April Tara » Affiliate Marketing

Careful with that axe, Eugene (and that subject line!)

April — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:18:20 +0000

I’ve ended up on too many Internet Marketing lists and I go through periods where I just start unsubscribing in the hopes of eliminating all the noise in my inbox.

Today I unsubscribed from the list of a major, well-known Internet Marketer. Why? Because of the subject line of his email… “Copywriter Commits Suicide?”

I understand that you’re supposed to use your subject line to catch their attention and stimulate emotion but sometimes the reaction your subject line gets may not be the reaction you wanted. Sure, I opened his email instead of deleting it…but that was just to get to the unsubscribe link.

Did the copywriter whose product this marketer is trying to sell actually kill himself? No. It was a reference to “professional suicide” which he’s supposedly doing by giving something away for free.

So why make light of something as serious as suicide just to earn some affiliate commissions? Is it really that effective? I’d love to find out his stats and see how many of those emails were even opened and if there were others that unsubscribed.

There are better ways than this to write attention-getting subject lines. And if you’re delivering quality products and valuable information to your clients and customers, they’re going to open your email and read it no matter what the subject line is.

In fact, I don’t even pay attention to headlines. I check to see who its from, because there are certain marketers I trust…and one that would use a sensitive topic like suicide for profit isn’t on that list. I don’t care how rich he is or how many others may trust him. I don’t.

P.S. Avoid the cuss words in subject lines too…unless you’re Frank Kern.

Failure to deliver

‘Tis the Season for lots of great deals

April — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:09:33 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

I am just overwhelmed with deals to share with you! Some of my friends and colleagues have some specials going on that I have to tell you about.

First, I have to say “Happy Birthday!” to Lynette Chandler and tell you about her birthday wish. She recently launched the Blog Energizer program and, of course, I immediately signed up for all of the blogging tools and opportunities. But Lynette has a specific goal in mind. She made a little birthday wish and with your help, it’s going feed a lot of families this holiday season. Lynette has promised that if Blog Energizer reaches 2,000 members by December 31st, she’ll donate 8000 bowls of food to the food banks through “Feeding America & Kraft Foods” program. Un-be-lieveable!! Way to go, Lynette! Now all you have to do is visit Blog Energizer, sign up, and start downloading this month’s resources, browse through topic ideas, even find some guest blogging opportunities.

Oh, speaking of Lynette, I have two more offers from her:

One free month of BlogEnergizer and pay just $10/month after
50% off BloggingStarterPack using coupon code BSP0812

I’ve also got another good deal for you from my friend Carrie Lauth, the Natural Mom. Carrie is one of those successful (single!) WAHMs who enjoys helping other WAHMs grow their businesses. Right now she’s adding a little bonus to her coaching program. If you purchase one hour of coaching with Carrie, you’ll receive a FREE copy of her “Mini Course Money” program. This offer expires on December 16th so sign up for your coaching session soon!

Another WAHM and Mom Masterminds member, Wendy Wood, has put together two special offers. First, she is offering a 35% discount on any PLR Food Content PLR packs. Just enter coupon code A7E16 when you check out. She also has an awesome collection of Christmas and holiday graphics you can use in your blog designs, posts or even your holiday family newsletter and craft projects. Just visit her website, go to the Products page and on the right sidebar you’ll see the ad for her Christmas graphics…click it! Be patient, it may take a while for the page to load because there are SOOOO many graphics. When you get to her checkout page, enter coupon code XMAS30 for 30% off.Both of Wendy’s offers expire on December 15th.

Now I’ve got just one more set of offers from Melissa Ingold. She’s offering a discount on her Special Report Club so instead of the usual $19 per month, you’ll only pay $12.97 per month. Just leave me a comment or drop me an email (April@AprilTara.com) and I’ll send you the signup link that’s exclusive to this special price.

Melissa’s also offering a great price on her content marketing kit, Earn With Content, for just $12.97. That’s $83 worth of info for less than $15! That deal also includes a copy of her soon-to-be-released “Earn With Product Descriptions” pack when it becomes available.

Melissa BEST deal, by far, is her copywriting package. This package includes:

Sales letter
Opt-in page offering sample, free gift to build list
5 related articles for article marketing or to provide to affiliates
Keyword research
3 blog posts for marketing or to provide to affiliates
5 pay-per-click ads
5 forum/email signatures
5 day ecourse to capture visitors who don’t buy. Ecourse will give them tips/info, and refer to your product.
1 promotional email
1 follow-up email (sent after promo email)

Now usually she provides these services for $997…but she must be totally into the holiday spirit (or the eggnog!) because she’s offering all of that for just $500! That’s almost HALF of the usual price! Wow. Just use this link to sign up for the discounted amount, but you better make it quick because all of Melissa’s offer expire on December 16th.

And, of course, I am joining in all of this holiday discount stuff. Throughout the month of December, any purchases of a Blog Design Package or Blog Makeover Package will include a free Custom Graphics Package consisting of three matching graphics to promote your website, blog or services. You can choose from any combination of a 125 x 125 button, 468 x 60 banner, or any other specific size you may need.

So check out all of these special offers from these amazing ladies, treat yourself and your business to some holiday deals, and get 2009 off to a GREAT start!

What Does a Good Affiliate Program Look Like?

April — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:00:28 +0000

I’ve been talking a lot lately about affiliate marketing and affiliate programs because its something I’ve recently become interested in. It started out as just wanting to help out some friends by promoting their products.

After doing this a few times, usually by retweeting for them on Twitter, one of them said to me “You should sign up for my affiliate program!” I’m sorry…your what? So after she explained it to me, I found out some other friends had affiliate programs as well as some of my favorite websites and blogs.

Now I’ve branched out a little and I’ve started joining other affiliate programs, especially the ones I truly believe in and have no problem supporting and promoting, like SparkplugU and Wonderful Web Women. But I’ve also been doing some research and trying to find good affiliate programs. But how do you know what a “good affiliate program” is?

Finding a good affiliate program can make the difference between making pennies and making a good income from your affiliate recommendations. This is especially true if you are new to affiliate marketing, like me, and need a little hand-holding and support to get you started. Unfortunately, if you are new it can be a little daunting to try and figure out what you need from an affiliate program.

Here are three quick starter tips to help you ensure that your affiliate recommendations are always solid.

A solid product

It’s best if you’ve had a chance to experience the product you are considering promoting first hand. Like I said, my interest in affiliate marketing started out with finding products that I was already familiar with and enjoyed. This is often much easier with inexpensive e-books and other products with a low price point. If you can’t afford a product that you’d really like to promote, don’t be shy about asking the affiliate manager for a review copy. You may not always get a positive response, but it’s worth it to ensure your recommendations are always solid. And if the affiliate manager doesn’t provide review copies, some of them have free products – newsletters, ezines – that you can check out. For example, Moms Talk Network offers a free guide at Hot Mama Makeover that you can download and then promote as an affiliate.

A solid reputation

Do make a practice of being diligent in researching the products and companies you plan to recommend. As I mentioned, the first affiliate programs I signed up for were through people I already knew and that had a good reputation. But when you’re expanding your affiliations, do your homework. A quick search should ensure that the products you are considering have a solid reputation for quality and customer service. You don’t want to erode the trust that others have placed in you by recommending those with questionable histories. If it’s a new product or company, and you’re new to affiliate marketing, it’s likely best to pass unless you have a personal connection to the founders that assures you of their integrity.

Do they provide more than just a link to a sales page to help you promote the product?

A sales page might be a fine start if you’re an experienced affiliate marketer, but most newcomers need more promotion resources. Look for programs that provide you with graphics, sample emails, reprint articles and special reports. In other words, look for programs that provide marketing support and materials. Those are a great way to get you started until you’re comfortable writing about the products on your own. You can also use them to fill in or supplement your own promo writing if you’re having a bit of writer’s block or just don’t have the time to write your own.

To learn more of the basics of affiliate marketing, grab your free registration to Moms Affiliate Expo.

Affiliate Marketing – What’s Stopping You?

April — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:28:27 +0000

By Kelly McCausey

Once upon at time, and it really wasn’t that long ago – I thought affiliate marketing was something for other people. People with big lists and massive websites. If you’re having similar thoughts, let me tell you now, it’s simply not true.

You don’t need to build a list first. You don’t need to have all the pieces of your business plan in place first. You can get started with affiliate marketing with very little. In affiliate marketing, it’s okay to start small.

Of course, you won’t be making millions in your sleep overnight. That’s not what affiliate marketing is really about. It’s about recommending products and services that you believe will serve others in return for a small commission.

You’ll start small and grow slow, but you’ll be able to build a steady income over time. The beauty of affiliate marketing is the residual effects that are only evident over the passage of time.

I know I had my doubts. For well over a year, I resisted the lure of affiliate marketing. It wasn’t hard to convince myself that it would be a waste of time. Anytime I thought about it, my mind would answer “Who are you kidding? Who is going to buy from me?”

Self-doubt could be keeping you from achieving all you were intended. It gives me shivers to think what my life might be like now if I hadn’t started. Would I have been able to support my son as a single mom over these past years without the income earned through affiliate marketing?

As long as you are willing to commit yourself to working your business and are willing to learn, there is no reason you can’t reap the benefits of affiliate marketing for yourself. It really is a simple matter of deciding that you want to try and then finding the resources that will help you make the journey.

Lack of funds is not a barrier to getting started with affiliate marketing. In many cases, you can get started with no money at all, simply sign up for the programs that appeal to you and start promoting to your existing audience. If you don’t already have a blog and domain name of your own, it might cost $20 to get up and running.

So what’s stopping you from getting started?

Kelly McCausey is the mom behind Work at Home Moms Talk Radio and is hosting Moms Affiliate Expo, a free opportunity for moms to learn more about affiliate marketing.

Mom’s Affiliate Expo

April — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:15:45 +0000

If you’re an affiliate marketer or manager or you’re interested in finding out more info about how affiliate marketing can work for you, you won’t want to miss the Moms Affiliate Expo on September 11, 12, and 13.

The Expo will feature presentations by exhibitors, speakers and Q&A sessions, and lots of affiliate marketing opportunities. Stop by and sign up for the newsletter to receive updates and news about the Moms Affiliate Expo and browse some of the articles that are already available on the website.