Successful Strategies for Monetizing Blogs Using Affiliate Marketing

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@MissyWard

Successful Strategies for

Monetizing Blogs Using Affiliate

Marketing

Successful Strategies for

Monetizing Blogs Using Affiliate

Marketing

Missy WardCo-Founder, Affiliate Summit, Inc.

@MissyWard

@MissyWard

Agenda for Today’s WorkshopThis 4-hour event is geared to folks that are new to affiliate

marketing

1:00-1:45 - Monetizing Your Blog Using Affiliate Marketing (An Overview) – Presenter: Missy Ward

2:00-3:00 - Step by Step Monetization Tactics Using Affiliate Marketing – Presenter: Debbie Bookstaber

3:15-3:45 - Professional Video Production for Bloggers – Presenter: Joey Fortman

4:00 -4:30 - Incorporating Podcasting Into Your Blog Monetization Strategy – Presenter: Daniel M. Clark

4:30-5:00 - Affiliate Marketing Q&A

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Monetizing Your Blog Using Affiliate Marketing (An Overview)Key Points:

“In this session you will get an overview of how affiliate marketing

works; learn how to find complimentary products and services to promote and walk out with seven

successful affiliate marketing strategies to monetize your blog

immediately.”

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Don’t Be Like This Dude

http://www.missyward.com/ASE12

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Who Here Has Tried Affiliate Marketing?

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Reasons Why Bloggers Won’t Monetize

"Making money

from

a hobby turns it

into a business."

"Displaying ads willhurt my blog traffic."

"It's too hard to make money from a blog."

"Blogging is just fun

for me, there's no

value in my content."

"People won't take what I say

seriously if they know I'm

making money off my site."

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Subsidize operational costs to keep blogging hobby afloat.

Create an additional part-time income stream. Career shift from employee to self-employment.

Why Monetize?

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The Million Dollar Question

When Should You Being To Monetize?

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Build Now, Monetize Later

Reader’s focus drawn to content rather than ads *may* build a stronger audience faster.

Not knowing when the “right time” is.

Underestimating value of traffic *may* leave money on table.

Redesigning site to include ads and time investment to discover that readers may not be buyers.

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Some money is better than no money.

No need to redesign when ready for ads.

Consistent experience for users from day one.

Learning what works early on *can* increase potential income down the road. (products, placements, ad-serving).

Build Now, Monetize From the Start

• New blogs *unlikely* to make significant money without having traffic.

• Finding advertisers *can* be more difficult.

@MissyWard

Direct Advertising Sales / Sponsorships Paid postings Contextual Advertising (Google Adsense,

Chitika) Selling Your Own Product Membership Component (Forum, Premium

Content) Text Link Advertising (TextLinkAds,

InfoLinks) Donations Affiliate Marketing

Popular Ways to Monetize a Blog

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What is Affiliate Marketing

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“Affiliate marketing is sellingsomething you don’t own, topeople you don’t know and earning a commission each

time you do.”

-Author Unknown

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What Affiliate Marketing is NOT

A way to get rich overnight

Multi-level marketing

A scam

For the easily discouraged

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Where To Find Merchants and

Advertisers with Affiliate Programs

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AffiliateNetworks

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Digital Products & Software Networks

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CPA Networks

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IndependentPrograms

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AffiliateProgram

Directories

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Check out what Your Competition is Promoting

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Promote products and services you use and believe in.

Don’t stick to marketing what everyone else is marketing.

Find the “next big thing” in your niche.(Google Alerts, Twitter, Facebook, Ebay Pulse, Google Insight, TV advertising.

How do I know what products or services to promote/not promote?

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2009 FTC Ruling on Disclosure of Endorsements for bloggers ($11k+ per post fines)

Clears up an ethical concerns allowing freedom to make money while being responsible for own reputation

.

Disclosure Policy

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Successful Affiliate Marketing Strategies

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Video

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Oneload.com (Part of TubeMogul.com) for uploading & tracking on top video sharing /social networking sites (Also check out RippleFire.com (new) – Cheaper and Free test)

Include shortened link in Description on Youtube, etc. and as overlay within video itself.

Transcription on you blog w/links Embed clickable video on your blog using Viewbix (2

free/then 19.99 month and visit missyward.com/viewbix for tutorial) or LinkedTube (Free)

Merchant Video Creatives Keep video to no more than 1-1/2 to 2 minutes & include a

call to action (almost 60% will abandon at 2minute mark) YouTube Partner Program (Rev share ads on your videos)

Video Tips

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Email

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Google’s Feedburner: Free (Can run Adsense automatically in email

Aweber: $19/month up to 500 subsribers $29/2,500, $49/5,000, etc.

Automated Weekly newsletters via template with Aweber)

RSS To Email Tips

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Photos

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Huge SEO opportunity for optimized images (Think Google Images)

Flickr – Embed on blog with Affiliate Links links

Luminate and Stipple great tools to easily share and monetize embeded images with overlay ads, products in the picture (based on tags). [Think Adsense for Images]

Photo Tips

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Social Sharing

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Remember relevancy and personalization is key Genuine Recommendations, Build relationships Avoid dropping direct Affiliate Links but rather bring

them back to your site to provide additional content Automation Plugins (Networked blogs, Twitterfeed, etc.) Sharing Plugins (Social Sharing Toolkit, ShareThis, etc.) Pretty Link Pro (Shrink, Cloak, Track, Stats, Keyword

Replacement w/ blog name in URL)

Social Sharing Tips

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Podcasting

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PodPress, PowerPress Plugin Look for Podcast Networks

(GeekCast.fm) Syndicate to iTunes Affiliate links in show notes Transcription: Great for SEO (CastingWords.com $.75 /min & Up,

Fiverr 12 minutes) Audible Podcast Affiliate Program

(Audible Pre-roll ad pays $15/ free trial)

Podcast Tips

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AutomatedCommissionabl

e Links

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SkimLinks, VigLink – Don’t need to sign up to Affiliate Networks

BounceLinks – Keep direct relationship with retailers

They don’t overwrite existing affiliate links Simple install (plugin or code) Once installed can monetize even your old blog

posts

Automated Affiliate Links Tips

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Offline Marketing

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