Recently I have been looking into Internet Marketing, and have found some interesting things. It seems that there are all sorts of people out there that actually make a living off of the internet. And they don't even have their own products to sell. How is this possible? Through something called Affiliate Marketing.
What is Affiliate Marketing, you ask? Think of it like being a car salesman (minus the slimy part). You didn't make the car, you don't service the car, you just sell the car. Apparently, there are hundreds and thousands of different products out there that all have affiliate marketing programs. Basically, they pay you to sell their product. It's nothing new or crazy, it's been going on for years (think Avon and Tupperware). The difference is, there aren't a lot of people earning full time incomes selling Tupperware.
You can be an affiliate for Toys R Us, Credit Card companies, vacation companies, etc, etc, etc. There are physical products you can sell, and informational products you can sell. There are even some websites set up specifically for affiliate marketing (clickbank.com and commissionjunction.com are two of them). All you have to do is get people to buy the products. While the mechanics of it are a little more involved than that, the basic concept is simple.
It seems that it is a lot of work (link building, writting articles, etc) but can be very worth it in the end if you're able to make a go of it. While not for everyone, I definately recommend looking into it. If you would like more information, feel free to send me an email.
Dad
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Must be Doing Something Right
The other day my 5 year old daughter was "helping" me shovel the driveway of one of my customers. As we were working, she said to me: "Daddy, I know a way that you can make money. In the summer, you can mow people's lawns for money." Those few little words made me very happy. Who to teach their children good things? Who doesn't want them to learn those things? Obviously, she has been learning well, and I hope that as she grows, she will continue to learn good business principles.
As for me, I am still learning. One of the things that I am finding that I am very fascinated with is marketing. The ability to tell people about your product and convince them to buy it, all without meeting them (for the most part). I don't remember the number off hand, but people are bombarded with an enormous amount of advertisements every day. How can you get yourself to stand out from the crowd? How can you be noticed?
I'm still not really sure all of the details, but one thing that I am learning, is that people don't want to be bothered, especially with things they don't care about. That is why it is so vitally important to understand your target audience. Many entrepreneurs, when asked who their target market is, will respond with "Anyone who will buy something from me!" While that sounds great on the surface, here is why that is one of the most terrible and damaging attittude you can have towards marketing.
Let's say you are an automobile manufacturer. Let's say you're GM. Let's say you're trying to sell your brand new and improved Buick Century. In this example, you have only two advertising options. One is in a magazine about iPods, the other is in a magazine about retirement planning. Do you advertise in both then, to maximize your exposure? I realize this is an obvious example, but clearly, someone reading an iPod magazine is very unlikely to have any interest in a Buick. They are driving a Honda Civic or a Toyota Prius. They are more likely a youthful crowd that wants a small, efficient vehicle. Would you spend $10,000 for a magazine ad targeted at this group for your Buick? What about the retirement planning magazine? I would bet that the people reading that are a little older and more conservative. They want a bigger vehicle that is comfortable with a few luxuries but that won't break the bank. Perhaps they might be a better choice to try and reach? It seems so simple and obvious, but I see these kinds of things all the time.
What about those annoying jingles you always hear? The other day my daughter came home from a friend's birthday party with a pack of Juicy Fruit. As soon as I saw it, I started signing the Juicy Fruit song: "Juicy Fruit, it's gonna move ya!" Amazing advertising, right? Well, I'm not sure about everyone else, but I know for sure that I have never had any Juicy Fruit before.
These days, it is so vitaly important that you reach the right audience with an effective advertisement. Advertising can be very expensive, but I like to look at it like an investment. If you do your research and make sure you are reaching your target market, you can be sure that your advertising dollars are being well spent and are bringing you in money instead of just inserting silly jingles into people's heads.
Juicy fruit, the taste, the taste the taste is gonna move ya...
Dad
As for me, I am still learning. One of the things that I am finding that I am very fascinated with is marketing. The ability to tell people about your product and convince them to buy it, all without meeting them (for the most part). I don't remember the number off hand, but people are bombarded with an enormous amount of advertisements every day. How can you get yourself to stand out from the crowd? How can you be noticed?
I'm still not really sure all of the details, but one thing that I am learning, is that people don't want to be bothered, especially with things they don't care about. That is why it is so vitally important to understand your target audience. Many entrepreneurs, when asked who their target market is, will respond with "Anyone who will buy something from me!" While that sounds great on the surface, here is why that is one of the most terrible and damaging attittude you can have towards marketing.
Let's say you are an automobile manufacturer. Let's say you're GM. Let's say you're trying to sell your brand new and improved Buick Century. In this example, you have only two advertising options. One is in a magazine about iPods, the other is in a magazine about retirement planning. Do you advertise in both then, to maximize your exposure? I realize this is an obvious example, but clearly, someone reading an iPod magazine is very unlikely to have any interest in a Buick. They are driving a Honda Civic or a Toyota Prius. They are more likely a youthful crowd that wants a small, efficient vehicle. Would you spend $10,000 for a magazine ad targeted at this group for your Buick? What about the retirement planning magazine? I would bet that the people reading that are a little older and more conservative. They want a bigger vehicle that is comfortable with a few luxuries but that won't break the bank. Perhaps they might be a better choice to try and reach? It seems so simple and obvious, but I see these kinds of things all the time.
What about those annoying jingles you always hear? The other day my daughter came home from a friend's birthday party with a pack of Juicy Fruit. As soon as I saw it, I started signing the Juicy Fruit song: "Juicy Fruit, it's gonna move ya!" Amazing advertising, right? Well, I'm not sure about everyone else, but I know for sure that I have never had any Juicy Fruit before.
These days, it is so vitaly important that you reach the right audience with an effective advertisement. Advertising can be very expensive, but I like to look at it like an investment. If you do your research and make sure you are reaching your target market, you can be sure that your advertising dollars are being well spent and are bringing you in money instead of just inserting silly jingles into people's heads.
Juicy fruit, the taste, the taste the taste is gonna move ya...
Dad
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