Think of it this way: Some people are already sold and some aren’t. Some people will have done their research and have their credit cards sitting on their desks before they have even found your site. Others won’t be quite so ready and may even need some guidance to a particular product before they’re ready to buy. Obviously, you will have to accommodate both types somehow.

Who You Should Link Straight to the Opt-in

For the first type, it’s obviously recommended that you get them to the opt-in and buying page as quickly as you can. They don’t need to go through squeeze pages; they don’t need to be sold; and they don’t need anything explained. For this group, right from the first, you should provide a direct link to your purchasing page so they can just get on with their business. This should be the page that you have listed for the longest-tailed search phrases in the search engines. Once they click that link on Google.com, all they should have to do is fill in the purchasing information and get on with the buying.

Who You Should Put Through Squeeze Pages

For the second type, you will need a more intricate process for them to go through before they buy. Your purchasing page will pretty much automatically be listed in the shorter-tailed search phrases, but you will also want to include squeeze pages and rank them higher than the purchasing page. The psychology here is that if a user is using short-tailed search phrases, they’re really not sure of what they want. Consequently, you will have to sell them on your product, and you may have to take them through pages selling them on what you have, as well as assisting them to narrow their focus on what specifically it is that they want. This last element is key here. No amount of convincing someone to buy your stuff is going to work if they see that there are different models or types of this stuff. You should minimize the number of clicks they have to make, but you should also consider that drop boxes that are longer than the average computer screen are going to turn some people away. This should all eventually lead the consumer to the sales page, and you should have them convinced by the time they get here that they want to buy your product.

Some great examples are some of the squeeze pages that can be used when looking for car parts. You start with a list of makes. This breaks down into models, then years, then parts type, then parts. There is often still a selection of models for an average lightbulb, but by now, you’ve had several chances to convince them that you’re the best auto parts dealer on the Web.

Having one or several of these accounts is appealing, especially because it adds a “human element” to your business. Many potential clients like to interact with the people they do business with, and this can lead to having repeat customers, which is particularly vital to many businesses that advertise in online communities. Many of these sites have a verification code during the signing up process, which can subconsciously tell site members that you’re more than some corporate robot.

Using Social Media as a Traffic Generator

Of course, it can’t be forgotten that accounts on these communities are also ripe for advertising potential. If you know how, or if you can imagine how, you can turn a Facebook account into a virtual traffic generator for your website. With a certain arrangement of keyword placement and promotion of your website, as well as backlinks wherever you can put them, you’re certain to increase the traffic to your site. Though more traffic doesn’t always mean more money, you have to have at least some traffic to make money and build your list.

Managing Your Social Media Accounts

Of course, though it would be ideal to collect as many of these social media accounts as you can, there is a certain capacity that you should consider. Either you would have to keep up with these accounts, or you would have to outsource the maintenance on these accounts. Search engines reset the ratings criteria regularly, which could bump an untended LiveJournal account to the bottom of the list. You have to change the content around some; you have to post new blogs; and it’s also in your interest to keep up with those who choose to interact with you on your blog. It’s ultimately better to have five accounts that you can manage than 15 that just go neglected. The latter would be good for an instant rush to the front page of Google, but it could quickly decline after so long of neglect.

Staying on Top of the Top Social Media Sites

So, which social media sites are the best? This is something that constantly changes. As said before, it’s best to pick out the five best. The best way to figure this out during any given month is to check out Alexa.com and do a Google search on “online community” or “blogging community.”

In summary, online blogging communities like Twitter and MySpace are useful for an Internet marketing campaign in several ways. You can advertise your business and provide backlinks to your site. You can also interact with your more-chatty clientele on these sites, and, for that matter, you can network with potential affiliates. So really, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Nearly anyone can create a blog profile. Most blogging websites make profile building pretty intuitive. From there, it’s pretty easy to see how you can bring attention to your business on the basic level. For those with a great imagination and who are in the know with Internet marketing techniques, it’s a virtual gold mine of opportunity. It’s all in what information you enter where.

Blogging Doesn’t Have to Take Much Work

As I said earlier, blogging is relatively low maintenance. You might occasionally change around a few things here and there, and you will have to make blog posts regularly. That could be done on your website, sure. However, there are distinct advantages of using blog services like BlogSpot or WordPress over having a blog on your own website. One is that they are responsible for site maintenance, not you. It’s essentially free labor!

Also, if you don’t have the time or interest to actually do the blogging, you can always outsource it. There are several companies on the Internet that will provide that service to you.  The value of your time versus money is your choosing. Usually you can negotiate a good balance with your outsourcing company.

Advertising Your Website through Your Blog

Another technique is that by advertising your website on one or several of these blogging websites, you can use their ranking to your advantage. Combining the Google ranking of these websites along with the fine art of building a profile that’s a virtual advertising machine will shoot you straight to the top of Google searches. You just have to know how it’s done.

Blog Services are Interactive Lists

Finally, a great resource that using a blog service provides is a means to get feedback from your clientele. You can interact with them in the comments to your blog posts. This provides the advantage of knowing what your customers actually want. You can consider advice that they may give and, in general, make a lasting relationship with many of your clients. This can be advantageous to your business in that they may tell others about your services and draw more people to your profile and from there to your business’s website.

Another benefit with blogging is that you can network with other professionals. Obviously, by now, you’re not the only one who’s using this resource for their business. By building relationships with other Internet professionals, you can avail yourself of resources you might not have had otherwise.

As you can see, blogging is a multifaceted tool to use for listbuilding. You can cover a great number of avenues in marketing, customer relations, and networking using this tool. It’s all a matter of knowing what to do with it.

Promote Relevant Products on Your List

Granted, the people on your list have probably already bought products from you.  In the future, in order to keep the conversion rate high, you should promote relevant products.  A potentially good reason that you’re not getting repeat buyers is that your other products don’t appeal to them.

This is where doing your product and niche research really comes in handy.  You want to avoid a situation that’s, as they say, “apples and oranges,” but you also want to make sure that you’re promoting a good product.  Your endorsement won’t sweeten the deal on a product if there are thousands of negative reviews all over the place about it.

Make Your Sales Pitch Sparkle

Another possible problem you may be having is that your sales pitch may not be good enough.  Some marketers use a minimalistic approach, and others use a more wordy pitch.  Either one’s fine, but if you’re not connecting to your list, you’re not going to sell this new product.

Keep these things in mind:  They already know who you are, so there’s no sense in yammering about yourself.  You may not know who they are—that is—you may not be talking to them in the right way.  If you attracted them by talking like a pirate, you’re not going to keep their interest by talking like a ninja.  Your persona should be consistent across the boards—in your blog, on your Twitter, in your Web pages, and in your mailings.

Seeking Relevant Affiliate Campaigns through Your List

Asking your list for advice about future affiliate campaigns can be risky territory for you.  You can’t just outright ask them what you should do next, but you still want input for the future.  After all, you have to maintain your brand as someone who knows what’s going on out there, but in the interest of increasing your conversions, you have to know what they want.

Setting up polls in your list mailings is a great resolution to this problem.  Instead of approaching your list like “I don’t know what to do next,” you can present them with choices.  Three or four options should do fine.

Now, especially if you have hundreds or thousands of people in your list, this looks like a possibly unwieldy project.  Survey engines such as ASK will give you radio buttons to work with and will tally up the score when the survey’s done.  Now you can make an informed decision about where to go to next with your affiliate campaign.

Before I’m finished, there’s one more method you can use.  Provide incentives to sign up for the new product.  This method is a no-brainer.  If you give out stuff with value, people will gobble it up.

Start Looking for a Partner on Marketing Forums

If you’re just getting started, you’d probably have to sell the family farm to make it to a marketing convention.  That’s why marketing forums are good.  It takes some work and some time, but if the conventions would break your bank, this is the place to go.

The first rule you need to know is to observe for awhile before you start making posts.  You’ll want to get a feel for the place before saying anything.  Warrior Forum isn’t too snarky, but you can sure bet that on Wicked Fire, you’re going to get negative comments, Rick-Rolled, or worse, if you just jump in and ask for advice, tools, or partnerships.

Building Your Brand in the Forums

With that in mind, you should be building your brand before you start talking about partnerships.  No one is going to want to partner with a newbie.  You have to establish yourself as someone who knows what they’re doing.

As the saying goes, “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.”  After having watched the goings-on in the forum for awhile, you’ll see who gets the hard time and who gets the praise.  You’ll also be gathering bits of information about the industry and be able to make informed posts and comments.

Once You Have a Reputation, Propose Joint Ventures

Eventually you’ll notice that you’re routinely treated with respect as you become more knowledgeable.  This is a good time to propose joint ventures.  You’ve established yourself as someone who knows what they’re talking about, so now people will want to work with you.

When you make your joint venture proposal to another marketer, it’s super important that you make it look like a win-win deal.  You have a great product that’s about to launch in a hot niche; provide proof, if possible.  You have a list that you’re willing to share.  It may be smaller than the other marketer’s list, so the list exchange should be an even trade.  In short, make it worth their time and ensure that they have nothing to lose by partnering with you.

Yes, it’s a long, hard road to get to where you can benefit from a joint venture on the forums.  On the same token, at least you’re not jumping into the lion’s den while you’re still a young pup, like you would at a convention.  In the end, it’s worth the mileage you’ve built up in the process, and you will have gone a long way toward being a good marketer in the process.

The First Thing You See In the Bing Search

Once you’ve done this Bing search, what’s the first thing you see?  You see Tweets given by Twitter.  What’s more, you may get to see mentions of other Twitter members and hyperlinks to Twitter Tools and exterior websites.

Interested yet?  Now do a Bing search on Ashton Kutcher.  Now you’re seeing pictures along with his Tweets.  Now, are you excited?  Hang on a minute, there’s one more thing you should do.  Bing search yourself and see what happens.

Wait…I’m not On Top of the Search Page

You’ll see one of two things.  Either your Tweets are at the top of the search page, or they aren’t.  More than likely right now, they aren’t.  I know mine aren’t.  So, what gives?

It’s a matter of three things.  First, it’s about your branding and your authority.  Secondly, it’s about your Twitter influence.  It’s also quite possible that since this technology is new that only a few Twitter users are in this elite club.

Beefing Up Branding and Twitter Influence

Now’s the time to act to gain top Twitter influence.  I’d start by beefing up my branding and authority.  Consider this point:  You have to be well-known enough for someone to plug your name in a search engine.  Without that, they aren’t going to think about finding out if you’re on Twitter, either.

Meanwhile, you should be hard at work on Twitter building your influence.  Let’s face it, Ashton Kutcher is the top Tweeter, so he gets a spot in the Twitter results.  We Internet marketers haven’t quite made it there, yet.  That’s right, I checked several top marketing gurus, and none of them have this lucrative position yet.

The Future of Twitter Results

As it would appear, Twitter Results is essentially in beta form.  Like so many beta runs, it’s limited to a select few people overall.  However, based on what we’re seeing with top Twitter users, its potential for marketing is something worth planning for.

By itself, it also doesn’t seem to account for topic searches.  This is why it’s essential to make your name well-known in your niche.  It may come about in the future that Twitter Results will be fully integrated into Bing by having topic searches, but it’s all about celebrities for now.

For now, I highly recommend vying for that top position on Twitter in your niche.  Without being sure about when it’s more commonly available, all I can say is do everything you can to make sure that you’re the first marketer to make the cut.

The word spam, itself, in terms of electronic interfacing, refers to bulk or excessive stuff. In video gaming, the word spam is used to refer to performing repetitive actions, i.e. “I spammed my heavy attacks on the boss until it was dead.” While this has virtually little to do with Internet Marketing, perhaps it will serve to illustrate that in the world of interactive electronics in general, spam is not just a four-letter word.

Is Spam Electronic Messaging Junk Mail?

Typically, most people see spam as being essentially the electronic messaging equivalent of junk mail. It’s unsolicited, it’s unwanted, and nowadays can sometimes be malicious and dangerous. Most people are familiar with the e-mail version, but there are many other types of media that you can get spammed (or do the spamming) in. These include mobile phones where you have text message advertisements; forum spam where advertisements are posted on an Internet forum; spamdexing where you manipulate a search engine to make your webpage look more popular; blog spamming where advice and links to other websites are placed in comments; newsgroup spams; and IM spamming.

Looking at this list, and ask yourself how many of these things do you actually do? As it turns out, many of us in Internet Marketing spam without quite realizing it. The real trick to this situation is not so much what is ethical spam, but what is effective spam?

Ineffective Spam Lands in the Bulk Mail Boxes

Ineffective spam is, obviously, the stuff that makes it to people’s bulk mail boxes and the websites that cram as many keywords into them as they possibly can, raising a red flag with the search engines. Also, those blog accounts that are configured badly enough that the blog community administrators kick them off for pretty much the same reason that search engines block out some web sites. The point is that no one responds to it.

Effective Spam is Your Mailing List—What People Want

Effective spam is well crafted, and it’s what people on your mailing list are expecting. Far more likely than the ineffective type, there is usually a human behind it instead of some robot that can hardly generate a coherent sentence. It’s also the helpful or insightful person on a forum or blog who just so happens to have a website in his or her signature line or suggests a website for a solution.

In a nutshell, some spam is junk mail.  It’s not wanted and is very imposing.  This is what you should avoid doing.  The spam you want to put out is just the kind people ask for.  My final word of advice is don’t buy mailing lists!

Building a List Opens the Door for Repeat Customers

The great benefit of building a list is that it makes having repeat customers easier.  When a client has bought the product that you’re promoting and opted into your list, it means that they’re interested in what else you have to offer.  By all means, you should let them know when and if you have other products to offer.

Having them in your mailing list is the easiest way to do this.  It also saves you a ton of sweat in attracting new traffic to your websites.  Naturally, you will want to keep drawing traffic, but at least you don’t have to rely as much on new clients.  This will save you a great deal of nail-biting when you check your traffic reports.

Mailing Your List Shouldn’t Be “Just” Marketing

With it said that mailing your list should involve updates on new products and services, that shouldn’t be all you’re mailing them.  One of the key elements in keeping your list vibrant and growing is to not always be a marketer.  People will think that you’re a spammer if that’s all you’re doing, and they’ll drop you like a hot rock.

Instead, you should mix in some informative messages with the new product alerts.  Send them the latest news in your niche.  Crack a joke or two.  Give them tips on improving the traffic to their sites.  Do things like that, and you’ll keep your list interested.

Another Important Thing:  Don’t Spam Mail Your List

One of the quickest ways to get people tired of you is to spam mail them.  They don’t need to hear from you every day, and they don’t want to.  Most people don’t even talk to their extended family and real life friends that frequently.  Don’t intrude too much in their lives.

Besides that, it’s expensive and time-consuming for you to stay on top of your list like that.  You don’t want to tell them the same things over and over again, and it would be all too easy to run out of stuff to say, even if you’re outsourcing, if you’re mailing them daily.

A good rule to observe is that people don’t mind hearing from their marketers once or twice a month.  You’re still in their lives enough that they don’t forget who you are.  On the flip side, you’re not the unwelcome guest.

That perhaps brings up a different way of thinking about listbuilding.  Instead of thinking of it as the clients being members of your list, think of yourself as a guest in their lives.  This one change of perspective can change the tone of your messages and make them more receptive to what you have to say.

I’m Talking about Niche Research Here

If you aren’t doing niche research, you’re really not going to get very far in a campaign. This has to be done before page building, before marketing, before anything. You have to be able to point out what people need. If you don’t, you’re just wasting time and money.

Think of it this way. It’s around December 10. You know that people are shopping for Christmas presents at this time. You decide to affiliate with a Christmas-based product or made a special Christmas sale. You realize that there are people on the Net with this need and money to spend. You point to the needed item and make money. That’s the essence of how to go about finding a need.

Getting the Targeted Traffic on Your List and Link

It’s all about targeted traffic. As I’ve said before, you have people trafficking the Net and “just browsing,” and then you have people that are actually shopping. Obviously, you want the ones who are spending money. Finding a need is the first part of targeting your traffic. Obviously, you don’t care about the guy sitting at his kitchen table drinking his coffee, just browsing for the sake of it.

Of course, the process of finding a need is a bit more complicated than just knowing that Christmas is coming up, so you should develop a Christmas line. It takes a bit of market analysis. Let’s say that you have this brilliant idea for a launch. Let’s say that it’s a line of instruction manuals on how to do underwater basket weaving.

Draw Them in With Keyword Research

The first thing you do in finding a need is condense this whole idea into as few words as possible and do some keyword research. Now you can take this to Wordtracker or some similar program. Plug your words into the keyword search tool, and let’s see what happens. Wordtracker will kick out every current permutation of your keyword and how often it got hit.

Based on this analysis, can you say that by doing this search you’re finding a need? If you’re not, perhaps there’s some variation on your keywords that will actually hit higher than your original version. It can be quite a boring process, but sticking through with it will pay off in the end.

For instance, let’s say with this example that you plugged in “underwater basket weaving Alaska.”  Let’s say that in this example, you see that there’s actually more interest in underwater basket weaving in Outer Mongolia than in Alaska. I know, you had your heart set on Alaskan techniques of underwater basket weaving, but there was more demand for Outer Mongolian methods. Finding a need doesn’t always mean that you get your way.

Now that you’ve found a need, you can begin making your instruction manuals for underwater basket weaving in Outer Mongolia. You can then move on to pricing and marketing and everything else. But this is where it starts.

You’re Outsourcing the Wrong Stuff to a Foreign Country

Outsourcing to countries like India and Pakistan is okay for some tasks in affiliate marketing, but you CANNOT do it with everything.  They can effectively upload videos, bookmark, and many other elements of marketing for pennies on the dollar.  It’s when they’re in a position of being your voice that things can get problematic.

I’m not one to disparage outsourcing your written content in general.  Many people do it and it works well.  The thing of it is that you will want to outsource your written content to people who speak your language as their first one.

You Haven’t Done Your Niche Research Correctly

Doing proper niche research is the very first rule of launching a successful marketing campaign.  If your niche isn’t going to take off, you’re not going to be successful, and there’s nothing you can do about it but get out.  It doesn’t matter if the niche looks interesting to you; you have to research it.

Let’s say that you see that there’s a lot of money being made in a niche for robotics.  You’re a fan of robotics, so you think this niche would be perfect to start in.  Did you take into account that there are a lot of marketers working the niche already?  How about if these marketers have been working the niche a long time?  Starting off in a marketer-saturated niche is never a good way to start.

You Didn’t Get Your Keyword Research Right

Okay, while it’s true that most vendors will supply you with keywords, you still have to do keyword research.  What you’re missing out on if you just use their keywords is getting an edge over every other affiliate marketer they gave keywords to.  You’ll have to fight harder to rank over the other affiliates if you miss this step.

Think of it this way, especially if you’re new in the business.  Other, more experienced marketers have already started working with this vendor.  They’re already miles ahead of you when it comes to the keyword list you were given.  If you find other keywords, not only will you have a side angle at competing, you may find better keywords than you were given.

You’re not getting Your Listbuilding Right

Listbuilding is a super important part of an affiliate marketer’s career.  Your first few affiliate campaigns may not make you much money, but they can definitely get you a list, which you can use to make more money later.  Your list consists of people that are already interested in your stuff, so they’re the ones most likely to buy from you.  Take them from one campaign to another and the money WILL come.

These are just a few of the problems you might encounter in affiliate marketing.  There are many more, but these are the major ones.