Number One Affiliate Advertising Danger
It isn't what you think it is. The number one danger to your affiliate commission is not the boogie man. It's not the competitor. No... it's the one that you have spent so much time trying to reach. The person you have been marketing to. They are the number one danger. Affiliate links matter to online marketers.
You may be saying, "How is this so?" Well, let me explain. You see the internet is this wonderful reservoir of information. This is good for so many reasons. It allows you to reach people like you have never reached them before. Also, information is easy to access. And this is where it gets tricky.
Introduction To Information Overload
You see the same people you are marketing to... well everyone else is also. In this pool of information you will find that the consumer has access to not only your information, but also the competitors.
What this means is that after they've read your article, there may be a good chance for them to read your competitions. This means that they may click their affiliate link, or even go directly to the website destroying your chance of getting your hard earned commission.
Almost Seems Unfair Doesn't It?
All that work for no return. That is the name of the game. Everyday hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of commissions are lost to this travesty. However, don't despair. There are some things you can do to ensure your commissions are not lost.
Here are some power tips that can help to ensure that you do not share the same fate as so many unfortunate internet marketers.
Protect Your Affiliate Links
This may sound like basics, but trust me in the long run its the best advice I can give. You can cloak your link with many different tools out there on the market. One of my favorites is to setup a custom URL to the offer allowing me to brand while directing traffic to the offer.
Promote Yourself First (Not Your Affiliate Links)
This is another simple method that seems simple at first but many don't follow this rule. You should build your list first. This allows you to capture a consumer's information, and repeatedly market to a warm lead.
You are building a relationship with this lead which builds trust. With trust comes commissions as they will follow your link to your offers.
In Conclusion
The two above methods are just a couple of ways you can protect your links and get you commissions. The lifeblood of an affiliate marketer is reciprocity. If they are not clicking on your links and purchasing you are not making money.
