the truth about affiliate marketing
DESCRIPTION
Learn what Affiliate Marketing is all about. Do you have what it takes to be a successful marketer? Should you launch an affiliate program to promote your products or services?Answer your questions with this presentation.TRANSCRIPT
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A SUCCESSFUL AFFILIATE MARKETER?
IS YOUR COMPANY READY TO LAUNCH AN AFFILIATE PROGRAM?
WHAT ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL?
The Truth About Affiliate Marketing
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Affiliate Affiliate Program
A person or company who markets Merchants products Publisher Content Provider
A Merchant (service or product provider) who offers compensation to affiliate marketers to promote their products
Definitions
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
What is Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is when an affiliate aka: publisher/content provider (i.e. GourmetBetty.com) is paid when a lead or sale happens at the
advertisers, aka: merchant, website (i.e. LaTienda.com) when the end user comes to the merchant’s site through an affiliate link (URL or
image).
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Affiliate Myth’s BUSTED
Affiliate marketing is NOT Multi-level marketing Commission tiers are only on a some programs and not
the same as MLMAffiliate marketing isn’t going to make your rich
overnightYou don’t have to invest thousands of dollars to
be successful – in fact, you may burn through thousands IF you decide to invest heavily from the start
Don’t worry about not having niche interestIt is FREE to join an Affiliate program
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
How do you become an Affiliate Marketer?Publisher/Content Provider/Affiliate
Content Provider who owns/manages a website Find products to promote Promote the product on your site to the best of your ability
create landing pages, write about it, etc Use Social Media to support, not as a sole medium to sell products
Email Marketer Same process as above but you would insert text links into your emails. Must have a large niche market you are emailing
Pay Per Call Affiliate (Ringrevenue) Driving audience to call merchant
Mobile Affiliate Need to know technology and industry
Couponers & Datafeed driven sites
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Easy Process to Promote Products
1. Sign up & Grab Link
2. Insert onto your website
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Key to being successful at Affiliate Marketing
Ability to reach a large audience Focus on products that will convert to your niche
audienceAbility to launch innovative ideas that add value for the
end-userExplore other ways to market products (pay per call,
search, etc.)Leverage your personal brandCreate Landing Pages that are optimized in SEO for each
product you promoteUse Paid Search & make sure that you are not paying
over your profits AND make sure to learn the advertisers paid search restrictions
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Key to being successful at Affiliate Marketing(continued)
Create a relationship with Affiliate Program Managers Negotiate higher payouts when you start showing results
Analyze products merchants’ landing pages EPC* (average earnings per one hundred clicks) Conversion Ratio* Reversal Rate* Average Order* Average Commission*
* http://www.amnavigator.com/blog/2010/10/22/5-kpis-for-affiliates-to-analyze-while-evaluating-programs/
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
I want to become and Affiliate Marketer! Now What?
1. What is my niche?2. Determine how you are you going to reach
the target market3. Find Products to promote4. Determine how you are going to promote
the product5. Dedicate time to this and be patient. 6. Monitor results and TEST, TEST, TEST
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
How Does Affiliate Marketing Workbetween the affiliate and advertiser?
Merchant/Advertiser
Affiliate Platform
Affiliate/Publisher
Affiliate Networks:
•Keep track of all transactions
•Pay Affiliates
•Warehouse all creatives & Provides tracking links
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
How do I launch an Affiliate Programto sell my products or services?
1. Competitive research Find out what your competitors are doing and how much they
are offering affiliates Also take a look at how successful your competitors are - EPC
Consider hiring an OPM (Outsourced Program Manager)
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Launching an Affiliate ProgramNext Steps
After you decide the Affiliate Payout & Affiliate Network
Decide if you are going to hire an OPM or assign someone internally to launch program
Sign up with affiliate platform and apply to launch program Make sure your website & landing pages are up and
running ** Have someone that knows how to set up the technical
implementation (fairly easy) Create Banners Create TOS (Terms of Service) and Program Terms Deposit funds
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
STOP!Before moving forward ….
IS YOUR WEBSITE CONVERTING?
IF NOT, FIX THAT FIRST
MAKE SURE YOUR LANDING PAGE IS OPTMIZED FOR YOUR TARGET MARKET
MAKE SURE YOUR SHOPPING CART AND FLOW IS OPTIMIZED
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Launching an Affiliate ProgramNext Steps
Set up your Affiliate Recruiting Strategies How are you going to attract the right affiliates? Affiliate networks may help Program Manager needs to manage all those details
What to look for in an OPM Someone who has experience in running programs,
ask for references A STRONG Sales person Technical know-how to find high performing websites
and their owners
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Launching an Affiliate ProgramCosts
Program Manager: OPM may vary, approx $2 – 5K/mo + commissions on payout
For example: affiliates payout was $2,000, and the OPM % is 3.5% you pay OPM: $70
Internal employee: $??Affiliate Network
ShareASale: $550 start up fee 25% of affiliate payout monthly (low monthly minimum)
Commission Junctions: $3000+ start up fee 30% affiliate payout monthly. (Monthly minimum)
Make sure you have deposits ready (to pay affiliates) and available ShareASale is about $100, CJ is about $1500
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Launching an Affiliate ProgramCosts
Marketing Fees Creatives Copy Writer Web developers (if needed)
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Ongoing Management of Affiliate Program
Make sure your program terms clearly spells out what the affiliates can’t do and should do. Don’t be negative with affiliates. They are not your employees
but you want them to work FOR you.Make sure you have the governance in place to
manage affiliates’ activities Deters fraud FTC coming down on merchants when affiliates don’t clearly
disclose they are being compensated for promoting products Ann Taylor LOFT offered bloggers who attend fashion show & blogged
about it gift card Legacy Learning Systems, Inc., agreed to pay $250K for deceptively
representing that endorsements of its instructional DVDs that were posted on blogs or other websites created by Legacy's affiliates reflected the views of ordinary consumers or “independent” reviewers.
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Ongoing Management of Affiliate Program
Manually approve/deny affiliates Don’t judge book by its cover (or country of origin)
Metrics Clicks (Traffic to site) Number of Sales Sales Volume Conversion Ratio Commissions (paid to affiliates) ACTIVE affiliates (80/20 Rule) Recruited affiliates (include highlights, such as a top
tier publisher/affiliate)
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Resources
aBestWeb.com (website/forum for affiliate marketing)
Affiliate Marketing Blog by Geno Prussakov www.amnavigator.com/blog
9 Internet Marketing Magazines to Subscribe To http://www.amnavigator.com/blog/2010/07/25/9-internet-
marketing-magazines-to-subscribe-to/Affiliate Summit (2x year, strong conference for
affiliates) www.affiliatesummit.com
“Sugar Rae” - Rae Hoffman-Dolan http://www.sugarrae.com/
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Resources
To sign up for an affiliate network or purchase these products:
ShareASale.com (affiliate network)
Commission Junction (affiliate network)
Buy.at (affiliate network)
Infusionsoft (all-in-one software product)
1ShoppingCart (all-in-one software product)
* note: these are my affiliate links and I will be compensated if you purchase product using these links.
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
Decisions, DecisionsNow it’s up to you
Do I have what it takes
to be a successful
Affiliate Marketer?
Is my company ready to launch an Affiliate Program?
Copyright 2011 - Betty R. Hakes - bettyhakes.com
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