10 Secrets of the Super Affiliate Mindset
Contrary to popular belief super-affiliates don’t really DO things differently than
affiliate underachievers. Super-affiliates promote the same products. They use the
same SEO techniques. They have the same headaches and they work just as hard.
The truth is super-affiliates THINK differently. Their minds and attitudes go far beyond
the commission check. For them, affiliate marketing is not just a business– it’s a CAREER.
This professional mindset makes a huge difference in how and when they take action in the
marketplace.
I’ve worked side by side with many super-affiliates. I’ve even helped create a few. They
all share a special kind of mindset. So as you read these 10 characteristics of affiliate
super-achievers, ask yourself, could I learn to think this way?
#1 Super-affiliates think creatively.
You know what you’ll get if you do what everyone else does? You’ll get what they get… only
you’ll be splitting it with them, and all their imitators.
In today’s Internet marketplace, you need to be a leader, not a follower. Super-affiliates
don’t follow the crowd. Instead, they sell TO the crowd, applying the most successful
marketing techniques to selling the most popular products and then add a unique spin.
It could be as simple as offering one unusual, but highly valuable bonus. It could be as
sensible as using low-cost offline marketing, while everyone else is breaking the bank
on expensive PPC. It could be as innovative as dumping the sales letter, and substituting
a quiz or contest. But super-affiliates always, always, ALWAYS look for ways to be
a little more creative than their competitors.
#2 Super-affiliates learn the hard stuff.
Less than 10% of people who start their own business are successful. Why? Most fail because
they lack direct sales experience don’t bother with a marketing and business plan, or get
into debt promoting products that don’t have a market. In other words, they flunk when they
get tested on the really tough aspects of business.
Super-affiliates are different. They learn how to do all the hard things other people shy
away from. They learn about selling and they get good at it. They set goals, make daily
and weekly plans, and measure their progress. They don’t waste time creating huge content
sites unless they have hard evidence that those sites will eventually bring them BUYERS
(not just browsers or researchers).
And most of all, they keep their eye on PROFITABILITY. Not just traffic, not just visitors.
Super-affiliates look for a return on their investment of time and effort, as well as
money.
#3 Super-affiliates follow up.
Most affiliates can attract prospects. A few can convert prospects into customers.
But only super-affiliates turn existing customers into repeat customers.
Super-affiliates know that the person who has already bought from you is the most willing
prospect for your backend products, upsells, and cross-sells. These current customers are
also the cheapest to sell to. As a result super-affiliates are always thinking of the
lifetime value of a customer and always offering them the best value and deals.
#4 Super-affiliates give before receiving.
Super-affiliates invest time and money giving something of REAL value before asking for the
sale and before sealing a JV. Maybe they give away useful content, offer a valuable
resource or put in some equity for a piece of the action. In other instances they may
give a customer the chance to win something or a smile.
Regardless of what is given away by super-affiliates they do business in a spirit of
openness. It is not about beating the other guy but rather networking and making alliances.
It’s about viewing the Internet marketplace as one great small town stretching across the
globe, full of potential. It’s about saying “let’s talk” and putting money, effort, or
reputation on the table BEFORE making demands.
#5 Super-affiliates know how to receive.
Giving is the best first step but it’s only the beginning. Once they’ve hammered out a
deal or given something of value, super-affiliates also know how to take what they
rightfully deserve.
That means they don’t just pre-sell… they ASK prospects for the sale. They’re not afraid
to capitalize on a good deal. They LIKE profits and don’t apologize for being successful.
And if they’re working on a JV, they state their expectations clearly, forthrightly,
without a lot of fuss… and don’t de-value their list or reputation with cheesy offers.
Yes, the best super-affiliates receive their just rewards graciously, without throwing
their egos around. And they not only say thank you. They look for ways to turn a “thank
you” into an opportunity to generate more customer loyalty and more sales down the line.
#6 Super-affiliates think strategically.
Affiliate marketing isn’t a game of chance; its a profession. Super-affiliates are just
as savvy about their industry, and just as uninvolved as other expert professionals,
which means super-affiliates spend quality time thinking, planning, preparing, and
evaluating. They analyze their sites, products, and sales and try to understand
WHY one technique works and another doesn’t. They think about trends and ponder the
mentality of their customers.
Bottom line is, super-affiliates LOVE their work.
#7 Super-affiliates test and analyze.
Profit, profit, profit! Super affiliates are hard-headed And committed to profits!
They split-test carefully, think about why one ad pulls better than another, and try
to duplicate the results. Time and energy is spent analyzing traffic, stats, and user
purchase patterns. An aspiring super-affiliate has to be a fanatic about knowing his
or her visitor to sales ratio on a daily basis and be obsessed with ROI.
If you want to say goodbye to the ranks of affiliate underachievers, learn to love the
numbers like the super-affiliates do.
#8 Super-affiliates know when to go for volume over commission.
Here’s a very well-kept secret of some super-affiliates:
you can earn a fantastic income from cheap untargeted traffic. Believe it or not,
not every super-affiliate is brilliant at creating content or opt-in marketing.
Some just concentrate on traffic — more and bigger traffic — and make money off of
sheer volume sales and contextual advertising.
Here’s the basic formula, oversimplified of course: Let’s say that on a given web site
you get 1000 unique visitors per day, or 30,000 visitors per month. If your average
monthly profit from that site is $1500, then each visitor is worth 5 cents ($1500
divided by 30,000 visitors).
So in this example, if you spend 5 cents to attract a visitor, all you can do is break
even. But if you can spend a lot less to get a visitor — say only 2 cents – you’ve
got the potential to make some terrific profits on cheap traffic! Sure, it’s not going
to be tightly niched traffic. But it’s also the kind of traffic that fits well with
products that have mass-market mass-appeal, or even commodity products.
#9 Super-affiliates work a plan.
Successful affiliates have a simple business model: they replicate their success.
Once they find something that works, they tweak it slightly, test, evaluate, and
repeat. Some of the most profitable affiliate empires follow this simple, repetitive
pattern. Consistent effort tends to yield consistent results, especially online, where
certain types of marketing (like SEO) take time.
And more importantly, super-affiliates follow a schedule. So much activity per month,
so many promotions, so many sales. When they fall short of their goals, they figure
out why. If they can’t they cut their losses and try again.
Working a plan all boils down to discipline. Organization, tracking, and daily project
management are a way of life for super-affiliates.
#10 Super-affiliates never quit.
Though they may ruthlessly dump under-performing products or cut their losses if the
profits don’t flow super-affiliates don’t give up. They assume that they’re going to
have some bumps and hard times and look at setbacks as essential learning experiences
that, in the end, help them build a stronger business.
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This article has been authored by Anik Singal, an
extremely successful and young internet entrepreneur
and affiliate marketing consultant. Anik has
developed his own affiliate marketing system that
helped him earn over $10,466 in 60 days. Enroll
in his FREE Course today…
Copyright © 2006 Anik Singal
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Tags: Affiliate+Classroom super+affiliates Anik+Singal
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