Where do I market?

[ScorpionSystems]

I have just started my affiliate program on my site WorldAnnouncements.com , I believe it will profit both me and my affiliates since I offer lifetime commissions to the referrer for all purchases made now and in the future. My problem is I do not know where to put the word out. I have checked into linkshare.com but it seams insane for me on a low budget as is to lay out a minimum of $34,000 dollars to join.

Anyone know of some low cost places to get some affiliates?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Andrew Chang

[rybo]

Hi Andrew,

I was faced with pretty much the same dilemma when I set up our in-house affiliate program 6 months ago.

In a nutshell:
1. I purchased affiliate tracking software from Kowabunga: http://www.myaffiliateprogram.com

2. Once installed and set up (including our offer), Kowabunga submitted our afiliate program to the most popular affiliate directories. You can do this yourself (for a small fee) by using affiliate announce.
http://affiliatetoolkit.com/affiliateannounce

3. In addition, for the past 6 months I (plus a few others) have been doing a lot of telesales/marketing to bring attention to our affiliate program, and this has worked very well.

4. Many of our customers have actually signed up to the affiliate program, which is fantastic (they like the service so much, that they feel confident to sell it).

5. We also offer a 2 tier program, so many of our affiliates have in turn brought in more affiliates!

It takes, time, effort, commitment, dedication and perserverance etc...but you will start to see rewards and as word spreads it becomes easier and starts to look after itself more. BUT, you will still need to continue putting in the effort.

Like you, I didn't want to commit my company's money to an external program with no real guarantee of any results from them, and preffered to pay my affiliates more money!

You can check the affiliate program I've put in place at http://www.depositit.com/reseller.shtml and please feel free to come back with any questions or ideas to discuss further.

Good luck,

Anthony

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Anthony, nice helpful overview!

Andrew, Linkshare does not cost that much to get started, but also is not the best place for your program. I would recommend MYAP like Anthony suggested or Shareasale which is only 150 set up.

[Karen Hudgins]

Hi Andrew,
Our company also uses MyAffiliateProgram for our affiliate program. Here's my two cents:

1. Directories
Submitting your program to affiliate program directories is a great place to start. You can use the AffiliateAnnounce feature of MyAffiliateProgram or you can do it yourself. To find these directories simply start searching for them. Believe me, you'll find more than you ever thought existed.

2. Newsletter Publishers
Another method you may want to consider is working with these directories directly as some of them publish newsletters and will list your program for a fee.

3. 2nd Tier Program
We also have a second tier program and because our program is so successful for our own affiliates, they are often referring their friends to join our program which greatly helps our member base grow.

4. Forums
Participating in this forum and other affiliate marketing related forums will help as well to get your name and your program's name in front of the right audience.

5. Telemarketing
Telemarketing to potential affiliates will work too, but I find it most effective if they have already heard of you somewhere. Calling them out of the blue generally yields a lower roi.

6. Pay per Click Marketing
You can also pay per click on the search engines, but this can get quite expensive if you're not careful.

7. Strategic Friends/Partners
Making friends is another great method. Get to know other affiliate program managers. If their is a synergy or connection between your programs, offer to promote them if they promote you. Think of it as I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine.

8. Outside Recruiters
In the past we have used outside recruiters and promoters, such as Linda Buquet (Hi Linda!). If you can afford the cost which is reasonable, I would recommend this for a period of time to help give your membership a boost.

9. Attend Conferences
There are many conferences throughout the year dealing with internet marketing as a whole and some specified to Affiliate Marketing such as this year's AffiliateSummit. These are great places to get new ideas for your program, meet people in the industry, and talk to existing and potential affiliates.

10. Run a Great Program!
This is really the essence of recruitment. Really focus on making your program the best program you can. Bend over backwards for your affiliate partners as much as possible. They are the lifeblood of your program and should be treated as such. Believe me, word travels fast and negativity even faster. If you program has a good reputation on the web, your program will begin to speak for itself.

[ScorpionSystems]

Catalyst I assure LinkShare does require this amount of out lay attached below is an email from them.

Thanks everyone for your very useful input I will check out your recommendations.

correspondence with LinkShare

__________________________________________
Hi Andrew,



Thank you for your follow up, and I am happy to provide you with all the information that you need to complete an evaluation of a partnership with LinkShare, but let me first provide you with a pricing schedule to make sure that you are still interested after understanding the investment of both time and money that are necessary to make this a successful revenue generating online channel.



Licensing Fee: $10,000- one time



Monthly Services: $2,000-$4,000 per month (provides you with a dedicated marketing strategist that will work with you weekly to help you to optimize your program and revenues, as well as all affiliate and technical support)



Revenue Share: 3% of revenue generated

30% of any flat fee paid to an affiliate



Check Cutting: $1.00 per check plus postage. We only cut a check to an affiliate on your behalf after they have reached a minimum commission threshold, say $25)



Term: 12 month minimum term





These fees give you access to LinkShare's pool of over 1 million affiliates, our proprietary tools and technology, a dedicated marketing strategist, all affiliate and merchant support, and access to the marketing expertise that we have accumulated over the past 7 years, since we founded the affiliate marketing industry.



Please let me know whether or not you are interested in pursuing this partnership, but please also keep in mind that while there is a $34,000 minimum investment, LinkShare's average merchant generates around 5 million dollars per year in sales through their LinkShare program.



Regards,



Kevin



-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Chang [mailto:AndrewC@scorpionsystems.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 4:33 PM
To: Kevin Kozinchik
Subject: Re: LinkShare- Your Request For Information



Hi,



I am basically looking for pricing on your system and to see how it will work. I already have affiliate software installed on one of my sites what I need is affiliates. This is where I found your company.



Thank you for your time.



Andrew Chang

President

Scorpion Systems

----- Original Message -----

From: Kevin Kozinchik

To: andrewc@scorpionsystems.net

Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 8:44 AM

Subject: LinkShare- Your Request For Information



Hi Andrew,



I am writing to follow up with you on the request for information that you sent to the LinkShare website to find out about LinkShare's online affiliate marketing sales channel. I am the Manager of Client Development that will be working with you to complete your evaluation of a partnership with LinkShare, and I wanted to find out how I can be of assistance to you?



If you could please let me know what information I can provide you with to help you with your evaluation, I would appreciate it.



Thanks, and I look forward to working with you to show you how LinkShare could help you to dramatically increase your online sales and revenues.



Regards,



Kevin



Kevin Kozinchik
Director of Strategic Accounts
LinkShare Corporation
215 Park Avenue South, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Tel: 646-654-6000 Ext. 285
Fax: 646-602-0160
E-mail: kkozinchik@linkshare.com

Register for free today and join over 600 of the most successful
affiliate programs on the Web:

http://www.linkshare.com/join


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