TP Javeton WebNet – Page 91 – The Home-based/Web-based business hub!

A perplexing Web-based marketplace?

The Web-based business structure is a bit more puzzling than the standard offline business prototypes most of us have been familiar with before being introduced to all the new technology driven businesses that have sprung up over the last two decades; and if you are not really knowledgeable about Web-based business models and the digitally advanced marketplace in which exist, then it may be doubly perplexing.

It’s a cold, hard fact, but those who fall into the “not-really-knowledgeable” category will be left completely blank, asking themselves what type of online business is best for them; but if and when they find the answer to that question, it may very well have something to do with affiliate marketing, a business model defined by revenue sharing relationships between advertisers, merchants and sales driven networks (merchants, for purpose of this post); and Web-based publishers and affiliates (affiliates, for the purpose of this post).

Affiliate marketing is a low cost marketing method which many merchants utilize to sell their products and services. In this type of Web-based business, a merchant doesn’t have to take as many risks as compared to other businesses because s/he is not required to pay an affiliate unless, and until, the affiliate’s activities result in a sale. Once a customer is referred by an affiliate and that customer makes a purchase, a portion of the profit from the sale to that customer will be paid to the affiliate as commission.

The cream of the affiliate crop

Usually an affiliate receives a commission for referring clicks, leads or sales to the merchant’s website; but the affiliate income can be a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of sales produced. From this simple commission-based referral system, some affiliates become experts on this field. In fact, some of them have been known to earn more than five figures every month as a result of their prolific marketing methods and the resulting sales.

However, among the thousands of affiliate marketers on the Web, it is only a very low percentage (between 1 to 5) of them that have attained the level of success which can be referred to as super affiliate; and if you’re among the lucky ones who achieve this so-called elite level, you can then be aptly referred to as a “super” affiliate.

This means you are capable of achieving noteworthy percentages of product sales, or traffic to your merchant’s website. Super affiliates are not only experts on search engine optimization, they are also excellent operators in methods such as newsletter marketing, email marketing, reciprocal linkages, keyword optimization, link exchanges, advertising in forums and other methods to advertise and promote their products and services.

from affiliate to super affiliate

So the question is, how does an average affiliate (or average John/Jane Doe) become a super affiliate? And how can s/he overachieve a way into super affiliate stardom? If you, as an aspiring super affiliate, wanted to make your way to super affiliate stardom, the first thing you will need to know and accept is the fact that it will not be as easy as you might imagine; and it surely won’t happen overnight. Keep in mind that you will need to embrace some tactics, get active in effective online business strategies, and of course, make a hefty time commitment to that objective.

You can’t be a super affiliate without the requisite blood, sweat and some tears that the super affiliate trailblazers have experienced on their way to success; and you certainly can’t do it without the following traits: patience, persistence and thirst for knowledge. Matched with an effective, efficient strategy, these three traits will provide you with a workable formula towards super affiliate stardom.

Affiliate marketing strategies are a bit difficult but they are achievable; you just have to work hard on them. First, look for a unique and exceptional niche and focus on it. Keep in mind that the reason individuals in the affiliate marketing business didn’t turn out to be very successful is because they tried to offer too many varied products (everything under the sun?), instead of devoting all their attention in a particular niche market.

Focus, focus, focus!

If you want to become a super affiliate, try not to scatter all your efforts; concentrate on your niche and make it grow by means of promoting, advertising and selling it well. The next step you must take after you have established your affiliate store house is to promote it. Most affiliates resort to pay-per-click engines; but what’s more advisable is to learn how you can create organic search results. Or better yet, hire a search engine marketing company; and through this entity, you can avoid losing your profits on pay-per-click search engine ads.

Then, familiarize yourself with your product and know your audience. Remember that credibility builds trust, and you can only provide information that boosts your credibility through your knowledge of the products and services you offer via your website. If your target audience don’t trust you, how could you expect them to purchase from your affiliate storehouse? Moreover, if you take time to learn the products and services you are recommending, it will be very easy for you to establish a website that converts well, which will enhance your affiliate income in return.

Try to promote and resell products from different merchants, as there is absolutely nothing wrong with this strategy since it is just a way of protecting your business and broadening your horizons. This methodical expansion helps to protect you from the so-called famine effect. Aside from that, promoting different merchants on the same site provides your site visitors a handful of destinations to choose from. This strategy will also make you aware on what your visitor want to see; and it can also help you find out how well various merchants perform against each other.

Thirsting for knowledge is a positive trait

As mentioned earlier in this page, a super affiliate wannabe should have this trait – thirst for knowledge. It is because this trait can help him/her stay up-to-date and remain on top of the trends. If you are knowledgeable in internet marketing, then you know that what was adopted few months ago may not be applicable at today. So it is important to seek knowledge and make sure that you are updated on what’s new about affiliate marketing on a daily basis.

Keep in mind also, that super affiliates take time to read, learn and embrace the changes in other Web-based marketing businesses. Ultimately what is most important is to never, ever give up; because being engaged in the affiliate marketing business is hard, that’s why you must be equipped with patience and persistence. Check your statistics and find out what things are working and those that are not; and make changes if the situation demands.

These are just few suggestions and ideas you could study and utilize if you really want to boost your affiliate income. However, this is important enough for me to reiterate: you have to be patient, persistent and knowledgeable. Then, you must adhere to the above mentioned strategies, and you could really find yourself on the road to super affiliate stardom.

Relevance of publications to career

There are many industries in which publication of an individual’s work is a critical part of his/her career development; and as professionals in industries that require us to actively publish research studies, essays, articles, textbooks, and other literary work, we have to find ways to account for such publications on our resumes. There are a number of things to consider with respect to publications as a resume is being developed.

First, if you are the subject of particular resume, ask yourself how relevant the publications are to your career objective. If you have recent publications that support your career objective, make sure to create a separate heading on your resume and list the publications in reverse chronological order. Follow the AP style when listing a given publication, omitting your name from the listing if you were the only author of the text, as that is implied.

Publications that do not support your career objective should not be listed on your resume; and while such works may be helpful to mention to your potential employer via a cover letter, it is not necessary to take up space on your resume with information that does not directly impact your career. Also, if you have a submission in progress, or you are working on texts which support your qualifications – for a particular job – that you know will be published at a later date, include them on the resume under a sub-heading of “submitted to,” or “to be published in,” (publication name).”

A literary resume section

However, if you decide to include works in progress, you must make sure that they will get published at some point in the future. This is mostly critical for freelance magazine, newspaper or creative writers; but do not list every article you have submitted for publication, unless you are certain that it will get published; and if your list of publications is fairly extensive, do not dismiss it completely from your resume, because you do want your employer to know that you have either published, or are in the process of publishing, your work.

To accomplish this you could simply create a section within your resume dedicated to publications, while taking care not to go overboard with the number of publications you list on your resume. It is acceptable form to list three to five publications in reverse chronological order in the section you’ve created. This will give your potential employer an idea of your work, the publications, audiences you have reached, as well as your qualifications. At the end of your publication listing, including a statement that tells the employer a complete listing of publications can be provided upon request.

Include publications that support career objective

In your professional summary, or cover letter, you can indicate the total number of publications you’ve had in your career; and you can always create a separate document that includes a complete listing of your publications (if the list is extensive), following the ASP style. Also make sure that your list of publications credits other authors properly. You should have a print-out of this list, along with your resume that you can bring to any job interview, or forward to the hiring manager at their request.

In addition, if asked about your publications, offer your potential employer a copy of any of articles you’ve written for their review. Overall, you should disclose any information about publications, if such publications supports your career objective and highlights your qualifications for the job. Review the information you list carefully and make sure that names and dates of publications are correct. Keep in mind that even minor mistakes can raise questions about your credibility.