Hi Guys and Gals!

Welcome to new WA Buddies joining our Inner Circle!  Please reach out to me or other buddies you prefer.  Your success is initially dependent on getting plenty of support.

It Doesn't Matter What You Market

Today's post is designed to put heavy ammo in your marketing guns before you open fire on your campaigns,and yes...today... you're getting a black belt workout in marketing.  

Let's cover some mythology before I show you how to choose a solid affiliate marketing program.

Myth #1:

No one will want to know what I know.

Really?  Ask your great self -- now is this assumption even remotely weighted?  Your ego will say "yes" first...and the wiser side will say, "that's dumb".  There you have it.  The good news is -- we're all made differently for solid reasons.   So consider tapping into your uniqueness.  Add your spin, and don't worry too much about what others think.  Your clients are the only ones who have final say.

Here's the black belt workout part.  You have to get used to putting yourself out there on a regular basis because you're most likely the only advertiser working on your earliest behalf.

Ask yourself -- what's the worst that can happen?  Sure, you may come across a few folks along the way who have their noses out of joint for no reason other than you're just there to take the heat.  Oh well.

99.8% of the time -- people are extremely wonderful.  As a marketer, you will have major joys supporting your folks.  If you do things well and maintain a +++ attitude, you will form relationships going way beyond biological family and we're not talking about dating.  Although -- yes...affiliate marketing is kind of like dating in that you have to get a buy in, secure trust, and work together to move whatever is being moved.

Myth #2:

No one will want to learn from me.

Reality:  It's common to feel this way when you're transitioning into business ownership because it is scary, but you don't have to feel this fear very long.  The ultimate truth is -- you are hugely special and we need you.  There aren't enough people online at affiliate levels.  We have lots of people offline who have hit rock bottom and they may only be able to turn to you!  Work your campaigns from a double-angled approach.  Pull in your own affiliate marketing program as a longer term goal and add it to your special niche.  We have major corporations online who still aren't doing this.

BONUS:  To be the affiliate that many others are not -- head to 

http://rapidactionprofits.com/

BONUS:  Much of the Internet marketing content I am writing in posts can be monetized.  Outside of WA, people will pay for this information. 

Myth #3:

I don't know anything so what can I share?

Internet marketing is an interesting profession.  We've been trained all our lives to think in a certain way -- resume, work history, prepping for a job interview.  In New Economy terms -- toss this thinking out the window.  If I believe in you, Carson believes in you, Kyle believes in you, and Marcus believe in you -- what you may not be seeing is that Internet marketing success is about developing high quality relationships and trust, and it's about finding out how many different ways you can help people.  It took me time to figure out this part.

When the lightbulb turned on full blast, I smiled big.

In my prior post titled, "Creating An-Action Packed Keyword Phrase That Pays", all you're doing when you connect to people is 3 things:

1) Find out who they are and learn what they like

2) Find out what's really bugging them

3) Get to know them and help them long BEFORE you make an offer, and present the offer when the opportunity best arises.

4) Don't take shortcuts with people by slamming them with offers. That only shows that you're in it for fast $$ and you don't care about best outcomes. To advanced marketers, you're weeding yourself out of the IM genepool when you don't have to.

Picking Affiliates Who Treat You Right

Ok. The other day -- I had an interesting moment with a WA member.  I don't run into these situations very often...but when you're looking at promoting someone, you will want to screen them carefully.  

Make them work for you.

If they try to pressure you into "working like a dog for them" without concretely spelling out payment terms, you have power.

Go back to: http://rapidactionprofits.com/

(NOTE:  You may not have the power just yet to implement a program like this...but store it on file.)  

It costs $195 for the software -- well worth the cost.

They hit you up for $295 to join their club.

I don't think you have to pay part 2.  I receive no compensation for sharing this cherished gem with you right now, but I paid $1,000 to get the link.

It is very possible you can affiliate market this product once you have purchased the software. Here's the challenging part.

You will come across of some affiliate programs that pay you squat. (kind of like network marketing companies where they only payout decent amounts of pay when you build a 1% top skillset.  Then it's a different ballgame.  At WA, you can do that!

PUT A $$ AMOUNT ON AN AFFILIATE YOU'RE DOING MAJOR WORK FOR 

There are 2 ways to look at your work. 

The first -- sometimes you're getting your feet wet to apply that knowledge to other marketing programs.  Sometimes affiliate marketing is like that.  You're after the beef (ad copy, website learning, seeing how the affiliate lays out everything, and more).

The second -- you may layer different programs to better meet client needs.  In that case, you're often building high value and rewards on the front end (as you see me doing with you here ...so read on to find out why).

Now Find Out In Concrete #'s What's Happening

What is an affiliate worth at the promotional levels by the time you pay out effort, lost opportunity (or gained...depending upon how you look at it)..., articles and ppc?

1) What's paying at entry?

2) What's paying in level 2?

3) What's paying beyond that point, if at all?

4) Assume you move your clientelle lists to these affilaites and their services/products, if the program does not payout much, is this more of an enhancement for you?

5) Get real honest with affiliate programs to specify what you get.  Be tough about your negotiations and don't cut them any slack if they "cop attitudes with you".

6) if you get no replies or "stretched answers"...., then keep this golden resource in your pocket.

http://rapidactionprofits.com/ ;

7) You want payouts that hit 50% or more on a larger amount...anything over $25 up to $50...and look for some larger payout...say $1,000 on a back end product or combination package.  Layer your affiliate marketing to hit all price points --

$17, $27, $47, $67, $97, $197, $297...and you see the trend.

8) Ask about charge backs (refunds)  -- do you carry the liability for charge backs or will both of you share that responsibility?  This is a major deal when you're finding out what's involved because this is the acid test part where even top gurus falter.

9) Ask how high refund rates with that affiliate are?

10) if you hear, "I don't know"... then you're out the door?

11) if you hear, "Well..I haven't thought that far". ...you're out the door?

12) if you hear, "I pay 100% at entry (come on..) of the 1st commissioned pay outt".

Sounds good online, but if the affiliate is only paying you 100% of $1 when they just bought your valuable lead for cheap.  NICE.  You're out the door.

Affiliates who run programs already -- don't be cheap with your folks!

13)  If you're new to the game, you CAN eventually write your own ticket......pay at least 50% up front to your affiliates...and pay at least 30% on the back end. That way, you'll keep your folks and you'll grow.   Look at the long term because you're investing in intellectual capital (your affiliates) and you can't do that if you act like slave owner.

http://rapidactionprofits.com/

 14)  Pull in Alexa for the affiliate you're considering...

http://www.Alexa.com/

15)  Take their URL and enter it into the Website Value Calculator

http://www.webworth.info/

Find out what the website is worth.

If the website shows a value of $80,000 and there are only a handful of affiliates hitting any measure of success, see if you can pin down specific #'s on those folks.  

How's that for numbers?  Please post your comments.  I'm after hard-core information that will put you at the top.

Toasting Your Success Online,

Barbara ...bkb2012