YouTube To Sales Page Or To Blog First?

19 replies
Hi All,

A dilemma. Should I take traffic from YouTube directly to a Clickbank sales page (through an aff link) or to a blog? The blog will then have links to the CB sales page. The niche is eulogy writing, so there's no point in collecting emails on the blog. It's a one shot kind of deal.

I'm thinking a blog may help warm cold traffic? I know direct linking from YT to a CB sales page has a low conversion rate into sales, 1:200 at best, 1:1000s normally, that is, if a sale is ever made at all.

I've always linked directly from YT - is there a better way?

Any advice? Thanks!

The graphic below explains my dilemma.

#blog #page #sales #youtube
  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    Youtube video to squeeze page. Squeeze page to salespage. You now have them on your list and can followup with them over the next couple of weeks. Very few people buy a product the first time they see it. That's why followup is vital to your success.
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    • Profile picture of the author AdamPayne
      Originally Posted by WillR View Post

      Youtube video to squeeze page. Squeeze page to salespage. You now have them on your list and can followup with them over the next couple of weeks. very few people buy a product the first time they see it. That's why followup is vital to your success.
      This!

      Although YouTube to blog post is ok if your purpose is to drive traffic to your blog (obviously).

      A quick 1 min teaser designed to get folk to your content works wonders if done correctly.
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  • Thanks, Adam. A little bit of "copy" to entice them to click on the YouTube video, I gather, is what's needed. I'll need a reason for them to follow my suggestion to click on the YouTube video.

    Hmm, I think I might place some of the content on the video onto the blog page. And tell them that in the video.

    Thanks!
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    • Profile picture of the author William Martin
      I am not sure it is the best approach to promote a product that has no obvious additional sales. As you say, it is pretty much a one-off!

      I would always recommend promoting something that enables you to build a list you can market too in future. The hard work is in getting the traffic so you want to get the most value out of it.

      The only exceptions to this would be where you had a very high-ticket product or an exceptionally good conversion rate, neither of which is likely to be true here.

      That being said, you want your video to give the 'what' but not the 'how'. You refer them to your blog for part of the 'how' and from there to the product for the rest of the 'how'. If that makes sense!
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  • Profile picture of the author hardworker2013
    Youtube is now penalizing videos that have direct affiliate links
    because it is against there TOS.
    Instead either direct to your Blog or buy a cheap domain and hosting
    and do a redirect to the affiliate offer.
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  • Profile picture of the author actionplanbiz
    I like blog > squeeze page > salespage

    But there is always a time to send straight to either one directly
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  • Profile picture of the author hustlinsmoke
    I would do youtube to squeeze then subscribe thank you is to product most the time. If it is a short lived product like a new trend or something, then sometimes I will go youtube to product cause I don't want to lose the sale. The product won't be around in a couple of weeks or at least not hot and they have a chance to search elsewhere so I want that cookie as fast as I can get it.

    NOTE, edited: I see some one said youtube penalizes for affiliate linking. I would never do that anyways I use pretty links to cloak my links. I have never been penalized for that.
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  • Thanks for all your help.

    I might choose YT --> Website --> Product, for the reason below.

    Conversions are pretty low for YT --> Product as regards my other niches, the best being 1:120, lower than the standard 1%. Some are like one sale for every few thousand views. A lot of wasted traffic :-(

    This CB product is a low ticket, one off item. Not suitable for heavy duty IM strategies, but probably OK for small amounts of quick cash. With an intermediate website, I can "warm up" cold traffic and reach the non-impulse buyers, the ones who like to weigh things up before buying. Also, I'm hoping competition is low here, being a subject most would rather not deal with.

    As for redirects, I've always used self hosted domain names bought solely for that purpose, and use a bit of php script to forward to the Clickbank product, cookied with my affiliate link. I'm still getting sales from videos I put up three years ago, so it seems, for now at least, it's OK with YouTube. I'd never use a bit.ly redirect, or any other free forwarding service. That way I'm always in control of the redirect. Redirects mean money to me. Ask yourself - what happens if bit.ly closes down one day?
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  • Profile picture of the author GamerZag
    Youtube to website to pre-sale = best ever, as well as fitting within the rules, not to mention it provides better web content than trashy YT->Aff links.
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  • Profile picture of the author Moneymaker2012
    According to the recent changes, it's better to direct them to your site/blog first, (constant traffic is also good for your site, it may help increase rank) and then direct them directly to your sales page.
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  • Profile picture of the author gcbmark20
    Hi,

    I would get them on an email list first.

    Then you can make sure that they get to know, like & trust your opinions.

    This is where making the sale becomes a whole lot easier.

    YOU then don't have any pressure of having to push your leads into buying from
    you.

    You can just deliver your content and mention your paid products and services
    in a MORE natural way.

    People will always take a look at your products and recommendations because
    human beings always want to know more about you.

    This is where most others get it all wrong.

    Just help as many others who have a particular NEED that YOU can help
    them with and simply charge them for it.

    That's it!

    You don't need to TWIST their arm to make the sale.
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  • Thanks again, guys.

    YouTube now makes it possible to click from the YT video, to click ON the YT video, to go to your blog. The blog is called the "associated website". This makes it so much easier to implement my new strategy. (The associated website link can't be an affiliate re-direct. YouTube explicitly disallow it.)

    This marks a turning point in my internet marketing, going from YT -> aff sale to YT -> blog > aff sale.
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  • Profile picture of the author GaryCobert
    I'd setup the blog first to establish credibility then do youtube.
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    • Profile picture of the author seoboyz01
      Hi there.

      First drive the youtube traffic to your squeeze page or review page. Than drive them to the main sales page through your affiliate link.

      How this will work: (Convert more and more)
      When you drive youtube traffic to a squeeze page or review page the visitor don't feel like he has been pushed to a sale. You provide your opinion again in writing format. You make the visitor more confident to buy the product through your recommendation.

      When the visitor enter to the sales page after viewing your review the sales will be more. The conversions will be best.

      This is a proven method with youtube video conversion. Never drive the Youtube traffic directly to the sales page.It will loose many buyers.

      Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    Agreed with my man Adam! YT to squeeze page unless your market is the coldest of cold, and you want to boost blog traffic.
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  • Profile picture of the author ClaudiaIM
    Is this the paid side of Youtube or free?

    If the free side I'd send people from video straight to the offer page.

    If it's from the paid side, I'd send them from video to a "pre-sale page" which can be your blog that redirects them to the offer.
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  • Profile picture of the author Phil Gangluff
    The real answer to this question is split testing!

    Have the URL in the YouTube description set up so that 50% of clicks go directly to ClickBank, and 50% go to your blog. Track your clicks and sales and see for yourself which is better!
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    • Profile picture of the author thedog
      Originally Posted by Phil Gangluff View Post

      The real answer to this question is split testing!

      Have the URL in the YouTube description set up so that 50% of clicks go directly to ClickBank, and 50% go to your blog. Track your clicks and sales and see for yourself which is better!
      Agree, you really need to do a split test. Of course, like other advice offered, you could send them to a squeeze page to harvest emails.

      Depends what you're priority is, get the aff sale, or build a list.
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  • I may have mispoken above about my affiliate redirects to CB offers being still allowed in YouTube. One account which relies on these kinds of links is drying up. See below. It could be temporary change in the way Google is shuffling search engine results, or it could be a more permanent shift. Have to wait and see.


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