I've been told by a number of managers of HUGE affiliate programs that 95% of their sales come from their top 25 (or fewer affiliates). When you consider the fact that some affiliate programs have thousands, even tens of thousands of affiliates, that's actually pretty sad!
The fact is that most affiliates join an affiliate program, and then do nothing. Why is that. It's generally because being a great affiliate marketer can be hard WORK.
Even the top producing affiliates are not big fans of hard work. They often have insider techniques that they use but don't discuss with anyone.
So how does an affiliate program manager energize his affiliate force?
Since affiliates don't like hard work, the obvious answer is to make it easy for them. You do this by providing easy to use tools. For example, if you could have your affiliates just share a video with their lists and website visitors, that's really easy. Often, they'll use a tool like this or a branded PDF file, when they wouldn't use other tools. Part of the reason they'd do that is that often their list members enjoy these info product and don't seem to notice that they're being sold.
Video works so beautifully because the prospect isn't even require to do any WORK. They just sit and watch. We're all conditioned to watch television and movies. However, many of us have grown to hate reading... it's too much like work, and reminds us of when we were in school, and often had burdensome reading loads.
If only Camtasia-style videos could be branded easily with affiliate links that then redirected the viewer to the affiliate site, this would be heaven - right.
Well, you can very easily brand Camtasia videos with affiliate urls. There's absolutely NO reason that every affiliate in your affiliate force can't be given a personalized (branded) version of your sales-producing videos. That would get a lot more of the hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of affiliates on your team, actually out promoting your products.
The real secrets that you've taken advantage of is the facts that:
1) For many affiliates, you really do have to do it for them.
2) You have to make your affiliates feel special. Giving them a video to distribute that has their url embedded accomplishes that. With Camtasia, the video will play, and at the end of the video, deliver your affiliate's prospect right to the sales page or order form.
4) You need to give your affiliates the tools that they prefer to use. This sometimes differs but video is really hot these days. It's hot with your affiliates' customers too, because they don't have to work... they just sit and watch, and buy :-)
5) Many affiliates worry about protecting their sales. They worry about other affiliates hijacking their links. With branded Camtasia-style video, as the customer is taken to the sales page, you can also "set the cookie." Depending upon how your affiliate program software is configured, you can prevent that cookie from being overwritten.
Offering your affiliate the easy to use tools that they prefer does one other things - it makes them loyal to YOU. Many affiliates display no real loyalty, and hop from product to product... often going to competing products. If you're offering a tool like branded video, and your competitors aren't, your affiliates will stick with your affiliate program.
Ok, so we've just covered a few ideas on how to really energize your affiliate force. Doing the things covered above can easily double or even triple your affiliate sales. The key to doing that is taking massive action. Start by learning how inexpensive and easy it is to offer your affilates branded videos. You can do that at:
http://williecrawford.com/brander/Copyright: Copyright c 2007-2008 Willie Crawford
About the Author:Willie Crawford has been marketing affiliate, and
his own products, over the internet since late-1996.
His innovative techniques and total dedication to
his customers makes him an in demand mentor! Camtasia
video is his favorite tool. Discover how you too can
create a flood of traffic with branded Camtasia videos
at: http://williecrawford.com/brander/
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