Here it is:-

1. Find Hungry Niche (targeted group of people)
2. Identify needs / wants / desires / problems of those people.
3. Then find product(s) to fulfill / solve #2

#1 – #3 are critical and you will fail if you do not master these. This is why most people fail and give up or constantly look for easy ‘out of the box’ solutions from the Gurus. If you get these first stages right you cannot fail.

Cheat like crazy by getting MicroNicheFinder (that’s the only tool Thad and I use)

You could use the NicheQs if you are a Wealthy Affiliate member or join the AffiliateNicheClub for loads more niche reports. The work is done for ya!

4. Test out the niches using weebly, squidoo, hubs (optional but recomended when starting out)

Watch out for Squidoo and Hubs TOS. Make sure you read ‘em.

As soon as you make any sales:-

5. Set up an optimised website / blog. Optimised means using the keyword phrases you found in stages #1 – #3 as your page and blog post titles and sprinkled all over your text.

I suggest you master WordPress. And don’t say you can’t do it! You’ll bloody well have to learn, OK?

6. Write optimised articles to be published on your website / blog and Article Directories. Check out my free guide, the ‘Big Cat Strategy‘ for Article Marketing.

7. Backlink website / blog / articles
Go to social bookmarking sites and post about your site, your blog posts, your articles. Everything you do, post about it on places like Digg, Propeller, StumbleUpon, Reddit. Use the same keyword phrases. Link to ALL parts of your site.

8. Build a list (optional but recommended)
Don’t p*ss about get Aweber. (‘List Legions’ is our full guide on list building. Free for ANC members.)

9. Start a PPC campaign (optional or until you are a bit more experienced.)
Dig out those keyword phrases again (you’ll be really glad you spent a lot of time on #1 – #3 now!). Where you can, start with the product names but check with the merchant first. Some (especially on the Commission Junction affiliate network) don’t allow you to bid on (copyrighted) trade mark brand names. Grab a copy of Beating Adwords for PPC mastery.

10. If this particular campaign doesn’t work go back to #1
Keep going back to #1 until you succeed. Remember, only YOU can fail. You must learn to love failure and learn to learn from it.

Each failure brings you closer to success. On one condition…

Wanna know why most people fail at IM?

They do not take enough action and dither about and start falling for every magic trick the Gurus bring out.

This business is pretty simple. Don’t over complicate it. And take action!

The new version of Wealthy Affiliate, Platinum will be released on September 15th!

I’ve been a part of the Beta Testing for Platinum and I’m sworn to secrecy so I can’t say too much at this stage.

What I can say is this is going to take the whole process of learning how to become successful at Affiliate Marketing to a whole new level.

The training resources, in particular have been completely revamped and organised around specific methods and levels of expertise.

So, if you are keen to get into PPC you can follow a step by step ‘Getting Started’ guide…

Already familiar with List Building? That’s cool… pick up some expert tips.

All the training resources are scaleable and will be updated on the fly by the resident experts.

One of the biggest problems with Affiliate Marketing training is how quickly things change and therefore, how quickly any training becomes out of date.

No Longer… Wealthy Affiliate Platinum will fast become the only one stop shop for Affiliate Marketing Training.

WA Platinum – Release Date – September 15th!

Stay tuned for more updates…

PS. Thad and I will cooking up an extra special bonus for this one and… whisper it… there could be another $1 Trial. We’ll keep you posted.

It’s a pretty complex issue and we’ve already touched upon it on this blog post.

Without repeating it all at length here, there are a couple of articles you might want to look at as well as the FTC draft regulations themselves.

From Yahoo Tech:-

FTC plans to monitor blogs for claims, payments

From cnet News:-

FTC to go after blogger freebies

And the draft FTC Regulations themselves can be found here:-

http://www.ftc.gov/os/2008/11/P034520endorsementguides.pdf

The one difference we see in all the examples the FTC give is when a merchant approaches a site owner and gives them perks to write about something. The way most affiliates approach it is WE pick out the products to promote….so we’re still being selective and trying to pick out the best products for the reader. Even though we get paid, we’re not writing it simply because a merchant approached us and asked us to make a blog post or write a review in exchange for a gift or freebie.

It’s possible though, that we may require a disclaimer on a privacy or terms page making full disclosure that we get compensated for purchases through our links.

It’s likely this one will rumble on for some time so we’ll be keeping an eye on it. Feel free to add your views and comments.

In the meantime I’ll just add that if you decide to join Wealthy Affilate via any of our links on this blog we do indeed receive a commission but I’d also point out that you can’t join through your ‘own’ link anyway and that you won’t get our great bonuses unless you use our links!

(Do you think that’s the kind of disclosure they have in mind?)

Often comes up in forums, etc… do I have to buy all the products I’m gonna  promote? I mean how can you really promote something unless you’ve used it yourself. Unless you’ve been there…as it were.

Well, this ongoing debate has surfaced in a place I’m frequenting more and more…

I’ve already popped up a quote from Tiffany Dow on this post and I can’t help heading back over there… ( I know, I know… pretty lady, right? OK! I plead guilty… but Tiff is real smart… let’s leave it that!)

Anyway, Tiffany is currently doing a live case study as an affiliate marketer promoting ‘you know who’s’ Magic of Making Up. Check it out here plus my comment and her response.

Thad has also popped on Tiff’s blog here.

Tiff is not comfortable with the whole “fake story” method some affiliates resort to using and Thad has suggested a 3rd party alternative which Tiffany is now doing in a “Dear Abby” style.

All cool!

I find the whole debate on the ethics of promoting stuff you haven’t actually used yourself fascinating.

Certainly, in the IM niche Thad and I only promote products we have used and got genuine benefit from but in other niches we don’t always. MOMU is a great example of this… I mean how can you really say you’ve used it unless you really have… unless you sling your husband / wife out for a trial. LOL!

Thad and I promote mainly in the financial services area… that’s our background… but we haven’t used all the products or services we promote. I mean you just can’t…

And all those dog training guides… I mean do you need to buy all of ‘em!

The short answer is of course you don’t. Your niche research should tell you if a product is good or not… what people are saying in the forums, etc… what the sales page is like…

After a while you get an instinct for these things and, of course refund rates are the acid test.

There is one area where I wouldn’t do this though and that’s pretty much anything medical… cures, pills, etc… we don’t do those anyway.

Another area is in the ‘Make Money Niche’… unless something has really helped YOU make some success online be very careful about pretending you’ve been there!

I always have a chuckle about all those sites that claim “I made $40,000 a month using ‘SuperSillyMoney X”. I just hope their Tax Returns match their claims!

Let me know your thoughts!

The Trial is on! Starting 15th September 2009.

Check here for details!

I hope those of you who have taken up the WA trial offer are really starting to see the full value of what’s on offer.

If you haven’t yet joined this ‘one off’ trial get on it! It really is a no-brainer…

You have until September 29th (12 noon EST) so don’t delay. You get a FULL seven days trial no matter when you sign up BUT you must sign up to the trial by September 29th.

If you decide Wealthy Affiliate is for you and decide to stay on board after the trial period you can have your pick of one of 3 great bonuses from Kyle & Carson!

BUT you have to decide which one to take at the start of the trial, right?

So, which one should you choose?

Who Loves Money – Master Internet Marketing using entirely free methods! If you are brand new to Internet Marketing get this guide or if you are a bit strapped for cash and don’t want to get into PPC just yet.

Beating Adwords If you are thinking of expanding your campaigns by using PPC Adwords get this guide!

Inside The List This List Building guide will take your business on to the next level. List Building is regarded by some people as being ‘advanced’. It isn’t… but you need a good guide. So, if List Building is your thing get this guide!

Remember, you get ALL our exclusive Affiliate Niche Club Free Bonuses! Plus a free 7 day trial of ANC!

So, we’ll send you ALL of our exclusive ANC free bonuses just for taking up the trial offer! And send you a link to sign up for the FREE 7 day trial of ANC.

Our bonuses include our ‘Using Wealthy Affiliate‘ Guide. Get the best out of WA right off the blocks with this guide!

A lot of new trial sign-ups get a bit lost in WA as the resources are so vast. Those who have our guide do NOT. So grab it while you can!

The Trial is on! Starting 15th September 2009.

Check here for details!

The Trial starts on the 15th September. Try WA Platinum for seven days for just one dollar! Plus get a FREE trial of ANC for seven days!

Find out how here!

Join Wealthy Affiliate for just $1. Yep, just ONE dollar!

For a LIMITED period only, Kyle & Carson at Wealthy Affiliates are offering a full seven day trial of WA Platinum for just one dollar.

Starting 15th September at 12 noon (EST) and running until the 29th September (12 noon EST).

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to try out WA!

You get FULL seven day access to everything in WA:-
(Regardless of when you start the trial you get a full seven day access to WA)

This means you will get full access to the famous WA Forum, access to all the Tools and Learning Resources, choose a NicheQ (niche report) and access the Research Center AND get access to full support from Kyle and Carson.

You can also try your hand in the Website Center. Create a website in minutes using Site Rubix and get free Web Hosting.

Earn while you learn! Fancy applying for a job? Do you have a specific skill already. It could be article writing or web design. Why not apply for one of the many jobs already on offer or even offer your services at WA Jobs.

And don’t forget the WA Sharezone. A whole stack or resources, pdfs, tutorials, videos. All excellent mini-guides provided by expert WA members! Just dive in a get downloading!

Thad and I both quit our day jobs in 2007 thanks to everyone at Wealthy Affiliate. Affiliate Marketing is a great business to be in. Once you get going, get that grounding you’ll see the possibilities are endless. You can do it too…

And there’s more!

If you decide Wealthy Affiliate is for you and decide to stay on board after the trial period you can have your pick of one of 3 great bonuses from Kyle & Carson!

Bonus Choice #1 Beating Adwords

If you are thinking of expanding your campaigns by using Adwords don’t do it without a Top Class Guide.

Bonus Choice #2 Inside The List

This List Building guide will take your business on to the next level.

Bonus Choice #3 Who Loves Money

Master Internet Marketing using entirely free methods!

PLUS ALL our exclusive Affiliate Niche Club Free Bonuses! Plus a FREE seven day trial of ANC!

We’ll send you ALL of our exclusive ANC free bonuses just for taking up the trial offer! And send you a link for you to sign up to our FREE seven day ANC trial.

Our bonuses include our ‘Using Wealthy Affiliate‘ Guide. Get the best out of WA right off the blocks with this guide!

Joining Wealthy Affiliate can be a bit daunting at first. The resources and tools now contained within WA are vast. In fact for some newcomers it can be all a bit overwhelming. Like your first day at college, right? Where do I go? What should I do first? Who is going to help me? Our ‘Using Wealthy Affiliate’ Guide is just the Road Map you need!

Plus FIVE more great bonuses.

The Trial starts on the 15th September.

Find out more here!

(You can get some free tips on List Building on the relevant Reaper lens here.)

Anyway,  it’s been raised quite a bit recently and is something that a most Internet Marketers don’t like discussing. Because it’s a bit negative… it can be a bit unpleasant… it can be downright destructive… if you let it be.

So, you’ve set up your campaign… you have a nice bonus offering in place to get people to sign up to your list… you have a nice non-spammy e-mail series set up… naturally you are hoping those on your list will become buyers of whatever you are promoting. That’s the whole idea, right?

Now, not everyone subscribes to your list… not everyone buys… some people unsubscibe… some people will even take the trouble of calling you rude names and flagging you as a spammer!

This is what happens when you have a list. Regardless of the niche you are in…

Here’s what Tiffany Dow had to say about the subject on a recent post on her blog. (If you have not heard of Tiffany, I’ll be very surprised but, if not, check the lady out. She’s a top notch marketer and one of the good guys.)

——————————-

Another Freebie Seeker Bites the Dust

Let’s say you’re on a list of mine. You’re a subscriber. When you first sign up to one of my lists, you will get something in return. It may be:

-a free chapter of my eBook as a preview

-a free report

-the opportunity to buy cheap lenses or PLR before anyone else

-the chance to learn something from someone else and supplement your own knowledge

Today I got the following unsubscribe message from someone on one of my lists:

“I subscribed to receive a free chapter to get an idea if the ebook might interest me.  I did not expect to receive so many soliciting emails and I don’t like it. I would have ordered the book, but I’m now upset about so many sales pitches, that I’m not going to now.”

Fair enough. Everyone has a different threshold for communications of any kind. But there’s a lesson I want to teach you in all of this.

You will never please everyone 100% of the time.

Since April 1, I have sent that particular list a total of 5 “promotional” emails. Other emails she got were educational in nature. So that’s a little less than 1 email of a promotional nature per week.

To me, it’s not a lot. To some, it’s far more than they can handle. I unsubscribe when I get daily or 3 x a week promotional emails – UNLESS – keyword to notice here – there is valuable stuff coming at me in between, which so many marketers do NOT do.

I used to feel sick to my stomach when I’d get an email like the one above. I would tear up even, wondering why I was such a failure as a marketer. Then I learned that it wasn’t ME, it was THEM.

It was her own permission settings that mattered here, not my marketing strategy. I was giving value – both upfront and in emails sprinkled in between. I had given this prospect a LOT for free, actually – including, and this is important – my personal recommendation for products I feel would truly help her.

I understand the cynicism. Most marketers promote based on an incestuous nature – who’s in bed with who. “You promote me, I’ll promote you. No, I don’t need a review copy.”

I don’t play that dirty game. I’ve had ghostwriting clients whose business I didn’t want to lose ask me to promote another of their products that I didn’t write, and I flat out said, “No.”

I turned down a girl’s JV proposal today who asked me to promote what I consider a spammy Squidoo backlink builder. She meant well, I’m sure.  I would have earned $25 per sale and being the original “Squidoo Queen” – people trust my judgment on Squidoo! But I didn’t do it.

I don’t recommend unless I would use it myself, end of story.

The lady who unsubscribed used a tone of voice that she believed would surely make me rethink my marketing strategy. But in reality, all she did was make me feel sorry for her. Because you see, she doesn’t “get it” yet.

This is truly sad to me because the list she was subscribed to was for Building an eBook Empire – she needed to learn how to build a list of prospects who hadn’t bought yet and convert them into buyers.  She even admitted she liked the first chapter so much she was going to buy the eBook.

To be honest with you, I don’t believe her. I believe she was a freebie seeker who didn’t like spending money on info products and didn’t like it when my free valuable emails were interrupted by a message that she might want to look into buying something. Her “I’m offended” needle was tilted far too much to the right in overdrive. She needs to cool down and look at this rationally. I’m not building a list of prospects to be a free mentor forever – the goal is to get them to become a customer. D’uh!

She won’t have that chance to learn from me now – and what she doesn’t know is that she’s the exception, not the rule. Most prospects love the free chapter, email me grateful as hell about my recommendations, and build loyalty to me for my advice I give freely via email when someone has a question.

Once you get going, don’t let any of your unsubscribe emails get under your skin. Evaluate your strategy and if it works out well most of the time and you don’t feel you’re in the wrong, don’t let someone with a different mindset change you!

Tiff”

——————————-

I’m on Tiffany’s list and I have posted a response to that post on Tiffany’s blog (along with 50+ other people). I won’t make this post overlong by reprinting my response here.

I’ll just add here that if this happens to you… do not let it deflect you!

Tiffany is not crying in her beer here or looking for sympathy… the message is simple… don’t let other people dictate your marketing strategy.

This is a business… YOU are in business… nobody works for nothing.

So (and the real reason for this post)… No Need To Run… And Hide…

ANY excuse to put that one up!

PPC Marketing Tips | Niche Reaper Lenses

Head on over there and let me know what you think, get voting, join in the debates and get:-

Top Tips On PPC Marketing:-
> The Importance of Thorough Niche Research
> Choosing The Right Platform
> The Right Point In The Customer Buying Cycle
> Setting Up Your PPC Marketing Campaigns
> A Word About Your Quality Score
> A Few Words Of Caution

PPC Marketing Tips | Niche Reaper Lenses

Don’t forget to keep voting on the ‘home’ Niche Marketing Reaper lens for what you want to see next…

Niche Website Building Tips | Niche Reaper Lenses

Head on over there and let me know what you think, get voting, join in the debates and get:-

Top Tips On Website Building:-
> Why Use Websites?
> Getting Started With Website Building
> Website Building Basics
> The Customer Buying Cycle
> Landing Pages

Niche Website Building Tips | Niche Reaper Lenses

The next lens will be on ‘PPC‘…

And then I’ll work my way through the list. So, don’t forget to keep voting on the ‘home’ Niche Marketing Reaper lens for what you want to see next…

I’ve just added the third of my FREE Tutorial Lenses over at Squidoo. It’s on ‘List Building‘ and you can check it out here:-

Niche List Building Tips | Niche Reaper Lenses

Head on over there and let me know what you think, get voting, join in the debates…

List Building is all about strategy people. If you are not collecting leads you are missing a massive opportunity… an opportunity to foster a genuine long term relationship with your customers.

Head on over to the lens for tips on how to start collecting leads, which Autoresponder to use and how to get your message series off to a cracking start!

Niche List Building Tips | Niche Reaper Lenses

The next lens will be on ‘Websites & Landing Pages‘…

And then I’ll work my way through the list. So, don’t forget to keep voting on the ‘home’ Niche Marketing Reaper lens for what you want to see next…