Getting referrals through an online affiliate tracking and promotion program can skyrocket the number of referrals you get each month...what would that mean to your PROFITS?
So, you're already getting a lot of referrals or you claim to work by referral only but how many of you are actively marketing those so-called referral sources? Not very many people I talk to...
In this last year I've become aware of online affiliate tracking and promotion programs that people in some of the circles I travel in (infoproduct and online marketing) are making a ton of money with.
An affiliate is just like a referral source. An affiliate can be anyone who sends people to you, forwards your emails, suggests your services and recommends your products. I get a lot of referrals too, in fact so many it's really hard to track them and THANK THEM!
Plus, many times a referral turns into a pretty big client (with a big profit) and it's hard to remember who actually referred them to me 3 or 4 months into the project in order to send them a nice thank you gift which is always good to do.
I give about 40-50 referrals every month and sometimes I give them out at a chamber mixer, writing someone's website on the back of my card and handing it to someone I hardly even know. Sometimes I get asked by email for a referral and I send one back to the person cc'ing the person I actually referred. You probably think this is pretty good tracking but it's really not. Because 5 minutes later, I've forgotten about it and I'm talking to or emailing someone else about another subject. Life is just too fast these days.
I'm currently an affiliate of about 15 other professionals that I've met in the last year - Ali Brown of course, you read about her and my mastermind group often, but also my web designer, my shopping cart and merchant account company, a publicity guy I know and many other companies and professionals.
I'm doing this because I can. I would refer to them anyway but because they have an actual affiliate program where I could make money when I send people to them who sign up for their products or services - why not?
I wouldn't become an affiliate and promote someone or something I didn't feel was a good product or service regardless of what they were going to pay me - hopefully you wouldn't either.
So, it took me a few months to get to this on my own shopping cart but I now have my own affiliate program online - yeah! It's still not totally finished; I haven't written the sales page on my website or created all the great resources that I could so my affiliates could promote me with banner ads and such.
This is what you do:
- I have a signup link ready to go.
- It costs you nothing to join.
- You will be emailed your 'unique affiliate link'.
- Then you cut and paste that unique link into your emails or correspondence when you refer business to me or forward my emails to your friends.
- Then my shopping cart tracks anyone with a cookie who clicks on that link to get to my website.
- Then if they buy anything EVER (up to 2 years) online (which all of my products and services are paid for online now) the shopping cart knows they were referred by you.
- You receive a check (when the commission amount adds up to a minimum amount).
- You get paid 20% of everything I sell just for telling people about me which you would do anyway right?
Here's an example of what you could say in your forwarded email (using your unique affiliate link hyperlinked where my website url is):
"There is a company I want to recommend to you today, it’s K. Sawa Marketing here in Sacramento. Katrina Sawa, the owner and Marketing Coach, is such a great resource for me in my business and her website has all kinds of great marketing and networking info, events and resources I use all the time. I highly recommend you visit www.JumpStartYourMarketing.com now and get the FREE REPORT: "Top 3 Ways to JumpStart Your Marketing"! Plus receive a free subscription to the 'Get Networking' weekly ezine chock full of free marketing and networking tips, advice, resources and opportunities just for entrepreneurs and small business owners."
Ok, so I'm talking about this with you today because:
If you have a shopping cart, you probably have an affiliate option, if you don't know, ask. If you don't have a shopping cart but you have a website or even if you don't have a website there are companies out there that offer online programs you can subscribe to that will run your affiliate program for you.
One of those programs is YOURsoft affiliate software. One of my publicity friends uses this program; I've signed up for his and it's really user friendly. You do have to pay a little for set up or installation depending on whether you have or don't have a website to host it on. But remember, you're going to be getting more referrals than ever when you promote this to everyone you know to sign up - so you'll be making more money and can justify this investment to boost your sales, right? See what you think about that program; you don't even have to have a website or sell anything online - this is a tracking and promotion system.
Or my shopping cart is a pretty reasonably priced option too if eventually you will add a cart to your site, you could add it now for the affiliate program and worry about selling on it later but at least it's there when you need it.
Sure you can keep getting referrals slowly like you are, one by one. But if you give your contacts an option to refer you and make mo.ney in the process you might get twice as many each month! I'm thinking that would really BOOST YOUR INCOME, RIGHT?
Good luck with this and Happy Networking!
Furthermore, if you want help developing your affiliate program or deciding if an affiliate program is even a good way to market your product or service, I would suggest signing up for one of my JumpStart Your Marketing 1-On-1 coaching services or a 1 Hour Business Brainstorm Session! You can find out what those entail and how they will benefit you on the products page of my website at www.JumpStartYourMarketing.com!
© Copyright 2008 K. Sawa Marketing International Inc.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Katrina Sawa is known as The JumpStart Your Biz Coach because she literally kicks her clients and their businesses into high gear. She works with highly motivated women entrepreneurs that want to maximize and fast-track their business to make more money and enjoy more free time. Katrina uses online and offline Relationship Marketing Systems & Strategies to leverage your resources, contacts and your expertise; plus she kicks you in the butt to implement it all too! Get her Free Tips, Free Audio & Free Report online at http://www.JumpStartYourMarketing.com!
Scroll down for more helpful info and special offers!!!
About the Author
Katrina Sawa is known as The JumpStart Your Biz Coach because she literally kicks her clients and their businesses into high gear. She works with highly motivated women entrepreneurs that want to maximize and fast-track their business to make more money and enjoy more free time. Katrina uses online and offline Relationship Marketing Systems & Strategies to leverage your resources, contacts and your expertise; plus she kicks you in the butt to implement it all too! Get her Free Tips, Free Audio & Free Report online at www.JumpStartYourMarketing.com!
Katrina constantly tells entrepreneurs she meets, “The fastest way to build a successful business is to automate, delegate, systematize, build your list and talk to your list regularly in order to be on top of mind at all times.”
Katrina enjoys inspiring, motivating and educating other women on how to design a business to fit your life and frees you up to do the things you love. A business that’s primarily online with automated services and products plus high end coaching, consulting or speaking. Katrina has her B.S. in Business, Marketing Concentration, from California State University, Sacramento and currently lives in the Sacramento, California area with her German Shepherd Zeke. Here's to creating and enjoying a successful, happy and balanced life!
Katrina Sawa
The JumpStart Your Biz Coach
P.S. You can keep hoping to change your business and make more money, but unless you are willing to do something different, take action and put together a solid marketing plan to follow - your chances for success are slim to none. So let me show you how to get a Relationship Marketing System together for your business now.
P.P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for a 1 Hour Business Brainstorm Session with me 1on1, it’s 100% Guaranteed AND you will also receive a FREE 60 Day Membership in my Silver Mentor Program too! Go to www.JumpStartYourBusinessNow.com or my online Coaching page now to sign up!
P.P.P.S. Are you more of a Do-It-Yourselfer? Then go to my Products page of my website and check out the marketing and business-building products I have on all kinds of topics and learn for yourself new things you can do to boost your business AND stop making these deadly mistakes!
User Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus