Interview: Steve Scott, the 80/20 affiliate
Associate Programs Newsletter #534 July 19, 2012.
Right now, successful affiliate Steve Scott is living the
Internet lifestyle that so many affiliates aspire to, but don't
quite manage.
Steve and his girlfriend began a six-week vacation this week.
They're on a cross-country trip from New Jersey to California and
back.
He'll be working - but not TOO much. Applying the 80/20 Rule, he
aims to concentrate on the essentials that will keep his
affiliate business ticking along. He expects to work about 10
hours a week while he's on vacation.
He knows from experience what's possible. In 2010, he spent seven
months backpacking in Europe.
Steve has a simple but effective three-step business model.
He attracts visitors to a squeeze page where he offers a freebie.
They sign up. He sells them stuff.
There are two really good things about Steve's business model.
1. It doesn't rely solely on Google.
2. He builds valuable emails lists, giving him multiple
opportunities to make sales.
Before he began his vacation, I interviewed Steve about the
process he follows, the lessons he's learned, what he could have
done better, and especially how to create squeeze pages with high
conversion rates.
In his affiliate business, he believes strongly in providing
genuinely useful info. In this interview, he does, too...
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/articles/affiliates-successful-3-step-squeeze-page-business-model.html
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Are you setting the wrong sort of goals?
========================================
Joanna and I aren't fanatical about setting goals. In fact we
tend to need a gentle reminder now and again to look at what
we've achieved and be grateful.
We attended a talk yesterday on goal setting. It was given by a
neuro-linguistic programming practitioner, Lynda Petterwood,
who's also a hynotherapist and empowerment coach.
You probably know that goals should be specific, measurable,
realistic and time-based. It's also good to be grateful for what
you have, and you need to remember to enjoy the journey.
One thing Lynda talked about was the difference between...
* Fear-based goals ("I don't want to be broke.") and
* Forward-looking goals ("I want the freedom to travel")
Lynda says that if your goals are fear-based, you spend more time
thinking about the fear, and you give more power to the fear. You
create a vicious circle.
Instead, you should set forward-looking goals, where you're
looking toward something you want. Forward-looking goals are much
more powerful.
Early subscribers to this newsletter may remember an item I wrote
in 1999 on achieving goals...
My view of a sub-tropical bay
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/articles/my-view-of-a-sub-tropical-bay.html
It was written before I'd even heard of blogs. In those days, any
feedback used to arrive via email.
================================
Worried about Panda and Penguin?
================================
If you're worried about Google's algorithm updates - Panda,
Penguin (and what next, Platypus?) the first thing to do is avoid
panicking.
The algorithm changes have thrown up lots of weird search
results. It looks to me as though Google has achieved the
OPPOSITE of what it wants. MORE low quality sites are appearing
in search results, instead of less. So it's inevitable that
Google will keep tweaking things. You site might improve in the
next tweak.
One option is to try to improve your rankings by investing in a
new link-building scheme. But, hang on! That's exactly what got
thousands of websites into trouble with Google - too many dodgy
links from low-quality link networks.
What you need is a high-quality link network, one SEO guy tells
me.
However, what's the difference between a low-quality link network
and a high-quality link network?
The "high-quality" network hasn't been caught yet. Perhaps
Platypus will get it.
To me, it makes more sense to look for ways to get more HIGH-
quality links.
SEO "experts" are a bit like economists. The more you have, the
more different opinions you get.
However, ONE link-building method I've never seen any SEO people
argue about is writing guest posts. In fact, it's one of the
methods that all reputable SEO companies seem to love, if you
watch what they DO, as well as what they say. They write guest
posts for other blogs and sites.
If you're looking for a good 80/20 Rule to follow, where you
concentrate on doing things that matter most, it's "Do guest
posting." As well getting high-quality links, guest posts help
you build new relationships and introduce you to new communities.
Talking about setting specific, measurable, attainable goals...
you could decide to write one guest post a week, or three a week,
or whatever suits you.
SITES DOING WELL
Another thing to do is study sites that are continuing to do
well.
You can find HUNDREDS of good examples in the updated mini-
directory of SBI sites.
The owners of these sites attract hundreds, thousands, even TENS
OF THOUSANDS of visitors a DAY, in all sorts of different niches.
They know what they're doing.
They're in the top 0.5% of sites for traffic.
And it's exactly the kind of traffic affiliates need - warm,
ready-to-buy visitors.
Learn from this mini-directory...
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/results
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COMING SOON...
==============
I've been talking with an affiliate coach who's agreed to talk
about what his students are doing. More about that soon.
=============================
Feedback on blog comment spam
=============================
Many thanks to everyone who commented on my article about blog
comment spam. It was interesting to get your thoughts and useful
suggestions...
Plausible Lies Blog Spammers Tell
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/articles/plausible-lies-blog-spammers-tell.html
===========================
Thought for today: Unhappy?
===========================
"Keep busy at something. A busy person never has time to be
unhappy." - Robert Louis Stevenson.
All the best
Allan Gardyne
P.S. Remember... have a look at what Steve Scott is doing.
He has a very nice business model...
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/articles/affiliates-successful-3-step-squeeze-page-business-model.html
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http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/categories/Newsletter-Archive
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Disclosure
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This newsletter is an example of affiliate marketing in action.
We often earn commissions from products we review. This is just
one of many ways we earn commissions.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, send a blank email to
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Published by Allan Gardyne Pty Ltd
as trustee for Allan Gardyne Trust.
PO Box 1196, Burleigh Heads.
Queensland 4220, Australia.
