Internet & Affiliate Marketing Etiquette

Our lesson for today will include some very important Do’s and Dont’s when it comes to promoting your products or affiliate links on the web.

1. DO NOT SPAM YOUR PRODUCT LINKS OR AFFILIATE LINKS

How many times have you seen someone on Twitter or Facebook spam links all day long about some $4.95 trial for Adwords Crusher or something like that. I know I have. Unfortunately it seems that many people in this space will do anything to make a quick buck, even if that means resorting to spamming. This annoying practice occurs daily, via email (as almost all of us know), Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, Forums, as well as many other places. I would fill up this entire post if I listed every way that marketers spam. These so-called internet marketers and affiliate marketers are not connecting with their audience and will ultimately never build a sustainable business. Don’t follow the advice of others if it includes this type of behavior. Be wary. Nobody, and I mean nobody, likes a spammer.

2. DO NOT ANNOY THE “BIG DOGS” – AUTHORITY VOICES

It’s smart to build relationships with the authority voices within your space, but do it the right way. Constantly emailing, or pinging these individuals for business advice, support, or begging them to promote your site, blog, links or products is a great way to burn a bridge. This will not help your business.

3. DO NOT LOOK FOR FAST MONEY

There is no get rich quick system out there that will earn you respect and build you a lasting business. Sure, you might make a few quick bucks but you will alienate alot of people, annoy others, and be left with nothing worthwhile. Think about it.

Internet and Affiliate Marketing Etiquette – Part 1 from Preston Taylor on Vimeo.

1. DO JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE AND OFFLINE

Similar to spamming, nobody likes to be around people who only talk at them and not with them. What do I mean by this? It simply means that it’s important to engage in conversations, instead of always talking about what you do or what you are promoting.

2. DO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR AUDIENCE, AUTHORITY VOICES, & AFFILIATE MANAGERS

This one is a no-brainer. If you build relationships you will be able to move your business to the next level.

3. JOIN THE BEST AFFILIATE NETWORKS

Always seek out the best affiliate networks, affiliate programs, and products to promote. Don’t try to join every program out there. You will just end up overwhelmed and confused. Speak to a representative at these networks and have them sell you on why you should promote their products.

4. PROTECT YOUR GOOD NAME

Word travels fast within the internet and affiliate marketing space. This means that you should strive to build the very best reputation that you can by forging quality relationships, by sharing quality content, and by helping others achieve their goals. Helping someone can open many different doors. It’s how I met one of my best friends on the internet and it has helped me tremendously.

**Authority Voice: I can’t stand the word guru or expert so I choose to use authority voice as a substitute.

Internet and Affiliate Marketing Etiquette – Part 2 from Preston Taylor on Vimeo.

Defeat Analysis Paralysis By Taking Action

How many times have you got excited about getting started with affiliate marketing, internet marketing, building your own product, creating a blog or forum, etc., only to gas out before accomplishing anything because you get so wrapped up in the possibilities of failure, the endless details or become overwhelmed with fear. My friends, you are suffering from analysis paralysis, and I have been the victim of this success crusher many times. What is important to note here is that you can overcome analysis paralysis. How? It’s easy. You just have to take action. It’s really that simple.

Here is a common day dream scenario: How many times have you said these things?

• “I want to make money online”
• “I want to work from home because I hate commuting to my horrible job”
• “I want to be the next internet millionaire”
• “I want to supplement by current income with part-time money making on the internet”
• “I want to be an internet rockstar and have many followers who come to me for information”
• “I want to become successful by starting my own internet based business”

Most of us have said those statements either to ourselves or to others. The problem is, most of the time we fail to get past these stumbling blocks because we become crippled with analysis paralysis: the most common excuses/statements:

• “Im scared that I will fail”
• “If I fail, I will be a disappointment to myself and my family/spouse”
• “If I don’t make alot of money at the beginning, I will not be successful”
• “My spouse, family, and friends will not understand what I am trying to do.”
• “I am broke. How can I expect to make money when I don’t have alot of extra money to invest”
• “I am scared to invest money in internet marketing courses because they might not work”
• “I will just buy one more course before I start”
• “I will do just a little more research before I begin”
• “I don’t have a clue how to set up a website/blog or build a list”
• “People might laugh at me or my product”
• “People will think that my videos or blog posts are dumb”
• “I’m not good at producing content”
• “And the list goes on and on…”

By taking action I mean, it’s time to crush all of these excuses and make sound decisions. Now, I am not discounting these statements above, I am just saying that at some point you have to talk through these things and make a decision to become successful and take the necessary steps to prepare yourself for success. A perfect example of a very successful internet entrepreneur is Jeremy Schoemaker of Shoemoney.com. Last night, I was fortunate enough to get in on the Shoemoney webinar hosted by BigMaketingOnline.com and on that call Jeremy answered my question, which was: What did you have to sacrifice at the very beginning of starting your online business and what kept you going each and every morning?

Jeremy said something that really hit home with me. He basically said he knew that he wanted to create and be responsible for his own success and DID NOT want to work in corporate America EVER again. He didn’t want to be forced into a certain salary bracket. He wanted the freedom to do as he pleased. Jeremy also said that he had to sacrifice alot to get where he is today. Basically, he had to “bust it out”, each and every day. What does that mean? Giving up sleep, television, partying, etc. At the beginning you gotta give up some things in order to taste true success. You have to pay your dues. Nobody is gonna give you the game. You gotta get out there and GET IT! Know what I mean?

Watch Jeremy tell you how he got started online: CLICK HERE

I think we all want that. The problem is most of us become paralyzed with fear factors or failure factors that prevent us from being successful. So, we get back into our cars every morning with our coffee, sit in traffic, and head straight to our cubicle when we get to work, where we dream about being successful online.

Here is the take away:
Nobody ever won a cy-young award for pitching in baseball by sitting on the bench for the entire season.Get your rear off the bench and get in the game. It’s time to make some decisions. You either want success or you don’t. That’s up to you. Just know that Affiliate School House is here to help you get started and school is currently in session.

Defeat Analysis Paralysis By Taking Action from Preston Taylor on Vimeo.

Video Disclaimer: I noticed that I did not tell you guys and gals that it’s important to talk about your ideas and reasons for getting started with your spouse or family. However, YOU ultimately have to decide what is best. You want success? You gotta get out there and go for it! Have faith in yourself and surround yourself with good people.

ADDITIONAL STUDY RESOURCES

MORE ON MARKET RESEARCH AND MARKET UNDERSTANDING:

Ed Dale is a wonderful source for explaining market understanding and research,
which is critical in determining your success as an affiliate marketer. I highly suggest
checking out this resource. It is top notch in both production and content value.

CURRENTLY BEING STUDIED AT THE AFFILIATE SCHOOLHOUSE:

Join the program by clicking the banner and join the Affiliate School House study group.