Attention Web-Site Owners and Affiliates:

"Top 10 Ways to Generate Traffic, Build Your List,
and Promote Your Favorite Affiliate Programs"
...Using Free and Low-Cost Advertising Techniques!
 

Dear Friend,

You can have the greatest, "most saleable" product in the world, but it's all but worthless if nobody sees it, right?!

The truth is, the web is virtually "bursting at the seems" with profitable products and affiliate programs to promote. The problem that many of us face is actually getting people to SEE these products!

Generating online traffic (visitors), and in turn, exposure for the products we've chosen to promote, is a challenge - particularly for "newbies".

With that said, I've put together this simple guide that I'm absolute certain can help YOU begin generating unlimited targeted visitors and potential customers starting TODAY.

Whether you're promoting your own product and web-site, OR affiliate products and services, you're sure to find a number of suitable advertising solutions here - both free and low-cost solutions that you can begin applying almost immediately.

To begin using this manual, I recommend that you read over ALL "Top 10" advertising methods below, and then go back and choose which method you feel will best suit the product or service you're currently promoting (most likely, not all methods will apply to your situation).

...Focus on your chosen advertising method, until you're "comfortable" with it - and have sufficient experience with it.  Only then should you consider moving on to the next technique (...trying to "master" and apply too many techniques at once will only lead to frustration!). You may find that one or two advertising methods are enough to supply you with all the traffic your business needs - if not, you can continue mastering and applying the techniques of your choice one-by-one until you've reached your desired level of traffic and income.

Let's get started!...

1. Ezine Advertising


If you have your own list of opt-in online newsletter (ezine) or mailing-list subscribers, you can write an informative ad or personal endorsement letter for the product or service you're promoting (whether it be your own product, or an affiliate product), and blast it to your list.

Hot Tip: You can double, or even triple your results by sending out your letter several times - and using a different subject line for each mailing. For example, I might send out an ad on Tuesday for a particular product, and then follow up on Friday with the same ad and a subject line that simply reads - "[FIRSTNAME] did you get this?" Often times, my second and third mailings outperform the first!

If you don't have your own list of subscribers, you can pay a small fee to advertise in other people's publications...

Respected Internet marketer Brian Garvin has put together a very useful list of LOW COST ezine advertising resources. Click here to check it out. You'll find places that run full "solo" (full page) ezine ads for as little as $6.00 each (prices typically depends on the size of the subscriber list).

Some ezine publishers post limits to the number of lines your solo ad can contain, but nearly ALL of them will make exceptions for longer ads when you ask. Make sure to also request first name personalization in the subject line and minimally the beginning of the ad body (ie Dear [FIRSTNAME]...).

Hot Tip: For more information about effective ezine advertising, I highly recommend you visit http://directoryofezines.com/ - then scroll down the page, locate the free sign up form for the "Doe Insider" newsletter, and subscribe. The free information you receive as a result will help you immensely.

2. Web-Site Advertising

Obviously, if you have a web-site related to an affiliate product you're promoting, you can post an ad for that product in a prominent place on your site. You could write up a full page product ad or endorsement and link to it from a main page...You could post an attractive graphic accompanied by a catchy headline...Etc. (Of course, don't forget to customize the ad with your unique affiliate/referral link!)

You could even create a multi-part training course (follow up course), throughout which you insert tasteful plugs for the affiliate product(s) you're promoting. Rather than sending prospective customers directly to the affiliate site, you get them on *your* newsletter or mailing list, and THEN introduce them to the affiliate product. In doing so, you potentially produce critical repeat product exposure, which can mean a much higher conversion rate for you!

Hop Tip: I highly recommend the above "two step" advertising approach regardless of what type of advertising method(s) you use...Whenever possible, FIRST get people on your list, and *then* promote to them.

3. PPC Search Engine Advertising

Pay-per-click search engine advertising is without a doubt one of the FASTEST ways to begin bringing traffic through your web-site URL's and affiliate/referral links.

Click here to visit Google Adwords, the web's premier pay-per-click search engine program.

Before you list your ad, spend some time "getting to know" the Google Adwords program:

Click here to take the Google Adwords tour.

Click here to read program details and FAQ.

For further study (the more you learn - the more you earn ;-), you'll want to download this pay-per-click "mastery" seminar by Willie Crawford. (You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this seminar. Most computers already have it. If yours does not, you can download it for free from here.)

To get unlimited examples of pay-per-click ads that you can refer to as you write your own, do a Google.com search on the keywords and phrases of your choice, and off to the right (under the search results) you'll see a list of current AdWords ads. If you see the same ad running week after week, that's a great indication that the ad is making money!  ...Now, keep in mind that you cannot COPY the ads you see, but you can certainly use them to help brainstorm and get ideas for your own ads.

4. Forums and Message Boards

And outstanding way to advertise your own web-site(s), and your top affiliate/referral links is by participating in online message boards and forums...By both responding to posts, as well as putting up posts of your own.

Most boards don't allow blatant advertising. However, MOST will allow you to include a few bylines to promote whatever you wish - which can generate a great deal of exposure and clickthroughs for you.

There are two main keys to message board promotion.

Key 1. Participate only in message boards that relate to whatever you wish to promote. For example, if you're promoting an Internet marketing or online business related product, here are several such boards that you can get started with right away:

http://www.ablake.net/forum
http://www.howtocorp.com/forum/
http://www.bizweb2000.com/wwwboard/

Tip: By posting to any of the boards above and asking people for recommendations on OTHER popular Internet marketing boards and forums, you're sure to come away with another half dozen or so boards that you'll want to add to your list. This question could be your first post!

Key 2. I eluded to it above, but the second key to message board promotion is participating only in POPULAR boards (in terms of visitors and traffic). The more popular the board, obviously the more exposure your posts will receive. For the most part, the popularity of a board is common sense. If posts are up to date and numerous, chances are you've found a popular board. But you can further determine board popularity (or the popularity of any site for that matter) by searching it through Alexa.com.

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The more time you spend participating in the forums, the more exposure you'll receive. Certain topics and posts will generate more exposure than others. After a while you'll get a feel for what topics attract the most attention.

Your signature file can consist of just about anything you wish, as long as you keep it fairly brief.

I encourage you to study the "sig files" of other message board posters - to get a feel for how you can promote YOUR web-site(s) and affiliate/referral links.  Remember, your signature file is really a mini advertisement - so make it as powerful and irresistible as you can in order to generate those all-important click-throughs!

5. Email Signature File

In the same way that you can use a signature file to promote your favorite web-sites and affiliate products through message boards and forums, you can use similar (or the same) sig. files in your daily outgoing email messages.

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What you want to do is create a signature file in your email client. This should take you just a couple minutes to set up! We'll use Outlook Express (the most popular email client in use) as an example on how to set up your signature file:

Step 1) Open Outlook Express =)

Step 2) Click on Tools, then Options, then Signatures.

Step 3) Click on "New" (next to Signatures)

Step 4) Enter your new signature in the Edit Signatures box.

IMPORTANT: In the same window, make sure that you have the "Add signatures to all outgoing messages" option checked. And further, that you have the "Don't add signatures to Replies and Forwards" unchecked.

Step 5) Click Apply/OK

And that's it! The text you added in the Edit Signature box will now be included in all messages that you send out (unless you choose to delete it).
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6. Article Submission

Write and submit short (350-500 word), applicable articles to ezine publishers (with ezines related to the product(s) you're promoting), with a 6-10 line "resource box" (including your web-site URL or referral link) attached to the bottom of the article. This is a win-win situation as the ezine editor receives informative content to send to their subscribers, and you receive exposure in exchange. One article can go a *long way* using this technique.

Hot Tip: In addition to submitting your articles to ezine publishers, there are a variety of other resources and directories you can submit to. Do a quick Google.com search on the phrase "submit your article" (and similar phrases) for a list of options. Remember, if just a few web-site owners post your article (along with your resource box), it can lead to YEARS of free traffic and click-throughs.

Important Note:  When offering "reprint rights" to your articles, make sure to specify that your article must be reprinted exactly "as is", including the resource box.

7. Co-registration (Pay-Per-Subscriber) Services

(You'll need your own online newsletter, ie "ezine", for this strategy, but that is something you desperately need anyway if you wish to succeed online. So if you don't have a newsletter, start one - it's MUCH easier than you think!  Click here for free information on how to start your own ezine today!)

Utilizing co-registration services is truly one of the *ultimate weapons* in online advertising. I routinely stress that capturing the contact information of your prospective customers is your initial primary objective. Additionally, I've always stressed that "the money is the list" (ie, your opt-in list of ezine subscribers).
 
...Co-registration, also known as "pay-per-lead" or "pay-per-subscriber" services offer a *guaranteed* way to build your opt-in list for a very reasonable fee. Here are my current favorite co-registration services:
 
Lead Factory
Push-Button Leads (my service)
ListOpt.com
 
Now, the use of these services will not only enable you to build your opt-in list for *future* promotions - you can also send each new sign-up your autoresponder series (training/follow-up) course through which you tastefully promote affiliate offers, your own offer(s), your affiliate program, or any combination of the preceding.
 
With co-registration services, your advertising dollars are really working *exponentially* on your behalf. You're killing quite a few birds with one stone ;-) You're building your list while potentially advertising affiliate products, your own product(s), your affiliate program, etc.
 
You can start slow, by purchasing a smaller number of subscribers. As you *cultivate* your list by regularly sending your subscribers free articles and information to their benefit, your list will become profitable...

In addition to incorporating "plugs" (ads) within your follow up email series, you can place "top-sponsor" style ads in your regular ezine issues. And, once or twice a month you can send out special solo offers (where the ad alone is sent, no article).

Hot Tip: To learn more about how to run your own profitable online newsletter, I highly recommend you subscribe to a half-dozen or more online newsletters related to your chosen topic of business (get recommendations on the top newsletters from others in your line of business)...Then study the publications, paying close attention to how they present their material and run their ads, and apply what you learn to your own publication.

8. Joint Ventures

(This strategy applies best if you have your own product, OR if you're promoting multi-tier affiliate or MLM programs...)

Contact ezine publishers (about 20 a day - it's a numbers game!) and propose a joint venture. If the proposed joint venture is based on your own product or web-site, set up an affiliate program and (preferably) offer the publisher a "higher than normal" commission (over what you offer your regular affiliates). Provide a ready-made sales letter so that the editor can simply plug in their affiliate link, copy and paste the letter, and broadcast it to their list - make it as effortless as possible for your prospective JV partners.

There are no set rules when it comes to arranging joint ventures. You can get as creative as you want! The key is putting yourself in the shoes of your prospective joint venture partners - if YOU were them, how would YOU want to be approached, and what benefits or incentives would convince YOU to participate?

Next to free publicity, joint venturing is widely regarding as the ultimate form of free online advertising!  ...Joint venturing takes persistence, and a willingness to accept being turned down numerous times (before hearing your first "yes"), but the potential payoff is well worth the effort!

Note: If you're selling digital products for a one time fee (vs. recurring billing), ClickBank.com is a 3rd party merchant services provider that will enable you to accept checks and credit cards from your customers, AND enable you to set up an affiliate program of your own - which in turn opens more doors when it comes to joint venturing possibilities. QuickPayPro.com and Groundbreak.com also provide affiliate tracking/management solutions.

Hot Tip: Of course, once you have your own affiliate program set up, at some point you may want to make it available to ALL your customers (and maybe even offer "free affiliate program participation" to anyone who visits your web-site) - in addition to your JV partners.  Carefully study (and participate in) other successful affiliate programs and apply what you learn to your own program.  My own affiliate programs have accounted for over 50% of my sales - and countless thousands in free advertising.

9. Free Ezine Ads

Do a Google.com search for "free ezine ads", "free ad when you subscribe"
(and similar keyword phrases), and compile a list of ezines that offer a free ad in exchange for subscribing. Submit your free ad to 5-10 ezines per day.

This simple technique, if used consistently, can add up to $100's worth of free advertising for you - each and every month!

10. Testimonial Submission

Submit testimonials (with your name and web-site or affiliate link at the bottom) for products or services that you've purchased in the past (preferably products that relate to, or compliment, your own business or offer).

If you haven't *purchased* many products and therefore can't offer many testimonials, subscribe to free ezines and offer testimonials for the ezines that you enjoy!  With over 300,000 ezines online, you could be submitting testimonials
endlessly...Try to submit at least 5 testimonials a day.

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Hot Tip: As the profits from your online business begin to come in, REINVEST them in more advertising! Repeat this critical *cycle* (profit, reinvest 100% , profit, reinvest 100%...) until your income has reached the level you desire. At that point you can begin dividing up your profit into two categories: income & expenses (with your advertising budget accounting for the majority of your expenses).

Bonus Section:  How NOT To Advertise Online!

Many people new to online business are afraid to spend money on advertising. They fear that their advertising dollars will go to waste, which of course is perfectly natural.

...So many begin looking for free "miracle cure" (too good to be true) advertising strategies and resources right off the bat.

And that's where the problem begins.

If you've been searching for ways to advertise your site online, you've most likely been tempted by these types of advertising offers:

- FFA (Free For All Link sites)
- Ad Blasters
- Auto Surf Traffic Exchanges
- Online Classified Ad Placement
- Safelists
- "Guaranteed Traffic" programs
- Downline Builders

I can tell you right now, with 7 years experience to back it up, that 99.9% of the resources that fall into one or more of the categories above DO NOT WORK. They are a waste of time, and TIME is your most precious resource!

Further, the scarce few that DO work require traffic from outside sources (it's a catch 22, where you NEED traffic to produce more traffic).

If you're using the methods above to promote your own site, an affiliate site, an MLM program, or some other type of online business opportunity, I can virtually guarantee that you're not at all satisfied with your results. In fact, you're probably frustrated and discouraged!

...You've fallen into what I call the "Free Advertising Trap!"

But don't worry, by using the Top 10 Advertising Methods I've listed above, not only will you avoid this common pitfall, you'll also be a big step ahead of your competitors, and well on your way to achieving the business and financial goals you've set out to accomplish!
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