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My first real experience with affiliate marketing

by Bkelly301
13 replies
I have been aware of affiliate marketing for years now. In my YouTube channels, I will sometimes mention a product that I use, and then put an Amazon affiliate link in the description. This may result in about $20 to $50 in a single month. Sure if I put more effort into it, I could increase that number a bit, but it never really seemed worth my time.

My primary source of income has always been through selling my own course. However, in a recent video, I decided to promote someone else's course. This other course is not a competitor of mine at all. It's like if my main niche was in selling cars, but I recommend a good motorcycle dealer that I respect. That's essentially what I did with a similar, yet different niche...

So I mentioned this other course in my recent video, and I provided a link to a page on my own website that has a product review and a Clickbank affiliate link. People are already accustomed to visiting links on my website, so this was no different. Plus, Clickbank hoplinks are very ugly.

I also sent out my weekly email to my list letting people know about the new video that I posted. The new video then points them to the page on my website that has the review...

Well, so far this has resulted in about $520 in commission over the last 4 days.

My list consists of about 12,000 people. About 1/4 of my list are already buyers of my main course, and 3/4 of the list are not. I have an open rate of about 20%.

So that's just a quick rundown of the numbers. $520 in 4 days for one mention of another person's course isn't too bad!!

How exactly could I turn this into another reliable income stream that pays me month after month? I'm not quite sure yet, but at least this is looking promising.

So I just wanted to share my experience with my first "real attempt" at Clickbank affiliate marketing. Having a responsive audience definitely helps too though!
#affiliate #experience #marketing #real
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  • Profile picture of the author sonnyjimmy
    Great work well done!
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  • Profile picture of the author Rahmatkhan
    good work and thanks for sharing your nice experience and a nice way to work.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    How exactly could I turn this into another reliable income stream that pays me month after month? I'm not quite sure yet, but at least this is looking promising.

    I have no doubt you can do it. I've watched as you have continued to tweak your site and your offers and I've gained respect for your diligence.


    That commission in 4 days as a new affiliate is very respectable! I wish more marketers would do as you do - ask the questions, take the advice and try it. I've seen you try one way and then another and another UNTIL you get the results you want.



    Keep us updated on your affiliate activity - my guess is you can turn that into a reliable income stream.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bkelly301
      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      Keep us updated on your affiliate activity - my guess is you can turn that into a reliable income stream.
      Thanks Kay!

      The funny thing is that I didn't really have any real intention of making much..I would have done the video anyway. I just decided "why not?" I was just hoping to clear the $100 payout threshold, but I was surprised that more people were interested than I thought.

      This lead me to thinking that maybe I'm on to something here.

      I guess you just gotta try stuff sometimes!!
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  • Profile picture of the author savidge4
    congrats on the success.

    I am going to suggest that throwing offers every week is a bit of a slippery slope. I would suggest the more you push offers the lower your open rate will become.

    I would suggest getting yourself a e-mail address for the specific purpose of getting on peoples list to see how they do things. You will quickly be able to identify someone that is doing things right and those that are destined to end up with "dead" mailing lists. I can tell you from doing this for Y E A R S.. actually good affiliate content sellers through e-mail are few and far between.

    You specifically are in an interesting position given the fact you have a mailing list that is targeted. I would introduce a new section to your weekly emails that high lite a grouping of videos that you have made on a specific topic. Just throwing out an example, say the Pentatonic Scale or something. You could then maybe offer a affiliate course on the same subject - if that makes sense.

    I would maybe try to break this new section down over a period of a month or so. What is Pentatonic. How is Pentatonic different from Heptatonic why you should know this better and then hey I found this course that explains his stuff in more detail than I do if you are interested in learning more.

    So following the principle of Gary Vaynerchuks Jab, Jab, Jab, left hook... you are giving giving giving giving and following up with the ask. in other words educate educate educate ask to pay to learn more. If you follow the advice from above about joining "lists" you will see this is something that is not done often - as in hardly ever.

    The less it is about buy buy buy and it becomes give give give.. they will be more inclined to buy when the time comes.

    An important note... If you have read anything I have written on this main board... my BIGGEST pet peeve with your jo average affiliate marketer is selling something they have not bough. Buy the course you are going to sell - ensure that the people from your list will get something out of the purchase. YOU suggesting a product in terms of "Brand" is equal to you creating a product and selling it if that makes sense. It is YOUR credibility that is on the line.

    Hope that Helps!
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    • Profile picture of the author Bkelly301
      Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

      ....
      Thanks Savidge!!

      That is some great advice. I actually do give, give, give already. I think that's why this particular offer was successful.

      This isn't a guitar course that I'm promoting though. I don't want to do that. I have a huge ego wrapped around my own guitar course, so I would never want to promote anyone else's other than my own.

      This course that I promoted is a piano course that I personally bought about 8 years ago. I loved it and have been wanting to promote it for many years now, and this was my first time doing so.

      I was thinking along the lines of having a piano series on my website, which will have the affiliate link sprinkled into it in various spots. From there, I would reference this series from time to time. Those that like the series would maybe be inclined to check out my recommendation for further learning. That would be how I'd potentially turn this into an ongoing thing.

      Great tips though with the mentality behind affiliate marketing through email. I will definitely take these suggestions and run with them. Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author spartan14
    Well you do a good job ,congratulations .Also dont be lazy amd start working hard and create as much content as you can and aim to get rich .Its not so much about money its about the happy and free life yiu will get
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    >>>> How I Make $100 Daily With Clickbank Using Free Traffic <<<<<<
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  • Profile picture of the author Youcanconverttosales
    Your numbers are good. What you need to find in Clickbank is an offer that provides upsells or membership. This will get you growing, continual commissions. Also, with your 20%, keep offering them more things that are similar to what they had bought. Buyers are buyers are buyers as long you get them stuff that will help them with their pain.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Capra
    Wow, Fairplay. I think maybe you should take a look around to see what other affiliate programs you can find for future videos. By sounds of things, it's because Amazon only pays small commissions whereas ClickBank pays a much higher percentage. Sounds like this could become very lucrative for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author tombelldigital
    Awesome man! Great job!

    Tom
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  • Profile picture of the author adammoore
    I think you need to mention more about what you are doing, if you expect useful answers from us. I would say, keep growing your e-mail list and scale it up. Try to determine the needs of the people on your list, and try to come up with a monthly service or product, that they would use month after month.
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    • Profile picture of the author DABK
      He has done a lot if that over the years. If you had read the answers before yours, you'd have known that.

      Especially Kay's.

      Originally Posted by adammoore View Post

      I think you need to mention more about what you are doing, if you expect useful answers from us. I would say, keep growing your e-mail list and scale it up. Try to determine the needs of the people on your list, and try to come up with a monthly service or product, that they would use month after month.
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  • Profile picture of the author Smith7412
    great work mate, well done!
    is there different in open rate if you send weekly emails or daily emails?
    thanks
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