There are plenty of potential customers out there and basic affiliate marketing campaigns will probably net you some sales. But, if you want to truly make a great income, you need something that will set you apart from the other people selling the product. Having an effective bonus offer is a great way of doing this.
It is common to see a bonus offer that comprises an ebook or two. Depending on the quality of these ebooks, that can either be an effective bonus or a lackluster one. Some marketers will pick up some cheap PLR materials and pass them off as an incredibly valuable bonus. While it might land the sale, it will likely decrease the potential for customers coming back to buy again, if they aren't satisfied.
The best way to determine the quality of your bonus is to ask whether or not the bonus would be viable as a standalone product. If the answer is no, then you have to do something to add value to that bonus. If the answer is yes, then you've increased your potential to make a lot of sales.
How do you add value to a bonus? That will depend on the specific product you are marketing, but a good choice for a wide range of products is to offer continuing support. For example, if you are marketing web development software, then a way to create a valuable bonus would be to create an online support forum exclusive to people who buy the product from you.
It will take a bit of start-up money to get that forum going, but if you populate it with good information, then people will respond. Also, this strategy can generate ongoing income. Offer your clients a free trial period in the forum, and charge them for continued access. You may be thinking to yourself that this seems like a lot of work, but it is less than it seems.
After a certain point, all of the most common questions people have will be answered. Then, all you have to do is respond to a question with a link to an answer previously provided. The larger the forum gets, the less work you have to do. Its possible that you will get people asking to buy a subscription when they have purchased the product elsewhere!
There are lots of ways to create an effective bonus. A little brainstorming and grunt work at the beginning of a campaign can pay dividends in the future.
