A TRICK when writing Content?

06 Dec 10 1:00 am

With the first option your site visitors will no longer have the need to purchase a solution, which defeats the purpose of having an affiliate site which is to make money from referrals.

And so you should go for option two.

08 Dec 10 6:22 pm

I agree withe Alex. I provide a lot more value up front, and often share things that many people sell. You can see that around here. If you go through some of my posts, you will find that I say a lot of things that are often reserved for products that people sell. I do this in all my niches.

You may give up a commission up front by doing that, but if you think long term, you have built a relationship that will last for years to come. I have helped people in all my niches to solve problems, and to help them along the way. I often say to share everything that you do know for free, and when they get to a point that you cannot help them, reffer them to a product that can.

Think about how mark runs affilorama.

between the lessons and the forum, you can learn everything that you need to start an affiliate business for free. You can learn a lot of tips and tactics for every aspect of this business here for free. But, for the step by step action plan, you have to buy a product.

I have followed this same strategy with my forum posts, blogs, and articles, and it has worked in every niche.

Yes, you will give up some sales doing this, but at the same time, you are building a relationship with someone. Next time they have a problem, who are they going to turn to? someone who just made them feel good, or someone who gave solid advice before that helped them solve a problem?

I spend a lot of time helping people out, with articles, blog posts, one on one, etc...

every time, it has turned out for the best in the long run. these people sign up to my email lists, check out products that I do recommend, and (probably the most important) tell others about me, which brings even more people to my site. the massive value that you provide is the best viral strategy that you can create. If you help people so much up front, they will tell others about you, and you will get the sales.

Often, I will give away complete strategies on how to do things, and make sales on the products to help them do it. For example, on my woodworking site, I give out complete plans, detailed instructions on how to do different things, and even a few videos from my own woodshop. On the affilaite end, I promote a few guides and blueprints, but a lot of the tools that I am using in my own shop as well. I make more off the tools (even with lower amazon commissions) than I do off the clickbank products, but I make sales of all of them.

10 Dec 10 3:16 am

That particular book is not a great example. I have a site in the niche, and there are a lot of products that are actually better than that one, it just seems to have the biggest marketing push in the niche.

also, think outside the box, and identify specific problems people in the niche have. in the get your ex back niche, one problem people face is the blow to their self esteem a breakup causes, so self esteem products are good.

Mark has a great product in the get your ex back/save relationships niche which is over 150 pages (compared to magic of making ups 60 pages) and it is loaded with valuable advice that you can share on a site without giving it all away.

17 Jan 11 3:27 pm

Hi Nothsa,

Take tips from everyone who posted above....these are all great and insightful inputs.....my take would be to combine a little bit of your option 1 and your option 2....get your writer to provide value by providing enough insights to solve the problem....but then, you add a little teaser such as perhaps..."to completely remove man boobs in the shortest possible time and with the least effort you can click here(add your affiliate link)....the idea here is to give your viewers valid solutions, but telling them that if they buy from you, you can offer an even better answer....

Hope that helps : )