To be profitable in any online business venture, you should know that “selling” just about anything, in any way, is never a wise move. It is easy to “slap” an affiliate product anywhere and wait for something to happen. This method however usually does not work and one of the biggest reasons why affiliate marketers fail and quit early.

If you are really interested in being successful in affiliate marketing, you should bear in mind that a product or service you are offering must fulfill certain human needs.

Human needs are very complex and not everyone has the same notion of what they actually need. Usually it drills down into having a problem, followed by the need (or vice versa), and ultimately finding a solution. I found that one of the best ways to fulfill this objective is to provide a story or a case study to your audience, preferably with your own experience.

The 3 Step Process:

1. Ignite The Problem

I am an affiliate marketer (or want to be), and would like to increase my income by selling Amazon products. I heard it is good. The problem is, I really do not have that much time to devote on selling their products, but would still want to give it a go.

2. Spark The Need

As I said, not everyone has the same notion of needs. Some legitimately know what they are looking for, and there are some that need something, but don’t know it yet (opportunity hint).

Following the problem as stated above, the basic need, among other things, would be to have a tool of some sort that can help achieve that objective, sell Amazon products. Ideally, the tool would give me the flexibility of adding Amazon products, with little to no effort at all, add value and hopefully worth my investment dollars. As you can see, I am now a “potential” buyer.

3. Provide the Solution

This is the time where you will can give your personal experience about a product that you have had an experience with. Share your experience about that perfect “plugin” that you just purchased and what has it done for you. Provide the positives and negatives of the product and direct that potential buyer via your affiliate link.

As you can see, most of the time, a conversion is made because it fits the users necessities, and you are giving them what they need, a solution to their problem. At the end of the day, it is really all about the product and the way you present it to them.

Some Tips To Sharpen Your Affiliate Marketing Skills

In your quest to becoming a successful affiliate marketer, consider the following, to sharpen your affiliate marketing skills.

Refrain from giving people those get quick schemes

People in general are not dumb and most of them (even the newbies) have already understood that there are a wealth of information out there that they can get at no cost. In addition, they are already educated enough to “not” believe that there is any short cut to riches.

So please do not insult their intelligence. In the beginning I was one of those, that tried almost everything, and sadly, I have yet to find that “magic” formula, if it even exists. Actually there is, action and hard work.

Work only with reliable and credible products or services

Kick starting your affiliate marketing business is hard enough, let alone getting the trust and credibility that people are looking for to buy something from you. Would you rather buy a product from Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.com, or would you buy a similar one from other sources?

Now, what if, you market ProBlogger’s product? The “credibility” that is attached to it makes it easier for people to buy from you. Not because they know you (yet), but because they know that Darren’s stuff are good and a sound investment, right? Doing it this way, people who visit your site, will know that you are marketing only quality products and within the process, you gain their trust. As time goes by, you can start to offer “other” products that has your “seal” of approval.

Note: Never say you like something, that you have no experience with (common in email marketing). Remember that you are endorsing a product, regardless of how you present it. This is a potential disaster in the making. There are people who ask questions and you should be prepared to answer them truthfully and without hesitations.

Don’t Push, Convince

I have seen countless posts or articles where the affiliate marketer is talking about something and at the same time providing links to affiliate products that do not have anything to do with the topic. Just because a “keyword” is there, it does not mean you can slap just about any product offering as possible. It is easier to write an honest and legitimate review of a product or service, that preferably you have used, to convince your readers to make a purchase.

All this without actually selling. You talk about it, you tell them why you like it, what  benefits have you gotten from it and “diplomatically” point them towards that product, thus avoiding “slapping” their faces with a simple “buy it now” link. This method makes the “pitch” less aggressive and you give the user an important message – “it is their choice and decision to make” – you just helped to make it easier for them.

That’s it! I hope that the above tips can shed some light to those of you who are just starting or struggling to make some income via affiliate marketing. It is not an easy ride, but very rewarding if you have the determination and the drive to make it happen.

How will this help you become successful at affiliate marketing?

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