Internet Marketing Writing Sample - Wendy Betterini

Affiliate Marketing Tips - Avoid These Mistakes

Promoting products and services as an affiliate (promoting other people's products for a commission) on the internet is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to make money online. You simply direct targeted prospects to the offer without having to worry about product delivery, processing refunds or customer service. The vendor takes care of all the "dirty work" - you just cash your affiliate checks!

However, affiliate marketing is not always as easy as some people make it out to be. Below are some of the common mistakes that new affiliate marketers make:

- Trying to "Sell" the Product

As an affiliate, your job is to warm up the prospect and put them into a receptive state of mind that makes them more likely to buy. Many new affiliates forget this and instead fill their blog or website with lots of hype and "salesy" language. Unfortunately, most people don't like to be "sold" to. They can tell instantly if you are trying to push them into buying something.

Instead, you want to provide lots of great information and benefit-driven language that warms your visitors to the idea of what they will gain from the products you provide. One good way to do this is by offering objective reviews of products. Use the product yourself and share your results. Share your thoughts on why you think it's good, and even include a few things you didn't care for - but make these minor issues, nothing that would turn off your prospects.

- Driving Un-Targeted Traffic

Many new affiliates think that any traffic is good traffic, but your prospects are much more likely to buy if they have an interest in what you are promoting! If you really want to be successful as an affiliate marketer, devote most of your time to creating TARGETED traffic to your site or blog. Where do your most likely prospects hang out and how can you get your message in front of them? The more targeted your traffic is, the more sales you make!

- Not Building a Subscriber List

Another big mistake new affiliates make is failing to offer a way to keep in contact with their visitors. Set up an autoresponder form on your website or blog so you can send more information to your prospects. It's often helpful to offer a free ebook or short guide to new subscribers to increase opt-ins. Once people have signed up to your list, you can then keep sending them great information on your subject, along with targeted affiliate offers.

Like anything else, affiliate marketing requires a learning curve in order to fully master it. Just remember that your prospects are seeking a solution to their problems, and your job is to deliver that solution to them, in the form of products and services they would find valuable.