Some Internet Marketing gurus claim you can earn thousands of dollars per month through Affiliate programs. You earn a commission whenever someone clicks on your ad and purchases the product. Set up a PPC search engine advertising campaign, such as Google, and decide how much you want to pay per click. If the program does not pay a commission of $15 or more, it is not worth paying for your clicks. Some products, such as web hosting and satellite dish installations, may pay $100 commissions. The price you must pay to get ad exposure and clicks will most likely be very high.
I remember thinking it was a waste of time to promote Affiliate Programs. Until I started making a decent living.
At the end of 2004, I began researching the idea of promoting affiliate programs via pay-per-click search engines. I was aware of some Internet Marketing gurus who claimed you could earn thousands of dollars per month. However, I was skeptical. "I know what these guys are about," I remember thinking. "All they want is to sell more books."
But I decided it was at least worth a look. The idea is straightforward. Choose a product - preferably one with an affiliate program. Set up a PPC search engine advertising campaign, such as Google, and decide how much you want to pay per click. Create a three-line advertisement that includes your affiliate link. You earn a commission whenever someone clicks on your ad and purchases the product.
So I went looking. And considered it. And then I looked some more. I was still skeptical of the concept, but I decided to put it to the test to see if it could really work. And, because I knew I'd be spending a lot of money on advertising clicks, I thought it was worthwhile to invest in a book to learn how to maximize the profitability of my campaigns from more experienced marketers.
I bought and read several ebooks as my business grew over the course of several weeks. Chris Carpenter's Google Cash (http://tinyurl.com/6gdaq) was by far the best I read. His approach is genuine and down-to-earth, and he explains how to start your own affiliate marketing business in detail. And, most importantly, he makes a fortune doing the things he describes in the book.
I began by running 20-30 campaigns across a variety of products. Most of them failed, but I expected that based on what I had read. I would test a product and, if it did not work, I would discontinue it immediately. The key to success in this business is identifying successful affiliate products and campaigns. When you find one that works, the money begins to flow in.
By February of 2005, I had identified several profitable campaigns. I was spending $0.08 per click on one of these to promote an affiliate product that pays me $18 commission on each sale. If 1 out of every 100 visitors purchases the product, I make about $10 for every 100 visitors I send.
What a strategy! That's $180 in commissions for every 1,000 visitors. That may not seem like much, but remember that once you have a successful campaign, it continues all day, every day. If you send just 1,000 visitors to a program like this every day, you will have earned $5,400 in commissions, of which $3,000 is profit, by the end of the month.
Is it overly simple? If it were that simple, everyone from your Aunt Mabel to the mailman would be doing it. While the concept is simple, getting your campaigns to run profitably requires some effort. Because I can't possibly teach you everything you need to know in one article, I'll give you a few pointers and recommend Google Cash for a more in-depth explanation:
Select Your Product Wisely. If the program does not pay a commission of $15 or more, it is not worth paying for your clicks. Also, if the commission is very high, proceed with caution. Some products, such as web hosting and satellite dish installations, may pay $100 commissions, but you will face intense competition from other affiliates, so the price you must pay to get ad exposure and clicks will most likely be very high as well. It is sometimes preferable to find a niche product with less competition from other affiliates.
Keep a close eye on your campaigns. If you pay 7 or 8 cents per click for a program that pays close to $20 commission, you must make at least one sale for every 250 visitors. Consider dropping it if you send 300 to 400 visitors with no sales.
The Weekdays Do Matter. When testing campaigns, keep the day of the week and even the time of day in mind. Some products sell better during business hours, which are Monday through Friday. Others, such as entertainment products, sell better at night and on weekends.
To return to my personal experience, after identifying several campaigns that 'worked,' I spent some time fine-tuning them using techniques I learned from Google Cash. By the end of February, I had earned $27,817 in commissions for the month, all on products I had never heard of before. My net profit was $10,795.
It's truly incredible. I earned this money without having a website. From my house. Working only an hour or two per day on average.
I'm finally making the money online that I'd hoped for.
So, how about you? Do you want to start an affiliate marketing business as well? Could you use some extra money? I encourage you to go ahead, but proceed with caution. There are dangers, and you should be aware of them. Chris Carpenter's book is one you should read. You'll be on your way to more profitable campaigns in no time. And his book will easily save you hundreds of dollars by avoiding some common blunders and pitfalls.
Excellent marketing!
No comments:
Post a Comment