Is affiliate marketing a spam?

This question was thrown to me and I find it very interesting. Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(electronic)) defined spam as "the abuse of electronic messaging systems to indiscriminately send unsolicited bulk messages". Spam is a tool used by advertisers to promote their goods or services. Does it hit the mass market? Yes, it does. Is it effective? I don't think so. It's like having a machine gun and keep shooting and hopes one bullet hits the target. It's a waste of effort and resources. Affiliate marketers and e-commerce businesspeople should be like snipers. They aim at their target, evaluate the wind direction and distance and make a shot. In my opinion, there's no point selling meat to a vegetarian.

I do admit that some affiliate marketers engage heavily in sending unsolocited e-mails. At this time and age, if we are still sending spam, then we are behind time. I was watching my friend's kid checking his e-mail. The moment he saw an unfamiliar e-mail sender, he deleted immediately without even reading it. GET MY POINT? It has been drilled into internet users that spam must be deleted. Even a six year old kid spend no amount of time reading spam, so how effective can it be? If any of you love spam, i'd suggest you put on this t-shirt so that spammers can detect you from far. hahaha


In the recent years, internet business people are challenged to be more creative and innovative in their marketing efforts. It is not as simple anymore.what the heck, is anything ever been simple?

Payment methods?

Another interesting area in e-commerce is payment methods. There are several methods to choose from and every new internet businessperson wants to opt for the best, safest and yet cheapest service fees. For me, I use paypal as shown below;


Before we adopt a particular payment method, there are a few things that we need to bear in mind. Other than the cost factor, we need to find out the level of security of a payment method. Be very careful not to fall prey to phishing sites or e-mail. I was almost duped when a 'client' from England wanted to purchase an ergo bag from me. He sent me a fake website that stated payment was received. I found it rather suspicious and checked with paypal and they confirmed with me that site was fake.

Secondly, we need to see the service standard of these payment methods. If it affects our customer service, then it's not a good merchant. There must be good partnership between e-commerce businesspeople and merchant banks.

Third, the promptness of their response to our problems and queries. The faster they take to respond, the better. Time is money. If they take their own sweet time to get back to us, our service level drops and we may lose some customers.

Which is the best merchant bank? Well, you decide. I have been using paypal since I stepped into e-business and I have no complaints. You can click the paypal link above if you need an account. It's free. We only pay when we get paid. Fair, isn't it? But if you do face unscrupulous (not sure if i got the spelling right) merchants, do spread the word around and help our fellow internet businesspeople from being the next victim.

Until next time, cheers..

PS-IMPORTANT NOTE;NO BANKS WILL ASK US FOR PASSWORD BY MAIL OR PHONE. BEFORE WE REVEAL ANYTHING, PLEASE VERIFY WITH THE BANK ON OUR OWN.

Back in action

Hello there everyone. My apologies for not updating this blog for the past 10 days. So much has happened and I have filled these time with learning new knowledge and skills. I have received mails asking for more updates and some wondered why I stopped writing. This is really a terrible example from an affiliate marketer.

As an affiliate marketer, we need to be diligent in writing reviews, blogs and forums. There are several people who are so good in writing blog and has attracted volumes of people to read their blogs. However, they failed to utilize the money making tool that is available. It is just like owning a nicely decorated shop that attracts visitors but has no product for visitors to buy. There are several affiliate services available. It is usually free signup and we can get these links for free as well. We will get paid only when someone clicks on those links and makes a purchase.

So my loving advice to all blog writers; if you have a heavy traffic to your blog, then you have a very valuable site. You can make some earnings by doing advertisements for products and services.

Multiple earnings via internet business

During my e-commerce class today, there was a discussion on the several different revenue models in e-business. There are various ways where we can earn from the internet. It was a very interesting discussion and after hearing all that was said, we listed the following money-making methods. These points can also be found in the third edition of E-Commerce by Kenneth C Laudon and Carol Guercio Traver (2007) as per the picture below. A very detailed book. I would strongly recommend this reading.



1- Advertising revenue
According to Kenneth & Carol(2007), this happens when a company provides advertisement spaces and opportunities for other companies and earn fees for that space.

2-Subscription Revenue Model
When a person subscribes to a magazine or newspaper, it gives income to the company for a period of time. This is where, in my opinion, e-business can generate residual income to site owners.

3- Transaction Fee
Transaction fee is usually paid to those who played the role of a middleman. For example, a broker helps a buyer make a purchase of stocks or shares and made earnings for that particular transaction.

4- Sales revenue model
This is what i think most people are very familiar with. The more goods or services we sell, the more we will earn.

5- Affiliate Revenue model
This is the model that Chief Affiliate Officer is designed for. We earn from referral sales.

So how do you want to earn from your website? You decide. If you can combine all, that is the best BUT BE VERY CAREFUL. Confusing the cunsumers is the last thing that we would want to do.

Read

Business and marketing methodology changes every now and then. As we learned the ways of internet marketing, before we can even start, those knowledge become less effective or even worse, obsolete.
I was asked why should we bother to read if those knowledge have a 'short life span'. I pondered for a while. Frankly speaking, in certain ways, she was right. On the other hand, it is from learning that we create innovations. I used the computer industry as an analogy to help her understand better. The IT industry is ever-changing.If we refused to learn just because the IT industry is ever-changing, then how on earth have we reached so far technologically. We reached so far because there are some people out there who learnt and innovate.
From my readings and experience so far, one of the engine that drives affiliate marketing success is marketing. How do we market those programs?
Here goes..
Secret no 1- Create awareness.
Every product or service requires awareness. There are billions of internet users and very few really understood this business. Others have bad experiences while most of them get information from their uncle's brother's son and they set their perception just based on other people's opinion. Don't ask me how to convince them. I don't do that and I do not want you to do that either. Otherwise you will be another pest. What I did was to market and create awareness. Whether they take it positively or not is not a concern. Instead, we should focus our attention in giving accurate, quality information to the masses. NEVER CREATE A FAKE DREAM. BE BLUNT. BE HONEST. To me, business is about reputation. Maintain a good reputation and whatever business venture you'll be in, online and offline, you will still be a respected and profitable business person.

Shall I reveal everything?

I haven't been writing anything for the past few days because I was in a dilemma. Should I put the actual 'know-how' here online, or should I make it chargeable as what others have been doing? Would I be spoiling the market? If I am to reveal everything away, what kind of value will my information bring? Will people take these information for granted? bla bla bla...

I seeked opinions from my other contacts who have been successful in the business and they advised me to keep free information to a minimum. The purpose is to filter serious people and those 'loafers'. I have decided to reveal everything. wuahahaha. Am I crazy or just another idiot? Let's be frank. We do this business for $$$. This is business. In this business, I feel that the more information is provided, the more business it will bring. We have to give before we can take. That is my life's principle. These informations will not only help my fellow affiliate marketers,but also to assist those people who have signed up for other affiliate programs and looking for directions. Some may asked me, so what's the value of this program if every Tom, Dick and Harry can access these information? Why should they join Chief Affiliate Officer where other non-affiliated marketers can have similar access? My answer is, Chief Affiliate Officer's value comes in the website, which is prepared for fellow affiliate marketers, and the guidance from our Affiliate managers. Come on, let's face it, these information will go into the open sooner than later, but not all will reach the peak. Only those who persist and hardwork, can bring the $$ to our bank account.
Do you think I am doing the right thing? I'd love to hear from you..

Back to the basics..

There have been many instances where we have reached a certain level of knowledge or success and we tend to forget the basics which led to that success. It’s just like driving. After we gain some competency in driving, some of us will become reckless and forget the basics of driving rules that got us the license. At times, we develop some bad driving habits. The same goes for Affiliate Marketing. I would recommend taking notes of what we are doing in our journey to achieve profits online. If we fail, we would be able to use that note to reflect our mistakes. Let’s be honest, not all of us are gifted with super-memory and as humans, we tend to repeat certain mistakes. From those recordings, we would be able to prevent repetition of those mistakes through reflective activities. The same recordings can also be a tool of guidance when we achieve success. How important are these readings? I think there’re very important. When you reach the top, this recorded knowledge can be used to help those around you.

You might be wondering why I am taking so long to get on to the technical aspects. This is, indeed, a technical aspect of affiliate business. Yesterday’s entry about planning was also part of technical aspects of the business, just in case some of us have yet to realize it. So are we ready to go? If you are, see you tomorrow.. Just a reminder, the program with Chief Affiliate Officer reduces some of that technical issues like webpage designing, so do not worry if you think I missed out that part.

PS-Take note of the first two aspects that I have covered. Plan for the future, prepare to record history.. your history.. cheers

Things to do before we start..

I received another mail asking what are the things that we need to do before we start. Thanks for that question. I believe this question will benefit my readers, so I will include them as today's entry.

I need to re-emphasize again that affiliate marketing is another form of business. Even though the investments are much lower than convenctional businesses, it is still a business. Do not think affiliate marketing as a tool that can make us earn in the shortest time possible. These people earn in the shortest time because they have worked 16hours a day to get their sites off the ground. Once it takes off, the business can be on auto-mode for a while. Like any other business, we need to have some preparations before we start an affiliate program.

1-Mindset.
This is the first and foremost, Yg Pertama dan Utama, and must be done before we start our engine in Affiliate Marketing. This determines how far we are willing to go to achieve success in this business. Ask ourselves if we are ready to work hard and spend about 2 hours a day everyday to do this business.

2-Learning
In this business, we must be always seek knowledge. We need to keep ourselves up to date with the changes in the cyberworld. If we are the type who think that 'I have learnt enough', then I can guarantee long term failure. We can afford to be selective in what to learn though. For example, I can choose not to learn about gardening if have do not have intention be in that industry. If one day i decide to bring gardening online, I will definitely do research in this area. All successful entrepreneurs and business people are on the hunting ground when comes to seeking knowledge.

The above 2 items are the most essential before you embark this program with us. There is a tool that can help you with the above 2 pointers above; a business plan.

I challenge you to prepare a business plan before you start. If your are really determined to pull through, you will complete this challenge. I have discovered that people who are not determined or sincere enough in their business venture, will likely to fail preparing their business plan.

If you can complete this business plan, then Congratulations!! If you are not sure how to write, you can drop a note here and I will help you.

Misleading facts about Affiliate programs

Till today, I am still receiving queries on the 'guarantees' that an affiliate program can offer. haha. Sometimes I do wonder if these people understand what they are asking for. Now listen, from the bottom of my heart, THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES IN THIS WORLD. It don't exist. Here's my argument;

1-if we have a job, does that job guarantee us a secured future?
2-If we own a Phd or Masters degree, does that paper guarantee us anything?
3-If we come from a rich family, does that guarantee us anything?

If your answer to any of the above is 'no', then you can go on reading, if not just close this window and go back to sleep.

Here's my explanation to the above arguments;
1-if we have a job, does that job guarantee us a secured future?
A job is simply a job. To secure our job, we need to be hardworking. We need to ensure the company makes money or there goes our job.

2-If we own a Phd or Masters degree, does that paper guarantee us anything?
A degree is a degree. We still need to work even after we own a degree. A degree helps us get a job. Once we got a job, we'll go back to question 1. A degree holder who refuses to work hard is a big waste of investment.

3-If we come from a rich family, does that guarantee us anything?
Family wealth do not guarantee anything. We may not need to slog to work all day but we still need to work hard in other areas, for example, how to maintain or increase wealth. Any complacency here can bring down a rich family to its knees.

So can we identify the keyword here? The keyword is work hard. Working hard may not guarantee anything but it certainly increases our chances to be successful. Look around you and see if you can find a successful man who is lazy and never work hard. I certainly cannot find one.

What I am saying is, a program is merely a program. The system was set up from scratch and it will work, if done diligently and strategically. Without the people like you and I, this system is just part of the cyber world.

To close this, I would like to wish all my Chinese friends from Singapore, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada and UK, A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS CHINESE NEW YEAR!! :)Especially to my friends in Singapore, Do not drive if you drink. You will lose your driving license. Cheers..

The beginnings..

Like any other business ventures, there are bound to be a painful beginning. Let's get this straight- This program is not created to remove that painful beginning for you. If we have the thinking that affiliate programs are meant to 'make life easier', then we might as well just stick to our daily jobs. ANY NEW ACTIVITY ALWAYS HAS A PAINFUL BEGINNING!! The only thing that keeps us on our toes are our passion towards that activity and/or our desire to achieve the rewards that we can reap from persisting with that activity.
What I am touching on here, is the kind of mindset that we set for ourselves before we embark on this journey. Why is this important? It is important, and will always be important, because it determines the kind of potential income that we can get from this business and it also determines how far are we willing to walk the talk.
www.chiefaffiliateofficer.com is not meant to make our life easier. It is meant to give us the opportunity to FOCUS on the core activity in every internet business and affiliate programs. And this core activity is known as MARKETING. The site is designed for us, and all we have to do is to hone our marketing knowledge and skills.
To end today's entry, i'd like to give a strong emphasis to the following quote; "Internet marketing is never easy". If you still have that desire in you to be successful in internet marketing after reading today's entry, then I should be seeing you in the next few entries.

Marketing is key to growth

I have received several queries from people of different walks of life with regards
to affiliate programs. Some of them have this idea that affiliate programs are just something that you buy and it starts making money. Rest assured, if that's the way we choose to run it, then we might as well keep the money and spend it on doodads, liabilities or we can just put it in the bank.
Affiliate programs are just like any other form of business. It takes a bit of effort to get traffic into our sites. It's the same with any other form of convenctional retail store where we need to market our products and services in order to have people coming. The only difference is that in internet business, we do it differently. If you are an introvert person, internet business and affiliate marketing works best for you as you are not required to step out to meet and talk to people. Nevertheless, the effort is still imperative.
In the next few entries, I will give more insights with regards to internet businesses.
Thats all for now, Adios Amigos.

Chief Affiliate Officer

I call myself the Chief Affiliate Officer for various reasons. Firstly, I have been involved in several affiliated programs and have been disappointed on more than one occasions. Some of those programs are just plain hoax while others just gave empty promises.
Secondly, I know what is the power of an affiliated program. After I have listed a few trustworthy affiliated sites, I filtered them further to identify those that provide the most benefits and the highest payouts to their members.
Through www.chiefaffiliateofficer.com, I am really promoting Affiliate Junktion. Why do I choose Affiliate Junktion over so many other sites?
Firstly, I am provided with a personalized affiliate website. With this site, I do not need to crack my head on how to design my sites, learning HTML, or other problems related to web design. Let's admit it, not all of us are gifted designers.
Secondly, I am paid $75 to host my site. Which means, my site is hosted at no charge at all!!
Third, I am paid on Pay-Per-Lead basis. This means that every time I refer someone to the Affiliate Junktion website and that person registers for free, I get paid a commission.
Fourthly, the conversion rate of Affiliate Junktion is extremely high, up to 65%! This means for every 100 visitors I refer to the Affiliate Junktion website, up to 65 people could register and I am paid a commission for all of these sign ups. The potential to earn big money with this program is at a record high, making it one of the best paid online programs in the industry.
Last but not least, i got no experience when I first started. All I did was follow the instructions of my Affiliate Manager. Oh yes, did I forget to mention? Every partner is under guidance of an Affiliate Manager. In other words, if you decide to be part of us today, you will be given step-by-step instructions by your manager in order to make your program work.
So what are you waiting for? Click here to find out more.