9 Key Ways for Effective Affiliate Marketing

The simplest and the economical way to increase your business is by building a good network of affiliates. It is not of having numerous affiliates, but a few good ones can be a source of regular sales to your online store. And what more, you pay your affiliates only if sale happens. So, there isn’t a reason why you should not look at building an effective affiliate network.

1. Commission Structure: This is the most important factor to decide. You need to spend a considerable amount of time and study the prevailing rates in the market, the method, withdrawal methods and process. You need to decide on such commission structure so the affiliates are attracted to the program.
2. Enticing Invitation: The invitation that is being sent to affiliates should always be tempting to sign-up and take-up your program. If you feel the affiliate is a / or can be a ‘Super’ affiliate then call them and talk to them.
3. Competitive Study: You can look at competitors’ affiliate program and affiliates and try to attract them to your program. Check how you can make your offer more attractive and enticing to get them to your website and keep them with you permanently. You can get these details by participating in various forums and discussion boards. You can also use the competitors’ affiliate link search in Google and can reach their website. Usually, the affiliate links follow a basic structure and you can easily search for the affiliates using them.
4. Motivate and Reward Affiliates: You not only have to provide them with design material like, newsletters, content, email templates, banners…etc but, you also need to motivate them and reward them for achievements. If they make more sales, there is a point to make them happy as well, so that they work harder and stick to your program. You may consider of providing a bonus to affiliates who reach certain set sales goals in a period of time.
5. Educate Affiliates: From time to time you need to share knowledge and educate them with known strategies and techniques. They also need to have the right product knowledge and do not forget them to educate them.
6. Personal Rewards: A personal touch to your business relationship can help your good affiliates stick to you. After all, you are helping out each other in business. A hand-written thank you note, flowers or a wine bottle. These personal touches will not go unnoticed, but be assured; your affiliates will always remember it and will remember that you have gone that extra mile which your competitors have not gone.
7. Call Every Affiliate: Do not just call the best and good affiliates. Try calling each of them and thank them. Also, try to learn their problems and see if you can resolve the same. See how you can make their life easier.
8. Advance Info: Let you affiliates know in advance about any new product or version release in advance. They will feel they are not being kept updated and informed. If they get such information from you through an email or a call, rather than the press release or your website, they not only feel involved but, they will try to be prepared for the release.
9. Make Affiliate a ‘Super’ Affiliate: Do not ignore small affiliates. Smaller affiliate work really hard and a small push from your side will help them to become ‘Super’ affiliate. If they feel that they are being ignored then, they will move to your competitors. So, always pay attention to such affiliates and help them to become big ones. A few good and ‘Super’ affiliates will help to generate sales all by it self in future.

So, note that it only pays to have affiliates which generate sales. And, you need to keep them happy and motivated to generate more sales and not allowing them to go away.

5 Important Approaches for Social Networking for Companies

Many corporate are trying to jump the social networking band wagon. The social networking websites’ links, icons and/or logos are being shown on most of the corporate websites as they want to increase their reach to and want to easily communicate with the folks in their network – customers, prospects or anyone.

Here are the 5 important approaches that they need to be confident of performing prior to jumping in the networking band wagon.

1. Define Objectives: Companies first need to define the objectives and goals as to what they want to achieve by social networking. Defining them before will help the contribution and participation more interesting and productive.
2. Channel of Communication: Companies need to keep in mind that networking in this media is not to increase the sales. It is a channel to make your customers and prospects to communicate with the company in a simpler way. And the other way round, may be customers do not want to receive a phone call or an e-mail but, wants to read the corporate blog or tweet. And the customer may feel comfortable to respond back or ask questions through the same channel.
3. Listen to Customers: This is the most important thing that corporate companies need to be keeping in mind. The jump in social networking makes it easily accessible to their customers and prospects. Listen to them first. The more the knowledge is shared with the customers and prospects to solve the issues the more satisfied the customer gets. Thus, building a good reputation in the market.
4. Track Customers Talking: Search the online media frequently to find out what people are talking about the company. And companies need to immediately attend, communicate the updates to them immediately. This networking channel is to build the brand and not to start the sales cycle. There are tools available which can help to keep track of this - TweetScan, RSS feeds. Companies can also try Andy Beal’s trackur tool.
5. Be Real and Own: People like communicating through this channel as they feel they are talking to a responsible person from a corporate who listens to them. So, one who communicates from the company side needs to be a real person who can own the issue or problem being talked about and respond back with a solution to them.

Also read related posts -
The Four Important Steps to Start Social Networking for Business
6 Tips To Be Successful In Social Media Marketing

Admission opens for the TechTarget Online ROI Summit

Know your audience and how to reach them effectively.

In a down economy, this point is more pivotal to marketers than ever before. And, no other event brings you face-to-face with more IT buyers than the TechTarget Online ROI Summit -

Complimentary admission opened last week for the 2009 TechTarget Online ROI Summit on April 14th at the Boston Marriott in Newton, MA - the only event dedicated to helping you reach your IT buyer audience. Apply today at www.techtargetsummit.com

Highlights of this year's Online ROI Summit include...

• Real-world case studies given by the peers
• Proven marketing strategies for these hard economic times
• More senior IT buyers open-panel discussions
• Best Practices guidelines on converting leads to revenue
• Latest Google research on search marketing
• Research and insight into the IT buying process
• And of course, detailed ROI from real online marketing campaigns

Visit the new Summit website to watch videos of recent panels and catch a glimpse of the new content - www.techtargetsummit.com.

Online Marketing Tips

Internet Marketing isn't complex or new. Yet we see the same mistakes being made over and over by the marketing executives, sales professionals and owners of small or new businesses.

Small business owners sometimes lament over the fact that they don't have a million-dollar marketing budget. While we've all thought about how much easier things would be if we had unlimited funds, it's still possible to earn a decent profit with the right marketing plan,
product and service.

Thousands of small to medium size business owners can attest to their success at building a profitable business on a 'shoestring' budget. However, making a few mistakes can just as easily lose you a nice chunk of cash.

If done correctly, Internet Marketing is a very effective medium to generate new leads, and build continuous contact with your prospects. It can easily help you yield new sales and exceed your targets.

Many entrepreneurs think that selling to the widest possible market is the likeliest path to success. They are afraid to pursue a niche market because they fear they'll lose business by turning away prospects.

But this 'take all comers' approach is not very effective. It's hard to stand out when you market your business without a distinctive set of prospects in mind. Occupying a niche market means you won't be competing with a lot of similar businesses solely on price.

And because you will be selling products and services that are customized to the specific needs and predispositions of a select group of people, you can often charge more.

Your products and services should serve a market that can't easily find alternatives whether it be the product or services itself, the price or most importantly, good customer service.

When providing my services as an Internet Marketing Consultant to businesses, I often ask these questions:

1. Who are your prospects?
2. Who will buy your product?

I am often surprised that business people either have no idea who will buy from them, or they assume that 'everyone' will. Assumptions like this can lead to wrong decisions, wrong pricing, wrong marketing strategy - and ultimately, business failure.

The most successful businesses understand that only a limited number of people will buy their product or service. The task then becomes determining, as closely as possible, exactly who those people are, and 'targeting' the business's marketing efforts and money toward them. You too, can build a better, stronger and successful Internet Web Services and Online Marketing business, by identifying and serving a particular prospect group - your target market.

One of the first things you need to do is to refine your product or service so that you are NOT trying to be 'all things' to all people - Become a specialist!

Take Care Of These Steps And You Are On Your Way To A Successful Business!