Affiliate marketing 101

- Brought to you by Real Ongoing Income -

Are you currently struggling with affiliate marketing? Perhaps you haven't made your first sale yet. Then this report is created just for you.

I know things might seem difficult or even impossible right now. Don't worry, that feeling is normal. Keep reading and things will start to make a lot more sense.

I know this because everything I'm about to share with you is based on personal experience. You can either make this journey hard or easy.

The ironic part is that the easiest path to a stable online income often appears to be the most work. The deception lies in easy riches.

You can start seeing results quickly – you just need the correct approach and mindset.

Ultimately perception becomes reality.

This report is short and to the point and is designed to fill your mind with ideas that you can translate into action. Taking action is key.

Time is money and I don't want to waste your time.

So grab your favourite drink, sit back, relax and enjoy. Now let's dive in!

1. Don't overthink things.

If there's one thing that will hold you back from taking action it's overthinking things. I am talking about paralysis by analysis.

I get it. There are so many business models to choose from. One person will say one method doesn't work while someone else says it does.

That's what happens when you spend too much time reading forums. Confusing isn't it?

Making money online can be simple but not necessarily easy. The key is to just learn what you need to complete a certain task and then act on what you learn.

It's more important to just get started than to be perfect. You can then learn and make adjustments as you go along. That is what testing is for.

Here's an example. You can explain to someone how to play guitar until you're blue in the face but they'll never be able to play until they start practicing.

The same thing applies to affiliate marketing. You need to find a way to get your product in front of targeted people which leads to a transaction.

Money then passes on from their hands into yours. Isn't capitalism grand?

2. Take it seriously and treat it like a business.

Since online business has such a low barrier to entry many people have the misconception that it's different than any other business – it's not. If you want to see massive results you can't treat it like a hobby.

Let's say you just bought a restaurant for $139,000. Would you only work at the restaurant when you felt like it? Or maybe close it up and start another if it didn't turn a profit immediately?

Of course not – you would do everything in your power to make it work.

You need to treat marketing the same way. That will mean working on your business when you're tired or perhaps even on your lunch break at work.

You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish when you push yourself. And if you really enjoy what you're doing you won't really see it as work.

Wouldn't it be great if you could build a business around your passion? This leads me my next point...

3. Follow your passion.

This can be the deciding factor in terms of sticking to your plan or not. Just doing something for the money will eventually cause sheer boredom.

I've tried to write about topics I wasn't particularly interested in and it seemed more like a job than anything else. And I didn't put as much effort into the process as I could have.

It will take you less time to create content because you'll already have a good understanding of the topic you choose. Reviewing and recommending products will be a lot more rewarding and enjoyable.

That's why this step is crucial because it will set the stage for your entire business.

Really take your time with this and think it over.

Only make sure that there is a market of hungry buyers available in your chosen niche.

This is where a little research comes in handy.

Do a quick search and see if others are selling products in your niche. You will also notice if any ads are being displayed. You can also check by creating a free account with ClickBank and see what's selling in their marketplace.

4. Focus on one thing without becoming distracted.

Think of the word focus as Follow One Course Until Successful. I know there's a strong temptation to jump ship in favour of something else but don't do it.

Online we are constantly being bombarded with information and opportunities. You need to be able to make a plan and stick with it. This was my biggest challenge.

I used to spend hours listening to podcasts or reading blogs day after day. While that is all well and good it's better to spend time creating something of your own.

If you have extra time after your work is finished then go ahead. Now, I just listen to podcasts while I'm working out which is great!

The question you really need to ask yourself is “how bad do I want to change my current situation?�

Email and Facebook can also be huge distractions. It's easy to convince yourself that you're working when in reality your time could be much better spent.

The two biggest income producing activities are creating content and marketing.

There comes a time when school is out!

5. Look to genuinely help people.

If you're just after a quick buck people are going to sense that. People online are a lot more tech savvy than 10 years ago.

You need to treat your visitors the way you would want to be treated. Would you like to be blasted with ad after ad?

Yes, you might make a little more up front but you'll make a lot more down the road by building solid relationships.

Try and provide as much value as you possibly can. The way you will make money as an affiliate is by helping people solve their problems.

Quickly browsing forums and Q and A sites in your niche will give you an idea of problems people are facing. This is a great way to get ideas when coming up with content.

Don't be afraid to go the extra mile. Offer your help and answer any questions in a timely manner. People do business with those that they know, like and trust.

Even though I am an affiliate, I have often answered questions about the product before forwarding the email to the vendor. If someone has trouble downloading something for example, it's in your best interest to help them as quick as you can.

Remember this quote by Zig Ziglar “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.�

Do this and the money will follow.

6. Think big when setting your goal.

Many people sell themselves short. If you're going to do this you might as well go full steam ahead and put everything you have into it.

Remember, it's not a hobby.

Yes, you can break your larger goal down into smaller ones but keep the big picture in mind. You just might be surprised at what you're capable of doing.

A lot of the time it's a matter of confidence. You might be thinking: • • • •

I'm not smart enough to start an online business.

People are already doing what I want to do.

What will people say or think about me?

What if I fail?

Nothing in life is guaranteed but I believe if you want something in life bad enough you can get it. Feelings of doubt and discouragement are normal.

Just don't let it stop you from taking action!

Start small and once you see your first sale it will motivate you to keep going. That is when things get exciting!

It's then just a matter of scaling what you're doing. Once you reach your first goal, move on to the next.

7. No need to reinvent the wheel.

You don't need a million dollar idea to succeed with affiliate marketing. If you see enough people marketing the same thing you know it's working.

Niches like weight loss, dating and making money will never die because they focus on vanity and greed. And there are a lot of sub-niches within these niches.

Whenever I promote a product in those niches I study the vendor's ad copy and use it myself. No need to reinvent the wheel. They have already tested what works so why not capitalize on it?

Study successful affiliates and watch how they market. You can then model your own business after them.

You don't need to copy them. You can however, get a solid idea of what you need to do.

And later on, you can add your own unique twists and test them yourself.

Sometimes I sign up for someone's email list just to study their sales process. It's a great way to learn.

Following a path that is already cut out for you is a much faster way to profit.

8. Don't fall for hype.

Ah, the deception of easy riches. I know it's tempting to try and take short cuts – don't.

Most of the time you'll end up disappointed and back where you started. And in most cases, with less money.

Constantly starting over will only delay your goal and put your dreams on hold.

There's a misconception that online business is somehow different than any other business because of the low barrier to entry. Just be patient and you'll start seeing results.

You need to give things time to work. Things will start off slow but sticking to a solid plan will build momentum creating a snowball effect. You'll then hit a tipping point.

If you lack this mindset you'd be better off spending your spare time with family and friends. Ouch. . .

I know a lot of products and opportunities promise “loopholes” in an effort to suck you in. Quick and easy sells. Even though technology changes, human nature never does.

If all it took was a piece of easy, pushbutton software then everyone would be making money online.

Instead of buying, learn how to sell. That's where the money lies.

If you look hard enough, there are “fast cash” methods posted on blogs and forums that can work. The bad news is that they often become saturated very quickly.

One example is YouTube and ClickBank. Good luck with that. You want to follow the path of least resistance.

It's better to build something long-term and stable that you own. Instead of methods, focus on marketing.

9. Build a list.

Email marketing is about building a business that is stable. This means a dependable source of income coming in month after month.

The #1 way to accomplish this is with email marketing. Here are the main benefits of email marketing: • • • • • •

The list you build is yours You'll have a higher conversion rate You can promote whatever products you like Most of the process can be automated You can contact your subscribers whenever you like Email marketing is fully scalable

You will see a lot of gurus peddling get rich quick schemes and systems, yet if you watch them they are always collecting email addresses. It's important to observe what they do and not what they say.

Again, they do this because they know quick and easy sells. List building can take a little work but in the end it is the right approach to take.

It can really be as simple as adding a form to your blog or web site. It's something you

only need to set up once and it's done.

You can then build a relationship with your subscribers by providing value. Once you can demonstrate this they will begin to identify with you and trust your product recommendations. That is when you start making money!

Having your own list is like having traffic on demand. Whenever you publish a new blog post or article you can blast it to your list and they will start sharing it bringing you even more subscribers.

And the more you grow your list with quality subscribers the more money you will make. The last thing you want is someone to visit your site and leave, never to visit again.

It takes a lot of work to bring traffic to your site. Building your list will maximize your efforts and also improve your conversions. Most people won't buy something on their first exposure.

Unless you have hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to test on PPC and find a profitable campaign I would suggest you start building a list. On top of that, you always need to monitor PPC campaigns.

What if someone copies your campaign? Or what if the offer you're promoting is no longer available? Or worse yet, what if the PPC network changes the rules and decides to shut you down?

It has happened to me. . . I have watched 4 figures a month go down the toilet.

Having your own list is truly an online asset of your own. Search engines are great for traffic too but they aren't always dependable.

You can literally watch your income dry up overnight. In comparison, list building allows you to grow your business with each new subscriber that you generate.

If you are going to put that much time and effort into making money online then it only makes sense to build something that you own and have control over.

Trust me, I know. I have had niche sites that were on the first page of Google disappear.

Are you beginning to see where I'm going with this? Now any traffic I get from search engines (or anywhere else for that matter) I use to build lists.

Again, it's the path of least resistance to secure your financial future. It's easier to do than SEO or always tweaking and testing PPC Campaigns. Especially if you're a

beginner.

List building is how the super affiliates make a ton of money. Some even make 6 figures a month!

Real businesses are made on repeat customers. If someone buys once from you, the chances are very likely they will buy again.

Using our restaurant example, how long do you think a restaurant would be profitable if they only had one time customers?

10. Test everything.

A lot of people think there is some kind of one size fits all marketing plan (or blueprint) that is waiting to be found and exploited. I'm afraid there's just no magic formula out there.

You need to test and find out what works for you. Your results will always be different depending on your effort and skills.

The best thing to do is just try something for yourself and measure your results. You will be amazed at what works and what doesn't. Until then, it's all talk.

The best way to learn is by doing. You'll never fully know until you get your hands dirty.

There are many variables you can test such as traffic sources and ad copy. Many business models can be profitable, you just need to find one that's profitable for you.

Take some time, pick a business model that makes the most sense to you and just dive in. Even if something doesn't work the way you planned, it will take you one step closer to something that does.

If you swing the bat enough times you're eventually going to hit the ball.

11. Build your own platform.

Relying solely on other people to host your content is like playing Russian Roulette. It's very risky and is just a matter of time before something bad happens.

A common mistake many newbies make (especially with ClickBank) is to find a product first and try to market it. It's better to first build a web site (or blog), start growing an audience and then start introducing products.

Not having a web site will prevent you from doing this successfully. Does it take work?

Sure it does!

Everything in life worth having takes work. I know it might seem counterproductive but you have a much better chance at making money this way. Once you hit the tipping point you will be well rewarded.

This will allow you to pre-sell effectively so by the time your prospects hit the sales page they're already warmed up. That's why landing pages are always better than direct linking.

Your content will be safe and you'll be in total control over it. You can post what you like without any regard to guidelines.

There's really no reason not to have your own web presence these days. You can get your own hosting for as little as $3.96 per month with companies like Host Gator. And you can set up your own blog in 5 minutes.

It's really the first step to becoming a successful affiliate. You can check out Host Gator here and look at their different packages.

I have been with them for years and have never had any issues. If you do choose Host Gator and use my link I can help you set up your blog for free.

You can reach me at randy@realongoingincome.com Simply send me your receipt and we can get started.

With your own blog you'll not only get direct traffic you send to it. You'll also get free traffic from the search engines and also people sharing your content through social media.

And you won't need to worry about your blog disappearing and all your hard work going down the drain.

Remember, content is king. If done right, it will make you money.

12. Focus on one traffic source at a time.

Jumping around from place to place will yield little results. It's better to pick one traffic source and master it first before moving on to the next.

I know it's tempting to try something for a few days and then quit when you don't see much traffic to your site. You need to step back and get the big picture.

Simply posting 1 video to YouTube and then expecting a huge surge of traffic isn't being realistic. Try it for at least 90 days and learn everything you can about it.

Once you have given a traffic method an honest try you can then evaluate your results and make an informed decision. I know that sometimes it can be difficult to separate logic from emotion but it's vital that you do so.

Yes, some ways of getting traffic are better than others. It just depends on your goal and what works for you.

Once you do find something that's working it is advisable to keep testing other methods.

Never put all your eggs in one basket.

Just focus on taking consistent, daily action and you can't help but succeed.

There are numerous ways to get traffic, both free and paid. It really depends if you have more time or money.

A great way to build your business quickly is to invest the money you make from any sales into paid advertising. This will allow you scale your affiliate marketing business rapidly.

Conclusion I hope this report has opened your eyes to the possibilities that affiliate marketing presents. It can be very rewarding both financially and inwardly.

I have tried to list the things I have learned based upon my experience. If there's one thing you remember from this report it's to take action!

I'll leave you with one of my favourite quotes: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

– Chinese Proverb Work hard and expect success!

Randy McLean P.S. If you enjoyed this report, feel free to share it with any of your contacts. I only ask that the content isn't edited in any way. You can also learn more about affiliate marketing by visiting my blog at http://www.RealOngoingIncome.com