Affiliate Marketing: Any suggestions?

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Hi there, Everyone:

Really looking into expanding our affiliate marketing.

does anyone have any suggestions for using affiliate networks like linkshare or shareasale with Miva Merchant?

what I am really having a hard time doing is finding people who want to become and affiliate. to actively search for a good individual affiliate is VERY time consuming, while if you DON'T actively look for a good affiliate, you don't really get any affiliates.

Also, the google affiliate program is hugely expensive. $1,000 for a set up fee and then $500 a month in payouts, even if you don't generate any revenue.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[sbronstad]

Re: Affiliate Marketing: Any suggestions?

Affiliates are like anything-- you've got to get the word out, and have a way of managing leads (In my experience, this is the part that gets overlooked... automated is better and more substainable). Best place to start is with your customer base-- identify qualities that make for the best affiliates for your program, and target. Then use networks and search partners to widen the net. Kinda big picture-- hope that helps

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Affiliate Marketing: Any suggestions?

Hey there, Scott:

Thanks for the reply. It is kind of a big picture description. I hope you could give a few more details on some of the steps you recommended.

...and have a way of managing leads (In my experience, this is the part that gets overlooked... automated is better and more sustainable).

could you elaborate a bit about that? Is there an automation software for this?

Best place to start is with your customer base-- identify qualities that make for the best affiliates for your program, and target.

Again, I don't quite understand. Do you mean contact customers and ask them if they want to be affiliates? Or do you mean something else?

Then use networks and search partners to widen the net.

Do you have any recommendations for those networks or search partners?

Thanks in advance.

[chucklasker-BANNNED]

Re: Affiliate Marketing: Any suggestions?

Share A Sale is perfect for smaller companies wanting only a low level of affiliate marketing support (read: affordable). They're great people who really care. You're not just a number with them.

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Affiliate Marketing: Any suggestions?

Thank You, Chuck!!!

If I ever make it to any of the Miva Merchant conferences, I will pay up on all the beers I owe you. :)

Thanks again.

[sbronstad]

Re: Affiliate Marketing: Any suggestions?

About all I can afford to do (in a forum like this) is big picture... this is a topic that entire seminars are developed for. Automation is mostly with email tools (Tim Ferris' book "4-hour work week" is a good resource). Targeting your customers basically means figuring out what makes a good affiate for you, and based on them finding other customers that meet the same criteria (eventually using that info to target outside with search and network tools to find even more).