There are probably many different tactics you're using to build traffic for your affiliate marketing efforts for the programs you represent, but there's a classic marketing method you may not have thought of—public relations.
For those of you who aren't familiar with what public relations is all about, it's essentially getting mentioned or quoted in traditional or new media, which results in free publicity (and traffic) for you and your work. Unlike advertising, you can't pay for public relations, and you don't control the content or timing of your mention. However, in return, you get credibility that advertising dollars just can't buy, mentions in places that may not accept ads anyway, and it's all at no cost to you!
So how can a public relations effort help you get affiliate commissions? Here are two ways:
1. Indirect Method
If you're like me, you've got high-quality, content-rich blogs, websites, Facebook fan pages, maybe a podcast blog like What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM) The Podcast, maybe a vlog, etc., that people value, and are a fit for those who are within the target audience for the affiliate programs you're participating in. And, of course, you should have a great sequential autoresponder database system in place to capture as much of these site visitors and content consumers as possible for opt-in lists. If you don't already have this infrastructure for your marketing efforts, you'll want to check out InfoToolsForYou.com for the one I use.
With this in place, you can use public relations to drive traffic to these sites and content to bring people into your world ongoing each time you're mentioned or quoted as an expert resource. People who see your media mention will feel you are a credible expert, they'll check out your site which should further impress them with your content, and then they are going to be open to using the resources you recommend.
So once you've hooked them through public relations, you can make them aware of your affiliate programs over time (just don't overdo it), and how these resources can assist in their own business or life, through your affiliate role, with your usual tactics via the messages you send to your your opt-in list ongoing, your resource page on your site, and your ongoing content that they're exposed to now as someone who's raised their hand and said they want to be part of your world.
This is what I consider an indirect method of gaining free traffic for your affiliate marketing efforts, since it's not the primary reason people are coming to your site. However, by getting them to become aware of you and your work, with the added credibility of being quoted in media they trust, you should be able to close many of these people as an affiliate on the back end.
2. Direct Method
In your publicity efforts, when you do a media pitch, press release or are interviewed on business and marketing topics, find a way to work in your use of an affiliate program you represent in your tip, approach or success story, and mention a URL for a domain name that forwards and masks your affiliate link, again if you don't have a good resource for domain purchases, go to InfoToolsForYou.com. Since you're sharing information with the media to help their readers, a link to your "resource" is very likely to be included in the story.
So in this case, instead of bringing in traffic to your own sites and marketing an affiliate program indirectly, you're marketing the affiliate program simultaneously with your media mention.
So how do you get the publicity I've mentioned so you can use these two strategies?
1. Respond to a reporter's expressed media story need through free resources like Help A Reporter Out (HARO). This service will e-mail you notifications about traditional and new media requests for experts (that's you) daily, to which you can send your pitch that explains why you would be a great resource for their story.
2. Create a press release of your own on some aspect of your business that's newsworthy using free press release distribution sites such as http://www.usprwire.com and http://www.PR.com.
Getting free publicity takes some effort, but it can open incredible doors for not only your affiliate marketing, but your entire business.
And if you haven't already joined my affiliate program for my book What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know, and all offerings in my information product/service line, please go to the affiliate section of my web site at WhatYouKnowIsWorthMorebook.com for all the details on this generous program.
Want to hear this content as a podcast? Check out episode #56 of my infopreneur podcast at What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM), The Podcast.
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Happy Infopreneuring!
--Melanie R. Jordan, Everybody's Infopreneur Coach, Author of What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know™ - Achieving The Life You Were Meant To Have By Making Money From What YOU Know! and Host of infopreneur podcast What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM), The Podcast Available 24/7 at: http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMorePodcast.com
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