I’m Affiliating with this Merchant…NOT!
As I’m often on the prowl for new offers to promote to my dating site crowd at Sage-Hearts.com, I thought I’d come up with something unique and interesting when I discovered SmokingDate.com.
The site bills itself as ‘Online Dating for Smokers and Smoker-Friendly Singles’.
Well, as a good affiliate who wants to make sure that the site will be acceptable to my visitors and is a lucrative prospective for my business, I had to check the site out.
You won’t believe what I found!
Read “I’m Affiliating with this Merchant…NOT!” to see the stunt that they’re trying to pull on affiliates.
Cheers,
Ros
Popularity: 2% [?]
Did You Get This Email Too?
Back on June 21st, I received the email below.
It was sent to an address that I use only for a specific affiliate program… so I assume that someone from inside the company ripped off the that company’s subscriber list.
That’s bad enough.
But worse is the fact that this person is offering a package that apparently includes my home address, telephone number and email address.
So, I bought the package to see what was included.
I paid my $67.00 and then… NOTHING.
I wrote a few emails to the seller, (whose PayPal name is David Lake but his email address is Matt.Wellington@gmail.com) filed a complaint at PayPal, and STILL nothing. Nada… not a word.
NOW, the site has disappeared.
Fortunately, because I filed a claim, and the guy hasn’t responded, PayPal will refund my money without question in a few days.
But the fact that there are others out there who bought this guy’s crap, cheeses me off greatly.
If you received the email below, and bought the package… get your money back!
Oh, and by the way.
I spoke to the owner of the company and when and if the real identity of this person is known, HE WILL BE FIRED.
Too bad, so sad.
He’ll get what he deserves for STEALING both from his employer and his ill-gotten ‘customers’.
Not-so-cheery,
Ros
Here’s that email:
How would you like to have a complete database of contact
information for virtually all of the top internet marketers on the internet.
You really need to check this out.
http://www.jv-database.com
This database includes the following information about every
prominent internet marketing person on the internet today.
- First Name
- Last Name
- eMail Addresses (many private email addresses)
- Address City
- State
- Zip Code
- Country
- A list of their sites
- Their sites PR (page rank) and Alexa ranking
- Phone number
- Fax Number
- And Much More
I am only selling 250 copies of this package so you need to act quickly.
It will be the best $67 you ever spent online and it will benefit you forever.
Get over there now.
http://www.jv-database.com
Popularity: 3% [?]
Want to Make a Fortune in the InfoProducts Business?
You’ve probably heard the uproar in the Internet Marketing community this week about Shawn Casey’s updated release of “How To Make An Absolute Fortune In The Information Products Business!“
I picked up the course last year and it was fabulous THEN… a comprehensive and complete a-to-z on how to create and market your own infoproducts.
If you missed the ‘buzz’, jump over here real quick to see what everyone is talking about.
WHO is Shawn Casey?
Shawn Casey has raked in mi11i0ns selling information products from 39 ebooks to 197 teleseminars to 1,497 courses to 5,000 workshops. He’s personally sold over 110,000 information products to customers in 119 countries.
Basically, he’s done it all!
Here’s the best news:
Shawn has slashed the price of this course by than half right now! And, almost unbelievably, he increased the value of the package at the same time.
That means you can get more information and more training than people who paid twice as much as you will.
Why did Shawn make this crazy decision? Find the answers here.
FYI - This deal ends Monday at NOON, so you need to hurry and get in on this or you’re going to miss out on some very cool stuff that will totally and completely change your future!
P.S. BONUS - Because I know a little something about the infoproducts biz myself :-), if you buy Shawn’s course through my affiliate link, and send me your receipt, I’ll throw in an hour-long telephone consultation to help get you started. ($297 value).
Hope to talk to you real soon!
Cheers,
Ros
Popularity: 1% [?]
All You Have to Do is ASK…
Wow! Not only is half the year gone, but half of July will be over by the close of the day too.
Somedays I feel like I can’t type quite fast enough… you know what I mean?
Then there are those days when I’m sequestered on airplanes for up to 10 hours and can’t type (write) at all and I wonder when I’ll ever find the time to get to X, Y AND Z on my list.
On the other hand, being forced to stop and relax can be a GOOD thing.
It helps us take a look at what we’re really doing and gain or regain perspective on the total picture.
I got some of my perspective back at the Affiliate Summit this week and came to a couple of conclusions.
(Actually, I was just reminded of what I already knew.) 
- Affiliate marketing is STILL an AMAZING opportunity for anyone willing to dive in and get the job done.
People are opening their wallets online as never before, and those numbers will continue to increase as online shopping becomes more and more accepted. As competition increases between merchants for good affiliates, the offers and incentives to promote get sweeter.
For example, I won a Dell Optiplex last week for running a good product promo. Some merchants even take their best affiliates on exotic vacations - SWEET!
Sometimes, all you need to do to become a merchant’s best affiliate is send out a promo to your big list. You DO have a list, don’t you?
- Affiliate marketers are fun, friendly and HELPFUL!
Unlike when I started back in 1998, there is no shortage of help available to new and seasoned affiliates alike. Coaches, affiliate managers, merchants and other affiliates have gold nuggets to share through books, video tutorials and seminars.
All one need do is ask for help, then APPLY what what is learned.
Ugh… here we are again - back to DOING something.
But here’s the secret.
Forget X, Y AND Z.
Pick X.
FOCUS on it and DO it.
And if you get stuck on a point, find a training resource or ASK for help.
Your success is in YOUR hands, all you have to do is reach out and grab it!
Speaking of success, in the blog this week I posted:
- Luis’ Spanish Language Site Success (and more)
- Yikes! More than Half the Year is Gone!
- Blogger? FREE Wordpress Conference in San Francisco
- Back from Affiliate Summit 2006 - East
- Underground Seminar Early-Bird Discounts End July 15th
There… no shortage of opportunity. Go and Grab it!
Cheers,
Ros
—
Rosalind Gardner is author of the best selling “Super Affiliate Handbook: How I Made 436,797 in One Year Selling Other People’s Stuff Online“.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Underground Seminar Early-Bird Discounts End July 15th
Time is running out to book your seat for Yanik Silver’s next Underground Seminar, scheduled for the UK, September 8-10th, 2006.
Early bird discounts close on July 15th, or when the next 8 seats are sold, whichever comes sooner.
If you’re thinking that the UK is too far too travel, think again.My recent trip from the interior of British Columbia to the Affiliate Summit in Orlando involved two 12-hour travel days.
Yet, check Travelocity and you’ll see that a flight from New York to London takes as little as 6 hours, 25 minutes and is non-stop! Better yet, on Virgin Atlantic I came up with a round-trip air fare of $551 US, just over half what I paid to travel within North America.
If you want to go to just one Internet Marketing conference this year, make it the Underground. It’s not the same tired old re-hash and all the ‘usual suspects’. Yanik brings in all new speakers for each event, and his selection criteria is stringent.
Check out who will be at the Underground Seminar.
When you sign up before the early-bird deadline you’ll get a special red VIP ticket and confidential password. You will also gain admittance into a private, closed-door dinner and spy “experience” that Yanik is holding on the first night of the Underground seminar… AND you’ll join Yanik’s guest presenters, experts and Internet buddies for this exclusive gathering. After the dinner, you’ll join in an actual James Bond style casino where you can cut JV deals, build relationships, and do high-level networking most people never have access to.
Book your seat for the Underground Seminar today and take advantage of all the Early-Bird discounts and freebies.
Cheers,
Ros
P.S. About the pictures… Yanik wouldn’t be holding this event had I not attended his last seminar in Washington.
I guess he was a little stressed trying to make sure everyone had the best experience possible.
But as you can see from the first picture, I pulled him back from the edge. As you can see from the second picture, he was a happy boy again.
You too will be VERY happy and richer for the experience when you go Underground UK.
SPECIAL DEAL for NPT visitors/subscribers: Book through my link above, send me your receipt and receive a coupon for TWO HOURS of telephone consulting with after your return from the Underground. That’s a $598.00 value!
Popularity: 2% [?]
Back from Affiliate Summit 2006 - East
Once again, I didn’t die of fright while presenting. Actually, I really enjoyed sharing what I know with those who attended “SUPER Strategies for Sustainable Affiliate Businesses“.
In fact, it was tons o’ fun and the pre- and post-presentation buzz was excellent.
For those who couldn’t be there… I talked briefly about ‘Benz to Beater’ affiliates and then outlined how to join the Fleet o’ Benz’ affiliate group. In a nutshell, success is defined by the trusting relationships you forge and sustain.
Gee, sounds like life, eh?
Speaking of relating.
There’s no shortage of partnerships and/or friendships to be made and renewed at the Summit. Most every ‘name’ in the industry showed up.
During a chance discussion with two Commission Junction folks over breakfast, I made the point that contact with anyone at CJ is nigh impossible, and most responses appear to be form letters that don’t answer the question. In response, my business card was taken but none offered in return. So, we’ll see whether I increase my promotion of Commission Junction merchants. Of course, the LMI issue would have to be resolved first.
On a brighter note, I spoke at length with Nicky Senyard over dinner Tuesday night, and spent 3+ hours talking with Matt Frary while enroute from Orlando to Denver on Wednesday. Respectively, Nicky and Matt are the CEO’s of ShareResults and ROI Rocket. What impressed me most is their obvious dedication to affiliates as PEOPLE.
“Let’s see if we have any offers that work for you” is such a refreshing change from the typical “Promote MY nothing-to-do-with-your-niche offers”.
Affiliate managers and network owners who actually appreciate and speak to the issues that affiliates face will always win my heart AND my vote to promote.
BTW, good clues about a network merchant or affiliate focus can be found in how they refer to themselves.
Hint - look for PAY-Per-Action.
On returning from Digital River’s high-energy “Pure Imagination” party on Monday night, I joined a big group who were having a blast singing along with Brian Littleton’s (CEO of ShareaSale) tunes on the piano. I believe it was Lisa Picarille (Senior Editor for Revenue Magazine) who suggested it should form a regular part of the Summit. I agree wholeheartedly.
Primary take-away here… look for smaller networks whose people truly ENJOY this business and want to work (sing along) WITH you.
Picked up some good pointers and ideas at Jim Lillig’s (LobsterGram) presentation about doing comparison sites.
I FINALLY met Colin McDougall (VEO Report) in person. We did lunch together on Day One and met several times afterwards. We worked out a plan do some something very special for you!
Look - no listen - for it. That’s a hint.
Well, that’s a wrap for the Affiliate Summit and for travel-weary, blistered, de-hydrated me. But, I hardly wait until the next one!
Cheers,
Ros
P.S. Yes, that’s the very latest issue of Revenue Magazine on the table.
P.P.S. If you come across any stories about sassy, shoe-loving Canadians in the pool at 4AM, just know it was all Todd Taylor’s (TaxBrain) fault.
Honest.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Blogger? FREE Wordpress Conference in San Francisco
WordPress is holding a FREE WordPress user conference called WordCamp on August 5th, 2006 in San Francisco.
WordPress users and developers will meet to share stories, and “try to figure out the future of our little corner of the online publishing revolution”.
The conference is scheduled as a 1-day event, with a party that night, and is absolutely free!
If you think you can attend or want more information, check out WordCamp.org.
Cheers,
Ros
Popularity: 2% [?]
Yikes! More than Half the Year is Gone!
It’s hard to believe that more than half of 2006 is already done - finished - finito!
Looking at the list of goals and projects that I created in late December, I wonder if I wasn’t too festive during the festive season and maybe bit off a little more than I could chew.
That said, I’ve done 7 out of the 10 things on my list… it’s just that ‘new product’ that really has me stumped.
Of course, if I ever sat down long enough to actually PLAN that product, then maybe I could take action on the darned thing.
I have an excuse though - I’m sorting out last minute details and packing for Affiliate Summit today, (picture the proverbial headless chicken, please) so yet again I postpone that particular goal.
And what have you been up to?
- Is your new site up yet?
- Have you started your blog?
- Using datafeeds?
- Attended a seminar?
Yes? Congratulations!
NO?
If you too have been “postponing”, I have two articles by Brian Tracy that will help you take action.
They are:
Actually, they’re great for anyone who is waiting for exactly the ‘right’ time to start a project or wants to get beyond ‘wish, hope & pray’.
If you’re unfamiliar with his work, Brian Tracy is one of America’s leading authorities on the development of human potential and personal effectiveness.
He is also a dynamic and entertaining speaker with a wonderful ability to inform and inspire audiences toward peak performance and higher levels of achievement.
Brian addresses more than 250,000 men and women each year on the subjects of personal and professional development, including the executives and staff of IBM, Deloitte Touche, McDonnell Douglas and The Million Dollar Round Table.
Heed his advice and get inspired!
Cheers,
Ros
P.S. Speaking of the Summit - please tap me on the shoulder and say ‘Hi!’ if you see me in the Exhibit Hall or elsewhere.
I’d love to meet you.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Luis’ Spanish Language Site Success (and more)
The July issue of the “Secrets To Their Success” is ready and this month’s issue features…
Can you imagine a links site earning $65,000 a month? Well, imagine it! Luis Cabrera, who got interested in the Internet in 1989, when he was a student architect, wanted to share his great collection of architecture links.
Starting with a one-page directory web site, he’s been adding on ever since, Luis’ site has become the premier Spanish-language architecture “vortal.” With almost HALF A MILLION subscribers, and revenues of $65,000 a month, his site is a towering success.
George Grant’s healthy-living seminars were a hit with corporations and nonprofits in his native Toronto, so he decided to leverage the global reach of the Internet to market himself globally.
Now, thanks to word of mouth and a solid affiliate program, he’s packing his bags regularly for far-flung speaking engagements and pulling in $110,000 a year.
The winner of this month’s site review is Les Doll, a certified RV mechanic whose popular vortal focuses on RV repairs and maintenance.
Les was shown how to get more mileage out of his 60,000 visitors a month with a bigger opt-in list, better email marketing, and a lot of very valuable keywords.
Get motivated and inspired! Get “Secrets To Their Success“!
Cheers,
Ros
Popularity: 2% [?]
Happy Canada Day, eh!
Canada celebrates its 139th birthday today and I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day!
Ed and I started celebrating the big event last night by hosting a Canada Day Eve block party.
I picked up an XM Satellite Radio home kit yesterday and we pumped tunes through my Bose Wave radio all night. What a convenient outdoor stereo setup that is - and the sound quality is absolutely fabulous!
Although we Canadians aren’t typically ‘flag wavers’, Canada Day brings out our true colours.
Residents were asked to ‘wear Canada on their sleeves… shirt, pants, hat’ and (almost) everyone showed up sporting red and white (OK, Mr. R., what was up with the yellow ‘American Eagle’ shirt?). LOL
The house, yard and even the food was decked out in red and white maple leafs.
My favorite moment of the evening was when the kids all started singing “OH, Canada!” when the Canadian flag cake emerged. The adults joined in and some of the younger grownups even knew all the words.
I hope you’re planning to attend the festivities and fireworks in your town today… and be sure to show your colours!
And if you are a Proud Canadian affiliate marketer, here’s a thought for Canada Day 2007…
When I started writing this blog entry, I thought I might include a short list of well-know actors and actresses that most folks don’t realize are Canadian.
I did a Google search for “Canadian actresses”, and the second entry that came up was CanadianCelebs.com, a site about famous Canadian actors, musicians and sports figures.
If you check the site out, you’ll see that it isn’t being monetized in the least.
Now, if that were MY site, I’d be linking to music (try Celine Dion, or look for CPL offers like Advertising’s FREE tickets to Madonna’s Confessions Tour offer), movies (Amazon.com, Peerflix), sporting event tickets (StubHub) and sports paraphanelia (eg. eAdvertising’s Free NBA Player Jersey offer), all of which sell incredibly well online.
I’d also include a section that sells Canadian goods through CafePress (do a search for “Canada”).
So, there ya go… a nice little project to have up and humming along nicely by July 1st, 2007.
Happy Canada Day!
Cheers,
Ros
Popularity: 2% [?]
