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Growing Product - Is affiliate marketing a good fit?

by workstory
9 replies
I operate one of the largest resume/portfolio building websites on the internet - we currently get around 12,000 organic signups per month, with a 2% conversion to paid users ($36/year).

I'm seriously looking at whether the affiliate marketplaces such as ClickBank, Commission Junction, etc. would be a good growth channel for us.

I'm a complete newbie to this world, and would appreciate any advice on how to properly approach and optimize for these channels.

Thanks!
#affiliate #fit #good #growing #marketing #product
  • Profile picture of the author a2hosting
    What kind of time do you have to manage a new affiliate program? The reason I ask is because I'm not a big fan of going with a managed affiliate solution. I say launch an affiliate program in house. It sounds like you have a nice base of customers who you can actually promote your affiliate program to.
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    • Profile picture of the author workstory
      Originally Posted by a2hosting View Post

      What kind of time do you have to manage a new affiliate program? The reason I ask is because I'm not a big fan of going with a managed affiliate solution. I say launch an affiliate program in house. It sounds like you have a nice base of customers who you can actually promote your affiliate program to.
      Thanks for the reply. I'm working on this full time, so I do have the resources. Just need to judge whether it's worth the investment.
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    • Profile picture of the author JakeStatler
      Originally Posted by a2hosting View Post

      What kind of time do you have to manage a new affiliate program? The reason I ask is because I'm not a big fan of going with a managed affiliate solution. I say launch an affiliate program in house. It sounds like you have a nice base of customers who you can actually promote your affiliate program to.
      I agree. If you're doing this well, launch your own program in-house and manage it yourself so you constantly have control over everything. Congrats and keep up the hard work!
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  • Profile picture of the author Ybholy
    Wish you best of luck
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  • Profile picture of the author AdwordsMogul
    I'm not sure if I understand your business model, but judging from the little information you have shared, you might be better off looking for JV relationships instead.

    That's because you'll probably find someone who can help you profit from the rest of the list, as well is increase your existing sales. Perhaps if you shared a bit more of what you're trying to achieve ( and what your challenge is ) you might get a more specific answer.
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    • Profile picture of the author agmccall
      I do not know why anyone would recommend you start your own in-house affiliate program. I understand there are fees involved with a managed affiliate network like CJ or Clickbnk, but, the benefits outweigh the costs.

      I would not want to be liable for improperly reporting tax info to the IRS and that is the main reason I would go with a affiliate network as opposed to a in-house affiliate program

      al
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      • Profile picture of the author nitro37
        I agree with ag
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    I would focus on two things for growth.

    1. Paid traffic. This is really where it's at. The sooner you can get paid traffic working for you the better. Nothing beats it for scalability.

    2. Go and find and approach other businesses who already have lists of people who are a perfect match for your service. Work out some type of JV deal where they promote your service and get a cut of the profits.

    Just listing your product on places such as Clickbank or JVZoo will not magically make sales happen. There are exceptions to the rule ofcourse but for the most part it won't make a big difference.

    One other thing you need to look at is some way of increasing your profit per customer. At $36 per year it leaves very little money for you to spend advertising for each new customer and it will be very hard for you to get any affiliates or JVs interested in promoting a product that only gives them a cut of $36 per year.
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    • Profile picture of the author workstory
      Originally Posted by WillR View Post

      I would focus on two things for growth.

      1. Paid traffic. This is really where it's at. The sooner you can get paid traffic working for you the better. Nothing beats it for scalability.

      2. Go and find and approach other businesses who already have lists of people who are a perfect match for your service. Work out some type of JV deal where they promote your service and get a cut of the profits.

      Just listing your product on places such as Clickbank or JVZoo will not magically make sales happen. There are exceptions to the rule ofcourse but for the most part it won't make a big difference.

      One other thing you need to look at is some way of increasing your profit per customer. At $36 per year it leaves very little money for you to spend advertising for each new customer and it will be very hard for you to get any affiliates or JVs interested in promoting a product that only gives them a cut of $36 per year.
      Thanks Will - this is really good advice. We're looking into paid advertising right now. It's probably the fastest path to sustainable growth.

      JV is also a great idea. Appreciate that.
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