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Newbie Shield
Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 2226
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#21 · Posted: 1 Jun 2009 23:22
anitahd: I have been trying affiliate marketing for 3 months now. I bought MOIS and OWM and use them, but still something must be missing because I have 0 sales. I think maybe I am not trying hard enough. I only have 6 articles at Ezine and some at a few other places, but I have 19 active lenses at Squidoo, 16 ads at US free ads, 4 blogs and 2 websites.
Hi Anita,
I don't know how long you've been studying online marketing, but it takes at least six months to begin to grasp the fundamentals. Perhaps you learned a little and dove into the implementation and monetization phase a bit prematurely.
It may be wise to go back and better master the concepts in MOIS and OWM as well as reading from online marketing sites and forums for a while longer before taking action.
Be sure to complete and master the free 30 Day Challenge:
www.thirtydaychallenge.com
Be sure to learn SEO, keyword research, driving traffic, and conversions for starters. Learn the rest of the basic concepts as well. Ask questions on this forum and Google other concepts if you need more information.
It sounds to me like you might have jumped in the water a bit early. Just climb out, dry off, and bask in the teachings for a while longer 
Spend another three or four months in learning mode. Then experiment. Enjoy the process and try not to focus too much on the money.
~Newbie Shield~
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yahia
Forums Member
Joined: 8 Oct 2006
Posts: 220
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#22 · Posted: 2 Jun 2009 00:02
Can't agree more Newbie Shield
I may also add that if you've done everything right and still not getting enough traffic, and most importantly, sales, you might be in the wrong niche.
Put what you have done aside, and do the market research as described in my post above. This is the most important step. It is the foundation on which you'll build the campagin.
About building a list ... I think this will be my next post in this thread. Now I feel too sleepy to wright anything useful.
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mountainmom5
Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 3072
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#23 · Posted: 2 Jun 2009 00:15
Newbie Shield: It sounds to me like you might have jumped in the water a bit early. Just climb out, dry off, and bask in the teachings for a while longer
Very good advice and also I wanted to mention earlier that with the OWM, I suggest reading the Conversation with Nick again and build a new lens as you follow that. I learned so much when I did that AFTER I had already built like 20 lenses!
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William S
Forums Member
Joined: 2 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
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#24 · Posted: 2 Jun 2009 08:30
To get the most help here I would suggest laying out all your stats for us to check out. Nobody starts there first campaign of perfectly, it's like creating a clay model. at the start it's just a lump of dirt, but you tweak and add and take until you've got yourself a perfect sculpture of an... elephant? (i like elephants)
My point is, you've done some work, you have some information that you can now use (your lump of clay), now we have to find out what to twist and pull to make it look good.
So you need Conversion rates of traffic (how many visitors turn into hops)
I'll try and help you out as much as I can once you lay out all your info!
Will
p.s. I would suggest making a few sales before you decide to get aweber and build a list.
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anitahd
Forums Member
Joined: 15 Mar 2009
Posts: 29
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#25 · Posted: 2 Jun 2009 14:03
Newbie Shield, I am glad you said it takes about 6 months to grasp the fundamentals. I thought I just must be a slow learner. I do learn something new every day, but I also get caught up the all the hypey programs out there.
I started doing the 30 day challenge but somehow I must have deleted day 2, I got as far as 6 but stopped. I will go back and start over with that and see what happens.
I will try doing the step by step on the conversation with Nick and see where that leads.
So you think I should just wait on learning about building a list until I have mastered this other?
Thank you so much for all the information. Wish me luck.
Anita
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anitahd
Forums Member
Joined: 15 Mar 2009
Posts: 29
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#26 · Posted: 3 Jun 2009 18:19
Hey Newbie, I had all of the 30 day challenge in a folder in my email and today went to start doing it again (I stopped on day 6) but when I clicked on the day 6 video it takes me to a page where it says it won't start for another 5 days. So I guess I have to wait for it to start again.
I have heard so many good things about it. I get side tracked easy and wish I would've stayed with it before. This time I am determined to stay focused.
Thanks for all the help everyone,
Anita
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robinincarolina
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 517
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#27 · Posted: 3 Jun 2009 21:28
Hi Anita,
It is so much to learn, just so you know I am in month 4 I think, I lose track because I like doing this so much. I have come a long way and still have so far to go as do we all do in life. You can't rush it, and everyone here is so great. If it were not for stumbling across this forum I do not know if I would be here now. It was an accident in my case, but things happen for a reason.
Just keep learning, and in my opinion the OWM is the best investment I made. I like you still am on the 30 day challenge, but when you work full time and have to manage your life, it can be difficult to keep up with. I used to work full time anyway until Monday when I got laid off.
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anitahd
Forums Member
Joined: 15 Mar 2009
Posts: 29
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#28 · Posted: 3 Jun 2009 22:38
Hi Robin, sorry you got laid off, that must be rough.
I moved to AZ in Jan where I left a great nursing job. I have had trouble finding work in AZ with all the hiring freezes going on. I do have an interview on June 15th and am hoping to get that.
I do love learning about affiliate marketing. Too bad it isn't instant gratification like I thought it would be. I have always wanted to work from home just to have the freedom.
I have learned so much and I really enjoy writing now, whereas I hated it before. I even started writing on a book I started 6 years ago but put aside.
This forum has been a God send to me as well as the forum at MOIS. I get the best advice. People here and there are so sincere and are truthful. I really appreciate all the help I have been given.
Good luck to you too.
Anita
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yahia
Forums Member
Joined: 8 Oct 2006
Posts: 220
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#29 · Posted: 4 Jun 2009 15:38 · Edited by: yahia
I apologyize for being late. My wife had an accident and we just got back from the hospital.
About aweber Will, I don't think it is a good choice. Aweber charges you based on the number of subscribers. For the first 500 members (only) you pay $20/month, with a moderate size list like mine I would be paying $69/month. Besides it doesn't have the deliverability rate it used to have 3 years ago.
And regarding making sales first before building the list, well, it is debatable but in my opinion I strongly believe that the first outcome from any advertising effort is adding more people to my list. This is where money is.
Anyway. I'll outline the list building process briefly in this post, I hope Anita and everyone will benefit from it, especially that it is the number one every-day-activity in the marketers' life.
Building a list is like fishing (no offense  ). You go to the lake, put the bate in the hook, through it in the lake. The fish see your bate, eat it, get hooked and you get notified by the tension in the thread.
In building the list you go to the group of people who you want to join your list in related forums, and social media. Do your search and find where to find congregation of people who you want in your list.
The next step is to prepare a bate for them. The bate will be an offer that you'll design according to two factors:
1. What do you want them to do after they subscribe to your list
2. What do they want (not necessarily need) in order to subscribe to your list.
Example: You want people interested in building muscles to sign up to your list. The reason you want them in your list is to get them to open your newsletter as frequently as possible so that you can sell advertising to interested businesses (nutritional, equipment, personal training, national gym chanis .. etc) in your newsletter.
You do your research and find that they hang out in forums a, b, and c that rent advertising space for a reasonable fee. From their posts you'll find out that some of them are interested in building huge guns. You go ahead and wright a report about what to do to add 2 inches to the biceps in 12 weeks (because you are an expert in building biceps, if not hire a writer or use PLRs). This will be your bate to capture this group. Design different bates for the other groups. Then you advertise your report that you are either giving it away or for a small price (I prefer the latter) by renting an advertising space on the above forums, participating in the discussion postively with the link to the sales/lead capture page in your signature (this will limit you to a group or two), and doing a "one week marketing" campaign.
But before you do that you need to write a lead capture page or a sales page that gets them to repsond. Follow the A.I.D.A. formula for best results (stands for Attention grabbing, Interest building, Desire stimulation, and call for Action). The call to action will be a sign up form that you can get from your autoresponder, or if you will have a membership site (my favorite) it will be built in the script.
After people respond to your advertising and fill your form they will see a "thank you" page where you can put a relevant advertisement for a company that pays per lead (they convert at higher rates and you get to cover your own advertising costs).
Don't let them access the report before confirming their subscription. After they click the subscription link (included by default in the confirmation email sent out by the autoresponder) they should go to a one time offer related to what they signed up for. This is another way to cover your advertising costs and maybe make some money.
After the one time offer you have the option to give a smaller and cheaper offer as an upsell (to those who will take your OTO) and downsell (to those who will skip it).
Finally they get to the page where they will download the report, or if you are using a membership script they will be asked to login to get to that page.
Now there is a reason I prefer to give my report for a small fee and a membership site.
1. Paying a small fee to access my offer means they are serious about solving their problem.
2. It means they are willing to buy a solution for their peoblem when they find it, probably from me after I build credibility with my report.
3. Membership means that they'll stay in my list as long as they need to access my report, and whatever I keep adding to the members area.
4. Repeated visits to the site for updates will mean more exposure to paid advertisement and chances to give special offers, both mean more money in my pocket.
5. And this is the most important one, I have my autoresponder built in the membership script. This frees my nick from aweber and other autoresponders.
I hope this covers the basics of list building.
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yahia
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Joined: 8 Oct 2006
Posts: 220
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#30 · Posted: 4 Jun 2009 15:41
I am sorry robin for your lay off news. Obviously Monday was a bad day for you too.
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anitahd
Forums Member
Joined: 15 Mar 2009
Posts: 29
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#31 · Posted: 4 Jun 2009 22:07
Yahia, thank you so much for explaining all about list building. You explained it very well.
Like Newbie said it takes 6 mo to grasp the fundamentals, so now I am taking it slower and I think I am learning more. I have bookmarked your instructions and will refer to them when I think I am ready.
Sorry your wife was in an accident, I hope she is ok.
Thanks so much,
Anita
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yahia
Forums Member
Joined: 8 Oct 2006
Posts: 220
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#32 · Posted: 5 Jun 2009 23:33
Thank you Anita, she is home now walking around with crutches and a knee immobilizer.
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yahia
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Joined: 8 Oct 2006
Posts: 220
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#33 · Posted: 11 Jul 2009 01:04 · Edited by: yahia
Finding the Niche
In the market research post I suggested what you need to do to make sure your niche of choice is profitable. But how to find the niche itself is another topic.
I tend to classify niches into two major groups:
1. Buyers niches: When people search for related information they are usually ready with their credit card next to them. They are looking for something to buy. Examples are parts, accessories, beuty products, even cars.
2. Information niches: When people search for information related to something that came up in their lives and they need to know more about it. Examples are people, diseases, babies, parenting, relationships ... etc.
You can make money in both categories. Here are two examples for how to profit from each one. They are demonstration examples only, just to give you an idea.
Example #1: Making money with buyers niches:
When people are ready to buy an item online they usually go to ebay, amazon, or google the exact name of what they are looking for like "Hunda Civic 2002 air filter" (just an example). On the home page of ebay and amazon (after you clear your browsers coockies) you'll see hot items. Also ebay lists the top 10 selling items. You can use those as indicator to what is a hot niche now.
Those are buyers niches. If you can affiliate with the seller you've got a business.
Example #2: Making money with information niches:
New parents search for baby related information, like putting baby to sleep, colic, breast feeding, formulas, diaper rash, baby food, pets and babies, toilet training ... etc. usually this kind of search is for better understanding of these things, and very unlikely for buying a solution. The best way to make money with these niches is google adsense and some pay per lead CPA offers (like free diapers), in addition to some ebooks or videos, but you'll need to convince the readers that they need them.
In the first example you only need to bring the buyer to the seller, you don't need to convince them. They know what they want. In the second example you'll need to do a lot of content related work, then design your blog or website to get the best lead conversion or adsense clicks, then you'll have to keep updating your content.
In the first example you can safely make a PPC campaign and bid on your laser targeted keywords knowing that most of the visitors are there to buy. Your market research will be to find the best deal on that item that has an affiliae program.
In the second example you'd better do a bum marketing or one week marketing campaign. You can also put my own system to work and maximize your earnings.
I hope this will add to the value of this thread.
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mountainmom5
Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 3072
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#34 · Posted: 11 Jul 2009 12:15
yahia: I hope this will add to the value of this thread.
It did very much! Thank you Yahia.
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yahia
Forums Member
Joined: 8 Oct 2006
Posts: 220
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#35 · Posted: 11 Jul 2009 13:28
Thank you Viola, always encouraging me
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Newbutlearning
Forums Member
Joined: 2 Apr 2009
Posts: 10
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#36 · Posted: 13 Jul 2009 11:06
I too just found this post and am most thankful for it. This is a wonderful thread and so helpful for newbies. It is very well thought out with great information that is easy to follow. Thank you MM for starting this thread.
Those of us that are beginners in this journey truly appreciate the assistance that the veterans provide to us. This forum gives and gives which will definitely come back to each of you with abundant blessings.
I was sorry to hear of your wife's accident Yahia, but glad to hear that she is doing much better.
Thanks again to all who contribute your insights and knowledge.
Blessings,
Christine
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yahia
Forums Member
Joined: 8 Oct 2006
Posts: 220
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#37 · Posted: 13 Jul 2009 15:48
Newbutlearning: I was sorry to hear of your wife's accident Yahia, but glad to hear that she is doing much better.
Thanks Christine. She is doing better now and even moving without crutches. Time for physiotherapy.
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ZiggyZoo
Forums Member
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
Posts: 64
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#38 · Posted: 21 Jul 2009 06:50
Great advise yahia.
Although the work doesn't stop there does it.
Once you find your niche, the next step is finding the right keywords and that in itself is a task of note, yes
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yahia
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Joined: 8 Oct 2006
Posts: 220
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#39 · Posted: 21 Jul 2009 19:43 · Edited by: yahia
Difinitely ZiggyZoo.
But let's put some boundries here.
Buyers niches don't need any keyword search. The selling keywords are the exact names of the parts (for examples) models ... etc.
In the "information niches" yes you need to do a lot of keyword search.
Briefly: use the keyword tool in your google adwords account to get the key words suggestions for a certain subject or website. The keyword tool will also tell you how much it will cost in average to show your adwords ad in the first 3 positions. Use your judgement to pick up the keywords that might interest someone serious about a certain issue and at the same time doesn't cost a lot per click.
After you pick up those keywords run adwords campaigns (or yahoo or msn if you are on a budget) for about a week. Then pick the converting keywords and run one week marketing campagins for them.
This way you already know it's worth it to spend the time in writing lenses, hubpages, articles, and blog posts because you already know that these words convert.
That was a million dollar tip I got from Howie schwartz, even before Jennifer wrote her One Week Marketing guide (which I really love by the way). And it is much more complicated than Jennifer's method because it takes me at least 4 weeks to say that the compaign is done (I do a one man show here, no employees, no outsourcing).
I hope this helps.
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paolo4
Forums Member
Joined: 3 Jul 2009
Posts: 55
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#40 · Posted: 29 Jul 2009 09:10
Hi,
Google Adwords can be expensive if you are a newbie. Careful how you use it! If you are making money great.
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