INTRODUCTION:
This is a brief but never the less valuable introduction into internet marketing; whether you're doing affiliate marketing or if your marketing you own website – READ ON!
PREPARATION:
This goes without saying but just in case; you're going to first need a website or other online selling platform, a Blog or MySpace account can be used as an alternative to a private website.
What ever the platform make sure you're happy to stick with it, expect to be using it for some time.
However you monetize it, make sure everything is working correctly; Adsense is picking up keywords, your affiliate links work, your Paypal link works etc.
If your site isn't working properly then there's no point in marketing it.
You want your website to convert (Take action that profits you) as many visitors as possible. Here are some handy ways of getting people to "Click"...
My top 3.
1. Write a product review - Writing with an unbiased opinion makes you trustworthy; having a link at the bottom allows the reader to click through after, to find out more.
2. Link all over - Place several links around your site, allowing the visitor to notice the advert more and click through accordingly.
3. Curiosity - Place one BIG FAT link in an obvious place on your website or blog. Make your visitor click through via reverse psychology; "DO NOT CLICK HERE!" More often than not they will because they can't help it.
When writing a review, make sure you open with a really strong heading and close with a really strong conclusion. Of course the review option only works if you are promoting on someones behalf.
A big bold heading is obviously designed to catch the readers' attention, it also sets the mood – it should encourage and excite the visitor to read and pay attention to the article that follows.
It's likely that they are going to start skimming if the review is over a few paragraphs, so the close needs to be as strong as the header. Use big, bold text again to re-focus the reader and get them to click through your affiliate link.
The closing paragraph is normally referred to as a "call to action"; the desired action will be clicking through your affiliated link, so remember to save the best till last.
MARKETING:
Right, with your site set-up you now need to bring visitors to it - that's the only way they'll see your affiliate links, ads etc.
Search Engine Submission – First add your website and/or blog to the 3 big search engines;
www.google.com
www.yahoo.com
www.msn.com
Use to submit to a few more; there's a free section that submits you into about 10 other search engines.
Remember to update your website/blog regularly (twice a week, minimum), search engines love new and relevant content. If you're having trouble then use articles like this; it's free content for your website!
Directories – Search engines also like links to your site, the more the merrier.
Links from other sites also increases the likelihood of more people coming to your site, via the linking website.
The best way to get links back to your website is by submitting to directories, is a must as it's the biggest directory online.
Then visit where there's a list of about 500 other free directories. You need to sign-up.
That's a possibility of 500 links back to your website = mmmm traffic!
You can also swap links with people at It's worth a look although only for the experience, the links you can get are normally pretty poor.
Articles – You can write a short 200-300 word article and post it in an article directory. (What I'm doing right now!)
At the bottom of the article you can place a link back to your website, normally in the "authors' bio" section.
So when people read your article there will be a link for them at the bottom, if they like your article then they'll probably click through.
Look at http://www.articlecity.com and They will show you some good examples of what to write - you can also submit your articles there once you're done.
You can also add "how to" articles at make sure the article is relevant to your website though. Otherwise they'll remove your "external link".
Website and newsletter owners are always on the look out for some good new articles, so they browse these directories regularly. With a good article, someone may post it on their site or send it to their newsletter - meaning they're doing the same with your link.*
This is viral marketing!
*Be sure to put a small copyright clause at the end of the article so as they keep the whole thing intact, including your bio and all important link.
Forums – A forum is an online community where you can learn and meet friends as well as potential business partners...
..You can also have a link back to your website in your "sig file".
So each time you post a topic or a response there will be a link back to your website. From which people can then click through your affiliate links.
Here are some great internet marketing forums were you can learn plenty of tips and get advice, look for forums relevant to your business too.
www.warriorforum.com/forum
www.netmarketingforum.com/forum
DO NOT SPAM!
CONTRIBUTE! - Keep your link to your signature file and take part in discussions, if you're a valuable community member people will gladly click through your link and have a look at your site.
If you spam you will be kicked out for good.
Search Engine Optimisation – All this work leads to one thing; SEO.
Getting to the top of the search engines for specific terms massively reduces your marketing workload and cost, this however takes time.
Other than regularly updating and plenty of back links, you should also try to make your website content as relative as possible to specific search terms.
An example would be if you have an "internet marketing" website, then you should try to use those two words fairly often throughout your website, making it more relevant to that term and thus pushing it up the search engine rankings.
This term is of course is fairly popular, try going for closely related terms that may not have the same amount of competition like "internet marketing promotion" for example.
– You can use this website to see which other terms relating to "internet marketing" are being searched for. You can assume that those getting searched for less will have least competition. Again look to keywords in your own industry as well.
Just remember SEO takes time!
OTHER MARKETING TIPS:
www.myspace.com - If you have a lot of friends on MySpace then why not send them a bulletin telling them to visit your website, post links to your site on their message boards as well. You can do this with Facebook and Bebo as well.
E-mail - Why not send e-mails off to your friends telling them to visit your site; tell them to tell there friends.
www.squidoo.com - This is free to join and you can set-up a "lens", again with links back to your website.
ICQ & MSN - Tell your friends on ICQ and MSN messengers as well. In fact change your username to "VISIT MY SITE - ". This goes for any chat rooms you visit as well, provided you're allowed.
www.craigslist.org - Not great for an affiliate site, but if you sell a product or service then there's no reason why you shouldn't advertise here too. It's free you know!
www.youtube.com - If you've got a creative side then why not make a video and post on youtube. Remember to advertise your website!
www.trafficswarm.com - You visit other people's sites and in exchange people will visit yours, not great but worth a look.
CONCLUSION:
Try it all and see what works for you; it's all about practice and experience, so be patient and all you really need to bring is an eager attitude.
Bear in mind results vary, although there is an inextricable link between desire, hard work and success.
COPYRIGHT:
2006 Copyright Colm O'Dwyer – This article may be freely distributed provided it is done so in its entirety, which includes the authors biography below.
