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Can two different brands be promoted at the same time?

alishan_008
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Can two different brands be promoted at the same time?

I'm new to affiliate marketing and have had this question in my head from quite some time now. Can the same website promote two different or even rival brands of the same product at the same time?
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jcdean
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You shouldn't really recommend both, or else people will move on for another opinion.

You could certainly review both.

I think it is always best to review three things, one bad apple, one not so bad peach and the perfect peach.

Come a crossed as an expert and unbiased when doing reviews.
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JC Dean
 
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jmpruitt
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well, i have to disagree with the expert part JC. too many fake experts already. that is some of the worst advice ever, and WHEN (not if) you get caught you lose all credibility with people.

however, I do recommend reviewing multiple products on your sites. just be yourself, use any expertise you have, but dont fake it. I already see that going on in the forums with other jetpack sites, and people doing it don't realise that people are laughing at them behind their backs.

Take the IM niche for example, i see people ever y day asking questions in the forums that their signature file claims to have the answer for.

that loses all credibility with a HUGE group of potential customers.
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jcdean
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jmpruitt wrote:that is some of the worst advice ever, .


Tell me how you really feel!

Would you rather he say," I never used this product "insert niche" but I am trying to make affiliate commissions so I think you should buy this stuff???

Or I went golfing once but "Think this is the best golfing guide ever."
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JC Dean
 
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jmpruitt
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well, for 1, I only get into niches I have experience in. I think I have said that quite a few times before.having all this content doesnt make you an expert, it just helps shortcut getting things written. if you do your due dilligence and actually research your niche, you should learn enough at least to know if the products you are recommending are quality products,

I say this all the time, and very few people actually get it, but you cannot build a relationship based on lies and expect anything good to come out of it.

people just making stuff up so they can look good really get me hot. I guess you must be one of the lucky ones who never got scammed by some of the FAKE experts in the IM niche. I cant say the same.

I am all for SCAM FREE open and honest business practices. Every product that I have a review up for on my sites I have seen the product, Researched and double checked the information and I can tell BS from good content, even without years of experience in the niche.

I dont mean to be harsh but I personally believe that when someone lies to their customers that is bad not only for their own business, but also for the rest of us. It breeds distrust, and that person they lied to will be less likely to trust my product reviews afterwards.

Just as an example of how I go about it, on my get your ex back site, I tell them flat out that I had to go through a very painful divorce that 5 years later I am STILL recovering from. I want to help them avoid the pain and misery that I went through, so I have researched everything I can to help them avoid that pain. Then, I tell them my personal opinion based on what I see from the product I am reviewing and state that I wish I had that book when I was in their shoes, and that they don't want to try to do it alone like I did.

I also tell them how the book has helped me even after it was too late to go through the healing process that they need to go through whether they are able to save the relationship or not. And I tell them how what I learned through reading this book has helped me to have a better and stronger relationship this time around than I ever thought possible.
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stefan1601
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I don't know James. I too, browse through multiple forums and blogs to find actual user testimonials before promoting a product, but I gotta say that a good product doesn't always means good conversion.

I believe that you, me, and everyone in this forum are trying hard to make a living by doing IM, so when it comes to [morality vs more sales], not all of us will choose the first one.
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jmpruitt
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I know that most people don't agree with my sense of actually having any integrity in business., if you can live with yourself, go for it. But just know you not only hurt yourself but everyone else in this business as well.

I know a lot of people who run their IM businesses with moral integrity, only reviewing products they use themselves, and only getting into niches that they really know.

and these people are making MORE than the FAKE experts that you see within the IM niche.

When it comes to marketing there are 3 people who I listen to, and Mark is one of them. everyone else I personally wouldnt trust as far as I could throw them, because they are so full of BS that I cant trust anything that comes out of their mouths.

Remember, everything I say is MY opinion, and that is based on MY experiences and what has helped me, and what has hurt me the most. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just personally believe that the "fake it till you make it" attitude is a big part of why so many people fail.

I think part of it comes down to understanding terminology as well. your goal as an affiilaite isn't to be an expert. it is to become an authority figure that people look up to. Now, many people teach that you have to be an expert to gain authority, but that is a load of BS that I have proven wrong time and time again with my own business.

In my opinion, an authority is someone who knows more than the average user, knows where to find the best information, and shares that information with other people. You can become an authority figure fairly easily, by reading the ebooks you promote, and studying and researching your niche.

An expert, on the other hand has either professional accolades, or deep personal experience to back up their authority. This does give you more authority, which is why so many people create their own products. Owning a product increases your authority with people in the niche, and helps to establish your expertise. However, as an affiliate, you don't have to be the expert.

My first site to be earning money consistently was my IM blog. Yet, when I started making money from it, I wasn't making money at anything else yet, and I clearly stated as much in my blog posts.

I was simply sharing what I was learning, and the experiences I had along the way. I built up authority without really being an expert.

Once I saw that happening, I started changing the way I was doing things in other niches, and doing the same thing. And, I got the same results. I started making sales more consistently, I stated engaging people directly, and helping people find the information they needed, rather than claiming to have the answers myself, and I make a decent living that is growing every month by doing that.

Yet, I am NOT an expert at anything that I do. Personally, I think most of the so called experts out there are just full of themselves, and don't know as much as they claim. Did you know that probably 75-80% of all the 'IM gurus" have never made a dime outside the IM niche? over 90% of the WSO's on the warrior forum are by people who are dead broke, and those WSO's that they sell are the only money they make. with that level of BS, its no wonder that so many people fail. they are learning how to do things from people who have no idea what they are talking about.

Even Mark recommends that people not set out to be a fake expert. He isn't an expert in every niche, so he hires the experts to put the name and expertise behind his marketing efforts.

But, this is getting way off the topic of the thread which is about how many products to promote. Personally, on that score, if you have a variety of products related to the niche, it actually will increase your authority, by showing that you have researched various opinions, and you are not just spouting off one side of the story.

Although you will find various products that talk about the same topic, they will have varying opinions on how to solve the problem. You can increase your authority by reviewiing the various products, and sharing Your opinion on what is best.

Another thing is to find the specific problems in the niche, and find a general product and then various products that target specific areas.

A perfect example of this is marks WoW blackbook site. he has Dugis guide which is a general WOW help guide covering a lot of topics, then he has specific guides for specific problems such as a gold guide, crafting guide, horde leveling guide, alliance leveling guide, etc...

This way, you have a general product that fits the general info, but you have specific guides for each individual major problem people will face within the niche.
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jcdean
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Since my main blog is in the sand box I have gone back to building "consumer wealth system" type review sites.

I highly recommend C.W.S by the way I think Mark has a bonus page for it some where.

I build two or three little sites a week and they generally all go strait to the top ten in Google with in weeks. They all make money.

Just finished http://computeranimationsoftware.org and http://stopmotionsoftware.net Both will be getting traffic soon. and making me money.

Just bought a new domain today.http://1tbinternalharddrive.org . I could tell people once I get it built that no one really needs more than a 500mg hard drive but I guess I am going to be a big phoney and build a site that makes money forever for me.

Perhaps my lack of integrity will cause my world to fall apart one day, but for right now the money is pretty sweet.

@ alishan_008
If you need any help with your review sites just let me know, send me a P.M.

P.S. there is still some domains available for "2tb internal hard drive" if one of you phoney's want's to grab this one and make some cash.
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Respect,
JC Dean
 
alishan_008
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I really appreciate all the replies that this thread has received. I'm still a newbie and learning everyday and @jmpruitt did make some amazing points which i'll keep in mind.
And @jcdean, thanks for your help, I'll surely get in touch with you if/when i need the reviews.
I haven't yet gotten familiarized with the SEO and PPC tools either. Guess, I need a lot more learning before actually starting my site.
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jmpruitt
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Actually, that is kind of backwards thinking Alishan. I recommend you start your site ASAP. trying to understand it all before taking that first step is a HUGE reason why so many people never make any progress. It can be overwhelming to try, and you will learn more and faster by doing than you will by studying.


TEST TEST TEST for yourself. Find what works for you. JC and I have different opinions, and we won't ever agree on that topic. Thats okay. He isn't part of my target market, so it doesn't really matter to me.

I know I am in a very low minority within the IM community, but I dont hesitate to share my opinion and experience because others disagree with me.

The fact is, there is more than one way to run a business. it is up to you to decide what is important to you and your goals. that is really all you need to do before you start. Set goals for yourself. once you have a specific goal to work towards, and you decide on your principles that you choose to run your business by, then you will know instantly if a method is right for you.
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Do you want to use your online content to Educate others, inspire them to action, and run a profitable business for yourself and your family? I can help you get started
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wollowra
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Hi JC,
Just had a look at your blogs.
I know people have different opinions and ways to operate their business but I for one do not like it when people post fake photos on review blogs and say it is them.
istockphoto has a clause that sais, "You cannot use or display any Content that features a model or person in a manner that would lead a reasonable person to think that such person uses or personally endorses any business, product, service, cause, association or other endeavor"

Personally, I think it is very deceptive.
I have no problems with using a fake pen name.. but when people associate their fake name with a fake photo and say for a fact that the photo is them, then you are walking on shaky ground.
This of course is just my opinion.
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Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize
they were the big things.

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paulie69
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JC,

After >= 297 posts here you're referring to us as phoneys?? I'm assuming this was a poor attempt at humor. In case it wasn't then please could you show some respect? I'm sorry Jason but the majority of active forum members here are actually genuine people with honest motives and ambitions.

And yes, are you misrepresenting yourself via your photo ("smiling in the park")? Or perhaps you model for istockphotos? That kind of thing is not cool.
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Site Admin
michellerana
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Everyone has his own strategy and I hope we respect each other's opinion. We appreciate the comments on this thread and we might not always agree but we believe that everyone has their say and all are important.

We treat each member as an important part of the Affilorama community so please refrain from personally attacking, criticizing or offending another member and just focus on giving your ideas. Thank you :)

Personally, I think it would actually be better to say that you're an enthusiast if you're not an expert on a niche. When Mark built his World of Warcraft site, he actually knows nothing about the niche but he was interested in it. So he asked an expert to write his articles. He also did his own research and asked for review copies from merchants (or purchased them) so that he could make good product reviews. So you'll actually learn more about your niche and appreciate it as you build your site.
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Michelle
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jcdean
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Hey every one,

I would have responded earlier but I stoped getting email notifications of new posts???

Hey i really don't want any bad karma with any one. I really love this forum, Mark Ling, the staff the Mods, and every one.

I know the fake pen names and pictures isn't really kosher but, I want to make money and every one seams to be playing hard ball.

Allot of people use pen names, "Slade Shaw" for example. Slade comes a crossed as a real person who is an expert at dating advice. I kinda fail to see how adding a picture makes it that much worse.

I have split tested allot of pictures, including my own, and have come up with two that convert. A Male and Female.

I am in this game to make money, (and I am) but not to piss people off. I am sorry if I offended anyone. It was not my intention.
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Last edited by jcdean on 13 Jan 11 1:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 

Respect,
JC Dean
 
jcdean
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paulie69 wrote:JC,

After >= 297 posts here you're referring to us as phoneys?? I'm assuming this was a poor attempt at humor. In case it wasn't then please could you show some respect? I'm sorry Jason but the majority of active forum members here are actually genuine people with honest motives and ambitions.

And yes, are you misrepresenting yourself via your photo ("smiling in the park")? Or perhaps you model for istockphotos? That kind of thing is not cool.


I didn't mean to imply everyone on this forum was a phoney. I am sorry.

This is the best IM forum on the web, to find fast real support from professional marketers.
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Respect,
JC Dean
 
jcdean
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One last thing,

I don't want any one to think, that I think, that the Google snipper or CWS way of making money is in any way better than ABB or AJP.

I was well on my way of killing it with my APJ site when I got sand boxed. I was in the top twenty for really high value keywords like Salehoo review.

If i would have stuck to the training I would be in the top 5 by now. and making bank.

I got sand boxed for building my own blog network with spun content.

I could have started anothe APJ site but just need quick cash.

For the record I think the ABB and AJP modle would be much more profitable in the long run.
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JC Dean
 
crtexter
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What is everyone's opinion of using different pen names with your real picture? For instance Eben Pagan in the IM niche and David DeAngelo in the dating niche. Same guy, same picture, different name.

Thanks.
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joshuas
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Personally I think pen names are acceptable and is sometimes used for branding purposes. For example, Eben Pagan. We all know him by that name as the IM guru. People from the dating world however, would probably never have heard of the name. David DeAngelo, however, immediately invokes a connection to the dating guy. There's some marketing reasoning behind it which I won't get into here but suffice to say that if David DeAngelo became the IM guy, it'd most probably hurt both his markets.

Anyway, there are other reasons for pen names. Some just want the privacy. :) If people want to continue discussing this I suggest another post be created since this is getting a bit off topic. :)

Joshua
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PremiumMember
jmpruitt
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It really depends on if you choose to cross promote the various niches.

I do a lot of cross promotion, so I dont use a personal image when I am using pen names. however, if you don't plan to cross promote, most people will probably never find out.

Most celebrities including Actors, Musicians, and Authors use pen names with their work. there is nothing wrong with it.
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moadams
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OK - I'm confused. Now see that JC is not a woman. Does that mean the stories you tell in the free reports are not true?
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This topic was started on Jan 05, 2011 and has been closed due to inactivity. If you want to discuss this topic further, please create a new forum topic.