Making Money with Affiliate Marketing

Hydra Network.. above and beyond

2008-02-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

Hydra Network is slowing going to the top of my all time best affiliate networks.

Why? Easy, they are helpful, communicative, and have an abundant amount of offers.

Everyday they release 3 to 10 new campaigns, usually always exclusive ones that I have not seen elsewhere. Hydra also makes it a fact to always email you of any updates, including the new offers, but also campaign deactivations.

If it was up to me, Hydra Network would be the only affiliate I would use, but you always need to spread around, especially to get certain offers.

Proxies Proxies Proxies

2008-01-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

Yes, i know... proxies are not affiliate marketing.

Wait... yes they are.

I see proxies everyday cluttered with Adsense. Adsense is great for proxies, since it can be easily customizable to fit into the layout, and make it look like its just normal text. See http://www.unblockyourlife.net/ for example, as well as http://www.iloveproxies.info. These sites seem to be doing fine with Adsense. I noticed Unblock Your Life has included an email submission campaign on the proxified pages, that is a great idea. Users will see it, get interested, and more than likely give their email. For what could take 20 clicks with Adsense, easy revenue was just generated.

Starting a proxy site is relatively easy, there are many free scripts such as PHProxy, CGI Proxy, etc. Getting visitors to the site is the tricky part because of how large the market is already.

All in all, Proxy sites can be a viable source of income for webmasters, and when fine tuned with affiliate links, generate a steady stream of income.

Some notable sites:
http://www.unblockyourlife.net/
http://www.iloveproxies.info/
http://www.proxyheaven.net/

Go ahead... read other's blogs

2008-01-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Now, no one throw a fit, I am not saying to still idea's from other people, but we are in this together, that is what some people fail to realize. There isn't really any competition in the affiliate marketing industry, so go around, read some others blogs, and get some new ideas on how to promote your products.

The market will always be there, its whether or not you are ready to expand into different areas of it. There are many unique ideas I see by other bloggers out there that I was thinking about trying, but I never got around to it.

I am working on developing new ideas to make money in this industry everyday, anyone can! Try blogging, email marketing, websites, the possibilities are endless! Don't give up easily, thats my number 1 advice.

Advertise... in the right places

2008-01-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

This post is for those who own, and make money, via websites.

You will obviously want to drive users to your site, but the quality, and loyalty of those users depends on where they are coming from. You can try Adsense, but there are certainly more reliable, and cheaper ways to gain visitors to your site besides that.

For example- you own a sports related website. Though it may be common sense (but I see this done all the time), do you really think you will get traffic by buying ad space on a "make-up" related website? No. And if you do, odds are they will never come back. Loyalty is missing with that purchase. You would however get the quality traffic from say purchasing ads on a "Sporting Goods" website.

I know this may seem like basic knowledge, but I see the strangest ads on unrelated pages (that I know aren't AdSense ads).

Take this into consideration next time when you are thinking about advertising.

New Year.. New Niches

2008-01-01T12:36:00.000-08:00

That's right guys, its finally 2008! Hopefully everyone had an enjoyable and safe New Years.

Now its time to start getting back in the game again. This year, make it a priority to try different niche's, you never know which one will make it big for you (or which one will fail miserably). Speaking of failing, don't let that scare you! You won't always be raking in the money daily, unless you find the perfect niche. Check out Hydra Network's new campaigns, they are adding a lot of nice ones daily which I find to be very helpful.

Don't be afraid to try niche's you have never heard of either! Test first with AdWords, and if all is well, do some research and create webpages. Hydra has perfect campaigns to do this with.

Good luck in the new year!

Hosting Reviews

2007-12-25T09:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs hosting to market their products, well here are my takes on 3 major hosts:

1) PowWeb
Their service is beyond superior, they are always ready to help you out whenever you need it. One gripe I do have with PowWeb is that the are very slow sometimes. It doesn't matter what you have on your site, sometimes it ends up loading slow. This isn't an everyday thing, but something to look into none the less. I recommend them to everyone I talk to. Check PowWeb out.

2) GoDaddy
Ah, everyone has heard of GoDaddy! And for good reasons too, they are one of the best out there. There mainly known for their domain registrations, however their hosting is growing. Be warned that their hosting is like nothing you have used before, but it is still good.

3) Start Logic
Another great host, with great support. I have not noticed any slow loading like that of PowWeb, however, StartLogic does have a weird function that shuts down your site after a lot of CPU usage. Oh well, doesn't happen to often.

Happy Holidays!

A Couple things to check out

2007-12-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

TFL Network Webmasters Forum
New webmasters forum, looks promising, but it needs more members! Also has an "Incentive Site" section. It defiantly needs more members before it puts up any sort of competition.

Hydra Network
Great affiliate network. Many unique offers to push. They have THE BEST affiliate managers to ever work on this earth. Payments have NEVER been delayed.

AdWords
Great stuff. I have been using them more and more lately.

Happy Holidays to all!

Don't let others bring you down!

2007-12-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

Some things I have noticed along the way is that you can't really listen to others, per say. Don't get me wrong, if you are looking for advice, okay, but if others are telling you what you are doing is bad, stupid, weird, etc., don't listen to them! You are in this for yourself and no one else.

My one suggestion about advice, is read others blogs! These are people that know what they are doing well enough to go ahead and start writing about it. Consider this like a meeting, where you are finding out new ideas, and learning to expand your online ventures.

Don't brag, often.

Yes, it's good to show off your accomplishments, but unless someone asks you, how would you feel if someone was showing you that they are making alot more then you are? Not to good I would imagine.

Use the holidays to your advantage!

2007-12-13T14:09:00.000-08:00

This isn't just the season for giving, it's the season for earning as well! And not just the December holidays, but also holidays like Valentines Days and 4th of July.. use them to your advantage!

There are plenty of Christmas related campaigns out now, such as the My Christmas Adventure DVD and Boca Java Christmas Connoisseur campaigns on Hydra Network and Neverblue Ads networks. These are great offers that have been converting well for me on Adsense and through email marketing.

People are always searching for holiday related things during every holiday, so why not make even more of a profit? We saw the Cyber Monday profits sky rocket this year, and my Christmas campaigns are doing the same as well.

So whenever a holiday comes around.. use it to your advantage! Try to promote specific products geared towards the particular holiday, whatever one it may be.

Talk to Your AM (Affiliate Manager)

2007-12-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

They are people too. And yes, they control how much you can make (or how little). Their job is to talk, so why not help them along?

From my experiences, Hydra and Neverblue have the best AM's, ever. They are willing to not only talk to you, but obviously, help you as well. I just recently got a Holiday card from Neverblue, quite a nice thing, just to show they care about their affiliates.

If they are up for it, going out for a cup of coffee or lunch never hurts, as I've said, these people are more important to you than you think.

Search Marketing (PPC) 101

2007-12-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

Ah search marketing, doesn't it seem like all the "cool kids" do it? Well, yes, they do, because they know it can be profitable.. IF DONE THE RIGHT WAY.

So what is the "right" way then?
Okay, lets do a little test. I went to Google and typed in "credit card" and 18 SPONSORED RESULTS came up. Now I typed in "natural herbs" and only 3 sponsored results came up. See the point I am making? But its up to YOU to find that "perfect" niche, whatever it may be. The point: don't promote a product/service that you see everyone else is, that is going to get you nowhere but to your bank crying because AdWords or whoever is draining your account and you are not generating and sales or leads.

So how much is the "right" amount to spend?
Well, before you start spending $1000+ a day, do some tests. Spend no more than $50 a day to start, and if you see that you are generating a fair amount of revenue, start increasing the amount slowly, and, obviously, you will start to see your revenue and profit increase as well. When first starting, don't invest to much until you see a return.

Who is the "right" Affiliate Network to use?
Any! However, some networks have campaigns set up specifically for PPC advertising. Sites like Hydra Network, Neverblue Ads and Click Booth are those sites (and the sites I like to use for PPC). Theres plenty of other networks you can use, but those, like I said, have some campaigns that are just perfect to use for PPC marketing.

So that's basically it in a nutshell.

If you have anymore questions, comment them and I'll answer!

Things to do while you're making money

2007-11-29T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here are some things I like to do in my "downtime" when my revenue is rising and I am getting bored.

1) Play poker

Play Online Poker

Ah, one of the funnest things to do online. Full Tilt is the poker room i recommend to all! Lots of players, VERY QUICK payments, and a great set up. Join FULL TILT!

2) Forex Trading

Yes, risk is involved as always, but the chance of profit is even greater! My personnel favorite, Easy Forex, has been doing the trick for me lately! If you like economics, and like making money, Easy Forex is the program for you.

3) eBay

Good old eBay. Whatever you want, or have to sell, you can make money from them. Join this program and learn how to make huge profits, without even having anything to sell!

4) Shopping
Shopping is always fun, here are some products I think are worthy of checking out just in time for the holidays!

SpoofCard's unique calling card allows users to place secure and anonymous calls by changing the number that appears on a recipient's Caller ID! SpoofCard also offers a realtime voice changer and free call recording.

VF Smoothie Meal Replacement System. . Free trial includes 2 free gifts including 1 month of personal weight loss coaching.

Print postage from your home or office PC! Create stamps with your personal photo choice on them!. This campaign is a Rockstar!

There you have it! Expect a post with some nice affiliate marketing tips soon!

Incentive Marketing - The Great Debate

2007-11-25T07:14:00.000-08:00

I am sure you all have heard about the "incentive" side of affiliate marketing, and I am sure you have heard Hydra, Neverblue, Max Bounty and Click Booth and many others not accepting, or very selectively, accepting new incentive publishers. Why though? Well, sadly enough, there are some incentive publishers that generate poor leads- whether that consists of fraud or duplicate completions.

So you may be saying, "Okay, so stay clear of incentive marketing"... WRONG. There is no reason to stay away from it, if you are ready to put in the time, incentive marketing can make you, if not more, money than regular marketing. COPEAC, CPA Storm, Instant Dollarz, and Revenue Universe are some of the biggest incentive publishers and still gladly accept new signups. It is YOUR JOB to keep fraud from happening. If not, your affiliates will drop you, withhold payments, and other things until you can prove that you are ready to combat fraud.

The thing with incentive marketing is that it is more customer interaction. You HAVE customers to cater too now. Your customers sign up, complete an offer, refer friends, and you have to compensate them for doing so. They may ask you questions, ask for help, and you need to be polite and help them as much as you can, or there is a possibly they won't refer to your site, causing you to lose customers, and profit.

There are scripts that set up incentive sites for you, the one I use is http://www.scripts.freebielifescripts.net. Very helpful, and its looks nice too! For example of incentive sites, you can check out http://www.anyfreepaypal.com, http://www.100.thefreebielife.com, http://www.key2free.com/prizes or http://www.anyfreehdtv.com. There are plenty of other incentive sites, but thats just to name a few!

So has I said, incentive marketing can be very profitable, if done correctly. You will see at first, it may be very time consuming. You need to advertise, advertise, advertise! Good luck!

PPC Advertising - Does it work?

2007-11-23T21:31:00.000-08:00

I personnely am not a fan, but i see this forum of advertising affiliate links growing more and more each date.

Sites like Hydra, Neverblue, and Click Booth are now running campaigns and GIVING you keyword lists to use.

Though I am not a fan, I have tried my share at PPC (Pay per click for those who don't know) advertising. I really don't see what all the fuss is about. True if you want to target your ads it can be helpful, but be ready to have to spend to earn (few posts down).

I recommend.. Google Adwords. Surprise surprise. As much as Google is taking over the net, this is a great service I must recommend. But like I said... you need to spend to earn. Make sure to read my previous post about money management. For another great Google related product, check out Google SEO Supervisor. I truly enjoyed what this product had to offer.

So yes, PPC advertising can be profitable, but it would not be something I would focus on as my number one priority of advertising.

Review of Hydra Network

2007-11-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

One of the oldest affiliate sites out there, yet still, one of, if not.. THE BEST.

Recently, I had some issues with payment, and spoke to my AM for hours in order to get it resolved. At the end of the day, it was, and in a kind fashion as well. Hydra Network has been great towards me, no matter how annoying I can be.

There offers, a lot of exclusives I may add, are some of the top paying in the industry.

Hydra's interface is also very well done, and their reports are by far some of the best I have seen.

If I had to give them a rating out of 10, it would probably be a 9.5 (Hey, the day I see a perfect 10 affiliate, pig's will be flying).

So if you aren't signed up with Hydra yet, get to it!

Money Management

2007-10-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

In my previous post I mentioned the fact that you might not make money right away, and that you have to SPEND money to GET money.

This holds true for all types of affiliate marketing, incentive and non-incentive.

The key to making money, is getting the best rates for the offers you promote. It does not matter whether you are promoting a $1.00 offer or a $50.00 offer - SEARCH FOR THE BEST RATES! I have noticed that NeverBlue Ads, COPEAC, CPA Storm, Instant Dollarz, adFinity offer higher than average rates, and that's why I use them.

Some examples for non-incentive expenses would be: AdWords, Search Marketing, Email Marketing, etc. Remember, you want to make a profit, but you need to find a way to advertise. So, if you are promoting a product that gets you $25/lead, spend no more then $100.00 of advertising, odds are that you will get at least 4 leads to break even.

Incentive marketing is a whole different story. As you can see on sites like http://www.100.thefreebielife.com/, http://www.anyfreemacbook.com/, and http://www.key2free.com/diy/, users sign up and complete the offers, but also get a reward for doing so. Obviously, there is still profit to be made, but less than that of non-incentive. If you have a script like http://www.scripts.freebielifescripts.net/ and want to give incentive marketing a try, you must learn how to weight your offers properly. Offers must be weighted to allow for MINIMAL TO NO PROFIT on each completion. No, I am not crazy, but in the long run, this is the only way you will succeed. For example, if you are paying out $40/credit.. and have 2 offers that you get paid $18.00/lead for, you will want to weight those at .5 credit a piece.

Yes, the incentive marketing sounds crazy, and it is. I will make a post later explaining incentive marketing in full detail.

Incentive vs. Non-incentive Affiliate Marketing

2007-10-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

First, lets define the difference between incentive and non incentive marketing.

Incentive Marketing
What makes incentive marketing unique is that you give your users a reward for signing up for leads, offers, etc. An example of an "Incentive Site" would be: http://www.always4free.net/ or http://www.anyfreeps3.com/. As you see, users sign up, complete offers, and get rewarded. I am sure you have also heard of Get Paid Too sites where you get money for completing offers (no they are not a scam).

Non Incentive Marketing
Non incentive marketing offers no rewards to customers trying ads, meaning it is 100% profit (not counting advertising fee's). It can be as simple as placing an ad on one of your websites.

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How I succeed..
As always, I do a little bit of both types of marketing, which allows for maximum profit. I suggest you do the same, you will be happy you did.

If you would like a referral or points script for incentive marketing, I suggest you check out http://www.scripts.freebielifescripts.net/. It is the script I use, and for a great price.

I couldn't say which way is better, both have their up sides and downsides, but do not be surprised if at first you have to SPEND MONEY to earn money. I will make a post about this later.

Signing up on Affiliate Sites

2007-10-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

The first step to starting affiliate marketing is by, of course, signing up for affiliates.

Some affiliates that I use are:

NeverBlue Ads
NeverBlue Ads is one of the leaders in the business, offering the highest payouts and quickest support.

COPEAC
COPEAC is a trustworthy affiliate who always pays on time. They have tons of pages of offers for you to promote, including lead and submission offers.

CPA Storm
CPA Storm has many exclusive offers on their network which other companies do not. They offer some of the best support in the business, and have high payouts.

Instant Dollarz
Instant Dollarz has more offers than anyone else that I have come across. They also offer high payouts, and always pay on time.

adFinity
Slowing growing, adFinity has proven to me that they are trustworthy.

After you have signed up for one, or all, you are now ready to begin promoting!

I have noticed that the more affiliates you sign up too, the bigger your profits are. Why? It allows you to always get the best rates, and the newest offers.

About me and Affiliate Marketing

2007-10-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

Affiliate marketing is on the rise again, and you could be making money by doing it!

This blog will dialog my experiences with affiliate marketing, and how I am making over $50,000 a month doing it!