Traffic Tactics
Affiliate Program Tactics

Select your target audience first
First identify who are the people you would like to sell your product to. Start on the basic premise of identifying potential customers before actually selling your product.

How to approach your target audience
Figure out ways of attracting their attention and presenting your product before them. This has to happen by knowing your target audience and their habits well. Do not first invest in constructing a website and then trying to figure out how to get your audience to visit the website. Know your audience well and then construct the site.

Know what is hot and happening
You’ll do well if you are interested in the in things. Rather than setting up a website    about your favorite hobby, which might not appeal to people, cultivate your interest in something that is hot and happening, becoming a specialist in it.

Have a positive and realistic mindset
Positivism is always good, but setting realistic goals is also vital. Think positive but don’t get caught up in the online hype, expecting to become super-rich very quickly.

Have the right amount of information
You can ground your business by not using the knowledge you have; also you can cripple your business by not expanding your knowledge.

Use the power of Google Adwords
Use this powerful marketing tool to try and earn more in commissions than your PPC costs.

Do your own writing
If you can write your own ads, articles and reviews instead of using pre-formatted ones offered by affiliate programs, you will be setting yourself apart from other affiliates.

Have a matching affiliate program
Your affiliate program should match the contents of your newsletter or website. If your content is marketing based then the page should also promote marketing products.  

Promote the in things
It is basic common sense, but is often missed. Sell people what they are looking for most, and in the case of the internet selling information based products works best.

Get paid - without sales
Promote products of affiliate networks and get paid. Make sure that sometimes even when visitors don’t purchase, but fill up forms, take surveys or download free samples or softwares, you get paid.

Build a List
It is vital to follow up on every prospective customer who visits your website. Try and get them to subscribe to a monthly or weekly newsletter. Keep them involved, for they’ll all be valuable.

Targeted Traffic Driving
Don’t go ballistic trying to buy all traffic in order to drive them towards your site. Instead rely on targeted traffic driving by imagining yourself as a potential customer.

Position links well
Positioning of ads is a key issue for programs like Adsense. Ads positioned in the so called hotspots of the page like the top of a left hand side bar - or inside content - or at the end of posts above comments section always work wonders.  

Clutter free diversification
Don’t make your blog look cluttered with links to affiliate programs strewn around all over. This could dilute the effectiveness of each of these links. Instead opt for a moderate number of links but of wide ranging products.  

Don’t try to fool your readers
Despite the fierce competition be honest in your dealings. Make sure that your readers know what type of links they are clicking on and with what consequences.

Look for alternate revenue streams too
Affiliate links and advertisements are not the sole means of generating revenue for your website. In fact some people stay away from affiliate linking because they tend to divert attention from the Adsense ads.

Use tools effectively
Keep yourself well informed about the developments in the affiliate marketing sector, by reading ezines and blogs. Newer techniques are being introduced daily, to use the internet to generate more money.

Don’t Overdo It
Don’t over stretch yourself by taking on more than 4-5 products at the same time because you also need to find time to research and analyze the products before actually marketing them.

Follow the results
Use tracking devices or packages that come with most affiliate programs to keep a tab on the links that are most active and those that are least. This will help your future planning, as far as affiliate programs are concerned.

Have your own website
By not using the exact same sales pages as other affiliates, you will stand apart from the rest. So get your website now.

Take part in forums and discussion boards
This helps you talk about your business and advertise it to various people and also importantly helps you understand things from a consumer’s point of view.

Start your own ezine or newsletter
There’s an abundance of such free newsletters on the internet and their popularity stems from the fact that anything well written and passionately presented always is of some use to someone.

Share a trustworthy relation with your readers
Only then will they take your recommendations seriously and your affiliate profits will rise

Use e-mails
E-mail product reviews and special features to people and keep them expectant for future e-mails.

Have a strong sales page  
A strong sales page automatically helps sell your product. Step into the consumers’ shoes and see if your sales page is convincing enough to make a purchase.

Don’t straightaway send prospects to the merchant’s page
Warm your visitors up by ‘preselling’ to them by giving them a seemingly non-biased review of the product.

Make people fill out your form
Send them to the squeeze page and make them prospects by making them sign up.

Speed of replying
Reply quickly to affiliate queries to form the best impression in the prospects’ minds.

Treat affiliates well
Offer custom reporting, call them from time to time and cater to all their needs.

Exchange plugs with affiliate managers
This can be done with fellow managers using inserts with the affiliate checks when they go out.