NEED ADVICE for new Affiliate Program

[jdsokol]

Hi there,

My company is starting an affiliate program for our newest digital product. I noticed that by using our own software we could save $300,000 after completing our goals of 100,000 ebook sales.

The name of my company is HybridTech Energy.

We're currently promoting for affiliates to make $33.50 per sale, plus weekly cash bonuses.

However, I figured if I were the affiliate, what else would I want? I'd want a second tier program! So we decided to introduce a 2nd Tier and give the recruiting affiliate $10 per second tier sale.

Also, we are holding an affiliate competition. The first place prize is a 2011 TESLA MODEL S, and there are 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place prizes as well.

The name of the ebook is "YOU can turn WATER into FIRE", which displays scientifically proven methods to use electrolysis to separate water into oxy-hydrogen gas, and use it as a fuel. My company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in making this technology extremely efficient (using very little electricity to crack the water).

Does this sound like it would be a good program?

Our affiliates are very important to us, and I want them to be happy with our company. I would love to know how I can improve this program.

Jeff Sokol
HybridTechEnergy@gmail.com

[Daniel Brock]

Wait so you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a product you created and you aren't even sure if it will sell well?

That's quite a gamble if you ask me...

[jdsokol]

Daniel,

No. We spent that money on R&D for a hard product. That product sells, and sells quite well.

We wrote an ebook about the product and trying to get the technology to the world. The world needs this technology.

Jeff

[Hamish Jones]

Originally Posted by jdsokol

Hi there,

My company is starting an affiliate program for our newest digital product. I noticed that by using our own software we could save $300,000 after completing our goals of 100,000 ebook sales.

The name of my company is HybridTech Energy.

We're currently promoting for affiliates to make $33.50 per sale, plus weekly cash bonuses.

However, I figured if I were the affiliate, what else would I want? I'd want a second tier program! So we decided to introduce a 2nd Tier and give the recruiting affiliate $10 per second tier sale.

Also, we are holding an affiliate competition. The first place prize is a 2011 TESLA MODEL S, and there are 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place prizes as well.

The name of the ebook is "YOU can turn WATER into FIRE", which displays scientifically proven methods to use electrolysis to separate water into oxy-hydrogen gas, and use it as a fuel. My company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in making this technology extremely efficient (using very little electricity to crack the water).

Does this sound like it would be a good program?

Our affiliates are very important to us, and I want them to be happy with our company. I would love to know how I can improve this program.

Jeff Sokol
HybridTechEnergy@gmail.com

Hi Jeff,

It is often popular these days to provide marketing materials for your affiliates. This can be bother banner ads and content.

Affiliates also want to know that promoting the product will convert for them- i.e. have you done any keyword research? Is the website up and running and is your digital product already converting? If not, it may be hard to convince people, especially the more experienced affiliate marketers, to promote your product.

That's my $0.02

Cheers,

Hamish

[Daniel Brock]

I was about to say...You got some major kahunas lol.

What is your targeted audience for this type of product?

I have seen some water powered car ebooks on clickbank before, but couldnt quite find the search terms people were using to find them, so it makes me think there are a few authority sites that make the sales instead.

Do you know the sites of the big players in your niches? What about the medium authority sites?

[ocon9316]

Actually it sounds like a pretty decent affiliate program. If I were promoting this or considering promoting this I'd also want to ensure a low refund rate.

I now create my own products so I don't really work as an affiliate. I can tell you though that when creating my own stuff though I usually also like to offer potential affiliates "freebies" that they can give away to potential customers. Whether it be a short helpful e-book on the topic, a "teaser" chapter from the product they are promoting, etc. Affiliates tend to really appreciate things like that. I'd also recommend that you offer swipe copy for e-mail campaigns, keyword lists, banners, etc. Anything you can give them to make their lives easier.

The most important thing, IMO, isn't even necessarily a product that converts well. If conversion is Jesus Christ, then REFUNDS are God. (If you're Christian and believe that sort of thing...). The first handful of products I ever promoted as an affiliate sold and converted incredibly well. I was so pumped, I figured I'd be rich in no time. However, as quickly as they sold, they were refunded. This is more than a little disappointing to an affiliate. It completely takes the wind out of you and can destroy your will to continue promoting anything! You think your hard work has paid off and you're making sales and money, only to discover a refund rate of over %75. (In one case I made 12 sales, all 12 were refunded within a day of each purchase. I quickly stopped promoting that POS.)

tl;dr - Above all, make sure your product is of the absolute highest quality, especially if you are selling through clickbank because refunds are so easy through them.

[jdsokol]

Hamish,

Thanks for the insight. We are providing professionally written emails, as well as articles.

I can also add keywords for promotion.

The page is up and has just started converting. I haven't had much traffic, only 278 visitors or something, but I've made 15 sales so far. That's nearly 5.4% for targeted interest.

Jeff

[dbarnum]

If you could develop upsells and / or a recurring income program from it, that could help. Get into some JVs with this part, too, for cross-promotions.


And keep adding new affiliate content for marketers to use: videos, podcasts, articles, autoresponder series, etc. Announce your new stuff each month with tips on how to use your materials best -where to reach out, how to target, etc.

An actual Affiliate Manager in charge of all this could be a positive move forward, as well.

[ocon9316]

Originally Posted by dbarnum

If you could develop upsells and / or a recurring income program from it, that could help.

Oooh I forgot about that one. Affiliates LOVE upsells and recurring commissions. I'm not sure how appropriate recurring would be here though, given the type of product you're offering, but if you can find a way to work an upsell and/or recurring into it, you'll find more affiliates - guaranteed.

Good post dbarnum.

[Daniel Brock]

Originally Posted by jdsokol

Hamish,

Thanks for the insight. We are providing professionally written emails, as well as articles.

I can also add keywords for promotion.

The page is up and has just started converting. I haven't had much traffic, only 278 visitors or something, but I've made 15 sales so far. That's nearly 5.4% for targeted interest.

Jeff

That's pretty damn good man - especially since its $67. Sounds like this should be a nice source of income for you.

[jdsokol]

Keep in mind those visitors are probably mostly from YouTube and are quite targeted. This is a great product for businesses looking to save money, and those looking to profit off of the emerging green economy.

[jdsokol]

I guess I'll need to find a good affiliate manager to operate this stuff for me, and to keep up with improving the program.

The goal here is to recruit as many quality affiliates as possible, but also to provide a source of income for thousands of people around the world that are also into the "HHO Industry".

We are toying with the idea of getting a hospitality suite here in Denver next June for the Affiliate Convention.

Jeff