I've been going to our trade shows since around 1996. I've noticed that many of the attendees are owners of small or average sized affiliate programs. There seem to be hundreds of new programs cropping up every year. So how does a small program compete against the Huge mega mart type programs for webmasters and traffic?
Let's take the dating niche for example. The largest programs like AFF and Sex Search etc spend huge amounts of money on branding at trade shows, trade magazines and webmaster sites. They make sweetheart prepaid deals with the largest sites to buy out all their ad space. This makes the average webmaster think that since these programs are so pervasive they must be the best and most trustworthy programs. While these and other Mega Monster sized programs do make affiliates good money they are not the only ones and surfers love variety. Saturation is a too edged sword. It's great for a big program but surfers love to try new things.
This is where a smaller sized program can create their corner of the market. If one can differentiate oneself from the other programs and paysites sufficiently to get the attention of surfers and webmasters there is a chance to do well.
The whole trend of "Reality Porn" last year or two was in my view based on just that phenomenon. Do something "New" and "Unique". Reality porn like Amateur Porn is by definition unique. Each amateur has her own story that entices the surfer into seeing more pics and new updates. Each Reality site is based on a unique hopefully interesting back story. So whatever you do to really break through the competition you need to tell a unique story, make a unique and provocative pitch to the surfer and the potential affiliate.
How is your dating site, your big tits or trannie or solo girl site unique and how are you promoting that unique quality to your customers? Writing descriptive text on your galleries, beneath your banners and on your free sites is very important. You only have a few seconds to grab the surfers attention and get across the idea of what makes you worthy of them taking a deeper look, ie clicking through to your sales tour. I see our best affiliates consistently doing more to entice, tease tantalize and treat the surfer. Treat meaning give them Good quality sample movies and pics. Entice them with the promise of what more they can see on the next page and tease them by not giving away the best shots for free.
In much the same way that a successful affiliate must create and promote a unique product to the surfer, a small affiliate program needs to reach out and educate potential affiliates about what makes their program special. What can make you worth the affiliate giving up their valuable website real estate to try you? One thing I just described is having unique paysites. Another is having a personal interest in each affiliates success. Contacting them after they signup or before hand and reviewing their websites with them. Giving them suggestions about how they can make more money by adding your program into their marketing mix. If they tell you they already "have a such and such niche sponsor" remind them that surfers like having choices. We had an affiliate sign up recently who was afraid we would detract from his AFF sales but after putting us up on the same pages found that not only didn't his AFF sales decrease but he now was adding five to ten more sales a day to us at $50 a pop! Because not every surfer likes the same thing and SexOnTheSideClub is a unique provocative type site.
In conclusion, the way to compete is to offer high quality products, personal service, and offer a unique or provocative product. If you don't chose to spend or can's spend thousands on board and magazine ads put some of that money into higher payouts for your affiliates instead. Pool your money with other small programs and sponsor a tradeshow party or dinner. Trade mailings to your affiliates telling them about eachothers programs. Most importantly in my opinion is be honest both with surfers and affiliates and you'll do great in the long run.
Happy selling!
Joe S.
EntertainmentCASH.com
Sex On The Side Club
Let's take the dating niche for example. The largest programs like AFF and Sex Search etc spend huge amounts of money on branding at trade shows, trade magazines and webmaster sites. They make sweetheart prepaid deals with the largest sites to buy out all their ad space. This makes the average webmaster think that since these programs are so pervasive they must be the best and most trustworthy programs. While these and other Mega Monster sized programs do make affiliates good money they are not the only ones and surfers love variety. Saturation is a too edged sword. It's great for a big program but surfers love to try new things.
This is where a smaller sized program can create their corner of the market. If one can differentiate oneself from the other programs and paysites sufficiently to get the attention of surfers and webmasters there is a chance to do well.
The whole trend of "Reality Porn" last year or two was in my view based on just that phenomenon. Do something "New" and "Unique". Reality porn like Amateur Porn is by definition unique. Each amateur has her own story that entices the surfer into seeing more pics and new updates. Each Reality site is based on a unique hopefully interesting back story. So whatever you do to really break through the competition you need to tell a unique story, make a unique and provocative pitch to the surfer and the potential affiliate.
How is your dating site, your big tits or trannie or solo girl site unique and how are you promoting that unique quality to your customers? Writing descriptive text on your galleries, beneath your banners and on your free sites is very important. You only have a few seconds to grab the surfers attention and get across the idea of what makes you worthy of them taking a deeper look, ie clicking through to your sales tour. I see our best affiliates consistently doing more to entice, tease tantalize and treat the surfer. Treat meaning give them Good quality sample movies and pics. Entice them with the promise of what more they can see on the next page and tease them by not giving away the best shots for free.
In much the same way that a successful affiliate must create and promote a unique product to the surfer, a small affiliate program needs to reach out and educate potential affiliates about what makes their program special. What can make you worth the affiliate giving up their valuable website real estate to try you? One thing I just described is having unique paysites. Another is having a personal interest in each affiliates success. Contacting them after they signup or before hand and reviewing their websites with them. Giving them suggestions about how they can make more money by adding your program into their marketing mix. If they tell you they already "have a such and such niche sponsor" remind them that surfers like having choices. We had an affiliate sign up recently who was afraid we would detract from his AFF sales but after putting us up on the same pages found that not only didn't his AFF sales decrease but he now was adding five to ten more sales a day to us at $50 a pop! Because not every surfer likes the same thing and SexOnTheSideClub is a unique provocative type site.
In conclusion, the way to compete is to offer high quality products, personal service, and offer a unique or provocative product. If you don't chose to spend or can's spend thousands on board and magazine ads put some of that money into higher payouts for your affiliates instead. Pool your money with other small programs and sponsor a tradeshow party or dinner. Trade mailings to your affiliates telling them about eachothers programs. Most importantly in my opinion is be honest both with surfers and affiliates and you'll do great in the long run.
Happy selling!
Joe S.
EntertainmentCASH.com
Sex On The Side Club
Comment