Here’s a little irony for you. I’ve been subscribed to mailing lists for Perry Marshall and Jim Edwards for years. I’d listened in on free webinars, I downloaded free e-books, I had Perry send me his “Biggest Myths in Sales” CD and I listened to that. I had even watched a few online videos by the great Yanik Silver. Yet until last week (precisely 3 days ago) I just didn’t get it. I still thought that unless I had a book, CD, DVD, video or something else to sell, I couldn’t do anything. So I just kept listening to these experts to glean information so that when I did have my first e-book I’d be ready.
The reality of it is, any website where you have visitors (or you take the time to learn how to get visitors) can make money by referring your visitors to other sites. Here’s the easiest way to think about it. In this blog and many others that I’ve read online people recommend books. I looooooove to read and so do so often. Since few people enjoy reading non-fiction as much as I do I’m often recommending resources to people and this blog will do a lot of that. So here’s where affiliate marketing comes in – If instead of just telling people to go check out “Billionaire in Training” by Brad Sugars because it rocks, I sign up FOR FREE as an affiliate to Amazon and offer a nice convenient link to Billionaire In Training
by Brad Sugars, if someone follows that link and buys the book I get a commission (between 4-10% with Amazon).
The customer pays the EXACT same amount and it’s a lot cheaper for Amazon than most forms of marketing so it’s a win-win-win. Customer gets the book at the best price, I get a commission, Amazon generated a sale with “cheap” marketing.
The beauty of affiliates, is you can do this with almost anything on the internet these days. If you’re a guy and need some help picking up chicks, check out Learn The Secrets Of Women And Dating by David DeAngelo. If you’re a woman and need to Save Your Relationship then go there. I’ve seen this information for basketball coaching and ball-handling videos (I signed up for both since I’m a basketball coach and ball-handling nut), job-interview secrets (great e-book), car wheels and parts, and basically anything else you can think of. I sign up for free lists with my Hotmail account all the time (I would never use a “real” email address) because even the free information most of these experts give away is valuable (and since I’m of the impression I can learn something from everyone I encounter why wouldn’t I?).
Here’s the point. If you have a blog or any website online and you have consistent traffic, why wouldn’t you try a little affiliate marketing?
Let’s make it simple. If you have a blog and you EVER recommend books, consider this:
1. Go to Amazon’s Affiliate Website
2. Sign up for a free account.
3. Put in convenient links for your readers to Amazon for any books you mention.
You’re now an affiliate marketer and have actually provided a great free service to all of your readers. Are there really any negatives to that?
To your success, Bryan
