Marketing a Current Trend Could Make One Blue
Posted by AC Editorial Team in Affiliate Marketing Tuesday, 4 August 2009 00:02 13 Comments
A lot of affiliate marketers watch current trends to see what’s hot at the moment so they can ride the wave of success. This works out sometimes; but sometimes it’s not so profitable. It’s a gamble, really.
Most affiliates have their favorite news sites. I personally keep an eye out on what Oprah is talking about, as well as checking in daily with a few sites that list trends daily (like Zeitzgeist, Google Trends, Yahoo Buzz, etc.) However, I did enjoy the creativeness of Jonathan Volk when he discovered that everyone was all a Twitter about blue M&Ms (http://www.jonathanvolk.com/internet-marketing/recent-failure-buybluemms-com.html). Here’s what he did to try to profit from the CNN News story:
CNN ran a news story which stated that “the same blue food dye found in M&Ms and Gatorade could be used to reduce damage caused by spine injuries, offering a better chance of recovery, according to new research.”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/28/spinal.injury.blue.dye/index.html?iref=newssearch
Being a trend affiliate sometimes, Jonathan immediately bought a blue M&M keyword domain, and started thinking about how he could market the product. First he wanted to market as an affiliate, but affiliates were manually approved and he didn’t receive approval in a timely manner. Then he thought he could just buy a bunch of the blue M&Ms and resell them at a higher price.
After all this work, he was in the negative on profits, and gave up on this trend. But as you can see, he’s STILL doing affiliate marketing! He didn’t just throw up his arms and denounce affiliate marketing forever. So, here’s a few things we can learn from his little experiment:
- If you’re a merchant that has a product that’s hot at the moment, you might want to consider automatic approval for affiliates.
- When working with trends, there’s no “sure thing.”
- And, most importantly,
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!
Its really good idea to follow current trends and work along. However, we have to consider that Internet is crowded more with new comers. Established earners are but a fraction of net viewers. To ensure social satisfaction there must be a mixed of creativity but esability first. No doubt I do love your approach Anik.
Trial and error is just one of the major components of being
successful in any business, or venture in life. Don’t be afraid
to go for it. You just never know what might work. Have you ever
looked back at something you said or did and asked yourself, What If?
good work. If you never try you never win. this just makes me want to try even harder. as always thanks for the good info.
Can’t lament enough on the “try, try again” theory, however, I CAN add a foot note: “If you haven’t failed, at least once, (preferably SEVERAL times!) it isn’t likely you’ll succeed to any great advantage.” Case in point? Edison–Quote “I failed near 10,000 times while experimenting on my light bulb.” unquote. The rest, my friends–is HISTORY!. Rick T.
Sure, I would like to make money on the Internet, but I have one major problem that keeps coming up. Everytime I open an e-mail from one of those Internet experts, there’s a new product they’re trying to sell me. Of course, the subject never let’s me know I’m about to be “sold” some new information product, but these “autoresponders” they have me on are selling me a new way to make money (at the obligatory $97 or $497 or more price), and I never know what is or isn’t important to run a basic business!
I don’t need to make $1,000 per day (although that would be nice). I just want to know the basics WITHOUT being sold a new product every day. By the way, I have a hard time remembering all these programs and get confused by all of them! Everyone seems to be an expert with a “new way” of getting rich. I just want to know how to make money with Google AdSense, YouTube, Click Bank and PPC. And, unlike some gurus, I really don’t want to send out e-mails automatically every few days to bug someone to buy something–once again!
So maybe someone can recommend a good course or place to start! I already have a few products to sell, but I wouldn’t mind promoting a decent affiliate program as well! (Yes, and I’ve written a few e-books as well.)
I’m tired of constantly being sold new products–I just want to get started making money!
Tom
tomcares@verizon.net
http://tompetrie/net
What city/state are you in. I’m in metro-Chicago and have been seeking a partner with complementary skills based on the simple premise that 2 people working together can gain a tremendous advantage.
I have enjoyed playing around with the Internet for the past three years I have surfed the net and seen many programs and get rich quick schemes. I was never pulled in by all of the flashy cars, big houses and piles of cash photos. After I was laid off from my job and had to take a cut in pay I started getting serious about affiliate marketing. I have seen a rise in affiliate teaching and now everyone’s a pro-but after looking clothes into their programs I seemed it was more of a sale then a teaching. Just Show Me the Training. I see affiliate marketing has a bright future for those who will ‘work at it’,I have been in the retail business for over 25 years. I have seen the downtown department stores all but disappear and now I am seeing the decline of local shopping malls as I too have had a business there.
Are today’s affiliate marketers tomorrow’s superstores, as we slide into a fast food fast-paced society with no time to spare it seems a lot easier to jump on the Internet and find everything you need at your fingertips.
I can envision a world that is rapidly changing and today’s affiliate market is like the model T. Car But Hold on and buckle your belts the muscle cars are just around the corner.
Yes affiliate marketing has a bright future BUT,,, to all you guru teachers I have one thing to say— show me the teaching don’t sell me to death.
James
jim2053@gmail.com
Hello, My name is Jarmo Nykky I write to you now is a good idea to call but I do not speak English, only Finland, therefore, what I do for you in the future of my interests is a major piece of the issue sincerely, Jarmo;)
I agree with Thomas. There are so many teachers all selling the same thing but in different orders. Also they all seem to affiliated with each other that it is ease to buy the same thing more than once. All I want is for someone to literally show me each step of the process from start to finish. And I mean all the little dots and t’s crossed.
I totaly agree with Thomas, James and budiebear.I have been in the retail business for long time …. Now online business is thriving and it will be even lot better but I have not found anybody is giving us ‘right ideas’ only they are all trying to make money ….!! I am not looking for free advice but loking for somebody must be “genuine” . Also there are lots of ‘doggy’ suppliers ,so please be careful before you purchase anything..?? I wish somebody could teach us how to set online business and find right genuine supplers…..
I agree with the try try again theory, just so long as you don’t keep trying the same procedure each time and expecting it to work. Adjust your approach and methods and eventually you will find what you’re looking for. Just try not to go broke before it happens.
Hi all,
I read these comments with a great deal of interest. I’ve been doing some affiliate marketing for a while and I have to say it takes a while to find out what works and what doesn’t – Unless you’re really clever you HAVE to invest a lot of time and/or money to get started. What I don’t understand is why people say you need step by step guides etc. There are loads of completely free ebooks on how to set up mini sites to sell ClickBank products, how to do PPC, Keyword research, how to promote PPA offers etc. I joined the ‘e-book emporium’ website for a month, which cost me about £10.00 UK (about 17 dollar). During that month I downloaded hundreds of good quality ebooks, many of them with walkthoughs on how to set up sites to sell. The way I see it there are two ways to learn Internet Marketing:
1) Subscribe to as many mailing list from people like Amit(who has an honest passion for what he teaches), Mike Steup and so on and download the freebies they offer. Download all the ebooks you can on internet marketing and READ THEM COVER TO COVER. Evenutally you’ll begin to get the whole picture. Many of the best internet training marketers offer a free CD of a few dollars and will give temporary access to their learning system (PPC classroom did that, maybe still do). You may be hit by a hard sell once you’ve given them your details (a tried and tested upsell tactic used by many marketers on and off line)- but if you can’t take that you probably shouldn’t be doing this anyway! Eventually you will gain enough information to get started – about 6 months if you work part time.
2) Join one of the training programs like PPC classroom. You’ll probably be offered an upsell costing a lot of money for a consultation with a ‘Guru’, but if you can’t afford it don’t do it.
At the end of the day if you sell products you have an interest in, and some knowledge about, there’s no reason not to send out emails – a list is the best way to make money – there a lots of people promoting things they know nothing about – If you really know your subject and can offer good quality information you are doing you subscribers a favour.
The most important piece of advice that I’ve read and would pass on is to do one thing at a time and do it well, don’t do what I did and start a dozen web sites and leave them 1/2 finished – don’t jump onto the next thing because it seems more interesting than the last – if something isn’t working go back and see if you can work out why – only abandon a project once you’ve tried everything and it doesn’t work – at the same time don’t flog a dead horse. I could write loads more but I think I’ve said enough for a blog comment.
Best of luck!
Steve
Great site! I will surely recommend you to my buddies. Please carry on the super updates. You on Twitter too??