Recently I have discover that there are lot more people put their feet into the affiliate marketing business, and many affiliate marketers are on the “seasoned” mid-earnings level, which means affiliates who are still one man show for the most part and are following the same basic strategy they have been using for the last few years.
Let me put it in this way, the online arena is going through an evolution as a whole, you may already see or experience it by yourself. The evolution wont’s cause the fundamentals of affiliate marketing change that much, it is the base, but the way of ‘how to’ market your affiliate business will definitely change, in the other words, the evolution for the affiliate marketing will be on the level of strategy based.
Affiliate Marketers: How to Survive in the Affiliate Marketing Evolution
One of the obvious changes I see is the concept of site building and promotion, like what Genesis Design Framework is doing (click on the link to download free 44 pages Genesis Guide report), also the emphasis of unique content creating and link development (yes, this is still important).
To survive the evolution and growth your affiliate business, here are some of the things I suggest you do.
1. Start to Learn What is the Entire Internet Marketing About
Affiliate marketing is one of the Internet Marketing (IM) area division, you will become more clear once you understand what all this IM world about, how each division works, which includes Banner and Text Advertising, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, Interactive Advertising and Search Engine Marketing (including Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click Advertising). And then you can map out your strategies, implementing them and market your affiliate business efficiently. By that, I highly recommend you check out WebCEO. They have free Internet marketing course offer as well as free software to use.
2. Learn about Social Media Marketing especially the Facebook Marketing
Facebook is the home to over 800 million people, think about it!! It has turned into quite a phenomenon. If you ask any of your friend, I can almost guarantee that 8 out of 10 with internet access has a FB account, and this means that you can reach out to a lot of potential site visitors through this top social network. That being said, you need to learn how to use Facebook market your affiliate business or any other business you have.
To help you get your affiliate business move faster and make more revenue in the year 2012, I highly recommend you to enroll to EXTREME FANBASE GROWTH™ – 21 Insanely Effective Ways to Expand Your Facebook Impact. The course is created from the very latest proven, effective Facebook tips and strategies, it’s been designed from the ground up to help you grow a truly AUTHENTIC following – faster than you ever dreamed possible.
If you happen to be in the class, do come to say ‘hello’ to me in the EFG Facebook group, it is absolutely a great investment to put into. I have so many thing want to share with you about this course, but not now in this post, I will write up an article about it later.
3. Learn What Unique Content Really is and How to Create It
Don’t worry about whether you can write it well or not, you just need start to Create that Unique Content (write your own voice even sometimes get grammar error) for your affiliate sites, but don’t ignore on-page factors when creating your site content because the ranking war is still intense.
On my Business Books Worth to Read Pinterest board, I have listed some good books to read, go check them out and get the one that you need to read.
4. Give Your Website a New Face
What I have found over the last year or two is that a website’s design really matters. I am not saying an ugly site can’t survive and don’t convert. What I am saying is ugly sites can make it hard to get serious high level partnerships and engagement, also the low level of traffic.
I am not saying the design needs to be elaborate or busy. I am simply saying that if you want your audiences, subscribers and prospects taken you seriously (they have evolved too – in sophistication and expectations), a clean, simple and Professional Design Optimized affiliate website (keep in mind, this also includes a clear navigation structure that doesn’t make the user think) can really give you a competitive advantage.
By saying that, I just revamping and give a new face to my personal blog Mind-Body-Spiritual Balance, you can check it out.
5. Sell Advertising on Your Affiliate Site
Don’t just sell ebooks, software, podcast and etc, you can mixed things up and sell advertising on your affiliate site as well. You can do this via the methods on a cost per click basis, or sell advertising in the form of traditional banners that is based on a CPM basis. A good affiliate site will do both – because just as with your affiliate programs, you don’t want all of your ad revenue coming from one supplier either.
6. Build Email List
Again, your email subscribers play a very important role in the journey to your affiliate business success, if you can build a trust with them and let them like you, they will buy products or services from you. So start to use creating methods to contact users to keep regular communication with them, develop email lists (I have had a good experience utilizing AWeber)
Finally, remember do your homework in terms of differentiate yourself from others and how to add-value to your business. Google doesn’t hate affiliate websites. but it hates those spamming affiliate sites. So treat your affiliate business like any other “real business” and develop a point of difference.
Alright, that’s is my 6 tips to help you to survive in the affiliate evolution, now is your turn.
Do you have any other tips want to share with us? I will be glad to see you post your thoughts in below the comment box.
