PART 1 of a FIVE PART Series
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Affiliate marketing is getting another surge of popularity among people looking for a way to make money online. When the phrase niche marketing was coined, the whole world was flipped upside down. Niche marketing and affiliate marketing are really the same thing with a different name. But, there is one constant that always needs attention regardless of what you call it.
Low cost advertising.
The best way to do that is through publishing an ezine. In affiliate marketing the way to more commissions is keeping in contact with the people who actually visit your site. If you just get people to come to your site one time and leave it at that, you're not going to be able to stay in business very long.
There needs to be a way to control your advertising costs. If you have to advertise for each visitor and then spend money again to get them to visit your site again and again and again before they make a purchase your return on your investment will be dismal, if any.
How does an ezine help build affiliate commissions and profits?
Before I answer that question, let's define an ezine in the simplest of terms. An ezine is really an email that is set up to keep in contact with website visitors so they will remember you. In it's simplest form, that's what an ezine really is. People can come up with very wordy, highly sophisticated definitions, but really it's a way to keep in touch with website visitors. That's why they are powerful in keeping advertising costs down.
For example, let's say Joe Internet comes to your site from one of your ads and reads one your articles. He likes the information and really wants more. If you're offering an ezine that he can subscribe to that will deliver great content, he'll do it.
How do you publish an ezine for affliate commissions?
A lot of people think that if you just republish and bunch of articles, put in a bunch of affliate links and send out three or four issues a week, the commissions will come rolling in. Unfortunately that's not the case. Writing and publishing an affiliate ezine for your niche website does require some originality, relevancy, and some 'less is more' strategy.
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Originality
One of the things that can set your affliate marketing business apart from the rest of the people in your niche is to be original. Be the expert.
Provide content that people can't find anywhere else. If your site in on fly-fishing, create a how-to article on tieing flies for trout in the late summer. Or show someone how to set up their own home theater, or develop a new workout plan to get in shape. Creating new and original articles is the fastest way to expert status. If you can become an expert, then affiliate commissions are much easier to earn.
Originality should be the main focus of your affiliate ezine.
Relevancy
This should be know without saying, but a lot of ezines just aren't hitting their target reader. If your niche site is about harnessing wind power for electricity, then why do an article on building a greenhouse? This isn't just something I made up, this actually happens. It might sound like it's ok, but that ezine didn't generate any revenue for the publisher. Why? Because it had nothing to do with why people signed up.
Which brings me to the main point of relevancy. People sign up for your newsletter for one reason. That being the main topic of your site.
I recently signed up for an article marketing course to see what other people had to say about this subject. It is 50 parts long and by a respected marketer. I kind of like the information, but most of it is pretty far off the mark. Nothing to do with article marketing. A little bit frustrating when you spend the time to read something and find out it isn't what you needed.
Your readers are already pressed for time. Give them something they need to read. Which is another great benefit, and reason, for being original.
Less is more
If there is one thing that I wish people would understand about ezine publishing is general it is this concept of less is more.
There is a fine line when dealing with people within the internet community. That line is called time. If you cross over the acceptable level of time use, you won't have another chance. This less is more strategy should be used throughout your entire ezine.
Content
Provide great content but without all the fluff. Get to the point and provide bullets to help provide supporting information.
Affiliate links
Yes, this is an ezine for an affiliate site. That doesn't give you the green light to load your ezine up with a bunch of ads for several different products. You would get a much better response if you only included a few affiliate links that dealt specifically with that issue's content.
Is your ezine issue about creating a workout routine for building stronger arms? Then provide some affiliate links for products like dumbbells, preacher curl machines, or strength bands. These products would fit in with your article and provide a route for the reader to get the things they need.
Publishing frequency
Want to kill your ezine quick? Send out more than one issue a week.
Want to make sure your ezine lasts a long time? One issue a week, or better yet every two weeks. People just don't have the time, or the ambition, to read ezines all the time. Even if you provide the best information.
I highly recommend once every two weeks for the greatest results. Upon switching to this publishing frequency, the increase in profits was instant.
An ezine is the best way to lower your advertising costs while keeping a steady flow of visitors coming to your site and buying from you. Part two of this series will focus more on the 'how-to' in creating a high commission earning ezine.
Read Part 2 here
Tim Bossie is the owner of Guaranteed-Ads.com and specializes in providing quality content for affiliates and niche marketers. Check out the much sought after services today and start earning more profits quickly.
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