[fabrizio]

Hello here,
on November 2004 I started my own affiliate program by offering 30% of commission on sales and unlimited cookie expiration date. I sell digital classical sheet music and my affiliates are satisfied by their results, anyway I'm still getting a low 1% of sales from affiliates.

Well, as today I'd like to work more on my affiliate program because I think it has great potentialities but, as all of us, I don't have enough time for a good, focalized affiliates recruitment and/or affiliate program advertisement campaign, so I thought to hire someone else to do this "hard" work. The idea came last week when an Indian company called affiliatebuddy.net contacted me by proposing me their service. It looks attractive and effective, but by searching on Google for "affiliate recruitment" there are hundreds of companies are doing the same job.

Do you have any suggestion or experience to tell me? Any thought is very welcome!

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,
Fabrizio

[Geno Prussakov]

Fabrizio, first of all - WELCOME. You chose the right place for any merchant to be - ABestWeb. The best place to start marking your affiliate program is right here. Your options range from $50 to $2000 and more... Check out the "Advertising" link on the top of this page (right under the ABW logo).

Good luck!

Geno

[RegDCP]

Originally Posted by Geno - RussianLegacy

Check out the "Advertising" link on the top of this page (right under the ABW logo).

Good luck!

Geno

This is what I get when Icheck the "Advertising" link:
The page cannot be displayed
The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings.

I tried it in IE and Firefox

[Trust]

Here you go:

http://abestweb.com/merchants/newforum.htm
http://www.abestweb.com/buy_ads.htm
http://www.abestweb.com/merchants/
http://www.abestweb.com/directory/

[Geno Prussakov]

Originally Posted by RegDCP

This is what I get when Icheck the "Advertising" link:
The page cannot be displayed
The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings.

I tried it in IE and Firefox

On some reason your browser(s) is/are not reading the script correctly. When you click on the "Advertising" link, you should get links to the following pages:

http://www.abestweb.com/merchants
http://abestweb.com/merchants/newforum.htm
http://www.abestweb.com/buy_ads.htm

Check 'em out as above...

Geno

[Geno Prussakov]

Haiko,

Is the "New Program Announcements" link meant to lead to http://abestweb.com/merchants/newforum.htm ?! I believe, it used to lead to a less expensive way of "announcing" one's program (namely: via an announcement thread in the respective network's forum)...

Geno

[MichaelColey]

Here's the advertising link (although it's currently under construction):

http://www.abestweb.com/advertising/

Also, there are some very good OPMs (Outsource Program Managers) here who could run your program for you for a fee:

AMWSO

Andy Rodriguez Consulting

[Geno Prussakov]

Great place to start from right here at ABW:

New Affiliate Programs and Announcements

Good luck!

Geno

[Haiko de Poel, Jr.]

Originally Posted by Geno - RussianLegacy

I believe, it used to lead to a less expensive way of "announcing" one's program (namely: via an announcement thread in the respective network's forum)...

I've moved that to http://forum.abestweb.com/newthread....=newthread&f=4 and am changing the entire advertising section to a single page rate card ... have had a few software issues this weekend so I needed to put that on the back burner for later tonight.

====================

Hi and Welcome to ABW Fabrizio! :

[Geno Prussakov]

Ain't it funny how it is?! I spotted it (see my previous post) before you replied to my question...

Geno

[Sam Bay]

As I understand Fabrizio is looking to hire affiliate recruitment help, and needs advice and suggestions, not advertising opportunities to recruit affiliates himself.

[Lectrickitty]

Originally Posted by fabrizio

I thought to hire someone else to do this "hard" work.

I agree with Sam Bay, it looks like Fabrizio is wanting to hire an affiate manager to run his/her affiliate program.

[RegDCP]

I had an affiliate program running for my website which averages 10543 Visitors per Month and here is what I found.

Affiliates need coaching. Set up a newsletter that goes out once a week to keep them up to date and offer tips and support.
Work with them to get your banner or link in an optimum position.
Reward them with incentives. (Extra commission for the top sellers is a good start.)

Consider a multi-tier commission structure as it is a much greater incentive when you can build a down-line.

I dropped the program as the host I was using had considerable downtime which impacted on sales, as each sale had to pass through their system before being passed on to the collection routine.

I will be reinstating the program using the open source www.creloaded.com which has a multi tier commission module, once I have my 3 current multi tier programs up and running.


Speaking of multi tier programs, I have a question for Geno.

I understand that the principal behind the site is to generate revenue and I have no issue with that at all.
However, it seems to me that the principal behind the concept is not being used to advantage.

Why don’t you subscribe to the affiliate plans and then announce the site using your affiliate ID?

It seems to me that you could generate more income than a charged for link and would probably greatly increase your offerings.

Reg

[fabrizio]

Originally Posted by Lectrickitty

I agree with Sam Bay, it looks like Fabrizio is wanting to hire an affiate manager to run his/her affiliate program.

Hello guys and thank you for your replies and information.

Well, to be more precise I'd like simply to hire a specialized "affiliate recruitment" service. I'd like to keep managing my affiliate program myself, but I need someone can help me to recruit new affiliates.

Thank you Reg for your suggestions about multi tier programs, I already considered them but by studying my competitors they are having great success by pointing more on the offered product (contents), than on the affiliate program mechanism itself. I sell classical sheet music to download with custom and exclusive arrangements, a very unique service that grows 100% every year... I offer:

1. 30% of commission on all sales.

2. Unlimited cookie tracking system.

3. Members referral linking for life (referred Members to our service, not affiliates, are linked permanently to the referred affiliate by giving him possibility to earn on subsequent renewals).

4. Realtime stats, tracking, automatic HTML and dynamic code tools.

5. We are the leading company and site for Classical Sheet Music Downloads® since 1999.

6. Our exclusive arrangements and transcriptions products and service is unique.


don't you think could be this enough to have some good working affiliate? Yes, I have already around 300 affiliates since November 2004, but just 10 of them are giving me some good earning... but I think I need to find more and better affiliates and I'd like to hire someone to do it because I have not enough time.

Thank you for your advices and thoughts, they are really appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fabrizio

PS: I don't understand why everywhere on this forum is stated: "Do NOT Post Affiliate URLs or links - it is a violation of our policies!" but somebody is posting links anyway... how exactly this works? I'd like to be able to post URLs to discuss better my ideas but I don't understand what I can do and what can't...

[Kellie aka Ms. B]

Fabrizio,

Do not post affiliate URLs: This means don't post the URLs of affiliate's web site (ie www.affiliatesite.com).

You will see links to web sites in some folks sigs. That can be done AFTER the member has earned the signiture privilege. Members who post and contribute to the forum will eventually gain that privilege. We do not allow for manually adding of a sig if the sig privilege has not been earned.

Posting of URLs under any circumstances which contain an affiliate tracking id (ie www.mymerchant.com/?affid=xyz) is never allowed.

Any posting of your own URL which is primarily just to 'get your link' out there is not allowed and will be edited as board spam.

[Haiko de Poel, Jr.]

Noise split off -> http://forum.abestweb.com/showthread.php?t=61037

[MichaelColey]

Originally Posted by RegDCP

I had an affiliate program running for my website which averages 10543 Visitors per Month and here is what I found.

It sounds like your findings don't match up very well with the views affiliates have expressed here.

Originally Posted by RegDCP

Affiliates need coaching.

The newbies may, but the most successful affiliates will want and need no coaching. Instead, they'll want the tools they need to successfully promote programs: datafeeds, coupons, deep links, etc.

Originally Posted by RegDCP

Set up a newsletter that goes out once a week to keep them up to date and offer tips and support.

Most affiliates prefer monthly newsletters and consider weekly to be annoying and bothersome.

Originally Posted by RegDCP

Consider a multi-tier commission structure as it is a much greater incentive when you can build a down-line.

Most affiliates prefer non-tiered commissions and resent the fact that you're reserving commissions they could be earning to pay other tiers (which is essentially what a multi-tier structure does).

You might want to go back to the drawing board.

[RegDCP]

To MichaelColey:

It sounds like your findings don't match up very well with the views affiliates have expressed here. ...

I ran my affiliate program for about a year and a half and while it produced, it was never the producer I had hoped it would be.
I guess that is one of the reasons I am here, is to learn from other vendors.

The newbies may, but the most successful affiliates will want and need no coaching. Instead, they'll want the tools they need to successfully promote programs: datafeeds, coupons, deep links, etc. ...

99% of the affiliates I recruited were newbies or close to newbies.
Granted the most successful were experienced, but such is the way of the world.
The newbs had to be shown how to use the tools offered in most cases.

Most affiliates prefer monthly newsletters and consider weekly to be annoying and bothersome. ...

Interesting. Consider me informed.
I am an exception I guess as I like to get newsletters from the programs I sign up for if they are directed at helping me develop my sales.
However, I soon drop off the mailing lists of the programs that just say the same thing over and over in their emails.

Most affiliates prefer non-tiered commissions and resent the fact that you're reserving commissions they could be earning to pay other tiers (which is essentially what a multi-tier structure does). ...

I read through a thread on these forums that was split about 50/50 as to one level vs. multi level plans. Those in favor of multi level seemed to have good reasons to favor the programs while those against just seemed to be “greedy” and worried about how it was not wise to recruit “competition”.

My current project offers 25% - 15% - 5% .
Note that the 15 and 5 refer to commission on sales, not commission on commission on sales.
If the sub affiliate sells a $100 product, and is linked under you, you would make $15 and not 15% of the $25.

You might want to go back to the drawing board. ...

That is why I am here.

Reg

[fabrizio]

Originally Posted by Kellie aka Ms. B

You will see links to web sites in some folks sigs. That can be done AFTER the member has earned the signiture privilege. Members who post and contribute to the forum will eventually gain that privilege. We do not allow for manually adding of a sig if the sig privilege has not been earned.

Thank you Kellie for your reply. That's interesting... I am curious: how to gain signature privilege?

About my argumentation here, I agree with Michael: I prefer to give them good/real content and product for their visitors, high commission rate (30%), life referred customers and powerful tolls like datafeed, dynamic links, link generators, and other I already offer as well a monthly newsletter that I think is enough and not bothering.

So, I recall your attention to my first question: how to hire somebody to recruit good affiliates for me? do you have any suggestion?

Any advice is very welcome!

Thanks guys for sharing.

Sincerely,
Fab.

[Andy Rodriguez]

Originally Posted by fabrizio

how to hire somebody to recruit good affiliates for me? do you have any suggestion?

Any advice is very welcome!

Thanks guys for sharing.

Sincerely,
Fab.

Hi Fab,

First of all, welcome to our family....

I will be more than happy to speak to you, give you some pointers and set you in the right direction if you call me for a free consultation after Aug 1st.

I am slammed till then due to the seminar we are having in Miami this weekend.

Again, welcome to our family...

[Haiko de Poel, Jr.]

Originally Posted by fabrizio

how to gain signature privilege?

You've got it now, click on UserCP and add it.

Originally Posted by fabrizio

So, I recall your attention to my first question: how to hire somebody to recruit good affiliates for me? do you have any suggestion?

Determine your budget, their responsibilities and interview, some good ones are HERE, if you delve into others, beware of OPMs who only:


And remember you do get what you pay for, call me if you'd like to get an idea of a fair market price for the responsibilities.

[fabrizio]

Wow Haiko, thank you so much for signature privilege, I just added it.

About your recommended list of service, I am checking them now. I don't understand what you mean with "if you delve into others, beware of OPMs who only:", please let me know.

I'd like even to know some experience with such services from somebody here... any thought?

Thanks a lot again.

Fab.

[Haiko de Poel, Jr.]

Fabrizio,

Originally Posted by Fabrizio

beware of OPMs who only: Please let me know.

"Cheerlead"

[jrod805]

Will cheerlead for higher payouts.

[Kellie aka Ms. B]

Fabrizio since Haiko has given you the Merchant/AM status (you're blue now ), you should also have access to the Affiliate Manager Only forum. You may find some additional information along the lines you are asking there. You'll probably find other useful information from other managers with regards to running a program.