Top 7 Tips To Free Affiliate Programs Success

Tue, Apr 28, 2009

Affiliate Programs, Blogging Techniques, Blogging Tips, Link Management, Newbies Starting Out, Work From Home, make money blogging


Do you know that in spite of thousands of Internet Marketers trying out on free affiliate programs incessantly, the success rate is pretty uninspiring. I’ve read somewhere that only 5% of the affiliates are making 95% of the sales. Quite unbelievable! Do you believe this is true?

Lately I’ve been focusing a little more on free to join affiliate programs. This was prompted by a few recent affiliate sales I’ve made over the last few months. You could say it’s given me new incentive to do more research on affiliate marketing. I was also prompted by a very interesting statement I read:

“Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to make money online, only when you know how to find hungry niches.- Franck Silvestre. SeoSeductions.com“

Here are 7 Top Tips of How You Can Succeed in Affiliate Marketing:

1. Understand Your Audience

Many people turn to search engines to look for solutions to their problems. If your affiliate programs can provide what they are looking for, there is a great chance of finding success in the program you promote.

2. An Element of Trust

The mere fact that you never get to meet any of your prospective customers means it takes a lot more for this person to gain your trust. So for example, if you’re seen to be promoting a product which you don’t even believe in, you’ve lost their trust in you. Even having too many ads on your product puts people of. Building good relations could be a great way to gain people’s trust in you.

3. Be Helpful

Don’t be too pushy with getting sales or don’t give the impression that your job ends when you put your affiliate link on your website. For most times, your customers don’t buy the product at first sight. That’s where you the affiliate marketer gives value to your content. Your review of the product should be well detailed using a few affiliate ads to provide more information.

4. Update Content

Good affiliate programs are going to stay with you for a long time. Do make sure that your old content stays current even if they are not on your main page. A good way to do this is to include newer links to your updated articles. I won’t rely too much on your related posts if I were you. Also a good number of people still use non wordpress blog or static pages anyway.

5. Get To Know Different Programs

This doesn’t mean try a new free affiliate program every other week. But you should not restrict to just one either. Each affiliate program offers different product features or commission structures. Some multi-tier programs offer lifetime payout while others offer short term payments.

6. Select Wisely

Spend some time to review and evaluate the different options these programs offer. Picture yourself as your reader and if the product benefits you. If you’ve gone through the thought process of finding a good niche, this may have already helped in this selection.

7. Disclosure

Be very transparent and upfront. It’s a good practice to disclose your affiliations. Your readers will surely appreciate such an honest approach and helps a little more in getting more sales. Everyone loves an honest guy.

My Final Thoughts

You really need to follow a proven plan which gives you a roadmap to succeed in free to join affiliate programs but I would say the most basic requirements for success in any online business opportunities are:

1. A Product (or Affiliate Product)
2. Proven Plan
3. Conversion
4. Traffic

So essentially:

Product + Conversion + Traffic = Money

Share with us what plan you use to succeed in your affiliate marketing programs. We like to learn more from you.


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This post was written by:

Peter Lee - who has written 195 posts on Work From Home Business Blog. A Legitimate Home Internet Business researching work at home ideas this blog was started by yours truly, a banker by day and a home business owner by night helping others start and grow their business, finding new ways to make money online. Read More About Me

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  • freeaffiliateprograms
    I also think that it is very important to Understand the Audience. We don't have to promote the products which we like but the products that audience like. Still a long way to go to increase the success rate until one doesn't get to know the Pros and Cons of affiliate marketing.
  • The reason most people have little success with affiliate programs is they don't really understand the best way to use them. Sticking banners on your site rarely works. You need to only promote what you can genuinely recommend and then share WHY you recommend it. This is commonly called pre-selling and is the key to success.
  • If you have had success with affiliate marketing programs, I would like to know what you think the key to your success has been.
  • its all about TRUST and HONESTY, it begins in that way.
  • how can you guarantee that you get paid the proper amount from these companies? Most have their own statistics systems as far as I can tell, what's not to say that they can fudge the statistics in their favour?

    Are there any lists of reputable affiliate schemes, and also ones to avoid, anywhere?
  • Any reputable company you deal with won't fudge the numbers to be in their favor. They wouldn't last long at all if they did. You can find background information on just about any company by doing a quick Google search.

    Should reputable and schemes be used in conjunction with each other?... LOL. As I said earlier, you can find information by searching Google. I know Peter personally and any affiliate program he promotes on his site will be legit, as the same with my site. It goes without saying that if someone is promoting a known scam, then that person's reputation, credibility and business will be gone in the blink of an eye.
  • @Work From Home Opportunities

    I didn't mean to sound so cynical there, I guess I'm just a bit concerned about working hard and not getting anything in return! Points noted and appreciated!
  • I know exactly how you feel. I spent a year or more before I started making any money. Hey, it's not as easy as most people tell you, and I know firsthand. This is why most people quit because they're not making money after so long. There is definitely a learning curve to affiliate marketing, as with running any online business. I would recommend taking the time to learn the basics before even starting. That way you're not spending any money while still trying to learn everything because there's a lot to learn! I know how you feel but the key is not giving up. Learn from the best and keep at it, and you'll soon see results.
  • While not spending money is good in general, I think for affiliate marketing, when you've gone past an initial stage, you may consider spending a little or be prepared to spend for some affiliate programs run by very reputable so called "super affiliate gurus". They may cost some money but some of the proven systems they have are indeed very good. Also remember this " good things are not cheap; cheap things are not good"?
  • That's sound advice, Peter. And I agree that you get what you pay for. What I was referring to was more on the lines of a monthly membership or recurring fee. Having good training and a proven model to follow will help, but it's also good to do your homework and learn some things first. That way you'll be somewhat knowledgeable when the time comes to start spending the money for the program. Paying in itself isn't bad, but it gets harder and harder if you're not getting a return on your investment. This happens all too often.
  • I don't suppose you would mind listing which free affiliate programs you've been trying lately would you?
  • Targeting the right audience is always the important step, it's impossible to target business man and sell your Toy, right? SEO is important in affiliate programs too.
    Btw, Peter I found that your blog has been slapped by Google to PR0? What happen??

    Regards,
    Lee
  • yeah i noticed that myself that really blows
  • Yikes! I just noticed as well. What happened, Peter? Were you doing something Google didn't like? I hope you get it back.
  • @ Work From Home Opportunities: Yes I got hit bad this time. I think it could be 2 things. On the night I got it, I noticed there were hundreds of 301 redirect link errors showing on my Google Webmaster Tool page. I don't know how that happened. Anyway I got that fixed. Another reason could be I accepted 3rd party ads and Google probably didn't like that. Anyway I've taken them all out and will be resubmitting my Google reconsideration form. Hopefully I get it back before the next PR update.
  • Well, at least you were able to find the problem, and hopefully Google will be generous and give you your PR back. I hate to see that happen to anyone I know.
  • I want to possibly earn some money from my blog. So how would I go about increasing viewers and traffic? Tips about the blog are appreciated too.
  • @ Patriotic plates: The best way is to write lots of content on your blog. That way you will get more free organic traffic to your blog. But you will also need to promote your blog. Blog commenting is one good way to do this.
  • Please tell me about the affiliate programs you know pay per lead free to join programs.I want to earn some money for my education .I found some programs from cj.com .
  • none of those are worth your time trust me won't make you any money
  • Thanks Lee for giving a tips with affiliate marketing. Somehow i'm lacking tips for this marketing and your tips giving more another tips for me. I hope i can make things right with your tips.

    PS: i'm having problem commenting here, somehow my comment didn't show up. Is my comment need moderation for showing here ?
  • Thanks Lee for giving a tips with affiliate marketing. Somehow i'm lacking tips for this marketing and your tips giving more another tips for me. I hope i can make things right with your tips.
  • The stats are probably a bit skewed and even so if you consider the amount of money in affiliate marketing the rest of us can still do quite well if we follow methods like you've pointed out.
  • TheBloggerSource: Hi Michael, yes there is money to be made but it's good to be a little patient and don't be too quick to say "show me the money" LOL
  • Awesome tips, I'm new to affiliate programs and I hope they will help me.
  • i certainly agree with you you did make some valid points
  • @ Best CSS Gallery: Thanks and glad that I could help.
  • Great tips, Peter. It seems the consensus to being successful is gaining trust. I'd have to agree with that as well.

    Being passionate and really KNOWING the product you're promoting will help you stand out. As you pointed out, being honest and upfront with them is so important. People are always looking for real-life case studies and reviews of products or affiliate programs. Once they see and are convinced that it works, they're more likely to join. If it's a free program, the other half of the battle is getting them to take action. To me this is very difficult. Having a follow-up serious of emails seems to be best and works well. This is how I'm doing it for SFI. The problem is that there are too many freebie seekers that are looking to make money without doing anything, and with programs like these, or any program, that will never happen.
  • @ Work From Home Opportunities: My main difficulty I faced is that people look for free programs but most of the time, like SFI you cannot make money unless you upgrade. That's when the trust comes in. People also don't realise that sometimes you need to pay a little money for really good programs and that's where the resistance comes in and takes a lot of time for the convincing and promotion and it does take some time too.
  • I totally agree, Peter. People are always resistant to get out their wallets to join an opportunity when there's no guarantee they'll get a return on their investment. That's when it helps to have excellent training and be a sponsor who is there to help them and answer questions. Being an active sponsor helps build trust with your downline.
  • Hi Peter,
    Great post as always. Trust is important in all businesses and even more so online. As you say we don't see our prospects or even talk to them so it's we have to work enev harder to gain their trust.
    This does take time but I'm finding that it's working. People will buy from your down the road if you're helpfiul and truthful. In other words do affiliate marketing for the quick buck. Build a relationship of trust again as you say by promoting products that you use or know that are good quality.

    I'd be interested in knowing how you promote your affiliate products. I don't see an opt-in form on your site.

    Thanks,
    Luca
  • Great tips! I was never a fan of affiliate programs because I wasn't earning a bit before. But it seems a lot of people are engaged with this. Maybe I should give it one last try, using your tips.
    Thanks again...^_^

    Trust, such a big word...
  • @ melanie: There is great opportunity and money to be earned from affiliate programs. You may put it off now but later you will definitely go back to look at it closer and get more involved. I think that's when you get to make money.
  • Great list, Peter! I would have to say that all of these things must go hand-in-hand in order to become successful at affiliate marketing. I try my best to do what is mentioned here but I have to admit there have been times I purposely failed because the money that was involved was to great. However in time I have matured and regardless of what the profit potential is I find myself sticking to the list.

    Paul
  • @ Medical Billing Trainer: I know how you feel and I've been at the same situation myself. Thing is many of these affiliate programs may be free to join but requires you to upgrade if you wish to earn real money from the program but the catch is you got to be very involved in the program too or at least help out the newer affilaite members.
  • Great list Peter, Trust is really very important. Without it, the affiliate programs simply can't work.
  • @ Christopher Ross: Hey Chris it's been a long time, hope you're doing fine. Trust seems to be a key ingredient to success.
  • Peter, you talk about FREE affiliate programs. I've never heard of paid programs??
  • @ Mikael @ Retire Rich: Some of them appear to be free but require you to upgrade to a paid affiliate if you want to enjoy the better commission payment structure. An example of paid program is Lawn Chair Millionaire.
  • Hi Peter,

    Trust in the net is the most important factor, since the web is so cold, the only way to make people to decide to buy it is the trust they can have on you.
  • @ Marketing Business Review: Very true. I think once the trust factor is taken care of, half the job is done.
  • Yes Peter, it is about the half done and also the hardest part and the most time consuming, that´s why it always cheaper to keep a customer than to build a new one.
  • A very informative list Peter, especially about being up front about the affiliates you are promotion. I must say that the most success I have had is when promoting affiliates that I have actually bought and tried. This is because it make you more passionate about the product you are selling and it shows in your post. Also if people know that you have personally tried something and give it the thumbs up, then they are more likely to follow your example.
  • @Sire: That's a very good point you've raised. That's the best way to get to know the program and recommending to people something that you've tried and succeeded too.
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