by Mike Flanagan | Internet Marketing Tips 101 |
Affiliate Marketing & A Hidden Agenda
Image 1 – Illusion or Fact?
Affiliate Marketing is supposed to be an easy way to start generating income on-line and provide the foundations to grow a successful on-line business. From Amazon Associates to promoting a new IM product launch, the way to start earning a sustainable living is to just pop-up a website of your own and successfully apply for affiliate status.
If only that was all there was to it.
I thought it would be easy and I guess you did too.
After all, it’s supposed to be a sure-fire way to get some income, through promoting an offer and receiving a percentage in return. All the ad’s you see follow a familiar theme. In some form or another, they show money falling into the hands of some excited person who is just sitting on their couch – with a laptop – eagerly raking in all the commission dollars after making a ton of amazing sales to a huge number of people.
They all suggest that this is the route to financial freedom. Just simply promote one product after another and receive large stacks of cash in return.
All well and good, but the problem with this image (Image 1) is that it is only an illusion. It is the preferred outcome that everyone wants to see and instantly expects and of course, it’s the reason why images like these are used! What is missing from that picture is all the hard work that needs to happen before the illusion shown becomes reality. In fact, being accepted as an affiliate is certainly not some kind of ‘right’ and cannot be expected as a ‘given’. Vendors do not offer their products to sell through just anyone, they want to be certain that their chosen affiliates either have a proven track record of successful sales or if new to it, their on-line presence portrays them as someone who is serious about establishing a real business rather than just a ‘hobby-blog’.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that it is impossible to make a living as an Affiliate Marketer, this is certainly a valid business model that has stood the test of time. It has existed as long as there have been shops, stores, door-to-door and mail-order businesses. Anyone who is promoting any type of product, whether it’s a toaster; washing machine; vacuum cleaner or car is acting as a representative for the company that makes or supplies those products. A commission payment is made for every successful sale, which could be as a percentage of profits made or the sales price agreed with the customer.
In the context of this post’s subject, this is the same model deployed in the on-line world for Affiliate Marketers. Of course, it is still used successfully in the ‘real’ or ‘off-line’ world. There are some very good people working in sales who do indeed earn massive commission payments.
Consistent performers in the corporate world quickly get promoted and those that take their on-line businesses seriously do indeed make rapid ascents. These high-fliers in the on-line world are granted ‘guru’ status among their own followers and quickly recognized as-such by others. However, it is often a fact that their success is the culmination of hard work and determination coupled with a strong vision and clear goals of what they are actually aiming to achieve. They treat what they do on-line as seriously as if they are running a bricks-and-mortar business, focused on the need to succeed in order to grow and continue to thrive.
So, does this mean that success is the exception rather than the rule? Otherwise, everyone would be as equally successful, or is it something else that makes these people stand-out from the rest of us? Maybe they are just ‘lucky’ people, or just good at selling stuff?
Well, it could be that they have an element of each of those things. Some people are indeed ‘lucky’ and I’m sure that a lot of us have come across individuals that just seem to somehow attract good fortune and favor for themselves.
- But, is there something else?
- Are we all missing something?
- Is there something that is real, tangible and in plain sight?
Well, there is actually something and I have only recently stumbled across it myself. It’s true that 97% of people fail on-line and it’s all because of a little shocking secret. Guaranteed to be the main reason why the majority of people who try on-line will never make it.
I do know what it is, but I’m not at liberty to divulge just yet.
The day when this Secret will be released has been set at November 16 2015, which is less than 7 days away at the time of this writing.
I’m certainly not going to let ‘the-cat-out-of-the-bag’ before then, as it is the realization of a very successful and highly rated, multi-millionaire marketer. And I, for one, intend to keep ‘mum’ until after the Secret has been exposed. I also want to keep on the right side of him because this blog is a real business to me and I want it to become successful!
Actually, I just want to go off-track for a moment…
Now, I know that I haven’t written anything here in my blog for a long time and I don’t want to be judged as a someone who is just lazy, or a ‘hobby-blogger’. My reasons are related to my health condition, which I have freely written about in my About Me section. I need to state here that I am serious, I am determined and I am focused. It’s just that my condition overcomes me from time to time. Fortunately, it’s nowhere near as bad as it used to be and is getting better all the time.
Right, with that said I’ll just re-iterate that on November 16, a top Internet Marketer will release – free of charge – the reason why Affiliate Marketing isn’t really the pathway to riches for most of us.The headline for this release is D.A.M.S (Dirty Affiliate Marketing Secret).
By clicking the link below, you can be part of an EarlyBird group that will be the first to know about it on the release day and also get to know about exclusive updates on this Major Revelation in the Internet Marketing Industry.
And remember, the information being released is free. So click the link to find out more and join my DAMS EarlyBird Access
D.A.M.S – Dirty Affiliate Marketing Secret
by Mike Flanagan | Internet Marketing Tips 101 |
Eight Second Memory?
People’s attention spans have reduced significantly over the past few years. A quick Google search has brought back this statement, which is apparently quoted quite often:
“The average American attention span in 2000 was 12 seconds; in 2013, it was eight seconds.”
Some examples also add that the average attention span of a goldfish is eight seconds, although it would appear that some defenders of goldfish challenge this commonly held belief…..
Anyway, let’s put goldfish to one side now and move on.
As it is now 2015, I guess it is safe to assume that the attention span figure is still around eight seconds. With such a small amount of time available, getting people to click rather than delete is absolutely crucial.
In a typical inbox, people see only three pieces of information when trying to decide whether to open your email.
“In the crowded consumer inbox, everything is at a premium—especially the recipient’s time.Consumers are doing a cost-benefit analysis on a minute-by-minute basis—even if they don’t know it”
To read further and to find out about the four tips to ensure an opened email, please click Here to link to this excellent article curated from the MarketingProfs website.
Read the full article Here
I was actually thinking about writing a post on this very topic, with a working title along the lines of “factors determining email open rates” when I came across the MarketingProfs article during my research.
As this is already an excellent article and so well written by the author Emily Konouchi, I thought it more appropriate to curate.
Mike Flanagan
by Mike Flanagan | Internet Marketing Strategy
For Internet Marketing Success You Need To Do This!
Action!
Sounds like something you would hear on a movie set doesn’t it? The call for actors to perform, so the movie gets made and they get their fee.
It’s a simple and obvious arrangement that actually applies equally to anyone who wants to get paid.
Do your job (Take Action). Get paid.
A really simple concept, but also one that seems to be so difficult when it comes to Internet Marketing. For anything to happen, you need to take Action. Yet so many people do not.
I have to admit that I am not doing as much as I want to, but that is down to the burn-out & breakdown I suffered as an employee in 2010. It is indeed a long road to recovery and I’m getting there slowly, but surely.
Internet Marketing represents a career change for me and working on it is something I have direct control over. I can easily pace myself and ramp things up as quickly as I am comfortable with.
Procrastination or laziness have never been a problem for me, as it is the exact opposite of those two words that directly led to my crash of 2010.
Action is something I now control in moderation.
So what about you? Do you take action, or procrastinate? Does it scare you?
There are a lot of people full of good intentions, who certainly sound committed and eager to make a start. Unfortunately, just talking about it doesn’t actually make it happen. They have a multitude of readymade reasons at their disposal as to why they have not taken any action:
- The time is not right
- I’m waiting for the best day
- I’ll start in the summer
- I’m too tired
Unfortunately, using delay tactics like these will not achieve anything at all, let alone any kind of success. Waiting until you know more about it, or when something-or-other is ‘perfect’, will only doom you ultimately to failure.
Being honest to yourself is the starting point. Admit to being lazy or procrastinating, then throw caution to the wind and begin in a serious, focused manner.
Start Today. Do It Now.
I know from my own experience that making a good income from Internet Marketing is not easy. Stark testimony to this fact can be seen from the comparatively few people that are doing so, despite the many that try.
However, for those who are truly committed, the rewards can be absolutely staggering.
In my own professional career, I have held many senior positions. The last one being a senior client solutions architect in the field of enterprise IT systems for large world-wide corporations. And, as is common practice with many professions, when I have needed to acquire an understanding in an area in which I have had little or no previous experience, I would engage with someone who did have the necessary knowledge and experience.
To be guided by someone who already has expertise in a specific area ensures that you will begin on the right path and also avoid the frustration, doubts and mistakes often encountered as part of the normal process of learning.
Of course, what I am really alluding to here is the importance of engaging with a mentor as soon as you can. And as this blog is specifically about Internet Marketing, the ongoing costs of trying to find you own way through are quite often considerably more than they really need to be before you start to see any income from your efforts.
A lot of people give up with Internet Marketing precisely because they have taken what turns out to be a very hard route of attempting to do it all themselves, without realizing the tremendous cost in terms of money and their time – and leave with very little advancement of their understanding. Most walk away convinced that making money on-line is not possible and is just all a big scam. Quite often these people are also left with their hard drives bulging with gigabytes of courses, plug-ins and many other ‘Bright Shiny Objects’ all of which claim to be key to making millions of dollars on-line.
A good mentor is someone who is already successful and well respected in the industry. Someone who can show that their business has been built and is continuing to grow by using the exact same methods they teach.
This is the reason why I have invested in Dean Holland’s iPro Program.
As with many pursuits in life, there are two ways to learn:
- The Hard way
- The Easy way
Many exponents of Option 1 believe this to be the best way as it doesn’t cost anything and is ‘real world experience’. Although I agree that ultimate success or failure can only be measured in the real world, it is untrue to claim this to be a no-cost option. Costs can be considerable, both in money and time and can quite quickly exceed the perceived high cost associated with Option 2. which is of course, the cost of a mentor. Calling it ‘easy’ is also something of a misnomer, as there really are no short cuts. Consistent systematic Action is required everyday to ensure you are heading towards your goal.
The main benefit and primary advantage of Option 2, is knowing that you have been guided down the correct path to begin with, instead of having to fight, stumble and fall before (or if) you find it by yourself, as is often the case with Option 1. But, no matter which route you choose to take, joining the ranks of the successful high income earners still depends very much on your own efforts and how much you really do want it.
I wish there were short cuts, but even those who seem to be overnight successes, had to pay their dues in some way. As we all must do if we want to achieve our dreams. Many who appear seemingly out of nowhere all have some kind of back-story and have most probably spent a number of years learning the ropes and getting themselves established.
For those prepared to stick at it and commit to do what is required, I believe that Internet Marketing is one of the best ways an individual can empower themselves to gain a substantial income and establish a real long-lasting business. And, with respect to my previous comments, it is also one of the easiest. Comparatively speaking, of course.
Being aware that a lot of work is still required, I believe that Internet Marketing can provide a smoother path to financial freedom than virtually any other method that exists today.
So, what about you – are you prepared to do what it takes to grab your own share of this pie?
