With
so many people in the affiliate marketing game already, you might think
the
market is too competitive to enter. While it is true that an
astonishingly high
percentage of affiliate marketers lose money, that does not mean there
is no
money to be made with affiliate programs. Actually, for those who learn
to
distinguish themselves from the crowd, the rewards can be very
lucrative
indeed.
The
best way to set yourself apart from everybody else is to develop your
own
unique selling proposal, or USP for short.
A
unique selling proposal is simply a technique for presenting your
products in a
way that is different from everybody else and which therefore gives
prospects
of customers a particular reason for buying from you and not from any
other
affiliate marketing Tom Dick or Harry.
What
is the definition of a unique selling proposal?
A
USP is an offer to the customer, not just any offer, but a special
offer that
contains a benefit which the customer cannot get anywhere else, and
which is
appealing to the customer. A USPtherefore
makes it much more likely that the
product will sell. There
must be a proposition, it must be unique, and it must sell.
Now
let's look at how affiliate marketers could use this concept to develop
special
offers for their potential customers.
1.
Price. This is perhaps the first thing marketers think about when
looking for a
unique selling proposal. While the price of most affiliate marketing
products
is fixed by the product designer, you might be able to find a way to
bundle a
series of products together and offer a lower overall price. Or you
could offer
to send back some or all of the commission you make on the first months
if you
are selling a subscription-based product. You could think outside of
the box by
adding a bundle of extra services that will allow you to raise the
price while
offering great value for the package.
2.
Personal branding. The best way to distinguish your affiliate business
from all
the others is to personalize it and associate it with your personality.
Upload
a photograph of yourself to your website and add a friendly
introduction. Use
your real name to let people who visit your website know who you are
and what
great products and good service you offer. Invite your visitors to
contact you
if they have any questions. Setup a form on your website where people
can
contact you. Make it a priority to respond to anybody who uses it.
Write a blog
but do not use an anonymous style, keep it friendly and personal as
well as
informative.
3.
Offer a unique special package to customers who buy your affiliate
products.
The best kind of unique package is one that you have produced yourself.
So why
not write an e-book about the products you sell, or about how to
succeed with
the affiliate program you are marketing?
4.
Setup review pages about the products you are selling. In your reviews,
explain
to people the benefits you have enjoyed from the product. Before you
direct
people to the sales page, make them a unique free offer of your own.
Tell them
that if they buy the product from you they can download a special
package of
goodies. Make sure the product you are offering in your freebie package
are not
offered in the same combination elsewhere, and are different from the
freebies
that are offered on the sales page of the affiliate product you are
promoting.
5.
Offer your affiliate customers some kind of follow-up service. This
could be in
the form of product advice, or in the case of an affiliate marketing
program,
you can offer a free training package.
6.
Give your customers an incentive to make referrals. Think about what
you could
give them if they sent new business your way.
