Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants

Shawn Collins is the manager of the ClubMom.com affiliate program, which he launched in March 2000. Prior to joining ClubMom, Shawn served as the Affiliate Manager for Refer-it.com, as well as the Senior Marketing Analyst for Medsite.com. His bi-weekly columns on affiliate marketing appear on ClickZ.com, and he has been the guest columnist for a number of online and offline publications, including SAM Magazine.

Additionally, Shawn founded the United States Affiliate Manager Coalition, a professional organization of affiliate marketers, as well as co-funding Affiliate Metrix, Inc., a research, analysis, and benchmarking initiative for the affiliate marketing industry. Shawn co-founded the Affiliate Webinar, an online conference for affiliates and affiliate managers, with CashPile.com.

Frank Fiore has been involved with e-commerce from its inception and knows it from both the consumer and merchant side of the equation. He is an established e-commerce expert and author of three books on e-commerce entitled "e-Marketing Strategies", "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting an Online Business" and "Dr. Livingstone's Online Shopping Safari Guidebook." He is the Online Shopping Guide for About.com and President of Concurrent Commerce Technologies, an Internet applications service provider specializing in dynamically price-enabling products and services on the Net.

I. WHAT AFFILIATE MARKETING CAN DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS.

1. What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Pay-for-Performance-Advertising Versus Marketing. A Brief History of Affiliate Marketing. Defining Affiliate Marketing. Affiliate Marketing Program Components. The New Cornerstone.

2. The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing.
The High Cost of Customer Acquisition. Is Your Business Suited for Affiliate Marketing? The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing. Other Affiliate Marketing Uses.

3. Become an Affiliate Yourself and Earn Income.
News and Features. Web, Media, and Consumer Opinion Searches. All-in-One Content Programs. Have Your Affiliate Team Join Affiliate Programs.

II. SETTING UP YOUR AFFILIATE PROGRAM.

4. Step One-Planning Your Affiliate Program.
Setting Up Your Affiliate Program. What Do Affiliates Want? Review Your Competition.

5. Step Two-Choosing Your Program Model.
Affiliate Program Models. The Creatives.

6. Step Three-Getting the Word Out.
Step One-Crafting Your Message. Step Two-Building Your List. Step Three-Registering with Directories. Step Three-Newsletters, Discussion Groups, Mailing Lists, and Other Promotional Strategies. Step Four-Contracting Out Your Recruiting. Step Five-Using PR and Advertising.

7. Step Four-Choosing the Right Affiliates.
Know the Affiliate Types. Acquiring the Super Affiliate. Choosing the Right Affiliates. Activating the Non-Participating Affiliate.

8. Step Five-Creating Your Affiliate Agreement.
Affiliate Union Certification. The Elements of an Affiliate Agreement. Legal Issues. Monetary Issues. Delivery of the Affiliate Agreement. A Sample Agreement.

9. Step Six-Tracking Your Affiliate Program.
The Elements of Tracking and Reporting. Do It Yourself Versus Third-Party Provider. Choosing a Third-Party Solution Provider. Third-Party Solution Providers. Low-Cost Affiliate Solution Provider Services. Making Sense of the Numbers.

10. Step Seven-Paying Your Affiliates.
Payment Plans-How Much to Pay. Payment Plans. Dealing with Program Fraud.

III. MANAGING YOUR AFFILIATE PROGRAM.

11. Managing Your Program.
Personnel Requirements. Keeping Your Program Fresh.

12. Communicating with Your Affiliates.
Affiliate Newsletters. Targeted E-mail. Tutorials. Discussion Boards or Forums. Webrings. Chat Sessions. E-mail Discussion Lists. Other Feedback Mechanisms.

13. Supporting Your Affiliates.
Servicing Your Affiliates. Provide An Affiliate Support Site. The Eight Things Every Affiliate Should.

Appendix A. The 10 Deadly Sins of Affiliate Marketing.
Appendix B. Affiliate Marketing Master Plan.
Previous Weeks. Week. Week. Week. Week. Week. Week. Following Weeks.

Appendix C. Affiliate Directories.
Glossary.
Index.

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