Worlds Best Online Business Resources » Affiliate Marketing

ClickBank Marketplace – Info For Affiliates

SherryD — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:58:43 +0000

If you are starting an Internet business, one of the sources for products to promote is the ClickBank Marketplace. This is where it is recommended by many work at home training programs, that affiliates find products to begin learning how to promote and sell.

Each work at home training program will have a slightly different selling angle that they teach. It may have to do with the level of popularity of the product (gravity), or how well a product fits into a niche that you are planning to work with. However, the purpose of this post is not to discuss the various methods of training used by different work at home training programs. Instead, I would like to pass on some ClickBank info that is often not touched upon in many of these programs, or if it is, may not be upper most in the mind of many of the newer Clickbank affiliates.

First let me say that I am not a spokesperson for ClickBank. The ClickBank info I am sharing with you is based strictly on my own experience with the ClickBank Marketplace, where I find products to promote, the same as many other affiliates.

It is not uncommon for a new affiliate to begin promoting products and not have instant success. This is not the generally the fault of the training program, but rather part of the learning curve that all affiliates go through. There is much to learn in the area of affiliate marketing and your success will depend a lot on you, the effort you put into your learning and your ability to follow and understand the training you are working with. Picking one work at home training program and sticking with it until you have completed the entire course will get you farther ahead faster than if you start a program and then jump to the next and then to the next without ever completing the original training.

Over time, as you learn what works best for promoting the products you have chosen from the ClickBank marketplace, sales will begin to happen. For some of you it may take a few weeks, for others it may take months. It is what happens once those sales begin to occur that I would like to address.

ClickBank has a number of rules that are followed in regards to how affiliates are paid. Many ClickBank affiliates believe that as soon as they make their first sale, they will receive a check in the mail or a deposit to their bank account. When this does not happen, it can put an affiliate off of his or her stride and dampen their enthusiasm. This is why it is important that those promoting ClickBank products are aware of the rules that ClickBank has in place that determine when you will be paid.

It is important that once you sign up as an affiliate, you are aware of and thoroughly read ClickBank’s Accounting Policy. There are two primary sections that help determine when an affiliate will be paid. Those sections are the Payment Threshold and the Customer Distribution Requirement sections.

The Payment Threshold section determines the dollar amount of the commissions you must earn before a payment will be made to you. If you continue to make sales, this amount will be met quite quickly.

The most important section for you as a new affiliate promoting products from ClickBank is the “Customer Distribution Requirement” section. In order to safe guard itself and it’s merchants, each ClickBank affiliate must meet this required criteria before he or she will be issued any payment for the sales that they generate. Once this criteria has been met, payments for any future sales will be issued on a regular basis.

This criteria can cause affiliates a bit of apprehension. It is not uncommon to have a single sale and then have a period of time when no sales are made. For the affiliate, who made the sale, seeing that they have earned a commission and then not receiving it can be frustrating. But, as I said before, that payment will not be made until ClickBank’s Customer Distribution Requirement is met. Notice the CDR links in the status column. These point to the explanation of the requirements that must be met before a payment will be made to you.

If there is a time in between sales, your account may be set to dormant status. At this time, you will be charged for the maintenance of that account every pay period and you will see your commission amount being decreased by the amount of that charge. This will continue until you make another sale. That sale may or may not give you what you need to meet ClickBank’s requirements. And so it goes on.

While these rules help ClickBank to protect itself and it’s merchants, they can be very frustrating for new affiliates. The key is to hang in there and keep trying. Eventually the day will come when all of the criteria have been met and you will begin receiving your commission checks as sales are made.

When the day comes that you receive your first check from ClickBank, take the time to congratulate and reward yourself for passing this initiation into the world of affiliate marketing. You will have worked hard to achieve it, so enjoy. I hope this ClickBank info will help you to better understand what is involved when working as a ClickBank affiliate and that your patience will be quickly rewarded.

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com

Basic Article Marketing Tips: Article Topic Research

SherryD — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:32:39 +0000

Before you are able to write about a topic, you need to know something about that topic. This is where your article topic research comes into play. Even if you already have a fair amount of experience in a given area, it never hurts to do a bit of research and gather additional information to help you put together a well-written article. Who knows? You may even come up with a new angle or way to look at a specific topic.

In the beginning, to help us choose an article topic that will best target our intended audience, most of us need to first learn how to do proper research. Unfortunately, there is just a little more to it than just typing a few searches into the search engines. That is one way to get started, but to get to the real meat of a topic, you need to dig right down into it.

How To Choose An Article Topic

1. Ask Questions

Ok, let’s say for the sake of argument that your topic is about making the perfect apple pie. Anyone can put together a list of ingredients for apple pie in a relatively short period of time. Sweeten it up a bit by digging deep and really researching your article topic.

What spices and seasonings are used in apple pie. Are some interchangeable? What about apple pie for the diet or calorie conscious person. Which apples make the best pies and why? Who made the first apple pie? By the time you are done answering those questions, you may find you have enough material one hand to write several juicy articles on apple pie.

2. Talk to Others

Sticking with the apple pie idea, Find out what kinds of recipes others use and what foods they like to combine it with the most. My late Grandmother always made apple pie along with her cabbage borscht soup. Personally, I think apple pie is best eaten for breakfast.

What dietary challenges do some face in making apple pie. Is there a recipe that can be used for those that are diabetic or for someone who is unable to have any gluten in their diet. Challenges and experiences of others provide great information for your articles.

3. Visit Your Local Library

Yes, even the local library can be chock full of information on apple pie or even just apples in general. Maybe in your research you learn more about making apple cider or even apple cider vinegar.

There are books on every topic imaginable available in the library and quite often, the material is easier to find than it is on the Internet. As well, when you get right down to it, it is often easier and more enjoyable to crack open a book and sink into your favorite chair than it is to stare at a computer screen all day.

4. Keep An Eye On The TV Listings

While too much TV is not good for anyone, it is a research resource. Many channels hold documentaries on topics ranging from surviving in the jungle to how to fix a leaky roof. By scanning through the channel listing as they are published, you can be sure to set aside time to record or watch any of these shows that deal with the topic you are most interested in.

Reader Challenge: Over Christmas dinner with friends, someone asked if anyone else at the table knew what the purpose of the wishbone in a bird was. He learned the answer to this question by watching a documentary on TV.

See if you are able to come up with the answer to this question and post your answer in the comments below.

These are just a few basic article marketing tips to get you started with your article topic research. As you are researching your article topic and just living your life in general, keep an open and curious mind and do not limit yourself to only these areas. Information may come your way in many forms such as from the people you interact with and the experiences you have. All are fodder for the article making mill.

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com

Jimmy D. Brown: Why I Love Affiliate Marketing Part 5

SherryD — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:30:47 +0000

NOTE: The following is a guest post from one of my favorite internet marketing mentors, Jimmy D. Brown of Affiliatenaire.

The word overhead is not a favorite topic amongst those who run a business of any kind. Nobody likes the fact that there are expenses involved in the running of a business. And, nobody is in a hurry to discuss expenses when it comes to the promotion of all the money-making opportunities online. Don’t kid yourself, there is a lot of overhead.

That brings me to the fifth reason why I love affiliate marketing…

** You don’t need a big budget to make it work **

Most newcomers to the field of Internet marketing have no idea as to how much money is spent to run an Internet business. Do You? Do you know about the monthly fees for

* Hosting
* Scripts
* Advertising
* Management
* Autoresponders
* Much more

How about the regular fees for…

* Support
* Maintenance
* Licensing
* Customer Service
* Outsourcing
* Development
* Recruiting
* Much more

It is not uncommon for an Internet marketing business to incur expenses of tens of thousands (and in some cases, hundreds of thousands) of dollars in operational costs which is fine if you have a seasoned business that is generating enough sales to cover those costs. However, for the average newcomer to the Internet marketing field, these expenses can be more than a little taxing on your budget!

SIDEBAR: I paid one girl over $30,000 last year just to oversee one small part of my business. No one talks much about it, but there ARE a lot of expenses involved before you get to the “bottom line” of profit.

With affiliate marketing, you don’t need a big budget to make it work! As an affiliate marketer, you are able to make use of a variety of free and low-cost marketing methods to generate traffic and clicks to your affiliate link.

That’s why I love affiliate marketing.

You don’t need a big budget to make it work.

…………………….

Jimmy D. Brown is the author of “Affiliatenaire”, teaching
you how to create big-time affiliate commission checks in
only 1-3 hours each week. Discover how you can get cash in
the bank without a website, experience or even an idea!

Get Affiliatenaire Now!

…………………….

We hope you have enjoyed this guest post by Jimmy D. Brown.

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com

Jimmy D. Brown: Why I Love Affiliate Marketing Part 4

SherryD — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:29:27 +0000

NOTE: The following is a guest post from one of my favorite Internet marketing mentors, Jimmy D. Brown of Affiliatenaire.

If you have been looking at Internet marketing for any amount of time, Im sure you have heard of those who have reported HUGE amounts of money being generated by their online businesses. What most Internet marketers are not aware of is the amount of money and work that is needed to generate those sales. Generation of sales does not equal net profit. Much of what is being earned has already been spent putting the sale together.

That brings me to the fourth reason why I love affiliate marketing…

** You don’t need to manage an entire business **

While running an entire business consisting of employees, inventory, partners, vendors and other associates, can be quite lucrative, it can also turn into a time-sucking, frustrating ordeal.

Imagine…

* Processing refunds
* Dousing fires when partners SPAM
* Administering day-to-day operations
* Tracking and overseeing projects you’ve outsourced
* Recruiting new affiliates
* Training staff to help you
* Paying taxes and creating the accounting paper trail.
* Taking care of legal issues and requirements.
* Just plain doing all of the “stuff” that business owners do.

SIDEBAR: Net Profit = Sales Income Received Sales Costs. Sales costs include, but are not limited to, product creation costs, ad copy costs, employee wages or outsourcing costs, promotional costs, hosting costs, etc.

Didn’t you want to start an Internet business to make more time for important things in life like your friends and family?

Why not create a lot of money WITHOUT making a lot of extra work for yourself? It can be a lot of extra work and stress to manage an entire business.

With affiliate marketing, you don’t need to manage an entire business! You are simply responsible for promoting your affiliate link, while someone else handles all the rest.

That’s why I love affiliate marketing.

You don’t need to manage an entire business.

…………………….

Jimmy D. Brown is the author of “Affiliatenaire”, teaching you how to create big-time affiliate commission checks in only 1-3 hours each week. Discover how you can get cash in the bank without a website, experience or even an idea!

Get Affiliatenaire Now!

…………………….

We hope you have enjoyed this guest post by Jimmy D. Brown.

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com

Jimmy D. Brown: Why I Love Affiliate Marketing Part 3

SherryD — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:28:04 +0000

NOTE: The following is a guest post from one of my favorite Internet marketing mentors, Jimmy D. Brown of Affiliatenaire.

Have you ever noticed that some people have the ability to persuade others? Some people can talk others into just about anything right? Especially when it comes to influencing their buying decisions. They know how to say things the right way, push the right hot buttons and generally get consumers into an emotional frenzy to the point they are ready to click an order button.

There are two key words in that paragraph that really need to stand out in your mind: “some people”. Not everyone has this ability, only some people do.

That brings me to the third reason why I love affiliate marketing…

** You don’t need to write a world class sales letter **

Have you ever tried to write a sales letter? There is a reason why some professional copywriters are able to charge $10,000 and more for a SINGLE sales letter. It takes a lot of knowledge and expertise to write a sales letter like the top-guns.

This is why most people have a difficult time persuading people to buy if they do create their own website and products. They simply do not have the right sales letter to make it all work. It really doesnt matter how spectacular your offer is, without good copy, you are simply not going to get many sales.

SIDEBAR: The average conversion rate of site visitors
who become buyers is reported to be less than 2%. That
means that 98 out of every 100 do NOT buy. This is why
sales are so incredibly bad for a site with poor sales copy …
you *might* get 2 sales out of every 400-500 visitors.

But, if you are an affiliate marketer, you dont need the ability to write a top-gun sales letter! You simply point people to someone else’s high-octane sales letter and allow THEM to convert your leads into commissioned sales for you.

That’s why I love affiliate marketing.

You don’t need to write a world class sales letter.

…………………….

Jimmy D. Brown is the author of “Affiliatenaire”, teaching you how to create big-time affiliate commission checks in only 1-3 hours each week. Discover how you can get cash in the bank without a website, experience or even an idea!

Get Affiliatenaire Now!

…………………….

We hope you have enjoyed this guest post by Jimmy D. Brown.

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com

Jimmy D. Brown: Why I Love Affiliate Marketing Part 2

SherryD — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:26:38 +0000

NOTE: The following is a guest post from one of my favorite
internet marketing mentors, Jimmy D. Brown of “Affiliatenaire”.

Time for a Pop Quiz. What does “HTML” stand for? Don’t know that one? OK, how about PHP, what does it stand for? One more chance, do you know how to work with either?

The second reason why I love affiliate marketing is…

** You don’t need to build a website **

What scares people even more than creating a product is the idea of having to build a website!

* What in the world is HTML? PHP? Or even FTP?
* How much will the software cost me? And how about hosting?
* How do I create, edit and upload files?
* Why isn’t it formatted correctly?
* Why don’t my pictures look like the ones the pros have?

If you are a complete beginner, creating an attractive website can be very difficult, even if you are using templates. For most beginners, the cost of outsourcing or hiring a professional to create the website for them, is more than they can afford.

With affiliate marketing, however, you dont have to create a website. You take advantage of someone elses professionally designed site and send visitors to it through your affiliate link.

SIDEBAR: Just in case you’re interested, HTML stands
for “hypertext markup language” and is the coding
used to build webpages. PHP are programs that are often
embedded in HTML web pages. FTP stands for “file transfer
protocol” and is the process used for moving files
from your computer to a website, or vice versa.

With affiliate marketing, you take advantage of the time and money someone else has invested to develop a site. Think about it: when you promote an affiliate link, it reflects firstly upon YOU. You are the one who is advertising the link, recommending the product, sending people who have interacted with YOU to the website.

In the eye of those who have clicked through your link, the professional site of someone else really represents you the promoter.

You get all the benefits without the expense and bother.

That’s why I love affiliate marketing.

You don’t need to build a website.

…………………….

Get Affiliatenaire Now!

…………………….

We hope you have enjoyed this guest post by Jimmy D. Brown.

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com

Jimmy D. Brown: Why I Love Affiliate Marketing Part 1

SherryD — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:28:12 +0000

NOTE: The following is a guest post from one of my favorite Internet marketing mentors, Jimmy D. Brown of “Affiliatenaire“.

Have you ever “started” to create your own product to sell online, but never “finishing” it?

What I love about affiliate marketing is –

** You don’t need to create your own products **

Many people are overwhelmed and even paralyzed by the idea of creating their own products.

* I don’t have any good ideas!
* I cant write!
* The competition is too stiff!
* I don’t know how to set everything up!
* Im lost and dont know where to start!
* It’s too difficult!

People give these and many other valid reasons for why they are not creating their own products to sell. Im sure it wouldnt take long to add many more valid reasons to this list.

With affiliate marketing, you simply promote other peoples already successfully proven offer for commission. You Dont Need Your Own Product!

And, truth be told, even if you DO have lots of ideas and you ARE a writer and you CAN figure it all out…

** Nobody wants to create new products all the time **

No matter how good you are, you don’t know everything! So why try to create a product on every topic imaginable in your market. You can make just as much money by simply promoting someone else’s really successfully proven offer as one of your income streams?

That’s why I love affiliate marketing.

You don’t need to create your own products.

…………………….

Jimmy D. Brown is the author of “Affiliatenaire“, teaching
you how to create big-time affiliate commission checks in
only 1-3 hours each week. Discover how you can get cash in
the bank without a website, experience or even an idea!

Get Affiliatenaire Now!

…………………….

We hope you have enjoyed this guest post by Jimmy D. Brown.

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com