Affiliate Marketing Part 2 - The right niche find

After reading the first article in the " affiliate marketing have explained "series, the fundamentals and vocabulary, I would like to go over the first important step.

The idea is to find the topic of your own affiliate website, generally referred to as a niche.

Because this definition of the niche is very important for the subsequent implementation of the affiliate website. Then the design of the site, the selection of affiliate programs, content, marketing, etc. based

Let's get out to find the right niche.

What is a niche?

To get straight to the point, there is not a generally accepted definition of a niche.

If you are looking to Google, you will find a wide variety of definitions. The one makes it on to the number of visitors, the other on the periphery of the subject, and the third to something else.

I define a niche like this, as well as Wikipedia does. It says something like: "A niche market in a part of a market that is not yet or insufficiently served by the competition."

Applied to the Internet, I would define it as follows: "A niche website includes a special topic, which is so far from other websites not operated or only inadequate."

Thus, from a niche market but one niche market is, we need a further condition. It must be economically profitable!

And so I would optimum affiliate niche defined as follows: "An optimal affiliate niche covers a topic that has relatively little competition, a lot of visitors and a lot of revenue potential."

Affiliate Niche find

To find a niche for affiliate website differs somewhat from finding a niche blog. This is simply because that affiliate site is managed as a rule, quite different from a blog.

While in the blog daily writes, an affiliate site is not maintained as regularly. Usually depends less lifeblood of a affiliate website, so that one can safely go to the slightly different niche selection.

Nevertheless, it is obviously not first seek to wrong issues where you know your self. This has the advantage that it is relatively simple and fast as well can create content.

But as you can see in my definition of an affiliate niche, especially three factors are important:competition , attendance and revenue potential

How can I investigate this?

Niche Research

Advertising

Here I will go through an example of the research affiliate issues. That's just my approach, which must by no means be the only one. If it goes on another, then I look forward to your comments

1. Theme Ideas
   First I gather my theme ideas. These can be things that interest me or that I'm stumbled as the internet. The ideas usually have in common is that I am interested in them and me as well as more or less well-versed. But now and then there are also themed ideas that are completely new to me.
   In addition, it is also worthwhile to look for trends that could fit for an affiliate site. In addition I have already written a detailed article: " Current trends find and use "
   So you can for example on eBay look very good, which is currently doing quite well and since it may be worthwhile to start an affiliate site.
2. Attendance
   Then I look at how many people are also interested in these topics. After all, a niche can not be too small, or you will indeed at position 1 on Google, but can still be found only 100 people per month to a.
   This can be done the " Google AdWords Keyword Tool to use. " Even Google Trends is quite useful, as you will also see seasonal fluctuations.
   Very interesting I find the new " Google keyword tool based on search queries . " The possibility that on the left side provides select categories and subcategories.
   So you can for example, in the category "Computer => Computer Accessories => Computer Cables" go and get a long list of keywords listed. This then is the number of searches per month, the strength of the AdWords competition and estimated cost per click.
   Is the number of visitors for a theme idea too large, then one should consider splitting up the subject again.
3. Competition
   , the strength of competition can be analyzed not as clear. Of course, you should check first if there are any websites or blogs that deal with the topic in question. This one can search in Google for the main keywords and analyze directories, such as Yahoo.
   How good is the competition, possible, eg with the Firefox plugin " SEO for Firefoxanalyze ". If you active the plugin, then the Google search result is supplemented by interesting information, such as Pagerank, Alexa value backlinks of different search engines, domain age, and other values.
   That just looks very good, whether the rather specialized niche sites, or more general, but for large sites are.
   Google Suggest, which is the automatic recommendation of Google when entering keywords is also a good opportunity to check out the competition. In addition, one comes so again on new niche ideas. Simply go to Google.de and enter something in the search box.
   In the ideal case, the competition is not very strong, no matter how specialized, as one himself intends. There are already very specialized websites on the subject, then you should change the subject, or at least the approach (instead of online role playing games such as online racing games)
4. Revenue potential
   The third important factor is the revenue potential. A niche may be ever so interesting, because if you can not make money, then that is uninteresting from affiliate perspective.
   To determine whether you can make money with a niche topic, you should visit as the affiliate networks and there look for the theme. Are there any affiliate programs that fit the theme own good?
   But the analysis of the AdSense prices is interesting. What is expected cost per click there for their own keywords?
   In addition, you should take a look at major online stores such as Amazon throw. Are there products that fit the niche topic?

The search for a suitable affiliate niche is thus based on the following key principles:

• Niche ideas find
• Visitor numbers sufficient?
• How strong is the competition?
• What can you earn in this topic?

Soft factors

In addition to this analysis, but one should not forget the soft factors in the search for an affiliate niche.

So it is worth most, friends and acquaintances to listen. They often talk about wants and needs, which can be implemented in any affiliate sites.

Because that's the most important. People have to have a need that they want to be satisfied by the purchase of a product (sale) or the details of contact (lead).

But the visitors existing websites and blogs often give clues as to what they would like you. So you can see by careful observation of the online and offline world needs and gaps in the market.

Thus, a gap in the market may simply be a lack of knowledge. So there are products that satisfy the corresponding requirements. Only the audience knows nothing about. With a special niche sites can to change that.

I already have a website / blog

Many readers of this series will probably already have a website or blog. They start not from the ground up with the search for a topic on.

Even if you are there already bound a little, it does not hurt to check in for the topic or topics of your website / blog to your affiliate suitability. Possibly. find so there is a matching additional issue, which can integrate it and very good for affiliate marketing is.

Conclusion

If you want to actually make affiliate marketing (and not just blogging, with a bit of affiliate marketing), then you should investigate the choice of the topic very carefully and find the optional ideas.

If you find issues where the three factors look very good (traffic, competition and revenue potential), then one has ever laid a very good foundation.

In the next part of the affiliate marketing series looking at the affiliate networks. I will show what these and what the advantages and disadvantages of these networks.

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Affiliate Marketing Part 1 - Introduction

I use affiliate marketing now for some time in yourself and have learned a lot during that time. However, I am not an absolute affiliate marketing professional and will therefore not safely reveal all secrets, nor for any situation have the right answer.

But I will share my knowledge with you, and that will certainly help many of you like to earn money with affiliate programs.

Otherwise, the same motto as always, you never stop learning and you should always test, test, test.

Okay, enough of the preliminary apology and go.

[Click here for the summary page with all the articles of this affiliate marketing series ]

Introduction to Affiliate Marketing

For those who have not been involved in affiliate marketing, I would like to explain the concept behind it for now.

Basically, it is of course true that companies want their products and services to the man or the woman. This goes in completely different ways and usually you have to stir it well the word.After all, thousands of companies are trying to sell their products.

The Internet offers the opportunity to pursue a purchase process very closely and it is a new form of advertising incurred, the Affiliate Marketing.

By making a website or blog operator installs a specific product link to his site, he can get this commission when someone goes through this link in the respective shop, where they can buy something.

As an example, Amazon is mentioned. There you can sign up for free as an affiliate and generate categories or individual products in Amazon Store special links. I build you as a link with me, then I get a commission of a few percent when someone clicks on these links and then buys something from Amazon.

It sells itself as an affiliate nothing, but gives buyers (or prospective customers, but more on that later). The dealer

The course ensures that you can apply without any financial risk hundreds of products, and then collects commissions. But of course, the commission is as high as if you would sell the product itself.

Commission models

Advertising

The best known way to earn a commission is the "pay per sale". One builds eg a link to a product on Amazon in its website and someone clicks on that link and then buy this product from Amazon. I get 5% of the product price as well written as a commission.

But apart from the "pay per sale" There are a number of other payment models:

• Pay per sale
  is As I said, here paid a commission when I teach a client about my links to the merchant. Usually be enforced by a cookie that I also get the commission when it mediated the customer a little later with the store bought. (Usually 30-60 days after you click on the affiliate link)
• Pay per Click
  Similar to Google AdSense here you get a commission when someone clicks on an affiliate link. These rates, however, prices are usually quite low.
• Pay per Lead
  This type of remuneration is quite popular and is used eg for insurance. I'm already writing a commission good when someone on my affiliate link makes contact to the dealer or the insurance example. This type of commission is most often used for consultation-intensive products, because hardly anyone buys or ordered something immediately.
• Pay per SignUp
  This fee is, if for example someone has logged into an online game and has come through my affiliate link to it. The compensation is usually quite low even here, but again, it makes the ground.
• Pay per view
  is also the traditional billing per 1,000 banner displays it in affiliate marketing. However, this compensation model actually goes against the advantages which distinguish the affiliate marketing.
• Lifetime
  There are some affiliate programs that not once, but over a longer period to pay commissions. That is usually the case with dealers who sell subscriptions. As long as customers switched so the merchant has a subscription (eg, server rental) I get every month an amount X. It may be worth it if the customer referred term for merchant remain.

There are a few more obscure payment models, but in reality play little role.

Market Data

Affiliate marketing is basically taking place in 2 ways.

Either you work directly with the dealer, as it is for example the case of Amazon. You register directly on Amazon, where it can then generate the affiliate link and choose the ads.

Or you can use one of the many affiliate networks. These have been connected as an intermediary between merchants and Blog-/Website-Betreiber. Make the technique to measure sales, clicks etc. and settlement of accounts with affiliates ready.

This primarily use many small firms and traders affiliate networks and rely on no own. The Blog-/Website-Betreiber finds in this way hundreds of interesting affiliate marketer and everything is running an account. This is of course the time factor is not insignificant when you consider that you would have to log otherwise, as with Amazon, with each dealer separately and put all the different billing software etc.

The affiliate market is growing despite the economic crisis continues. The Online Marketing Group BVDW expected for 2009, a 15% increase in affiliate marketing to around 308 million euros. In order for the affiliate marketing is growing faster than the normal online advertising market (+10%), although the absolute volume far less.

And it is likely that in an economic recovery, the growth of affiliate marketing will continue to grow.

Who can benefit from affiliate marketing?

Naturally Afffiliate marketing not the best choice for everyone.

There are still many other ways to make money on the Internet . This example is part of thesale of advertising space , paid content , Google AdSense and many other sources of revenue.

Affiliate marketing has a lot of potential and if the needed traffic to a sufficient extent to let go of the right affiliate links, then it is possible to earn very well.

According to a recent study, at least in the U.S. earn 17% of affiliates (450 took part in the study) over $ 20,000 per month with their affiliate programs.

The broad mass of affiliates (46%) earned relatively little (between 0 and $ 500).

Also Here again, that affiliate marketing is not automatic. Only if you really depends purely and constantly tested and optimized, it increases its revenue. But why I am writing this series of articles, too.

Affiliate marketing on blogs?

There are always claims that affiliate marketing blogs in poorly functioning. And if you affiliate links and banners incorporating equally unkind, how to do that as with AdSense banners, then it usually works well only very poorly.

But there are also use blogs for very good methods for affiliate marketing. I will focus on these methods in detail in an article of this series.

Basically, blogs and the appropriate software, such as WordPress, but no obstacle to the affiliate marketing. On the contrary. There are many successful affiliates that use WordPress. It depends, as with many things in life, just depends on how one uses the technique and of course I will also go out in an article.

And just blogs offer a great advantage over normal websites. You can not build a reputation as a blogger. And if the readers trust you, then Product recommendations are naturally absorbed better than on any website.

Why the future belongs to affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a so-called Peformance-based marketing tool. The cost is coupled with the income and it will never happen that one has cost, but as a marketing tool has brought nothing.So it is indeed in classic banner advertising from time to time.

Especially in difficult economic times, companies look really close, how effective a marketing instrument. And in the case of affiliate marketing for the company falling yes you only pay when sales were also made.

Therefore it is so popular right now. Cost is clearly calculable and if its Portal well as business plans, then there is also no surprise.

But for blog and website owners affiliate marketing is very interesting. If you do it right, then you can earn very good money.

Therefore I assume that the importance of affiliate marketing in the future is increasing. Many companies have to get used to it but for now that marketing is no longer centrally located in their hands. This is hard for some companies.

Pros and cons of affiliate marketing,
the end of the introduction to affiliate marketing, I would like again to list the pros and cons of affiliate marketing.

Advantages of affiliate marketing

• There are no up-front cost for affiliates. So you do not build an expensive shop, shop or similar products.
• It has a wide range of partner programs. In Germany, thousands of programs from all areas to choose from.
• Affiliate links and banners are to be installed quickly and easily.
• One can use affiliate links very closely to appeal to a target audience.
• The reason is that you have full control and only displays what you really want.
• Affiliate marketing offers a lot of potential for improvement. This does indeed work, but it can increase the earnings, ideally, as much as on any other source of income.
• Affiliate marketing is very good for the long tail. You have a website or blog with hundreds or thousands of old articles? Perfect!

Cons of affiliate marketing

• It is just the "pay per sale" very different from the optimization of stores pending. Then you have no control. If the shop is done badly, then I can still give as many potential customers, it will barely make sales and therefore commissions.
• There are no guarantees of income. If you want more security, which is the sale of banner places better off, since one can have a certain predictability.
• A big issue is transparency. Since dealers usually manually activate the commission, no one can really say for certain whether the dealer paid for all sales correctly. There's certainly daily black sheep.
• There is certainly affiliate programs that are not without concerns. If you are applying eg, drugs or gambling, then the legal consequences entail.

I hope this introduction first gives a comprehensive and comprehensible picture of affiliate marketing.

Of course this is just an introduction. Details of affiliate programs to choose from, the optimization of affiliate sites, the traffic generation and so naturally follow. So not the same complain.

As always, I welcome comments and suggestions.

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Earn money with Youtube

When Google bought YouTube in 2006 for about 1.6 billion dollars, many were skeptical.

It was considered risky purchase, but now the critics are silenced.

Youtube is the most successful video portal in the world and is one of the highest-traffic websites in general.

Of course this has also meant that you can earn good money on Youtube. In this article I present options and go like a special on the YouTube partner program.

Can you make money with YouTube?

For a long time it was not so easy to earn on Youtube money. It was above all the traffic that came from Youtube, you could monetize the.

Meanwhile, also on Youtube but really deserves a lot of money themselves. Onreadwrite.com there is a infographic that shows, among other things, that the 1,000 largest Youtube Channels earn an average of $ 23,000 a month.

What is realistic?

Even if the number of 23,000 dollars a month sounds very good, but one must be realistic. As German Youtube publishers of course you have a much smaller audience, as is the case in the English section.

Moreover, it has mentioned infographic that these 1,000 channels in a month published 30,000 videos (ie on average per day per video channel) and have thus generated 11.3 billion views.German channels thereof are still far away.

Youtube should not see too optimistic and also to be aware that it takes time until you have built up a large subscriber base and the necessary video-view numbers achieved to earn notable amounts.

If you click on it you get the option on the blue button "Enable Account" and click to accept the terms.

The Youtube Partner

For several months, Google has opened its YouTube partner program.

Previously you had to apply and were only included large, active and successful channels.

Now everybody Youtube channel enable monetization.

These do you register in his Youtube account, go into the Settings item and finds the "Channel Settings" and then monetize.

Among them you can still find a few FAQs.

In the next step you can choose the display formats that you want to use in your own videos.

That's one set of overlay ads, which are displayed at the bottom of the video.

On the other are promotional videos that are displayed in front of their own video.

In a small preview window you can see how these ads are placed about.

Additionally, there is a banner ad to the right of the video.

Already located in the channel videos are checked and if necessary automatically enabled for monetization. This can of course do it manually and later with new videos each select whether you want to have advertising there or not.

A green button with dollar sign indicates that there is in this video advertising.

AdSense account

The YouTube Partner Program is really nothing more than AdSense for Video. Therefore, one must be adsense account connect to his YouTube account in order to make money with his videos.

If you use the same login information, or you have previously taken a shortcut, then select Youtube itself from the AdSense account and you have to do anything.

Is not the case, you have to again to the "monetization" go into the settings and there in the FAQ on the question "How do I get paid?" Button. There you will find the link "Combine an AdSense account." Quite hidden.

The steps you will follow in the future, you can get easy and then monthly through AdSense revenue from its own Youtube channel credited.

Incidentally, you can link multiple YouTube channels with an AdSense account.

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How important is money in blogging?

What defines a blogger?

The topic of money with blogs is cooking every now back up.

I'm not sure where it comes from, but apparently feel from time to time blogger called to point the finger at others.

But what really defines a blogger? What is behind this name and what one should not do as a blogger and what?

According to Wikipedia is "the author of articles on a blog (weblog)" .

Okay, this is still quite vague. Let's look at some the definition of Blog on (blog). This is already considerably larger.

A blog is defined as a "continuous" chronological series of entries that are mostly I related. A blog is primarily "to display aspects of their own lives and opinions on specific issues" (quote Wikipedia). And of course, the comments also for the exchange of opinions and discussion.

On the same Wikipedia page, there is a definition of the characteristics of bloggers. There have been many studies to evaluate and found out for example that are 3/4 of the personal nature of blogs and 1/4 non-personally. The latter group is not primarily based I-but provide information, news etc.

I would definitely classify this blog is my second group. Of course, I will also incorporate personal information once and memorize as the sole author, and of course my blog, but overall I refer to my blog rather than specialist blogs.

A statement about "making money with blogs" or statistics can be found in Wikipedia but unfortunately not.

I am sure, however, that the discussion on the money, especially from a different definition of the term "blogger" originates.

Career and Vocation

Many bloggers look at a scene and committed to an idea. They blog because they want to put the mass media which is contrary and because the web is still true freedom of expression and independent reporting.

And I can totally understand. I wrote my thesis on newspaper and the Web, and I follow the print landscape quite intense. And what happened in the last few years, is already frightening.The pressure to earn money and increase the quality drops. And significantly declining circulation aggravate the problem of course.

And so I'm very glad that there is now a strong citizen journalism in the form of blogs. Of course there are a lot of trash on the web, but you as responsible citizens the opportunity to select yes. Something that the traditional journalists like to consider as their privilege.

But what really annoys me is that these tolerant and idealistic bloggers talk much of free speech and freedom of choice, but then criticize other blog definitions and approaches.

While such political blogs represent certainly a vocation and the authors of a completely safe job or money out than students without financial blogging ulterior motives, it is with the self as different. The issue is, for more professional than to appeal.

The content does not matter which technique

I find it quite strange anyway, especially now that bloggers should not make money. For regular publishers nobody points a finger.

It really is the most important of the content and not the technology. Just because I use WordPress, which is actually a very normal CMS, I am not automatically a classic blogger.

The other way I can post them on a normal website idealistic content and earning nothing from the money stopped.

Therefore, I am now a little hesitant when I should call myself a blogger. Actually I am writer / author, who simply like to publish a particular subject area content.

I also try to make money, because I just need a self look even getting that money ends up in the bank, reinforced my dislike for me to feel a part of the blogosphere.

The term "blogosphere" can certainly be defined differently. I see such and not really tend to think that a certain elitist circle labeled as such.

For me, it is but just that the blog as a technical basis is not really that important. I like it though, how does a blog and therefore I have chosen WordPress as CMS software and not a classic, but that does not mean that I will forever hold on to the blog format. Who knows what it is in 5 years for trends and opportunities to publish on the Internet.

How important is money in blogging?

To come back to the real question of the webmasters back Friday.

Everyone needs to decide for themselves. If anyone wants to earn money with his blog, then that is just as legitimate as if someone just wants to publish only content.

Everyone needs themselves in the mirror in the morning to look in the eye and that means that everyone is responsible for himself, what he is doing on the web and what is not.

Anyway, I'm none of these moralists, demonize the money-earning blogs. These are the same way, some people who Ulla censorship (which I can not stand too) denounce, but then let themselves prefer prohibit certain types of blogs would.

Every reader has the opportunity to decide for themselves whether he avoids your blog or visited him again. We do not need internet police (which is, of course, everything must remain legally permitted by the course.).

I am making money blogging already important. However, the fun of it is already in the foreground. Again and again, I also think about it myself, I would go as far and again I also feel quite sure what I would not do, just to earn more money. I have been following very closely the American market and do not see many great things, but also many things that I would never in my blog.

But as a self-employed person just does not get every month on the same day his regular salary, you can see certain things but just a little different. And if you can combine the fun of writing / blogging so that you just earned more or less, I think it's absolutely fine.

Nice people

As much as it upsets me sometimes that come up such issues, so clearly I must also say that it is on the web very, very friendly approaching.

There are so many nice people I've met in recent years, the Web, and 99% see the topic "make money with blogs" extremely relaxed.

So it is, in spite of this article, certainly not the case that there is now a big argument or a fight camp in the Web.

There will always be differences of opinion and, unfortunately, there will be daily new people who will argue below the belt or to play the moral high ground. But overall, the Web is a great "space" to communicate, write, discuss, and yes, to earn money.

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