Promoting Affiliate Products with Google Adwords
If you're involved in affiliate marketing, you've probably noticed
a surge of interest in a new EBook recently: GoogleCash.
This EBooks explains, in very basic terms, how to use Google
Adwords to promote affiliate programs. It gives solid examples
of campaigns that have worked for the author, and it gives really
appealing statistics on the amounts of money the author and others
have earned using this method.
A highly experienced marketer might find this book a bit basic,
but in general it's not bad. It would be particularly helpful
for someone new to internet and affiliate marketing.
GoogleCash basically tells you to create a Google Adword for
specific affiliate programs or products. Then, it tells you to
link your Adword directly to your affiliate URL, instead of linking
to a page or site of your own that has the affiliate link on it.
This effectively sends any interested prospects directly to a
site they're interested in, while dropping your affiliate referral
cookie on them. So of course, if they buy something from the partner
you're promoting, you'll get the sale credits and commissions.
The book leaves out some very important points though. Namely:
The types of products that work best with this promotional method.
Yes, it explains how to conduct keyword research and select
a niche market. It also explains how you should target keywords
and phrases with little to no competition, so you'll keep costs
down obviously.
What it doesn't tell you though, is about the difference between
promoting information products vs. physical products in Adwords.
I, and several other experienced internet marketers, have confirmed
a critical aspect of this form of marketing. Information products
- EBooks, Special Reports, or Subscription-based Websites - do not
sell well via Google Adwords. Physical products do.
This phenomenon is most likely due to a person's frame of mind
when they're using a search engine. If they're looking for information,
they're most likely in research mode. They're not thinking about
buying, they're thinking about discovering. They know that if
they research long enough, they'll find what they want... free.
If however, they're searching for a specific product... they're
more likely to be in buy mode. They're looking for places to get
that product, or they're looking for the best deal. But they are
looking to buy.
This is important information to have if you're spending money
to advertise something, wouldn't you say?
So, if you plan to use Google Adwords to promote your affiliate
programs, try these tactics:
1. Promote only physical products 2. Generate leads for the
information products you're promoting.
Generating leads is pretty easy. Just set up an autoresponder
series that is directly related to the information product you're
promoting. It doesn't have to be massive, 7-12 messages should
be enough. Then create an Adword campaign that's offering that
free "course" on whatever topic. Link the Adword to a page on
your site that *only* offers the free course (don't distract your
paid for prospects with anything else!), then let the campaign
roll.
If done effectively, your autoresponder course will provide
enough "free information" to satisfy the research mode prospects
were likely in when they found your ad. And it will gradually
lead them into buy mode... so you'll end up getting the sales
you were originally after.
Related Resource: Free Adwords Campaign Case Study (PDF) -->
http://www.gurugazette.com/resources/adwordskb.pdf
(C) 2003, Kathy Burns-Millyard. All Rights Reserved.
-- Need some quality content for your publications? Check out
The Guru Gazette! --> http://www.GuruGazette.com
And you can find out more about Kathy at http://www.ElectronicPerceptions.com
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