How to gain the edge in affiliate marketing

Its real simple

you have to build your own mailing list.

Do not send folks direct to your affiliate page, send them to your own page on your own site. Write your own sales letter your own headlines, do not use the generic stuff that affiliate managers give you every affiliate he has uses them and they don’t grab attention because everyone has seen them before.

Use a lead in page (what's a lead in page). A lead in page is just a way to capture the visitors email address before you introduce them to your affiliate programme.

Here is an example http://www.advertisingknowhow.com/subscribe2.htm This page offers them an interactive tutorial for free it captures there email and then sends them a series of emails that give them great info but also promotes several affiliate programs as well.

You get to send them more than just one message so you can explain the programme better, you get to keep there details so you can send them info on any future products. In short you get a free mailing list of people who you know are interested in the kind of things you are selling.

If you send them direct to the affiliate page the product owner gets their details not you, he or she gets to promote other backend products to your downline, you pay for the advertising they get the biggest benefit.

One other thing to add

NEVER EVER be tempted to take on paid advertising to your list. It devalues the list because every time you send out a message you will lose subscribers.

The price you charged for the ad will probably only just cover the cost of replacing those subscribers, and anyway why earn just $40 for running the ad when you could probably earn much more by promoting your own products etc.

The same goes for ads for subscribers, you only get freebie seekers on your list and you wont get to much success from folks who wont pay. (Trust me I have been there)

I was having a conversation with Paul Myers about how much free stuff people add on as a bonus for what would be a damned good product in its own right. And how we thought to many bonuses cheapens a product and he said this, which stuck in my head, as it rings so true.

"If they won’t pay anything going in at the front end (even if it’s only$5) they certainly wont buy much of anything on the backend."

The point I am trying to make is this, if you want a productive mailing list the last thing you need is to attract people looking for free gifts. Offering too much free stuff renders your list unproductive.

Balanced promotions are what are called for give free stuff and let them know your not just out to empty their wallet, but also make sure you let folks know you have to make sales as well.

I hope this sparks some questions, I hope everyone reading this jumps in and questions me, I am more than willing to answer any questions on this

_____________________________________________________ Article written by ROBERT PUDDY http://www.advertisingknowhow.com http://www.rotatorblaze.com http://www.hitsconnect.com All the advertising and marketing tools you'll ever need _____________________________________________________