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email lists or direct sales?

by TheBusinessNomad
2 replies
I work with a lot of affiliate marketers, some very successful ones and I see 2 different strategies for making money via affiliate marketing. Here are the options:

Strategy 1: Direct Sales

Build a site around a particular topic (eg, cheese) and target specific keywords in each page (eg. welsh mature goats cheese). The idea being to get traffic via SEO and forward people onto sites where they can buy these particular products in the hopes of making a sale.

Strategy 2: Mailing Lists

Similar strategy, but your site is less about products and more about information around a topic. The idea is to build traffic via SEO and offer various incentives (such as ebooks) in order to get visitors to sign up to your mailing list. Then if you treat your subscribers well, you can occassionally let them know about affiliate offers.

I have seen both methods used very successfully, but I was just wondering which strategy other people prefer and who else has tried either of these? Personally I like the mailing list option because over time you become less vulnerable to google algo changes and stuff.
#direct #email #lists #sales
  • Profile picture of the author TheBusinessNomad
    Just to get this thread off to a start, I thought I would add that my personal preference is the mailing list strategy.

    I have a couple of sites about making money online, (thebusinessnomad.com and ebaybusinessideas.biz) with both sites I offer a 7 day email course with tips about the relevant subject.

    I get some pretty good sign up rates generally and my list is growing well, I haven't been going that long just yet, but when I have sent out emails with affiliate offers the responses have been pretty good all in all.

    It's obviously important not to spam your list, that would just end up costing you readers. But if you send out helpful content as well as affiliate offers this model can work really well.
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  • Profile picture of the author Victor Edson
    Building a list is the better way.

    It's like this....
    Would you rather sell something to me today, or sell something to me 53 times this year?

    Even if you're not selling every email... which you aren't and is the right way to build a list, then each time I see you, I can still come back to your site, buy one of your products, or purchase through an affiliate link.
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