Copyright 2005 Jim Boere

Create your own promotion material.

I realize that may sound like a strange thing to say. After all, you probably found a whole range of ready-to-use ads and websites in all shapes and sizes when you logged in to your affiliate account! And I'm not saying you shouldn't use those. But I do advise you to create your own variations on them as well.

Think that's too difficult? You'll be surprised...
Let me explain the why and the how.

Most affiliates use the exact same ads in the exact same ways, in the exact same places. Now, I believe over time that inevitably makes those ads less effective. Especially if the program is well-known and has who knows how many thousands of members!

People will get used to seeing those same ads over and over again, and so they loose their impact. People will grow immune to them, so to speak...

But that can actually good news! You can use this fact to your advantage...

By being original.

You see, the vast majority of affiliates does not realize the importance of what I've just told you. And even those that do; some of them aren't very creative and simply don't come up with their own ideas. Others are just plain lazy... The result is the same: they use the same ads for a long time, often even for as long as they remain an affiliate.

And that gives you a brilliant opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

Create your own promotion material!

Present prospects with something fresh, something new. Replace the 'same old stuff' they've already seen ten times before and have grown immune to.

You'll find that people will pay much more attention to your ads. Result: a higher response rate...and more affiliates in your downline.

Let's look at ways to easily create your own promotion material.

1) Write your own articles.

For the 'why' of writing articles, I refer to my article "Why You Should Write An Article, Today!" which you can read online at:

http://www.onlinebizpromotion.com/homebiz1.htm

I also suggest you subscribe to my free eCourse on affiliate marketing. It covers the 'how' of writing articles, and it comes with six fully rebrandable and rewritable articles you can instantly use to promote any affiliate program you want.

Go here to subscribe:

http://www.onlinebizpromotion.com/makeaflyingstart.htm

2) Add an original incentive to your opt-in form.

The opt-in form is the most direct approach. You put an opt-in form on your website, and people can sign-up. For this to work well though, there will have to be 'something in it' for your visitors. They aren't likely to sign-up for anything just to do you a favor...

You'll want to give them something of value, for free. A powerful encouragement. Ideally, it's something that other affiliates can't offer. For example:

* Write a special report on how to be successful with the program in question, and offer it as a PDF file.

* Write a "How to Get Started with ..." eCourse.

* Offer a report, eBook or software program that is relevant for, and complimentary to, the affiliate program you're promoting. This should not be a product that can easily be found elsewhere. Or at least not for free.

* Offer one-on-one coaching, either by email or by phone.

* Offer a combination of the above.

* Maybe you have another idea? Then go ahead and try it!

A more indirect approach is the...

3) Warm-up page, with a personal touch.

This can be a single page, where you tell the visitor about your own experience with the program. You'll want to focus on a few of the biggest benefits of the program - and/or the program's retail product(s), and elaborate on those. What did it do for you?

Don't bother listing a ton of technical details or fancy features, but stick to the benefits. Those are your most powerful selling points.

Here's an example. I have this page on my own website, and it's promoting the program that I personally started my online venture with:

http://www.onlinebizpromotion.com/NoteOnPIPS.htm

You can see how I've made it personal by explaining how the program helped ME. And how that adds credibility to my 'story'.

I hope I've given you some new ideas that you can use to improve your results with affiliate programs. Look out for future articles in this series. Or, if you want to receive them automatically, add yourself to my mailing list. Simply send a blank email to this address and I'll keep you updated:

onlinebizpromotion@getresponse.com

(It's double opt-in, you will be asked to confirm.)

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Jim Boere is a published author and fulltime online marketer. Visit http://www.onlinebizpromotion.com/SFI.htm and join the affiliate program he recommends for building a residual income. You will be (automatically) contacted and offered his personal assistance within 48 hrs after joining. Free of charge.