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Are You Going For Your Sales Bonuses?
November 07, 2007
I was checking out my commissions for October, and I realized that I had made $160 in bonuses last month.
I've made bonuses before, but this is my best month so far for them.
Now, I know $160 might not sound like a lot - especially in the make money online industry, where I'm sure you've all probably read headlines like "Make six figures on AUTOPILOT every month - GUARANTEED!!!!"
(Sorry. I couldn't resist the extra exclamation marks.)
But still, when you consider that you actually don't have to do anything for these bonuses, other than what you've always done - preselling products on your website and then directing interested readers to the merchant's page - it's quite nice.
If you're wondering, "Bonuses? Where do I find out about bonuses?", here's what I'd recommend:
1. Hop on over to ABestWeb. This is the best affiliate marketing forum to hang out in if you're promoting physical products (A word of caution: if you're into promoting digital products like ebooks, it is most definitely NOT the place for you. At the very least, don't mention words like "Clickbank" or "ebooks" in your posts.).
Merchants who give out bonuses have an actively managed affiliate program. Several very good affiliate program managers, both in-house and independent, hang out at ABestWeb. They often have their own subforums there, as well, and it's in these subforums that you'll find the latest bonuses being offered.
When you see a merchant with an actively managed affiliate program, and the products fall within your niche, sign up, and begin promoting.
2. Read your emails from your merchants. I've actually only recently caught on to how important it is to do this. Merchants who send out newsletters will tell you about their newest products, their best-selling products, their best-converting keywords, special sales, the latest coupons and lots of other things - including any bonuses or prizes they might be giving away that month.
I now have a special email account set up just for my merchant emails. My email program filters them to their own mailbox, and I try to read any unopened mail in there at least once a week.
If a merchant whom I've had success promoting in the past is offering a bonus, I plan out ways to give their products a bit more of a nudge. And if I haven't had any success with the program before, I will direct a bit more attention to them and see how well they convert.
3. Keep track of any sales that will pull bonuses. Sometimes you might reach a sales threshold that qualifies you for a bonus, or make a particular type of sale attracting a bonus, and it falls through the cracks. By keeping track of what bonus programs are available for each particular merchant, you can make sure that you receive all bonuses you're entitled to.
If you qualified for a bonus but didn't get one, just email the affiliate manager. Most likely, you didn't receive your bonus because of some glitch. If you've done your homework and selected actively managed programs, your bonus should be sorted out in no time at all.
4. If a bonus requires a specific action, do it. Some programs offer sign-up bonuses, but specific action is required, like using their datafeed on your site, or promoting them on a live page. Often, you will be required to email the affiliate manager with links to your site and/or page. Don't forget this email! You won't get the bonus until you send it.
The Christmas shopping season has most definitely begun, and merchants are well aware of this. You'll find that this is one of the best times to make a bonus. It's kind of like giving yourself a Christmas gift!
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Posted by BJ at 01:39 PM in Affiliate Marketing | Permalink
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