TOS Affiliates' Corner

Technology is a slippery thing. Think about a water balloon fight and the awkward feeling of trying to hold and balance that wet blob of motion as it fights to wiggle free from your grip.  That’s how technology is. Just when you think you have a grasp on it, it slips through your hands and some new thing is flying at you demanding your quick response.

As an affiliate marketer you are in a very fluid medium. We have to think on our feet. Anticipate change and have an attitude that faces new developments with an open mind. The internet is constantly evolving, laws are changing and affiliates are taking new directions in their marketing strategies. Despite what the media would tell you, new opportunities are opening up all around us. As the technology grows, our ability to promote our online companies will also change. In fact, merchants are making adjustments too. Changing how they do business to accommodate an ever changing market.

Technology has always been a frightening concept to some. Those who fear change are content.  Any new advancement can seem threatening to their way of life. I think it’s been this way since the first invention. Some probably jumped with excitement while others shook in fear.

By now you have probably heard that TOS is facing some major changes as we transition to a digital only magazine. We know the huge potential for success in this medium and we are extremely excited about the future and the growing ability to serve more homeschoolers (even world-wide) at a deeper, more interactive, level.

Still, to some this new announcement may be a bit scary. It could shake their perceptions of what reading is, how it can be done and what that reading experience can involve. That’s why we need a pro-active affiliate team who sees this fear and doesn’t cave to it, but pushes through it to shine a light on the many positive improvements that change often brings.

As we go forward we need affiliates who can ease the transition with the same excitement that we feel. Of course, we need to respect the customer’s jitters in the face of change but let’s work to enthusiastically inspire them to give the digital version a try. Once they experience the progression of this amazing source of encouragement we know they will be as hooked and eager for this new adventure in publishing as we are.

Thank you for sticking with us and believing in the vision God has given us to grow TOS into an outstanding resource of encouragement and inspiration for homeschool families.

Please let me know if you need any ideas for promoting our digital magazine. I’m always happy to help.

“First I shake the whole apple tree, that the ripest might fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each limb, and then each branch and then each twig, and then I look under each leaf.” ~Martin Luther

This is a great principle to apply to many areas of your life, including your approach to affiliate marketing. Let’s simplify and break this quote down bit by bit and see what we can learn.

First, let’s shake the whole apple tree. Okay . . . but who (or what) is “the whole apple tree” to the affiliate marketer? Well, in our case, the “apple” is a banner or text link. Therefore, the apple tree is simply the product or company. In our case, the whole apple tree is The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine.

Let’s begin by shaking things up and asking ourselves some questions about The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine. Spend some time getting to know “the whole tree.” Ask yourself important questions. Do you know the history and the heart and mission of TOS? Are you a subscriber? Have you ever read the magazine? If not, please read this FREE digital sample and get to know the product. The more you know our heart, the better you can sell our message. Here’s another tip: TOS is a Christian company with foundations deeply rooted in the Word. Take a look there, too, and examine the principles and ideas that drive this company. Feed your mind with Colossians 3:23.

Second, how do you know when the apple is ripe? What makes some apples more ripe than others? Is there anything we can do to help them all ripen beautifully? Well, since we already know that the “apple” is the banner, we also know that banners can become invalid or inactive. Others are active but don’t really convert that well. There are many factors that help an apple ripen. One of the biggest factors is location. Farmers will tell you that apples with the best access and exposure to the sun, unhidden by layers of heavy leaves, are usually the healthiest and ripest fruit. The same is true for the affiliate banner. Ask yourself, are you placing your banners in the best location? If they are hidden, they might not reach their full potential. Also, an attentive farmer marks when the tree begins to blossom and can anticipate when ripening will occur. Similarly, an affiliate must always be attentive to the start and end dates of each promotion. If banners are frequently outdated, visitors will be trained to ignore them altogether. This is never a good thing.

Third, what is “the limb” we need to climb out on? Can we shake too hard? What are the “twigs” and “branches” in affiliate marketing? What additional “leaves” can we turn over? Simply, the limb is the risk or the adventure. We need to be daring, personal, and unafraid to connect with our audience. Don’t be afraid to tell them why they are going to love “x, y, or z”. Can we shake too hard? If you are sincere, I don’t think you can. However, if you are fake, you’ll be spotted in a nanosecond (and lose readers in half that time). Be real. If it’s a really good thing that you truly believe in, share about it until your heart is content. If you aren’t sold . . . respect me, and don’t try to sell me on it either.

As for the “twigs, branches, and leaves”, they are all of the outshoots of the company that you can pull from to seek profit. For example, maybe your readers aren’t interested in the magazine (Really? Is that even possible?). Maybe they want to know how to market to the homeschooling niche. Perhaps you could promote To Market, To Market —Selling to the Home Education Sector. Maybe you have a friend who doesn’t even homeschool but has a child with special needs and can’t seem to stay on top of all the scheduling demands that go with his care. The 2011-12 Special Needs Schoolhouse Planner could be her answer to prayer. Maybe you know a science teacher who can’t get his class excited about the lesson. The Curiosity Files™ are never short on excitement, and the perfect unit study resources for children with a million questions and loads of energy to burn. Those are just a few of the ways you can target a twig, branch, or leaf and see where it can take you.

Final thoughts and the truth about apples:

Apples, like banners, fade with time. They are limited. Apples are consumable. Whether you use them to make apple pie, save the seeds to grow an orchard, or compost the remains and call it a day, they all require time, effort, and attention. Give them your best and see what grows.

Remember, the more you put in, the greater the harvest.

This time I thought I’d answer some of the questions affiliates have been emailing me. This way everyone can benefit from the curiosity of others. Affiliate questions are below in blue.

How do you post an affiliate link on Twitter?

Here are some steps I recommend for the beginner:

• First find a text link in SAS.

For example, 312189 says: <a href=”http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=312189&u=insertyour affiliatecodehere&m=9286&urllink=&afftrack=“>Warehouse Wipeout!</a>

Note: It will not show the actual text on Twitter. It will simply be a link that will take them to the store for the product, and track sales and cookies to your affiliate account.

• Pull the link within the quotation marks and leave the rest.
• Paste it into a Word doc.
• See the number in light blue? That’s your product number.
• See the number in green? That’s our merchant number.
• Now, insert your affiliate code where instructed and delete the words. Return code to one color.
• Paste that link into bitly at https://bitly.com/ to shorten the link and make it more Twitter-friendly.
• Type what you want to say and add the shortened link at the end.
• Test it!
• Tweet it!

That’s it. Obviously, this is a beginner approach. Once you’ve done this a few times you can skip some of the steps above as you get comfortable with the process. Please let me know if you need any more help.

You can also use this link on Facebook or even in your email signature (just DON’T SPAM).

Is it okay to post affiliate links within a review?

This is more of an ethical taboo than a legal no-no. Ethically speaking, I advise against using affiliate links in a product review for products you have received for free. If you purchased the item and are reviewing it, go right ahead and include those links wherever you would like.

When you have received an item for free, it is considered somewhat tacky to try to earn more off of that free gift. Now, it is acceptable to include sidebar links of products you’ve reviewed that may include affiliate links. If the review is of a free product, always try to keep the review section itself free of ads that would profit you. Make sense?

If you click your own affiliate link do you get credit?

Yes, you do. All of our affiliate links are pay-per-sale ads. Usually the only time an affiliate is asked not to click her own banners is if she is using a pay-per-click ad, because that would be considered fraud. We have no such ads in our program, so providing the product is kept and not returned, affiliates will always get credit for any sales (from the TOS section of the store) regardless of who the customer is.

Please don’t ever be afraid to ask a question. Remember what we tell our children: “Asking questions is how we learn.” Let’s learn from each other. Maybe your question will open the door to a new discovery or set our team in a new direction for affiliate success.

(Continued from last week)

Are you ready for more information on The Schoolhouse Store? Here’s the second list of categories that are available for affiliate commission:

• Schoolhouse Planners- Wow! Have you seen our 2011-12 Schoolhouse Planners? We’ve truly outdone ourselves. This is like no planner you’ve ever seen before. Moms will have over 800 pages worth of calendars, lists, forms and more to plan for home and school endeavors. Primary to high school students will find planners packed with forms, lists, calendars and articles distinctive to the needs and their specific age level. Plus, we’ve added the brand new 2011-12 Special Needs Schoolhouse Planner that provides parents of special needs children that extra helping hand. Our 2011-12 Schoolhouse Planners are here with customizable features parents are sure to love.
• TOS E-Books- This is where you’ll find the E-Book: To Market, To Market—Selling To The Home Education Sector, E-Book: Someplace Called Special – A Look at Homeschooling Special Needs Children, the holiday favorite, E-Book: Cranberry Christmas and many more. E-books in this category range from $1-49.95 giving you lots of opportunities to appeal to your readers interests and make a commission.
• TOS Books- Meet Splish, our favorite frog from the endearing children’s book,  And Then Mama said . . .It Takes Time to Learn to Read written by Gena Suarez and Illustrated by Kevin Collier.
• TOS Audio Books- Five products are in this category including A Night With John Taylor Gatto and Secrets of Successful Homeschooling.
• TOS Gift Items-  Check out our totes and t-shirts here. Every mom loves our TOS Homeschooling with Heart tote bag. This polycanvas tote with snap closure and shoulder-length handles is perfect for a trip to the beach, library, or support group meeting. Some moms even collect them!
• TOS Products on CD- Do you think your readers might enjoy a CD version of our products. We have those too.
• TOS Advertising- Do you know someone with a business or product that appeals to homeschoolers? Encourage them to advertise with The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. With ad spaces ranging from $325- $2,360 promoting these marketing opportunities could make a great addition to your affiliate income.
• New Homeschooler Bundles™-  This is a wonderful product to promote, especially for affiliates who are also support group leaders. If you find that your readership tends toward the uneasy beginners, then this is the resource for them.  We offer a preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, multi-level and special needs bundle to reassure new homeschoolers and start them off on the right foot with the very best resources and tools we have to offer.

There are so many options you’ll be amazed!

3.  The Schoolhouse Store also features freebies and reviews. Remember, any push into the store will work to an affiliate’s advantage. Once they catch a glimpse of the quality products we offer and the low prices they can enjoy, the eye will take over and sales will be made.

4. The Schoolhouse Expo is another excellent item to promote to your visitors. Whether promoting mp3s of previous expos, Expo bundles or upcoming events, these are something your readers will truly get excited about. Each event is loaded with valuable encouragement that homeschool moms crave. What’s not to love about a convention you can attend from the comforts of your home and in the leisurely attire of your favorite pjs?

5. Don’t forget the Homeschool Dollar Store. This section is a huge hit. Times are hard and anything that helps the budget is an answer to prayer. Your readers will find great values here and they’ll build trust and appreciation for you when you share this useful information with them.

There are endless possibilities for TOS affiliates. Hopefully your creativity has been sparked and you’re motivated to get busy and showcase the many wonderful features of The Schoolhouse Store.