Have you ever flown a kite? If you have, you know that there are two ways to do it. In the first way, you open the box, pull out the pre-assembled kite, grab hold of the pre-wound string, and start running against the wind. A serious kite flyer knows that this method has its limits: Your kite is restricted by the amount of string you have available. But here in Oklahoma we understand that, given enough string, those winds can carry a kite pretty high.
We have three kinds of people on our affiliate team. The first type hears there is an “easy” way to make money online simply by promoting products she likes and uses. She is a fan of The Old Schoolhouse®; she reads the magazine and is active in the online communities via HomeschoolBlogger and Facebook. With eager excitement she clicks on that link and fills out a form on ShareASale. She picks a banner or two and places them on her sidebar, but she never makes a cent. The banners expire and she barely even notices because (like her audience) she’s failed to even see the banner. This is a lot like the person who buys a kite but never opens the box or steps outside. This affiliate has lost interest and, in time, she forgets she even signed up for the program. Then, when an email newsletter comes out or a new promotion looks really great, she can become like the unfortunate person who pulls out the kite when the wind is completely still and fights endlessly without success just to get liftoff. This person becomes frustrated and usually walks away.
Then we have the second type of affiliate, who uses what she is given and has a good time. She approaches affiliate marketing with gusto and fun. She blogs about products and promotions, keeps her banners fresh and, with some effort, she gets off the ground and sails on the breeze. Then when the winds die down, she packs up and goes home.
We also have the third type of affiliate, who wants a little more. Okay, a lot more. She is packing string and willing to add a bit to what was originally supplied and work to bring her “kite” to new heights and increase her potential.
Let’s work as a team and get out of the box.
As always, we respect and appreciate your word of mouth whether it’s a whisper or a shout, but please don’t let great opportunities pass you by. Get out there and create a buzz. Affiliate marketing, like flying a kite, can be super fun.
Have you ever noticed that there are some kites you have to be right next to before you even spot them in the sky and others you can see a mile away? Here are some great resources and tips that will add some “string” to what we are already providing and help you increase your visibility and enable you to soar to new heights:
- ShareASale offers free webinars for affiliates. Register here.
- Visit blogs of interest. Here are a few great ones:
- Poll your readers. Ask them a couple targeted questions every now and then so you can learn what types of products would appeal to them.
- Test banners. Don’t just leave banners on your blog that aren’t working. If they don’t convert, replace them . . . quickly.
- Join an affiliate forum and chat with other affiliates about how they achieve success.
- Keep blogging and building quality content your readers will return for.
- Be trustworthy. Do I say that enough?
- Don’t forget social media. Use it to “promote” but don’t “sell” there. Be personal and friendly while generating interest, and provide an occasional affiliate link. This has a better outcome than pitching a product aggressively on Facebook or Twitter.
- Improve your rankings. List your keywords, and choose them wisely.
- Be careful about what sites you visit and where you research. Affiliate marketers don’t always play fair, and some just want to sell you their stuff. Affiliate marketing should not cost you anything but time (and maybe a good website). Even if something is offered for “free,” be aware of what information you are giving to obtain that resource.
Alright, affiliates, are you ready? Cue music . . .
Oh, oh, oh!
Let’s go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring . . .
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