

Chapter 13: Fulfilling Your Bonuses Promised

After you get your visitor to make a purchase, you may want to give them a “thank you” gift as a

token of your appreciation. There are a few ways to do this, and I’ll discuss them in the brief

section below.

Deliver it Automatically

Some affiliate networks make it easy to deliver your bonuses automatically. When signing on to

promote a product, find out whether they include bonus pages and downloads.

Add a Link to Emails

When someone signs up for your buyers list, you can add a link to the bonus product in the

welcome email. Your subscribers are more likely to keep coming back if you give them

something valuable. Alternatively, you can put the links in a PDF file and email them to your

buyers or subscribers.

Set up a Membership Site

If you’re inclined to do so, you can set up a membership site to protect your downloads from

piracy. Add your buyers as lifetime members, or monetize the membership by inserting your

own affiliate offers. I always recommend to everyone a tool that I use for all my bonuses called

CommissionGorilla. It makes the whole process very simple, because it includes ready-made

bonus packages that are delivered automatically when one of your products are purchased. It

even automatically creates the bonus download page for you. If you’d like to try it out, you can

use it completely risk free for 90 days for just $1.00 by clicking HERE.

Conclusion

Well, this brings us to the end of Affiliate Marketing Pro Strategies. I sincerely hope that you’ve

learned a lot from reading this book. My goal was to make this more of a guide, that you could

refer back to as you go through your affiliate marketing journey. Make sure you keep it handy

and review it regularly, it’s the only way to truly master the steps that I’ve laid out for you.

Before you go, I want to really emphasize one final, yet crucial piece of advice. Make sure that

you stay consistent with whatever strategy you decide to use as an affiliate. If there is one single

characteristic that separates the successful marketers from all the rest, it is by far consistency.

Whether you decide to promote your affiliate offers through blog posts, video reviews, social

media, or any other method, the single most important thing that you can do is to do it over,

and over, and over again, on a consistent basis. If you do, you will succeed.

Don’t you ever give up on affiliate marketing. I believe in you, I know that you can and will be

successful. So just keep taking massive consistent action, and feel free to contact me with any

questions or concerns that you may have. I’m always happy to help anyone that’s a part of my

growing community of Internet Super Stars!