June 24th "Seminars with the Experts" Call.

Learning the Affiliate Marketing Ropes with Matthew Glanfield.

Hilary Stewardson's final June 2008 teleseminar guest was noted Internet entrepreneur Matthew Glanfield. Since bursting onto the scene in 2005, Glanfield has parlayed several strong selling online properties into a solid six-figure annual income. Matthew's passion for helping others succeed in the often brutal world of online marketing is evidenced through his groundbreaking video tutorials. Small wonder that most of his 25,000+ list subscribers are "newbies" or relative newcomers to making money online.

Capturing Affiliate Marketing Success.

The internet attracts people from all walks of life who dream of becoming financially independent, or at the very least supplementing their present income. Matthew Glanfield suggests that 99% come online without prior business experience and a lack of money. However, they should not be discouraged from achieving success. Chances are that their working knowledge and special interests can trigger some growth, especially in affiliate marketing.

Glanfield offers the following advice for selecting a good affiliate program:

• Learn what products are selling and NOT selling. Use search engines to isolate the most popular sites, and those that are most likely to attract and convert other marketers and advertisers.
• Investigate how other people generate leads and traffic for their affiliate pages. Go to where they are!

Contrary to popular belief, affiliate sales competition is good because it indicates that a particular product is highly valued and a good seller. After all, why else is it being promoted?

Making the Most of Your Affiliate Marketing Efforts.

New marketers often pour money haphazardly into advertising, thinking that the volume of "one-time" affiliate sales will eventually offset their costs. However, even a respectable 1-2% conversion rate means that 98-99% of your visitors leave your affiliate site without giving you their names and e-mail addresses.

What Matthew would call "Leaving money on the table"...

So, what's the solution? Incorporate list-building into your affiliate marketing campaigns. Put up a squeeze page that offers a free, quality report in exchange for a visitor's valid contact information. Then, direct the person to your 'Thank You', i.e., affiliate page. Although they may reject your current offer, you now have a chance to build a real relationship with subscribers. Something that can become much more valuable in the long run.

Matthew's Traffic Generation Primer.

Glanfield defined targeted traffic generation as finding your niche market, then getting in front of it at the right time. Look to attract people who are actually interested in what you have to say.

How do you do it? Here are Matthew’s suggestions:

- Buying Leads: A definite NO-NO!

- Google Adwords: Learn how to do it properly, test it out, and then ask yourself: Is it profitable or not profitable?

- Banner Advertising: Although expensive in the pre-Internet Bubble era, a careful web search can reveal quality services (e.g. graphics, video impressions) and banner exchange websites at a reasonable price.

- Video Marketing: An essentially free traffic generation tool where you present yourself as the expert. Present tutorials in an entertaining format that highlight your personality. Use screen capture videos or motion pictures; all it takes is a camcorder and some software to post content on video sharing sites like YouTube.

- Article Marketing: A time-intensive, long-term traffic method. Focus on offering unique and insightful articles (not generic advice). Use software or outsourcing to handle ezine directory submissions.

- Forum Marketing: The raw frontlines of Internet Marketing. Can be rewarding, but need to discipline yourself to fixed time limits.

- Blogging: Great communication tool to establish your credibility and gain exposure; 2-3 entries weekly for maximum benefit.

Traffic Conversion Hints.

Matthew Glanfield believes that tracking website traffic flow can lead to positive adjustments for your sales conversion rate. What is tracking? Simply the best answer to the question:

"Where are my current sales coming from, and where are my future sales likely to come from?"

Many free products, notably Google Analytics, can be used to track and test your web pages. Split testing can be used to optimize every aspect of a salesletter (i.e. header, call to action, postscript, etc.) as well as determine what traffic methods lead to the highest percentage of paying customers. Why spread yourself thinly across 5-10 techniques once you learn what works, and more importantly - what doesn't?

Glanfield is among marketers who believe that human behavior is predictable, and that proper statistical analysis can provide great insights into your conversion rates. Ultimately, it will make you a better and more profitable marketer.

What to Consider when Approaching Joint Venture Partners.

Joint ventures (JVs) are considered by many Internet Marketing insiders as the best way to generate traffic, grow subscriber lists and generate sales. Yet beginners have a difficult time figuring out who to approach, and how to promote themselves to get their "foot in the door". Matthew Glanfield advises the following:

1. Understand your market niche. Relevant and applicable knowledge is powerful.

2. Is the potential JV partner is a good personality fit for you? Is he very money-driven, or more fun-oriented? Do you complement each others strengths and weaknesses, and is there an opportunity to cross promote?

3. Never underestimate the value of "Internet Marketing"' bartering. Whereas the "9 to 5" workplace is a straight “time for money” operation, be prepared to present a "skills for traffic" proposal to more experienced partners. There are numerous tasks that marketers need done, and becoming the person they turn to can explode your business prospects.

4. Show people what you've done, and solicit their feedback. Getting their attention is always easier with products in hand. If financially feasible, use live events to improve visibility and build your reputation.

Membership Sites Alert!

It's common knowledge that one-time sales are easier to generate than regular, residual income. Yet, viable continuity programs (i.e. membership sites) that offer fresh content and minimizing attrition are high maintenance vehicles that are viable for only the most spirited and dynamic marketers. So, Matthew asks the newbie-to-intermediate crowd to consider a compromise: Offer high quality, high converting, front-end products followed by a mouthwatering membership offer with monthly fee attached.

Conclusion.

Matthew Glanfield's fast start in Internet Marketing ($100k in six months, 2005) has not diminished his drive to connect with more and more people. Admittedly, the overwhelming majority of his list subscribers are newbies. Yet, he has used that reality to become a recognized expert in "How to" video marketing to address beginners’ needs. Glanfield has forgone the mentality of making a quick buck in favor of the mentality to build a real business.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rahul Majumdar is co-author of The Best of List Profit Academy with Brian Edmondson. To claim privileged insider information about it's impending launch, click here.