The Best Advice I Could Ever Give A ClickBank Newbie Affiliate Marketer.

So,

With the recent blessings, more blessings have come - and in turn to give back yet again, I'm going to try my best to narrow down the most profitable path and steps any newbie could/should take in this game of ours in order to succeed. *And to decrease the amount of PM's I'm getting and copy/pasting responses...

So today is......... "'Show A Newbie Love' Day" I wish I had something like this when I first started, would have saved my time and money, and I would have been here or farther - faster.

YOU: This is the first time you've heard of ClickBank, you know people are making money, you're tempted... - You "Go Get Your CB Account" BUT WAIT! Don't sign up yet - read: When you sign up, it doesn't matter which you choose - affiliate/publisher - both enable both and are one in the same when you sign up.

**Your NickName: THIS IS UBER IMPORTANT! Even though you might be tempted - DO NOT use a nickname like "SuperAff101" or "MoneyMan" or "Johnnny"... In Fact: Think about this for a second, when someone clicks on your link, unless you cookie stuff them (don't worry about that for now), they will come to a page like www.yourvendorssite.com/index.html?hop=SuperAff101 < You want that code at the end to look natural. You don't want people looking in the address bar and thinking it might be some reseller network. Many think that "If it's not in the IM niche, they don't care" - This is TRUE! however it still doesn't make any sense to use a name like that - you cut off a lot of the markets. **Use nicknames that look like they belong in the code like 'securepage' or 'product1' or '2n8fk29fsol' < then it looks like the site generated the code. So - go - pick a great nickname now> ClickBank.

You now have an account "YAY". So you can now go pick out of 1000's of products that have all kinds of creative offers and commission/bonus structures - this is the hard part. If you're brand spanking new to all this - My advice would be to click 'marketplace' and do a few searches for things YOU love about life - you'll find tons of stuff to promote. Sort your searches by two important factors - 1. Payout Amount * Most search for % and think that the 75% products are the only ones they should pick - on the contrary - pick anything that makes you $20 or more - aim for $30-$50. When you search for products you'll get stats under each product - inspect the ones that stand out. Gravity= the amount of affiliates that converted at least once in the last 6 weeks. So if you see a gravity of i.e. 20.32 - This means that at least 21 (round up) affiliates have converted at least once within today to 6 weeks ago. If all affiliates make 10 sales each or 100 sales each - that 20.32 would remain the same. So think of it not as sales - but as conversions. Sometimes low gravity is GREAT, sometimes the top gravity is also great, though harder to convert.

Only choose products that have amazing branding: Meaning the page 'looks' great first. You'll notice that 90% of them are.... scammy/spammy looking - don't worry about those ones, just look for great presentation first. Now READ IT! You found a good one, good commission, it's converting, you like the actual product - READ THE PAGE! So - You are reading about something you actually enjoy in life or a problem you have had or have now, that you want to fix. Is the text convincing? Would you buy it? If you say yes - you have a winner. These are the most important elements - and good publishers spend good money or have years and years of experience in this sector, so: They hire the BEST designers, BEST writers, BEST developers, and conversion master every pixel/piece of text/code/sales pitch/call to action etc. so that it's easy (or easier) for you to convert... .. That other 90% - those crappy products - they are newbie vendors, they need to go through this cycle but most never make it out alive after their first 1-2 products, stay away from those.

Ok you found your product(s), you are happy about them, and are ready to promote. **IMPORTANT - Consider yourself a 'franchise' not just some nicknamed affiliate - you now 'endorse' this product and publisher! You stand behind them, you promote and sell for them, they need you-you need them, give eachother the respect of giving it your 100% and nothing less. If you just throw some articles and PPC around here and there from product to product, you're going to fade fast, or never convert once and give up. If you can, contact the vendor - ask for a review copy or just some reassurance on the phone that this is legit, if the vendor is in their right state of mind - they will be happy to hear from you! Don't forget you are selling for them, why wouldn't they take time to speak with their salespeople?! I do.

Ok so you found a product - for this example we'll use the fat rich pig -
You signed up with a nickname of 'securepage' for example. you found a product with the vendor id being 'richpig', so your link for this product would be : http://securepage.richpig.hop.clickbank.net << In that exact order, it is important to have your ID first, publisher second, .hop.clickbank.net << .net NOT .com. you'll notice that you end up on page with a URL of http://www.thefatrichpig.com/index.html?hop=securepage << there you are So now if someone buys this product - you get the commission set out in their clickbank marketplace listings.

Sounds easy right? Not yet - So now you have a good nickname, you chose a good product, you figured out how to create your hoplinks and how they work... .. Wait - so.... .. how and what do you do with that link? This is the fun part:

** Most places on the web do not allow you to post affiliate links, so if you thought you could just go start spamming and fluffing the net with your links, you're wrong... well... no you're not - you're absolutely right! BUT - you will need to do just ONE little thing - GET A DOMAIN - godaddy.com - you can buy a .info for $2.99 - BUT being the smart marketer you are - get a .com - it just looks better, feels better, and has more value when aged. When you buy a domain name - YES you should buy a domain (or 2-3-5) for EACH product you promote - remember you are endorsing it not jumping from product to product. So for the link above 'the fat rich pig' you would want to buy a domain that a) sounds similar b) has important key words in it c) creative and catchy. So rich-pig.com or affiliatespysoftware.com or the-fat-rich-pig-software.com etc. * Go get one!

You now have your domain name, and you can now fluff the web with your domain instead of your aff links (that was easy eh? almost wrong...!) In godaddy you have two options with the domain name.

a) Login in to godaddy - click domains - click your domain - click 'forwarding'. Now forward your domain to your hoplink from above. - Masking - YES so now you still see YOUR domain when on the vendors site. Add your meta/keywords and Voila!

b) You can get hosting and get landing pages from merchants if they provide them. Most smart merchants that expect sales from their affiliates will have a page made with downloadable and or copy/paste promotional stuff for you to go promote with - so an example to the above - you would download and host your own landing page from a page like this http://www.nichechoppers.com/niche-product-thefatrichpig.html

Again - if you're brand new, you're probably better off with option a). However if you end up promoting the pig product, I will offer to host your landing page for you - just tell me which one you want to use and I will install your CBID into it and host it - and just tell you which URL to point your domain name to and mask.

Now: You have a nickname, a product, a domain, and either a landing page or straight linking.

From here on out you literally have thousands of ways to promote, the ones that work for me with live examples of real money that I've made:

Article marketing: http://www.ezinearticles.com < MAKE AN ACCOUNT - DON'T BE LAZY! Remember - you chose to endorse this, you need to get the fundamentals out of the way and at least TRY these methods, then focus on your own or the ones you like best (the ones that pay/convert).

When you write an article about your product, you will have your domain name on the bottom of the page either IN the actual artice or in your resource box, back to that in a minute.... .. YOUR TITLE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF EZINE! If you're promoting the pig product - it should relate to popular keywords of that product - some examples of great headers with keys would be:
* Easily Spy On ClickBank or PayDotCom Affiliates And Vendors, oh & Recruit Them Too!
* How Do I Get Affiliates To My ClickBank Or PayDotCom Product? Is There Software For Recruitment?
* The Truth About The Fat Rich Pig Will Shock You... .. The Scam Of Scams!
* Marketing Morals? Funnels2Wealth and Affiliate Crusher Are Getting Geared Up To Spy & Cheat The Gurus...

Your First Paragraph - Again examining the keywords, focus on 3-5 or 8 max in your your WHOLE article, so only put 2-3 in your first paragraph. DO NOT SELL THE PRODUCT! No BUY HERE CHEAPY CHEAPY crap - people on ezine are not ready to buy - they are (90%) researching the product - this is your opportunity to convince them to check your views and build up anticipation towards the end to want to know more...(click).

Main Body - Here is where you can go all out and use many variations of your keywords, cluster them together, throw "quotes" around popular worded lines (i.e. From the author "This is the best spy tool for clickbank we have ever developed..."). Remember you are not selling - you are reviewing, you are telling them your experience with the product, you are elaborating on the product, perhaps the morals of it, perhaps the price, the competitors comparisons - but NEVER sell it (chances are it will get rejected anyway if you 'sell').

Go over your article at least once. Make sure you break it up well - look at this post you're reading - it's LONG but if you've read this far - chances are I GOT YOU HOOKED on reading further - and if it was all in one huge paragraph you would have clicked away by now. Spacing, bolding, bullets, format it! make it what we like to call - a greased slide read - it's so slippery and good that your instincts cannot help but to keep reading based on the way it is written AND how it is presented.

Near the end of your article, in a non intrusive way - link a few words to your domain name or type the domain name. Usually you leave the domain name for the resource box - the last bit of body could be like: I personally thought the kit was pretty good! The funnels2wealth transcript taught me a lot! but the Affiliate Crusher... oh boy, I CAN'T even tell you too much about it here... it's just THAT sneaky!.... the underlines would link to your domain. Your resource box is a way to promote yourself "John Smith is an internet enthusiast who spends his time passionately reviewing all of today's newest gadgets and software. "There is a good video walkthrough of how this works in real time at: "Your-domain". Just remember who told you about it first! **Always build anticipation, anxiety, fear, desire, focus on emotions not 'buy now' - if you can phsychologically convince your reader - YOU'RE ONTO SOMETHING!

Don't write TONS of articles - ONLY write grandslam articles OR for every 5 articles you do - 3-4 MUST be prime - you may fail initially however when you have 100 articles in a few months from now - TRUST ME YOU WILL GET MORE TRAFFIC AND BETTER READ THROUGHS FROM ARTICLE TO ARTICLE. Please PM me if you follow my steps and you end up converting a product due to this - that is all I ask! Here is an article that points to a landing page that has made me more money than what most people make with 50 articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?Lose-Weig...0-Diet-Tips-and-Facts-That-Burn-Fat&id=820037

Another popular way to get targeted traffic is YouTube. Don't be afraid of it! Use it the same way as articles but use video - there are tools to help you get youtube vids, compile them/remix them/build your Hot Videos - Use keywords in the title (same importance as ezine) - use your keys in your description when possible - MAKE LINKS BESIDE YOUR VIDEOS WITH GOOD WHITE SPACE - LIKE THIS: http://youtube.com/watch?v=OXVyXGCAyNs or http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZsamSEiwkm0 (NOTICE SPACING) **These videos don't get that many views but I can't show/share ALL my stuff so these principles apply to 'hot' videos, getting videos 'hot' is not that hard - in fact... shhhh... you can .... hire people... to do the videos/submissions/remix them for you - right here on this board!.

Once you do a few of these articles, videos, and start to understand the other components from these CB threads - you'll learn that ClickBank - Is nothing more than another network that has its doors open to offers and to affiliates. There are many of them. You'll learn that it's not some secret that some ClickBank geeks hold to themselves, IT'S MARKETING! It's creative manipulation of the internet, of messaging, of monetizing these said offers. ONCE YOU convert a few times, you'll understand that you can sign up to many networks, you can convert on tangible goods, you can convert on the phone for huge upsells - it will eventually spiral for you if you do not give up. It will eventually open your eyes and make you realize that you - my friend - are a business guru! not just a clickbank affiliate - You will sooner than later figure out that 'Hey this stuff is great, I have sold xx already! Now, wait a minute - what if I did my OWN product! what if I did many of my OWN products! YA!) and you'll probably fail at 8-9 attempts before you get one that wins - so stick be understanding the industry for a while if you're new, stick to 'converting' your chosen 'endorsed' product and do not deviate from your commitment to them - if you choose a product like fatloss or waterforgas, expect to fail at first - don't do PPC until you read about it here for at least 2 weeks, really understand it.

If you were to ask me which ebook to buy - i wouldn't know where to begin - I can recommend a dozen - it doesn't matter - read everything EXCEPT that 90% of the scammy pages I first chatted about - those are usually created with 'sales letter automaters' and dreams - and poor copy/design, BUT it might tempt you to buy because of pictures of cars/houses/boats/treasure chests/etc. Look at those from a marketers point of view ALWAYS not a consumers - Only buy the products that look pro.

I don't know if you guys want to continue this thread and add where I left Off (I'm only giving some ezine and youtube traffic ideas - feel free to get really detailed about others).

I also made this thread because my PM box has gotten out of hand - and I did ask for it However hopefully this will give you enough to chew on for now - please do not email me with basic questions - instead do a search on the board, or ask it below - there are many pros here that will answer your question, just come off honest and don't ask for too much - humble/sublety goes a long way.

Thank you all, back to my pigpen....
Norb.

 

Hey NCMedia!

Awesome post! There are a lot of golden nuggets there for newbies and old birds alike. Really appreciate you taking the effort to do this!

Blessings 2 Ya!

 

Thanks mate..
Really nice information....

 

Great share.. thanks..

 

PS - SORRY FOR THE TYPOS! I just went bonkers typing and didn't proof read so this is straight from the raw...

Enjoy everybody - remember - HELP A NEWBIE!
N

 

another tip to save newbies a few dollars..
when registering a domain at godaddy use the coupon code: chill3

 

Very well written post with loads of useful information. You have stirred me up over here!

 

This is really great for newbies like me. thanks

 

You make it sound so simple, and I know it is for you guys, but to convert a specific product is smart work. Actually I recon it's choosing the right product to promote. I'm using ppc and let me tell you, its money eating non converting if you're a newbie at it. I'm going to give your article writing tips a go, stop all my ppc campaigns and give it 2 weeks. Will let you know how its going!
Thanx for the tips anyhow!

 

I agree pretty much with all you said apart from the bit above....

Drop the ego!! no one is interested in who you are.. they want to find out more information of at least should do if you've written the article correctly.

Tell them why they should go to your site... not who you are!

 

Thanks for sharing! Great tips.

 

Great tips man. I try and aim for products which will earn me at least $20 per sale. The most important thing is the conversions, not so much the commission amount. Whats the point in selling a product earning you $50 per sale if it hardly converts.

 

good post. thank you

 

Great post man, I love it. Sticky this much?

Also, when writing articles, do you have any tips on keyword research? Like, finding good keywords to target in the first place...

 

Good write up. Thanks.

 

NCMedia -

Excellent post! It is refreshing to see people like yourself who are truly interested in helping others to get started marketing online. I agree that Clickbank is a great place to start and you give a step-by-step path to profits. I like your additional tools to compliment and complete the tactics you discuss - like article marketing.

Again, great info and thanks so much!

Steven

 

THIS IS THE KEY. The absolute KEY to unlocking the door to gaining traffic which is what you want. From my short experience, THIS is where you should focus your energy with regards to promoting your product, Find a HIGH traffic - Low COMPETITION keyword phrase and follow the Excellent steps above.

 

Yeah, thanks... but the problem is that I'm perfectly aware of that, and I need a way to come up with profitable keywords to begin with.

 

Wow, what a huge post Lots of useful stuff here for newbies. Well done.

 

It is an awesome post !! We are lucky to be a part of this great community.The inclination to share the rich experience deserves appreciation. One point I would like to get clarified from members . If turn over is good , is it not wise to market a product though with smaller payout( Say less than $20/)?