Affiliate Coaching in New Zealand

This morning I was asked if there is any direct affiliate coaching in New Zealand available to help someone who is interested in getting into affiliate marketing as a supplementary income.

It’s a good question so I thought I’d post the Q & A here;

Good morning Gary,

I live in Whangaparaoa and I am interested in learning about Affiliate marketing as a means to earn a supplementary income.

Are there people you know of close to me who are into Coaching people like me?

Regards

XXXX  XXXX

Stanmore Bay
Whangaparaoa

Here’s my response;

Hi XXXX,

I’m afraid there is very little in the way of direct coaching for affiliate marketing in New Zealand.

The best I can suggest is online research and getting involved in forum communities to ask as many questions and read as many answers as you can.

One thing to note is that there isn’t any need to buy any services (e.g. e-books) related to affiliate marketing strategies / tools.

In my opinion you can find anything you need to know that will be in those books elsewhere online on an affiliate resource site or by chatting in forums.

Good luck with it.

Regards

Gary

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Affiliate Newsletters

The most regular means of communication between affiliate managers and the wider group of affiliates in their program is generally going to be the affiliate newsletter, otherwise known as CRM (customer relationship management) if you’re the affiliate manager.

The affiliate newsletter is commonly under-utilised when, done well, it can be one of the better means of building a community around a program.

If your an affiliate, it is important to make sure you’re signed up to the affiliate newsletter for your best performing (or most sophisticated) programs as this is going to be your quickest way of keeping up to date with whatever is new in the program and potentially give you tips and insights into what is going to perform best for you as you work with the program.

Affiliate managers should understand that the affiliate newsletter is the second most important tool in keeping an affiliate community up to date with what’s happening in the business. The first is, without doubt, shouting the affiliate a beer at the bar during an affiliate conference ;)

Affiliate managers who are looking to build a community will often find a way to get more into the newsletter than just the latest promotion. Whether it’s a featured piece about a top affiliate, the best performing product that they have or ideas surrounding the next meet up of like-minded internet geeks, you should be receiving a newsletter that helps you interact with the program and learn ways of improving the ROI of your time spent promoting their program.

If you’re not receiving tips from your most preferred or profitable affiliate program (they’re not always the same) then you should be talking to your affiliate manager to start getting them more involved with building your community and potentially even offering to help.

Who knows, you may get some good contacts out of helping out.

As much as affiliates can feel like they’re out on their own in the world and don’t want to pass on any secrets of their performance, there are many situations where getting involved and helping the community as a whole will help lift the affiliate program you’re working with thereby improving your bottom line and hopefully enhancing your affiliate knowledge.

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Should affiliates use Twitter for affiliate marketing?

Personally, I’m not particularly keen on the idea of using Twitter for affiliate marketing beyond promoting your site directly. It just reeks a little too much of spamming a social network.

It’s a reasonable argument that there are a lot of people who are currently using Twitter as purely a promotional tool for pushing their online products or services to a wider social market however affiliate marketing on Twitter is using a social tool to trick a user into clicking on a commissioned URL. That’s pretty close to spam in my books.

A big part of Twitter is the use of short URL services and there is no way for a user to know that they’re clicking through an affiliate link. If you’re going to be completely up-front about the use of affiliate links in shortened URLs then you should be notifying the potential clicker that the link is an advertisement or at least that it’s an affiliate link.

There’s nothing wrong with using Twitter to promote your affiliate site (particularly if you have good content on it), that’s what a large portion of people on Twitter are doing however even in that scenario it should be relevant content that you’re posting on your site for your Twitter followers.

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PPC Humour ..

I don’t usually write about other blogs that I’ve come across but it’s pretty rare to find a blog that’s actually full of PPC humour!

PPCVillan.com is a laugh, it’s a great take on what you can actually find out there in the PPC world and covers the best of the best in terms of what not to do…

Here’s a link to the top ten signs you’re a PPC Poser :)

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Short URL services for affiliate marketing

If you’ve ever used Twitter or if you’re really into short URL’s you will be likely to have come across the URL shortening services that are available from a few different companies.

The idea behind the service provided is to solve the problem of the ever increasing length and complexity of URL’s.

Many sites will have increasingly difficult and long URL’s that do not suit linking the entire URL within a piece of content on another web page.

My understanding is that these services started out as a way for people to link to content within emails, specifically so that long URL’s do not wrap to different lines on an email, they have however evolved into more common usage for content services where short URL’s have major advantages.

News articles, particularly excerpts, are starting to use these shortened URL services as well as the new micro-blogging systems (e.g. Twitter) where the amount on content in any single post is limited to a number of characters so space is a premium and the shorter the URL the better.

Since their launch, URL services have also been promoted by their companies as a way for affiliates to link to an affiliate URL without displaying the fact that it’s an affiliate link.

In its worst form, there are people who have started to use services like Twitter to link to ‘interesting’ information where the link is in fact a hidden affiliate link.

The real problem here is the user who is clicking on the link has no way of knowing where the link is going to take them. This leaves the situation quite open to abuse by either trusted parties or potentially by someone who could hack the URL shortening service itself.

One of the immediate benefits of some of these services in affiliate marketing is the option to include tracking statistics on things like the number of clicks and timing of when people have clicked through.

If you don’t already have a tracking system in place, this can be a good use of a freely available system to track certain links e.g. email links or even links through social networks.

Here are examples of some of the services that provide the short URLs:

The key in using these URL services is about trust. Make sure you don’t leave a feeling like you mislead the user into clicking to somewhere they didn’t know they were going. If you’re always clear about where the link is going to take the user or at the least what service it will take the user to then the Short URL’s can have a real place in your marketing.

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In-Text Advertising

It looks like In-Text Advertising has finally found New Zealand portals.

I’ve noticed over the last month a few portals of note (e.g. geekzone.co.nz) have been running the adverts. So far it looks like the sites are completing trial runs but it will be interesting to see if the trend catches on.

In-Text Advertising is where a script is loaded on a web page and as the page is generated, any keywords in the main body of text that match advertising keywords appear with a special underline or highlight. Usually when you roll over the text there’s a pop-up which shows relevant advertising that you can click on.

Generally if you work in the online industry you’ll spot these pretty quickly as they look quite different within a block of text (that’s part of the idea) and are often shown with a double underline which is supposed to highlight that they are an advertisement.

I’ve played around with In-Text Advertising in the past and have to say the click rates can be quite high however it is usual that the CPC (cost-per-click) values offered are significantly lower than a CPC value through a standard advertising program such as Google Adsense.

The closest thing to In-Text Advertising that Google has is the Google Link Unit format which displays a set of links with basic keywords related to the content on the page. While not exactly “In-Text” there are many people who use the Link Units in ways that make them look considerably like text links within a page. It’s interesting to note that Google have it in their terms and conditions of Adsense that the links should not look like navigation on the site.

Generally the biggest issue with In-Text Advertising is the impact on usability for the average reader. Not only is the average user not expecting a pop-up when they go to click a link on the page, I have seen it time and time again when a user is just rolling their mouse across a page with these advertisements in it and the pop-up’s come up and go away completely distracting and confusing the user.

Whatever your take is on In-Text Advertising, it’s here to stay in some format or other and if any of the current programs can gain some form of critical advertiser mass (or Google Adsense decide to launch it) then CPC values are likely to go up and we’ll all be using it as the default form of advertising.

At least it beats the good old 468×60!

If you’re looking to trial the advertising check out the following;

If you have feedback on In-Text Advertising yourself within the New Zealand market drop me a note and let me know what your experiences were.

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Designing a website for affiliate marketing

If you’re an affiliate and have a bright idea for what you’d like to build an affiliate website about (and potentially a domain you like) you’re ahead of the curve already.

Next you’re going to ask yourself, what should my website look like?

If you’re a designer by trade, you’re going to spend hours pondering the correct design for the audience that you’re looking to target and you’re probably going to go through a half-dozen iterations of a website design in Photoshop or Illustrator. There’s even the chance you’ll get most of the way through a design, scrap it and start again. I know I’ve done this a couple of times before and it’s probably a good display of the lack of planning I put into what I was trying to achieve in the first place.

Many affiliate marketers aren’t designers but they would prefer to have a website that looks good. This is where templates come into their own as paying for a designer to build you an affiliate site is reasonably rarely a cost effective solution (particularly when you’re trying to build a site’s traffic organically). We’re going to ignore Ferrit in this discussion although I’m pretty sure it’s no-where near cost effective to date :).

So, you have an idea a domain and need a design.

There are so many template design options out there now it’s a wonder that any real design work gets done at all. I would have to say that a large number of newly created affiliate marketing website I’ve seen this year are created through template designs.

Template designs offer just the right level of cost effectiveness e.g. they’re free and are generally well tested, particularly if you’re working with a large scale Open Source blogging or CMS platform like WordPress, Joomla! or the like.

Here are a few template directories: WordPress Themes, Joomla Templates, Drupal Themes, Xoops Themes

All it takes is a couple of quick adjustments on a logo file and the website you’re trying to get off the ground can look (to the untrained eye) like you’ve spent the last month in development and have some pretty hot design skills.

So, if you’re looking at designing a website specifically for affiliate marketing, perhaps you can start with a template, build up the traffic to the site (which is what’s really going to gain you the revenue) and then if all is going well, look to expand or re-design once you have proof of your concept.

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Choosing the right domain name for your website

If you’re looking at starting a website from scratch and already have an idea of the community you’re going to be targeting the website at then you’re in a wonderful position of being able to find a domain name that suits before you launch your website.There are a few different schools of thought on what to do when picking the right domain name for your website however here are my suggestions, some will be obvious but it’s worth getting the obvious points lined up in a row to make sure you’re covering all the main questions you should ask yourself;

Is this domain relevant to my community?

Picking the right domain name from scratch is something some people worry about a lot while others just don’t put that much value on the domain itself but are more interested in the content and traffic.Coming somewhere between these two opposites is a solid approach. Try and find something that your community will immediately recognise is something they would be interested in. Having keywords that you’re targeting for SEO in the domain is good but shorter domains are easier to type in for repeat visits so the decision becomes a pay-off between those two factors.If you’re hoping to have people type the domain directly into their browser at some point, try to steer clear of using hyphens “-” and never use abbreviations.Overall, you have to be comfortable with the domain name yourself as it’s going to epitomise your website’s front to the world.

Would a localised domain be better to target my community?

For example in New Zealand it’s a good idea to be using a .co.nz however if you’re targeting Australia the best option is a .com.au. While there are exceptions to the rule in every case, localisation is a good idea.

Is there a domain I could purchase that would be worthwhile?

Generally I would not suggest purchasing a domain to build a website on as there are still plenty available (particularly local .co.nz domains) that will be relevant to your users that will not cost you more than standard registration.One situation where this may be useful is if there is a live website already that has been around for some time building content and links from a community that matches your new venture. If you can find a site for sale such as this (rare but worth looking into) you’d be best to work through a domain brokerage service such as sedo as there are more than a few dodgy domain sellers out there who will promise the world and not deliver.

Have I asked some other people for their opinions and/or ideas on the domain I’m thinking of registering?

Feedback from people who are likely to use the website (or at least other people in the industry) is invaluable. Someone else may see something in the domain that you didn’t see which has happened is some rather embarrasing corporate blunders in the past!

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Guest Article: Learn Affiliate Marketing 101

After discussing affiliate marketing and the difficulties people have with finding basic information on the internet recently with another affiliate marketer he decided to write a piece specifically for AffiliatePrograms.co.nz that might help new affiliates with find answers to the basic questions;

Learn Affiliate Marketing 101
Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money from your website by providing links driving traffic to other sites (the “merchants”). It is common to work through affiliate networks, who oversee the relationship between affiliate and merchant. There is a huge amount of information available on affiliate marketing for those who want to participate, it is really just a matter of gathering as much information as possible and then going for it. But how do you get started?

Learning on the job
Formal training isn’t necessary to get into affiliate marketing. It is straightforward to start out and you can learn as you go along. The first step is to set up your own website, including purchasing your own domain name and organising hosting. Adding content to your site is next and will affect your affiliate marketing options. Something that can be regularly updated, can acquire high levels of traffic and lends itself to merchandising will obviously be more profitable. However, you should aim to add high quality content regularly, to maintain traffic to the site and optimise the site for search engines, so it is worth choosing a topic close to your heart! The next step is to sign up with an affiliate network. Depending on your content you may choose to go for a regional network or a more international one. You then start adding relevant links to your site. It is helpful at this stage to read up on the numerous affiliate marketing blogs and forums to get initial advice and tips on what works best. It is also a good idea to use a website analytics program to monitor and improve your site.

Courses available
If you want to gain some more in depth training in affiliate marketing there are many options. Online training courses are readily available and for these you don’t even have to leave your house! For something which is accredited and includes face-to-face tuition then marketing or e-marketing organisations in your area usually run day courses specifically focused on affiliate marketing. For those who know the basics and wish to develop their skills further, a good option is an affiliate marketing conference or expo. Here, alongside a program of expert speakers, each offering tips and advice on how to get the most out of affiliate marketing, you can mingle with other affiliates, merchants and networks in the exhibit hall. These events are a great way to learn from other like-minded individuals and make contacts for future work.

Keeping up to date
To learn affiliate marketing and continue to develop your skills it is important to keep up to date with current industry trends. Subscribe to some of the countless affiliate blogs and forums giving tips and ongoing advice on how to improve your site. By reading new content as soon as it is published you can keep up with changes in the industry and take advantage of them.

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Choosing the right affiliate program to work with..

One of the challenges facing affiliates in all markets is picking the affiliate program that best suits your needs.

Many affiliates will look at this question from the attitude of choosing who is will to pay you the most money for promoting their product through their program however there are better and more lucrative ways of choosing the right affiliate program to work with.

The first thing you must look at is where you’re planning on promoting the advertising. Once you’ve decided where the advertisement is going to go, the most important thing is who is going to be looking at the advertisement i.e. who are your viewers?

This may sound like a simple statement but it’s incredible how often something is pitched at users on the internet that are nowhere near the likely purchasing user.

So, who uses your website that you’re planning on putting advertising on?

If it’s a specific audience that you’re already targeting (e.g. male gamers in their 20’s) then it’s an obvious choice on which affiliate programs you’ll be looking at. Online game stores that sell directly from within New Zealand (or wherever you are targeting) is the obvious choice.

If your website is more into a specific demographic of users (e.g. females around the age of 30-50) however your website is not themed around a specific product then you’re going to need to promote something that offers what these users are looking for. Perhaps there is an online nappy affiliate program around that’s looking for your target market. It might not be what you had in mind with your community of users but it may provide the best option for choosing an affiliate program that’s going to convert best for your users.

If you have an older, male audience, perhaps it’s going to be a foreign exchange affiliate program that suits?

Once you’ve looked long and hard at the users you have viewing your site, you’ll be in a much better position to target their needs with the advertising programs you work with.

Generally, you’re going to find a much better return from your advertising by promoting something that hits the spot for your users and gets a higher conversion rate than if you just slap on the highest paying affiliate program out there that doesn’t have as much to do with your communities wants or needs.

Once you’re on the path of choosing the right affiliate program, the next step is to test, test, test and then test some more with different advertisements in different placements across your website. If the program you’re working with at the moment doesn’t show any returns, talk to your affiliate manager first and see if they can help you with some advice. If it your returns continue to stay lower than your expectations, try another program.

There’s no way around the truth that affiliate marketing is all about knowing your audience and testing for the right advertising or affiliate program that connects with that audience.

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