Marketing as an affiliate

[marcsdeane]

Gentle Souls:

As an affiliate, how do you get the email list from which you market your product. All answers will be considered. Please reply asap!

[Linda Buquet]

Hi marcsdeane,

The only safe and legal way to build a list is to get lots of traffic and have them opt-in to receive mail from you.

Most of the affiliates I work with are web based not email based. Most of my affiliates don't even have lists. I know a lot of affiliates that used to do some emailing but don't really hear it coming up much any more. Most are more concerned with search traffic and then the customers buy from the links on their sites, not the links in emails.

[canistotasoftware]

Catalyst is correct, and even the opt-in lists you get from your traffic can be somewhat useless. From my experience emails gathered from my opt-in sign ups have tended to be alot of non-existant emails with maybe a 20% view percentage on my mailings. Ok if you have 1000's of reciepients but otherwise not very useful.

[theshoppingreviewman]

Emails used to be a great way to market your services but since there are so many crappy spammers out there nowadays. It has meant the creation of spam blockers, programs and the like which block and delete as many good emails that your recipient customer has to wade through all these emails. A lot of people just delete a whole lot more of there emails anymore and pay less attention to them because of the spam problems. Spammers suck!

[mizambar]

Emails used to be a great way to market your services but since there are so many crappy spammers out there nowadays. It has meant the creation of spam blockers, programs and the like which block and delete as many good emails that your recipient customer has to wade through all these emails. A lot of people just delete a whole lot more of there emails anymore and pay less attention to them because of the spam problems. Spammers suck!

Agreed-Pretty much with all the filters being employed now, even personal emails are being deleted. I have had tons of one-on-one emails to friends and customers which are not being received...we can thank the folks who have destroyed the potential of email

[Ian L.]

I personally still think capturing names & email addresses is effort well spent. I think this way. There is always a cost to bringing traffic to your site. Whether it be money, time, effort, etc... I think it's too bad that all that effort and energy cannot be translated to more rewards and the user is allowed to "getaway" without furthering the relationship with you. Either in terms of dollars, brand marketing, a sense of community, whatever.

I still suggest to our Affiliates to run a newsletter offering quality information to targeted traffic. It may seem like a bother and an insignificant point but I know many of you have heavy traffic. If 0.5% of the users signed up, and even if you get 20% readership in the long run, that is more eyeballs than you would have gotten otherwise. Of course, the offer has to be enticing and your traffic has to be targeted. I may have a different point of view in the future but at the moment, I suggest all Affiliates set up some sort of email collection campaign. Measure sign up rates, measure open rates, measure 2ndary marketing rewards. And all of this can be automated at a very low cost. If you can't find a low cost / easy solution, let me know and I will help you set it up.

What do ya think? :)

[dentalplans]

Email marketing can still work if you know the right companies and they do it on a cost-per-sale or lead basis. NEVER buy emails on a CPM. Building an internal list is a great idea as well. You can use the list to remarket or advertise other products and services.

[Jason - SmartDraw.com]

Marcsdeane,

I agree with most of the above. Email can be wasted if done incorrectly, yet quite effective if done right. Some necessary points to success:

1. The emails must be double opt-in. This is the only way to be sure you aren't hit with a spam complaint, and it also increases the quality of your list.

2. Send the emails out on a consistent basis, and include relevant content. After a bit, people will look forward to your emails, and will be much more open to the included offers.

3. Make sure you are sending to a qualified audience. (i.e. folks that are interested in related products and have a need that can be filled by your offer)

Hope this helps!