The “99/1 rule” of affiliate marketing says that 99% of your
affiliates aren’t going to sell any product for you.

And conversely, the top 1% of your affiliates — the “super
affiliates” — will account for 99% of all your affiliate sales
revenues.

But the super affiliates are rather picky about whom they do
deals with … and they are incredibly difficult just to reach.

So, how do you stand out from the crowd of other newbies asking
super-affiliates to consider them for a JV deal?

Here are 3 proven methods:

1–The “commission bribe.”

On information products in the low to medium-price range, a
common affiliate commission is 50% of gross.

I wanted a marketer with a huge list of 450,000 subscribers to
promote one of my lower priced ebooks to his list.

To get him interested, I raised his affiliate commission to 100%.
And he bit!

Why would I do this and give up all my revenues to him?

Simple. To get new subscribers: everyone who buys becomes a
customer of mine, and therefore is on my e-list — meaning I can
e-mail them any time.

The affiliate promotion generated 989 orders from a single
e-mail, adding nearly a thousand new subscribers to my list
within 24 hours.

For me, that’s a list-building home run.

2–Event marketing.

I am not a fan of internet marketing conferences for several
reasons.

First, I hate to travel.

Second, I don’t have the time, as my copywriting clients and
publishers keep me plenty busy, and I have deadlines.

Third, a lot of the entrepreneurial internet marketing
conferences are a bit too high-testosterone for my taste.

But there is one reason you should go to internet marketing
conferences aside from the obvious one of learning:

To meet in person bigger players than you who can become your
super affiliates.

These are mega-successful marketers who normally don’t give small
fry like you and me the time of day.

But when you make their acquaintance face-to-face at a live
event, you have a much better chance of forging a relationship
that leads to affiliate and joint venture opportunities for a
win-win scenario.

3–A personal note.

There is a major player who is so far ahead of me in level of
online revenues it isn’t funny.

I read his book and liked it so much, I sent him a fan letter.

He responded with thanks and an open invitation to become an
affiliate of his!

By the way, I sent a postal letter, not an e-mail.

Reason: People perceive it as a more personal touch.

And, in a sea of e-mails, it stands out.

Try paper letters. You’ll like it!

Has this ever happened to you?

You are starting or have already started an internet marketing
business.

And you have begun asking some of the other marketers in your
space for information on how you can become an affiliate — so you
can sell their products, for a commission, to your list.

Much to your dismay, the bigger marketers … the ones whose
products you’d really love to sell … have little or no interest
in your offer — and many don’t even get back to you.

With a start, you realize that they don’t really give a fig
whether you become their affiliate or not!

So are they stupid? Well, yes and no.

Yes in the sense that it is just bad business and rude to ignore
people or be nonresponsive to them, regardless of who you are and
who they are.

But no, in the sense that these big marketers have correctly
surmised that the value to them of you promoting their products
is likely going to be zero … or close to it.

The reason is the “99/1 rule” of affiliate marketing.

The 99/1 rule says that 99% of your affiliates aren’t going to
sell hardly any product for you.

And conversely, the top 1% of your affiliates — known as “super
affiliates” — will account for 99% of all your affiliate sales
revenues.

It may seem odd. But it’s virtually always true. And here’s why….

There are countless well-meaning, ambitious internet marketing
newbies — and maybe you are one of them — who figure a good way
to get started is to sell other people’s products.

Unfortunately, because most of these newbies have no list or
traffic to speak of, they also have no means of generating a
significant volume of orders for any products, let whether theirs
or anyone else’s.

On the other hand, there are the “big dogs” — the known major
players in their respective niches and markets.

They make millions in sales … have huge lists … and get massive
web traffic.

So if you can convince these top dogs to become an affiliate of
yours, you stand to generate a lot of new sales, orders, and
customers from their efforts.

The problem is that, because these super affiliates are such
desirable joint venture partners, they are inundated with offers
— and very picky about whom they work with.

Just getting their attention and on their radar is a major
challenge.

So, the problem becomes: how can you recruit some of the big
super affiliate players and get them to offer YOUR products to
their huge and highly profitable lists … when they won’t even
respond to you?

That’s a question we’ll take up in my next article. Stay tuned.

PL writes:

“Bob, I am an internet marketing newbie.

“I am not on your list. But a friend forwarded me one of your
emails and suggested I might want to follow you.

“But there are already so many people out there teaching ‘how to
make money on the internet’ today — and some of them seem to be
making piles more money than you are.

“So why on Earth would I want to add your name to the list of
marketing teachers I follow, Bob?”

To begin with, PL — perhaps you should not.

No skin off my nose whether you do or you don’t. Either way works
for me.

But your question is not the first time I’ve been asked, “What
makes you better than other marketing teachers offering products
and courses?”

Well, truth be told, I don’t ever say I’m better.

But I can tell you the 6 things that I do feel may make me a bit
different than the others:

>> First, while I’m by far not the highest paid information
marketer online today — I do believe I am one of the highest paid
when calculated on a per hour basis.

That’s because my little info marketing empire makes me a mostly
passive six-figure annual income.

And I “work” in my internet marketing business just a few hours a
week to achieve it.

So who makes more money an hour?

Mr. X, pulling down a million dollars gross online a year, but
putting in grueling 60-hour weeks with his team every week of the
year to orchestrate his major product launches?

Or me, who produces low to mid-six-figures working literally less
than 2 hours a week selling digital info products delivered
automatically to customers by auto-responder?

>> Second, others teach a time-intensive approach to online
marketing that is pretty difficult to pull off if you are holding
a 9 to 5 job or have another career.

By comparison, I teach info marketing as a spare-time home
business — a second source of income to supplement your salary
while you keep your day job, if you so desire, as I do.

In my case, that “day job” is being a full-time freelance
copywriter, writing copy for clients.

>> Third, let’s say you want to quit working.

With my method, which I have nicknamed “The Internet Marketing
Retirement Plan,” you earn a “full-time” income with extremely
minimal part-time effort.

So in effect, you live as if you are retired, only with an online
passive income equal to a huge annuity or generous corporate
pension.

>> Fourth, a lot of people selling “how to make money on the
internet” have in reality only sold one thing in their life —
their course on “how to make money on the internet.”

Just as back in the day, there were some guys running mail order
ads selling books on how to get rich.

And when you got the book, it told you the way to get rich was
running ads selling mail order books.

In sharp contrast, I have had success selling the widest range of
products and services imaginable — everything from a $1 pocket
football season schedule to a $32 million corporate jet.

>> Fifth, all info marketers are teachers of a sort, yet most I
know have never actually worked as a teacher.

As for me, I have been doing corporate training classes for
decades … and I was an adjunct professor years ago at New York
University.

So I know my way around a classroom better than some.

>> Sixth, every teacher of info marketing has their strengths and
weaknesses.

Others are much more savvy in many areas than I am — most notably
in technical aspects of internet marketing, social media, and
online media buying … though I have experts at my beck and call
in these and any other areas where I am not stellar.

But, because of my nearly 4 decades as a freelance copywriter, I
am, among the sell “information” online crowd, on the strong end of
the spectrum as far as copywriting goes.

Also, because I have written more than 95 paperbound books for
mainstream publishing houses, my content writing skills are also
quite respectable.

So if you are particularly keen on improving your info marketing
sales with killer copy …

… and boosting repeat orders by offering A-level content …
perhaps I’m your guy.

On the other hand, if you want to get rich with a Facebook group
or a zillion Twitter followers, I may not be.

Subscriber BM writes:

“Bob, can I ask a dumb logistical question? How exactly do you
submit your copy? And in what form? In a word Doc? PDF?

“Do you format the copy exactly as you envision it, down to the
headline font and size? And what about images and charts and
things like Johnson boxes?

“Do you dictate how things look graphically or just submit the
raw text for everything? Just curious about that.”

So let me briefly provide the straightforward answers to these
questions, which are anything BUT dumb:

1–I submit copy to clients as a word file, single-spaced, sent
via an email attachment.

2–The body copy is in 12-point Times Roman. Headlines are
14-point Arial bold. Subheads are 12-point Arial.

3–If there are graphics, I cut and paste the image into my Word
document directly from the source material (e.g., Powerpoints,
white paper PDF documents, websites) whenever possible, with the
source referenced in a footnote.

4–If the source material is copyrighted content owned by my
client, I assume they can use the visuals as is.

5–If the source is copyrighted material belonging to someone
else, I still cut and paste it with a footnote into my document,
but alert the client that they must either obtain written
permission to use it or redraw it so as not to violate copyright.
Or, I paraphrase to avoid copyright violation.

6–I often include in the Word document for my copy some
“copywriter’s roughs” — crude layouts, drawn in Microsoft Word.
Note: I have collected my layout templates in a kit you can buy;
see my PS below for details.

7–I clearly indicate what is a headline, subhead, or body copy;
provide images for guidance; and either give layout instructions
in text [in square brackets] — or using my copywriter’s roughs
(see #6 above).

But, I do NOT “dictate how things look graphically,” format the
copy in final form, or do a finished graphic design or layout of
any kind.

Instead, I provide sufficient “art direction” (layout
suggestions) so that the graphic designer can produce a finished
layout that will work in print or online.

I will also, at no charge, review the layout, often several
times, as it is being developed by the graphic designer and made
final by them and the client.

But I do not try to tell the graphic designers how to do a job
for which they are better skilled and suited than I am.

A week or so ago, I received via email a link to an article
titled — “How to Stop Acting Like a Marketer and Start Thinking
Like a Publisher.”

And the misguided ideal it promotes — that we are all publishers,
not marketers — is a sure road to ruin.

The problem with this attitude … that we are educators, not
sellers … is it fools too many unsuspecting content marketers
into believing we are in the business of creating and giving away
free information.

But we are not. No, the business we are really in is that of
marketing and selling our products for a profit — ideally,
products that can help our customers solve their problems and
give them better value than anything else out there.

To that end, content marketing (publishing) — is merely one of
multiple channels we use to promote our business.

But it is not THE business we are in. It is simply a way of
generating leads and sales. The thinking implied in this article
title is fallacious and potentially wasteful and costly.

For instance, if you manufacture valves, pumps, and mixers, you
are in the chemical process equipment business.

You may publish a variety of materials about these products and
their features, design, and application — everything from data
sheets and videos, to technical articles and white papers, to
case studies and installation manuals.

So yes, you are publishing useful content.

But, you are not IN the publishing business. You publish these
materials only to support the real business you are in: the
process equipment business.

If you believe otherwise … that your business is publishing or
brand journalism … you are fooling yourself.

Worse, you may be turning out a ton of publications that, while
interesting and educational, are not supporting the marketing and
selling of your products — and are therefore largely a waste of
time, money, and effort. In other words, content pollution.

Action step: create a marketing plan, and integrate content in
support of the sales funnels, calls to action, marketing
objectives, and the information needs of buyers — overcoming
objections while convincing them that your technology is the best
solution for their problems.

I have two simple and inviolate rules I live my life by: (a)
don’t give unsolicited advice and (b) don’t brag.

TW recently asked me, quite reasonably, “What is wrong with
bragging?”

Well, as my mother once told me, there are 3 types of people you
brag to, and therefore 3 reasons why there is no percentage in it
for you.

>> First, some of the people you brag to are much more
accomplished, successful, or fortunate than even you are.

So what’s the point of bragging to them?

When they hear you boasting, they won’t be impressed.

If anything, they’ll look down on you from their loftier vantage
point.

>> Second, some of the people you brag to are your peers.

So one of 3 things happens when you brag to an equal.

Either (a) they truly see you as an equal, in which case you are
on an even playing field, and therefore they are not impressed.
All they come away with is what you like to brag.

Or (b) they get envious and fearful that they will seem inferior
to you, and so immediately inform you that they have something
equal to or better than what you just said — and the result will
be a pissing contest that nobody wins or enjoys.

Or (c) they feel that they are in fact ahead of you, not behind
you, and are eager to let you know this right away — and so the
pissing contest commences, and you probably lose.

>> Third, some people you brag to are not at your level in terms
of whatever you are bragging about — whether it’s money, career,
possessions, achievements, fitness, looks, or whatever.

And in that case, your bragging, if you are honest with yourself,
has really only two purposes or effects:

It makes you feel better about yourself.

And it makes other people feel inferior or badly about
themselves.

What’s the point of that?

It is either mean and hurtful at worst, or irritating and
annoying at best — and either way causes the other person to like
you less.

So how do you keep your chest-thumping — and the damage it can
do to yourself and others — to a minimum?

>> Step one: do not voice anything that could be considered
boastful or a brag unless the other person asked you about it
first.

For instance, if when we meet, the first thing you say to me is,
“My son just got a free ride on an athletic scholarship for 4
years of college,” I am thinking you are boastful and trying to
make me feel bad that my kids did not.

>> Step two: even if you are asked, frame the boast in a way that
makes you seem modest.

You can do this most easily by not taking credit for it … not
presenting it in its full glory, but rather limiting your brag …
or voicing a small negative along with the positive — for
instance:

“Well, my son was so lucky. We just found out he got an athletic
scholarship to college. It’s amazing, because he barely made the
team in high school, but he worked so hard at it, and I guess got
good enough. Also amazing because you know he didn’t get it from
me — I am a total klutz!”

Notice that the speaker said it was lucky … that it was achieved
by the skin of the kid’s teeth … that it was done through sweat
and not natural talent … and the speaker makes a self-effacing
remark at the end about not being an athlete himself.

TW also said to me in defense of his boasting, “Bob, if you
have done it, then it ain’t bragging.”

Well … yes it is. If you think on it, you already know why.

If not, here’s the answer: because even if you have done it, all
three scenarios above still apply.

And all of them are losing propositions. Right?

Digital marketing has an insatiable thirst for good content and
copy to fuel it and produce results.

And therein lies a problem: companies that lack writing resources
neglect certain digital channels — because they do not have the
time, talent, nor temperament to write the copy these marketing
tactics require.

In my experience, the marketing-related writing tasks that are
most problematic are blogs, e-newsletters, email marketing, and
lead magnets.

>> Blog posts … writing one or two 500 to 1,000-word blog posts
daily is difficult, especially in a corporate environment where
everything published has to go through a review committee.

>> E-newsletters … experienced online marketers know the
importance of having an e-newsletter and building its subscriber
list. But the #1 complaint of marketers I advise in this area is,
“We don’t have the time to write an e-zine or the budget to hire
someone to do so!”

>> Email marketing … not a problem if you send one email blast to
your list a month, but it suddenly becomes a huge burden if you
want to send 2 to 3 email messages a week.

>> Lead magnets … the marketer creates a squeeze or sales page.
They then realize they want to offer a free bonus report. But
they don’t have one. The deadline is around the corner and the
budget has been spent. So they skip the report — and response
suffers because of it.

So how do you get around your resource limitations and get these
things written with sufficient quality and quick turnaround without
breaking your marketing budget?

Here are a few suggestions:

1–Recruit in-house wordsmiths.

At most organizations there are usually some people who, while
not professional writers, are decent “wordsmiths” — as we used to
call them at Westinghouse back in the day.

2–Repurpose and recycle your content.

Don’t reinvent the wheel with every new piece of copy and content
you write.

A blog post can be reworked into an article for your online
newsletter. A series of articles from your e-newsletter can be
compiled and edited into a special report or white paper.

3–Use other people’s content.

You probably already get a ton of material on your topic —
e-newsletters, webinars, trade magazines, and other sources.

As you read them, you can extract and reprint this information,
rephrased in your own words, in your e-newsletter and other
digital marketing. Just be sure to credit the source.

4–Set a schedule to publish regularly.

If you decide to blog or write e-newsletter issues sporadically,
then you have no commitment to get the material done by a
specific date — and therefore the writing is in danger of being
continually put off as more pressing tasks come up.

On the other hand, when people sign up for and you promise them a
weekly e-newsletter, you have an obligation to deliver — and you
somehow get it done.

5–Carry a smart phone, digital recorder, or pen and note pad.

Copy and content ideas will pop into your head when you least
expect them to.

Write them down. Capture ideas immediately. If you don’t, by the
time you get to your desk, you will have forgotten that great
idea or content tidbit you wanted to use in your next blog post
or podcast.

By the way, the problem companies have with getting blog posts,
online newsletters, email blasts, and lead magnets written seems
not to apply to bigger writing projects — including websites,
landing pages, and video sales letters.

That’s because these can usually be planned, and that plan
includes a production schedule the team agrees on and finds
reasonable — or at least possible.

Also because these projects are perhaps bigger, more critical,
and less frequent than the blogging or online newsletters,
marketers are comfortable devoting more time and effort to their
creation.

So they can afford and are willing to pay qualified professionals
higher fees to write these bigger pieces.