Position yourself as a Dedicated Player in the Affiliate Marketing World
Tips for successful affiliate marketing can be found throughout a network of Affiliate Blogs, Forums and websites. Banners, Emails and Pop-ups are out: Blogs, Social Networks and Pay-per-Click ads are in. Fireflick, (http://index.fireclick.com/), a web analytics benchmark index, reports current conversion rates for affiliates are up 18% in the last week (August 2007). Forrester Research reported back in 2003 that affiliate marketing drove an annual $14 billion dollars in online sales, and online conversion rates rose 120% between 2001 and 2002. Spam exploded in affiliate marketing the following years, and became a serious concern, but that didn’t stop the players in the affiliate marketing networks.
Dedicated affiliate managers began to get concerned about their branding efforts, and started weeding out the complacent affiliates from the dedicated affiliates. Avon shaved off 9,000 affiliates in 2004, and found their results from affiliates improved when focused on a core group of key players. Big companies now focus on developing relationships with the dedicated few rather than the many stagnant. Today, the majority of web retailers have less than 250 affiliates, and affiliate sales account for 20% or less of their total sales.
Being responsible for 20% of sales should not be taken lightly. According to Internet Retailer (www.internetretailer.com), 65% of affiliate managers offer higher commissions for higher results, and Consumer Brand Electronics pay the highest commissions. High commissions don’t come without hard work in the affiliate marketing industry. Affiliate Marketing is for those who are capable of devoting time and investment to become a successful (paid) vehicle for a sales lead. Here’s some tips to help you succeed in the professional world of Affiliate Marketing.
First, find a quality company to work for. Your affiliate marketing success will depend on your commitment, and your manager’s. Believe in the company. It’s easier to sell something you believe in. Many affiliates realized too late they should have investigated their company, and struggled to be paid.
Second, start with a business plan. Explore methods of affiliate marketing and the latest fads. Stay current, but start small to keep losses to a minimum. Don’t use methods proven not to work. Everyone experiences a learning curve. Planning prevents loss. Learn the lingo, study the web, and do the math.
Third, have plans to expand and diversify. Affiliate programs die if left unattended.
Fourth, register a separate domain name for your affiliate link. Have it open in a separate window so the visitor’s surfing is not interrupted. Let the customer know they are leaving the current site. Keep their interests in mind.
Fifth, develop quality content in the vehicles of your Affiliate Sales Strategy. Your content is your reputation. Add new and relevant information to keep visitors coming. Include information on consumer protection to brand yourself as trustworthy. Quality and Trust affects revenue.
Starting with these Tips, you’ll be on your way to a meaningful and profitable affiliate marketing sales campaign. By becoming one of the driven few, you will reap the benefits of your sales, and keep yourself positioned as a key player in the world of Affiliate Marketing.
