Here is how you can identify a program that will make you a
good income over the coming months and years:
1. MAKE SURE IT IS TARGETED TO YOUR NICHE
If your niche is radio controlled car racing enthusiasts,
you don't want to offer them internet marketing courses.
Instead, you will want to offer them products related to RC
racing.
2. DETERMINE IF THE COMMISSION IS SUFFICIENT
Sending an email to your list doesn't cost you anything,
right?
WRONG! Here's why...
Every time you send out an email about one product, you are
giving up the opportunity to send out a recommendation on
some other product. This is called opportunity cost.
I do a product recommendation to my list about once per
month. I know that the average return per subscriber for
each of those mailers is around 10 to 20 cents per
subscriber.
If I choose to recommend a product to my list and the
commission is too low, I may make only 2 cents per
subscriber.
So, that mailer "cost" me 8 cents per subscriber. That is a
HUGE amount of wasted opportunity.
The commission offered on your product needs to be enough to
justify your cost in advertising the product. 40-50% of a
digital product and 30-40% for a "hard good" is probably
reasonable. If someone is trying to give you less than this
you most likely need to walk away.
Of course, re-curing commissions have a few other variables
to consider.
3. MAKE SURE THE PAGE HAS A SOLID SALES PROCESS
Before you recommend a product--even if you truly believe in
the product--make sure you take a close look at the sales
process. Is the sales page readable? Compelling? If not,
don't send people to the page--they aren't going to buy.
4. CHECK OUT THE PRODUCT YOURSELF
DON'T RECOMMEND A PRODUCT YOU HAVEN'T AT LEAST *EXAMINED*
YOURSELF! Recommending products you have not looked at is
like Russian roulette--you might get by with it for a couple
spins, but eventually it will shoot you in the head.
A well-known marketer recommended an ebook he had not read
himself. He had read the first version, but not volume 2.
Later, when it became obvious the product was pretty much a
waste of money, the "guru's" recommendation--sent to his
list--now appeared as a testimonial at the sales site.
It hurt this guru's credibility and his own ability to make
sales.
5. MAKE SURE SOLID TRACKING IS IN PLACE
You should be able to see how many visitors you have sent to
the affiliate site, how many purchased and how much sales
commission you have earned. This is a bare minimum.
Following these five recommendations will go a long way
toward getting you nice commission checks week after week.
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