Affiliate Products: Keeping Up With The Product Cycle
You may not realize it, but this time of year is prime earning season. It's time to make some money to pay for your upcoming summer holidays. So just what are you doing to boost your business, and to stay up to date with what is going on?
As an affiliate marketer, you need to be up to speed with the right products. The right products means having the most current ones. There is such a high turnover in products, that staying up to date has become a challenge. New products are being released at breakneck speed, every week sees a new high-powered program.
And they get more and more expensive. Most of the new releases are not just ebooks, but rather massive collections on CD or DVD, or are specialty products or programs. New membership sites proliferate, and they cost anywhere from $29 to $100 per month. Incredible.
The hot products being released cost from $200 to $1,000. The promotions are so well orchestrated, and executed by the powerhouse affiliates, that the products are gobbled up like crazy. Of course, the products have great value and one can learn a ton from them. But the prices really are reaching heights never before seen.
Our biggest challenge is to get in as an affiliate in time to promote them before the big guns gobble up all the sales. Well, you just can't. Unfortunately, if your list is not big enough, you just don't get an invitation to JV with the owners of these new products. It is very frustrating. Makes you feel left out. For now.. but in time, your turn will come.
Do I have an easy solution for you? Regretably, I do not. But you should realize that the next step you must take, is to continue to grow your mailing list, and as quickly as possible. These things are never that fast, and it takes time to build trust and rapport with your readers. But be patient, persevere, and it will all come in due time.
Meanwhile, you need affiliate products to offer your people, so you should accept the better ones available, products that are not the over-priced high flyers, and that you can easily sign up for as an affiliate. Here is an example:
Please go to my Best Products page, at the link below. At the top you see a brand new section called the Newbies Corner. Here you will find 2 brand new products on CD specially targetted to newcomers who want to set up an online business.
They both have affiliate programs, and you could promote these products successfully. That are both reasonably priced, and thats good for both your customers, and you as an affiliate. Your clients don't feel they are being taken advantage of, and you still can make a fair commission on each sale.
I own ezWeb Business Builder, and find it well worth the price, it really has terrific value. Not only do you get advice on what to do, but you are also prompted to actually perform the task. So it's a real hands-on experience, and a unique concept. Kudos to Jim Daniels.
The authors were smart enough to price them both reasonably, because they realize newbies shouldn't have to pay too much to get started online. So sales are brisk, and you could do well reselling these products. Furthermore, these products have the potential to endure for many months, or more. Some new products get promoted so hard, the market is saturated in no time.
I find it to be a great advantage when you own what you resell. Of course you can't buy them all, so you must choose carefully, and fight the urge to overspend by buying everything that is released.
To round out your affiliate portfolio, you also need to offer products that are business basics, that business owners need to operate their business. Web hosting services are a perfect example, and you can see that I offer SBI on my Best Products page. The beauty of this type of income is that it's recurring. You get your repeat commission every time a subcription is renewed.
One more example I should give you, as to what you can sell. You need the medium priced products from a winner like Corey Rudl. I purchased his Insider Secrets course for $197. It sounds like a lot, but the value is there.
They sent me 2 huge binders with all the lessons, plus 2 CDs, plus other bonuses. One reason I bought it, is the advantage of owning the product gives you the ability to write about it intellegently. Giving your readers a full review is always a good idea.
Another advantage in offering these medium priced products from 'brand names' like Corey Rudl or Jim Edwards, is that they are well established winners. They pay a very good commission, and the dollars add up fast. Just one sale of the Insider Secrets course can make you $65 or more.
One final tactic for your affilate efforts, is to make a deal with the product owner, and offer a discount for a limited time or a limited quantity. You sometimes can have exclusive rights to the special discount.
Again, an example... At my Niche Marketing tab, at Best Affiliate Products you can see a super discount on a 3-pack ebook collection on Niche Marketing.
So, enough for now. You have my thoughts as to what type of products to sell as an affiliate. Keep up the good work.