where to start in affiliate marketing... a product or a method?

14 years ago

Find Jeremy Kelsall here in the Warrior Forum and look in his sig.

He has a product called Affiliate Phenom that is supposed to be really good which takes you step by step from start to finish.

A blueprint, if you will.

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Matthew Olson 14 years ago

Personally, I would choose a solid method that you resonate with and feel confident about. It should be a time-tested method that has a track record of success with other IMers.

Once you've found a solid method, stay focused on that method exclusively and learn everything you can about it. Don't get distracted!

Finding a niche of "hungry buyers" is the next step. Hungry buyers are people who either have a problem they are desperate to solve or an audience that is extremely passionate about a particular subject.

One you've found a method and a niche, the next step is to choose a QUALITY product that addresses the needs of your chosen niche.

To your success,
Matt
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sixplus

14 years ago

My preference is a method (or foundation as I call it on my site).

Many good ones out there. Check our reviews. Check others. Find a Great fit for you.
But above all be ready to work and STICK TO IT!

Blessings

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mymamasafi

14 years ago

Focus on the product, write reviews or if you are using Google you will have to presell your product-that is something you should focus on-learn all the tricks of preselling because if you are successful on your preselling presentation you will do well-I normally do not focus on the method since my goal is to sell.

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elyshemer

14 years ago

There are so many things to learn and master when you are marketing that I would recommend you follow a system. A good system will show you what you need to know to get started and then lead you on as you develop your business.

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JohnMcCabe

14 years ago

Originally Posted by csrpj

i'm a newbie at this. do you recommend i focus on a product i want to promote, and then try to sell that product? or should i find a good method, and then choose a product based on a method-focused approach? or should i consider a different approach all together?

Go with the third option...

Find the market first. Figure out what they really, really want. Find that product. Then look for a method of offering it to them. If you have trouble with any of those, start over with a new market.

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Barry Unruh

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

Go with the third option...

Find the market first. Figure out what they really, really want. Find that product. Then look for a method of offering it to them. If you have trouble with any of those, start over with a new market.

While making sure to capture their names, so you can continue marketing to them. In most markets people do not buy once, they buy repetitively.

Besides, by finding a market you can start to create a persona, learn to hit their hot buttons, and be effective using systems.

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buslead

14 years ago

Completely agree that it is important to find an under served market, but I think that the area that gets the least attention, is the product/service, take some time to ensure that what you offer clearly meets the needs/provides a solution, without this all the IM techniques will prove to be short lived and you will have to keep recruiting new contacts to make up for the line of disappointed customers that keep on leaving your business behind

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shabit87

14 years ago

not really a product...or a method, but i would suggest cpa or cost per action marketing. you get paid for leads, not sales necessarily. i had my first $100 day using cpa and i love it. whatever you decide to do stick with it and become an expert in that field, don't flip flop. give yourself time to learn and grow in that field.

best of luck!

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Manie Amari

14 years ago

Originally Posted by csrpj

i'm a newbie at this. do you recommend i focus on a product i want to promote, and then try to sell that product? or should i find a good method, and then choose a product based on a method-focused approach? or should i consider a different approach all together?

I would Aplore the latter.

Concentrate on a method. Once the foundations are set, everything else will follow.

I approached affiliate marketing by:

1: Finding a niche I was interested in.
2: Finding related products for this niche.
3: Built a list for this niche.
4: Built a relationship with my list.
5: Offered the related products to my list $

$

Once you have a list you promote to them over & over again.

You list can also be a source of highly targeted traffic, which you can leverage at will. What I'm trying to say is that there are many benefits to doing affiliate marketing this way.

Manie

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connorbringas 14 years ago

Well what you do is, you choose a product and check the competition, domains, etc. See if your niche is saturated or not..you cant make money with a product that everyone sells..its hard. See what you can rank for easily.
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Tangela

14 years ago

I think it is best to focus on a method. Find a method that works for you and stick with it to see results. It's always good to find a good mentor to provide help along the way.

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JohnBergmanReviews

14 years ago

I believe the best first step is to decide what you want to do and make a plan. Your plan should include a long term outlook for how to build a business, not just sell a product. If you put up a website to sell a product and have traffic, only about 2% of your visitors will purchase at most. What happens to the 98% that didn't buy? If you have a plan that includes collecting email addresses, you have a chance to make another offer, etc. Planning is the key to success on the internet.

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winsonlim

14 years ago

Originally Posted by csrpj

i'm a newbie at this. do you recommend i focus on a product i want to promote, and then try to sell that product? or should i find a good method, and then choose a product based on a method-focused approach? or should i consider a different approach all together?

Hi csrpj,
My best recommendation to you is not to focus on the product you want to promote.

You need to have a system in place to works on autopilot for you.

For my case, I created my marketing funnel/system and build a list of subs by driving traffic.

2 tasks is needed to get started:
1st: Create your marketing system
2nd: Drive traffic to it

If you have done this 2 tasks, then you are good to go.

Hope it helps,
Winson

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barbling

14 years ago

Just keep in mind...affiliate marketing is USELESS unless you have the traffic that converts.

So figuring out how you'll compel that....it's very key.

Just sayin'.

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JohnMcCabe

14 years ago

To all of you folks saying to focus on a method, find a system, focus on the offer (CPA, affiliate or otherwise), I have a couple of questions for you...

1. If you don't have a responsive market, how do you know your system works?

2. If you don't have a responsive market, how do you know your offer is any good?

You have to figure out who you want to market to, then find out what they want, and then how to effectively offer that to them.

Do it in any other order, and you're relying on pure luck to hand you a winning combination.

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Ldimilo

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

To all of you folks saying to focus on a method, find a system, focus on the offer (CPA, affiliate or otherwise), I have a couple of questions for you...

1. If you don't have a responsive market, how do you know your system works?

2. If you don't have a responsive market, how do you know your offer is any good?

You have to figure out who you want to market to, then find out what they want, and then how to effectively offer that to them.

Do it in any other order, and you're relying on pure luck to hand you a winning combination.

Most MAJOR Markets will be responsive in some way, shape or form. The problem that most affiliates have is figuring out what is converting within the market and how to reach that segment of the market for sales.

If you are like most affiliates and don't know your market (you are in it solely for the money with not a even a passing interest in what it's about), your best bet is to figure out what is selling within the market. Use advertiser data to determine advertisers that are in the market and have been in the market for some time. This will help you pick winners that stand the best chance of converting (not always, but most of the time...sometimes advertisers will use ppc as loss leaders)

Once you have found products that are popular within the market AND show a strong promise to convert, your next step is to figure out a way to get targeted traffic to your page. Most affiliates will rely on keyword research for this but it isn't the only solution and if you use your noggin', you will find that there are plenty of clever & creative ways to find those who may be interested in your product. In other words, while all the affiliates are trying to beat each other up in organic search, you will be sniping folks that are otherwise missed.

Just my .02 cents though. You can always learn a "method" but usually the "methods" out there that are public, are used by hundreds of folks just like you trying to earn a buck.

1. Find a product that is popular and converts...
2. Figure out how to generate targeted traffic to your page...

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pd5009

14 years ago

I would say, first find the market needs, and then decide what option is good for you.

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BonganiS

14 years ago

Get a product or products you want to promote and then start marketing it using different methods. You can use free or paid methods if you have a budget. Choose best selling products. If you want to promote one, just do that. Free promotional methods include article marketing, blogging, and many others.

For products, you can check the signatures of some warriors in this forum. You can then choose what suits you.

I hope that helps.

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Jay Lange

14 years ago

Originally Posted by csrpj

i'm a newbie at this. do you recommend i focus on a product i want to promote, and then try to sell that product? or should i find a good method, and then choose a product based on a method-focused approach? or should i consider a different approach all together?

No question...A METHOD!!

I don't think it is possible to effectively market ANY product without understanding a method of promotion first.

If I want to wax my car I must first know how to apply and remove the wax or else the end result will be unsatisfactory.

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Jay Lange

14 years ago

Originally Posted by csrpj

i'm a newbie at this. do you recommend i focus on a product i want to promote, and then try to sell that product? or should i find a good method, and then choose a product based on a method-focused approach? or should i consider a different approach all together?

Or maybe this will illustrate my point more effectively...

Give a man fish (product) and he eats (promotes) for a day...Teach a man to fish and eats EVERYDAY!

You see the man learns HOW to fish...a method if you will. Without knowing the HOW there can be no long term success.

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seoweb2000

14 years ago

I would recommend you go to flippa.com and look at some of the sites that are being sold for high prices to get some ideas.

Additionally, go over to keywordspy.com and get a free acct, so you can check out what the super affiliates are doing/ promoting. Go visit their landing pages and look closely at their copy, see what is working, join their mailing list, etc.

You can make money selling products, you can make money selling info like ebooks or courses, you can make money creating your own products, and the list goes on and on. Find out what is right for you.

I spent my first year in Internet Marketing test out various methods with the goal of being able to make money in most of them. Some I like and some I didn't. Some methods I didn't. Remember at the end of the day, do what you like to do to make money.

Once you decided on what to do. Make a detail plan with the current needs for your business and the corresponding action to get that particular goal done. Find out what your obstacles and constraints are in carrying out your plan of action and set forth a plan to over them.

Well hope that helps.

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nyrsimon

14 years ago

Affiliate marketing or creating your own product it doesn't matter

The first step is to find a people who have a need/strong desire and the propensity to spend MONEY!

Some call it the starving crowd. Some call it the market. Some call it a niche. Call it what you want but without it you are wasting your time.

So go and find some people who have a proven track record of spending money on the kind of products you want to promote (am assuming info products).

Then get inside their psyche. Find out what really intrigues, irritates, excites and dazzles them

Then go find something to sell to them

Just my 2 cents

Simon

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Jay Lange

14 years ago

Unless you know HOW to promote a product you will NOT be successful!!

You need to learn a method first!!

What good is a car if I don't know how to drive it?

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JohnMcCabe

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Jay Lange

Unless you know HOW to promote a product you will NOT be successful!!

You need to learn a method first!!

What good is a car if I don't know how to drive it?

What good is knowing how to drive if you have no car and nowhere to go?

Ldimilo's comment on seeing what is already selling, and to whom, is a good one. If the would-be marketer can define a market and what they are buying from observing others, that's cool.

Once you know you're in a market that buys, and you're selling something you know they already buy, then it's time to hone a method.

I could have the greatest method in the world, but if I'm trying to sell pork chops to Orthodox Jews or devout Muslims, that method is worthless.

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rfalk

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

What good is knowing how to drive if you have no car and nowhere to go?

Ldimilo's comment on seeing what is already selling, and to whom, is a good one. If the would-be marketer can define a market and what they are buying from observing others, that's cool.

Once you know you're in a market that buys, and you're selling something you know they already buy, then it's time to hone a method.

I could have the greatest method in the world, but if I'm trying to sell pork chops to Orthodox Jews or devout Muslims, that method is worthless.

I agree with you John! That's why they call it the World Wide Web. Nice Snook over there on the other side of FL!

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Jay Lange

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

What good is knowing how to drive if you have no car and nowhere to go?

Ldimilo's comment on seeing what is already selling, and to whom, is a good one. If the would-be marketer can define a market and what they are buying from observing others, that's cool.

Once you know you're in a market that buys, and you're selling something you know they already buy, then it's time to hone a method.

I could have the greatest method in the world, but if I'm trying to sell pork chops to Orthodox Jews or devout Muslims, that method is worthless.

Well it's hard to argue with you John, you certainly have a good point. Perhaps we should start the "Chicken and the Egg" debate as well...lol

With all due respect, I do see your point and agree with your theory. I suppose it really depends on the person in this case as it seems we have gotten responses in the range of 50-50 on this topic.

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JohnMcCabe

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Jay Lange

Well it's hard to argue with you John, you certainly have a good point. Perhaps we should start the "Chicken and the Egg" debate as well...lol

With all due respect, I do see your point and agree with your theory. I suppose it really depends on the person in this case as it seems we have gotten responses in the range of 50-50 on this topic.

Yeah, I suppose if you have a methodology that really turns you on - like you love to write or something - it would make sense to seek the market and product best suited to that method.

If I was feeling like more of a smartass right now, I'd say that getting 50-50 on the answers meant that half are wrong. Heck, I've always been a smartass, so I will say it. I just won't say which half...

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Jay Lange

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

Yeah, I suppose if you have a methodology that really turns you on - like you love to write or something - it would make sense to seek the market and product best suited to that method.

If I was feeling like more of a smartass right now, I'd say that getting 50-50 on the answers meant that half are wrong. Heck, I've always been a smartass, so I will say it. I just won't say which half...

lol...smartass...

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internetsamaritan 14 years ago

Three years ago I started with the product approach. After trying over 50 different products I gave up last year with $3 to show for all my efforts.

Two weeks ago I stumbled accross a toolbar that I installed and I also happened to randomly land up on some product's squeeze page. I didn't buy the software but I got such a boost of energy to start over.

I used the research tools in the toolbar and found a niche that had growing interest. I set up a quick joomla page and started marketing with my exact target market in mind. I am pleased to annouce that I made $150 this week. YAY!! I'm back on the field.

So I would definitely suggest:
1. Thinking about something that interests you
2. Find a niche that is related to it and research what they want and are searching for.
3. Then find or make the product that those people are looking for.

Hope that works for you too.
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Cash37

14 years ago

Originally Posted by csrpj

i'm a newbie at this. do you recommend i focus on a product i want to promote, and then try to sell that product? or should i find a good method, and then choose a product based on a method-focused approach? or should i consider a different approach all together?

If you have $$$ I suggest you check out the dating ads on Facebook then try to replicate them. Dating converts nicely.

If you don't have $$$, I suggest going to Amazon and CJ and pick some products, then write articles on them on Ezinearticles.

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C Faber

14 years ago

Fiend something that you believe in an promote that. If you believe in sum thing its win win.

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Ellen Violette

14 years ago

My approach was to figure out my passion and skill set and target market first-find the niche and then find products related to it so you can start to build a reputation in one area.

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bretski 14 years ago

My suggestion would be to stop sitting around wondering what to do and instead start doing something. Keyword research, researching niches, google keyword tool,...the best tool you have is your brain.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were so motivated to solve a problem that you would give anything to stop the anxiety, stress, pain, anguish, worry? Have you ever known anyone that was freaking out so badly that all they did was sit there at their computer searching the internet for an answer to their problem? You need to become that salvation. Get in front of those people and it will make selling much easier....not simple or foolproof but easier.

Work at learning how to drive traffic to whatever offers in whatever niche you decide to pursue first. It could be through article marketing, video marketing, twitter...learn to write sales copy...learn how to build a list by using a squeeze page and then write copy for your email list and sell to them. Big mistake I made was in putting off building lists....big mistake!

Most of all, do something every day. Set goals for yourself. And researching niches or buying a product and reading it doesn't count as doing something because it doesn't build your list or drive traffic to your offer or your product. Although I would put off product creation until you can drive traffic yourself.

Just my two kopecks...
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where to start in affiliate marketing... a product or a method?

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