Search Engine Advertising: Buying Your Way to the Top to Increase Sales By Catherine Seda is on Google Books. So you can read it free online. It was published in 2004, so it’s dated, but she’s very well respected. 

Jeremy Palmer has a whole new training system for affiliates that was launched this week. I blogged about it earlier. Being that I have an inside scoop on this, I wanted to say that the guys in the video are real. In fact, I met two of them at Commission Junction University this year. The other is a graphic designer who designed my Affiliate Flash logo. It’s nice to actually know people and know that affiliate marketing completely changed their lives. It’s real and legit. Honestly, if you have the technical skills and just need to add the marketing, this is what you need to start seeing results.

Since this is a big launch I’m talking it up. Affiliate managers often have affiliates who need more training. Most affiliates don’t make a cent for them but take up time because they want to do better. This is a complete training system for affiliates and it is quality.

It’s exciting to see that each one of the people Jeremy has trained have become CJ Performers like he is. That means they make a minimum of $10k a month in commissions. Check out the video by James Hamby. He doesn’t look like the typical millionaire and my friend Nate and I met him at CJU while we were in line for lunch. What is amazing about CJU is everyone you talk to are the top in the industry.

Here are the videos from Dustin Hassard, James Hamby, and Justin Bowen. Justin, very classy job on your video.

“People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.”

- Norman Vincent Peale

Going to CJU reminded me that I’m enamored with affiliate marketing. It’s such an interesting intersect between corporate and entrepreneurship. Companies and individuals that otherwise wouldn’t work together are driving sales in innovative ways. Affiliates can often be forerunners for the company and improve their online marketing. That said, Backcountry.com has been consistently successful at their affiliate marketing channel. That’s why you don’t want to miss John Breese speak on Friday, October 5th, 2007.

I’ve heard John speak before and he’s NOT BORING. I don’t know that you’ll get a polished Powerpoint but what he does say will make you think. Which is what I like. Of course I came away thinking more about ADD than online marketing. He made me think about the responsibilities we have to others in our life and the way ADD affects relationships. I passionately disagreed with his take on it so I remember his speech. And it works for him.

So don’t miss the chance to hear John speak on a subject that he’s also passionate about – affiliate marketing. He’ll speak on new affiliate marketing techniques for
Utah First Fridays http://www.utahfirstfridays.org

Date: Friday, October 5, 2007
Time: Starts promptly at 8:00am – 9:00 AM, Open Networking 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Location: Miller Free Enterprise Center SHOWROOM (front building)
Salt Lake Community College
9750 South 300 West Sandy, UT
Cost: $5 at the door
Contact/ RSVP: 801-957-5284 or Ashley.Sokia@slcc.edu

Hope to see everyone at RMAMA and Utah bloggers represented – see you there! I expect this to be a packed room. Don’t forget that November 1st Guy Kawasaki will speak at the same location. Don’t miss either one. We got Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, and John Breese all within six months of one another. Who will be next? How about an SEO expert who can speak in public. Mat Siltala? If you have suggestions please comment.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog you know this blog is my personal journey through and reports of the affiliate marketing and internet marketing industries. I’ve had a broad range of experiences over the past few years. Recently I’ve done dropshipping and ecommerce sites and learned some things.

Dropshipping has one huge drawback at first – inventory. All new relationships are rocky. There is no trust built and there is unfamiliarity. For drop shipping to work it’s got to become a real business relationship, not hands off. If you want to have a profitable drop ship business – like many of my friends have – you ride this time out.

Small retailers run out of stock on their products more often than I thought. I made a sale on my site and I didn’t know the item was out of stock until weeks had gone by. Tough to provide good customer service when you don’t know what’s going on. Babysitting job.

Then I recently won an eBay auction for a tent. They didn’t tell me they used a dropshipper until I complained that I hadn’t heard from them. It’s been over a month and no tent. No refund (the dispute is in process).

Affiliate marketing means I don’t worry about fulfillment at all. The merchant does. No customer complains or worries. I don’t have to think about my site while I’m on vacation or a business trip. I get a check for ebooks I sell and they NEVER run out of stock. Instant delivery.

Kelly King Anderson, CEO of Startup Princess, is hosting a conference for women entrepreneurs.

It’s October 12, 9:00 – 3:00 pm at Utah Valley State College. Center Stage Theatre, in Orem, Utah. She has quite the lineup too. Kelly’s theme is to empower women to dream, start, and run their own businesses. Her branding is professional but not corporate. Every event I’ve attended for Startup Princess has offered great networking.
Here’s the flyer

Register for the women entrepreneurs conference here

Many friends and amazing women will speak including Kate Maloney who at 26 is CEO of Costume Craze – the costume shop that’s set to make $7 million in revenues this year. It’s a family owned business that started out as an SEO software company. She just made the Inc 500 list.
Here are the other speakers:

Nancy Cadjan, Sign Babies
Carrie Dunn, XO Marketing Group
Erika Wilde, Wilde Mats and Matting Inc.
Liz Galloway, Lotus Effects LLC
Cydni Tetro, NextPage
Rachael Herrscher, Today’s Mama
Melissa Chappell, “Raw Melissa”
Tracey Christensen, nowican.org
Melissa DeMordaunt, SnugaBug
Tracey Christensen, nowican.org
Lori Harris, Mary Jane’s, Chester’s
If you’re NOT in Utah, buy the ‘Best of DVD’ for $25 or ‘Best of Audio’ for $15.

Join us this Thursday, September 27 at 6pm for our monthly Utah Blogger Dinner.

Where:
Applebees
123 E. 12300 S.
Draper Utah
(801) 495-4460

Blog it. Invite Your List. Show up.

I talk a lot about super affiliate Jeremy Palmer not only because he’s a friend, but because he’s a world class affiliate marketer. He’s got the rare ability to both be an affiliate and to communicate and teach well. He has people skills and he can communicate clearly. Attend a few conferences and you’ll learn that this is a rare combination.

I hardly hear him speak without learning something valuable. Since his income is totally dependent on performance – and given the amount of traffic he drives – I trust his judgment. If a mistake would instantly cost you personally thousands of dollars that you cannot recoup, you’d get good or quit.

Tomorrow Jeremy is launching a new program with another professional I admire and have met – Anik Singal of Affiliate Classroom. You must read his free monthly affiliate marketing ezine that focuses on affiliate and online marketing. There was an excellent issue on SEO a few months ago. But, back to coaching. If you want to learn from masters, here’s your chance. They are going to teach you how to be an affiliate.

My recommendation is that you take this course if you’re already an affiliate and want to improve your results significantly. The main emphasis is on paid search (PPC). This is training you can count on to be quality from professionals who know. Sometimes so-called gurus are teaching old methods and holding a lot of information back. The things you learn will be the latest and not something that worked well years ago. Read more about affiliate marketing training by Jeremy and Anik.

The package has study materials, and tons of bonuses (including from superstars Vinny Lingham and also Rosalind Gardner). There are also webinars. Affiliate Classroom wrote training for affiliate managers, now they are covering affiliate marketers. It looks comprehensive. You couldn’t take a college course for the price but the material is like one. I know webinars – one webinar – that sells for $800. That’s more than this entire course.

I don’t usually blog about dates but this had such an impact on my life and direction that I’m making an exception. The past few years were some of my first exposure to millionaires of all sorts (just go to Affiliate Summit). I’ve listened to their stories and asked questions and generally am intrigued at the love affair Americans have with money. Even though money isn’t what makes us happy – after a certain level of about $40k per year.

Last week I blogged on another site about how an entrepreneur who was already successful won millions in the lottery only to become famous too – and MISERABLE. His work took over his life and he stopped trusting people. He stopped going to church and his wife is leaving him. He doesn’t have many friends left – and most just want money from him.

I have firsthand experience with this because my grandparents became very wealthy off California real estate. People treated them differently. After they died my extended family almost broke up forever fighting for their money. They were very modest though. Thanks to them I had a full ride scholarship to college plus good examples of using money to make other people’s lives better.

So I was wined and dined this weekend and could even marry a millionaire. And yet, it wasn’t that appealing. The big house, the big ring and all the rest started feeling really hollow. To me, money only gets you so far. Strong character is the real gold. I woke up the next morning deeply thinking about my life and priorities. I’m a parent and providing for my son has been a priority. However, I’m very ambitious that I always try to squeeze more into a day.

So I will be re-arranging things in my life so I can stop running. I want time to socialize and connect with people other than my business partner (even though he’s a valuable part of my life too and thanks for the heart-to-heart). I have to put other things above business, otherwise I’ll achieve what I build and still feel robbed.

Truthfully the most valuable part of my day today was that kiss my son blew me through the car window as I dropped him off at school. No one could buy that for me and I couldn’t buy it for myself. Relationships matter most in life. And that’s what a date with a millionaire taught me.

There’s a great post about money and happiness by Tim Ferriss, author of the 4 Hour Work Week.

You have to love Twitter. For those who think it’s a waste of time, notice who is twittering. Even famous rappers are twittering (which doesn’t excite me at all but it shows it’s not just for geeks). That’s how this opportunity came.

I’ve had enormous respect for Andy Beal since I discovered his blog. I follow him on Twitter. Look at the work ethic and industry knowledge. I like that he’s well-connected to the print media world, not just the online world. That is something I want to put more time into. I need to reach out to more editors. I like to interview people.
I’m honored to be a guest blogger for his site Marketing Pilgrim, starting today.

I’m letting go some of my other blogging to blog more about what I love most – internet marketing and social media. I became enamored with internet marketing after working a few short months with Paul Wilson, now my business partner.

For over a year I devoured everything I could learn. It consumed my time every night after work. Though I’ve mellowed some over time, but I still find the world of internet marketing fascinating and exciting. It’s so dynamic and fits my ADD perfectly.

So enough explanation, this is the point: read my first post www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/09/google-gets-tough-on-quality.html

I want to add that the reason affiliates are so good at landing pages is because they up-front the costs. If their ads don’t convert they feel it directly and immediately. In corporate America you still get a paycheck even if your landing pages don’t perform (hopefully not for long though). But for affiliates, it’s vital.

Jeremy Palmer just wrote how even he got beat up by the most recent updates and has been providing good information (which is exactly the point) about the Google quality score. If you’re running Google AdWords, it’s something you must be concerned with.