Note before we get started: If you are not at all familiar with joint venture marketing, grab my complimentary "Joint Venture Email Course" so you have a better idea of what I'm talking about today.

OK, on with the show...

My affiliate program is similar to many others on the web, with most sales being made by a small number of affiliates. Sure, there are plenty of affiliates who get a check each month, but there is a CORE of affiliates who earn the big bucks.

And as I dug deeper into my marketing strategies this month, I discovered something interesting. My core of high-earning affiliates have something in common...

I "personally invited" 80% of them into my program. You can call it a "Joint Venture Proposal" if you want, I like to call it a personal letter. ;-)

What's important is that they did not find me, I found them. I wrote to them personally and introduced myself and my sites. In some cases I even sent them my most expensive package at no charge.

So why all the special treatment?

Results. These people know how to get them.

This core of high-production affiliates are what some gurus call "super-affiliates". Super affiliates can plug a product or service into their website, newsletter or existing marketing machine and generate sales. Lots of sales. They earn big bucks for themselves, and they earn big bucks for the merchants they choose to promote.

Which leads many of you to one of two questions...


1. "How can a person become a super-affiliate?"

Or...

2. "How can a merchant get these super-affiliates promoting their wares?"

And I'll answer those questions right after this special message...
 

OK, back to today's tips and those burning questions...

1. How can a person become a super-affiliate?

Well, it does not happen overnight. In fact, in many cases it takes years.

Nearly all super-affiliates have one thing in common. They have established marketing machines. As a super-affiliate myself, I know how it works. I find something of interest, I try it out, and if it works I plug it in.

"Plug it in?"

Yes, I plug it into this publication you are reading today. I plug it into my busy websites. I plug it into my outgoing packages. I plug it into my email signatures, and even into my email replies.

Other super affiliates mail their huge databases a postcard or letter. There are lots of ways to promote a product or service online and in the real world, and perhaps the best is via a recommendation.

So how do you get started on that path to super-affiliate?

You start building your marketing machines.

For starters, you'll need...

- A willingness to help others in your niche
- A website that shares information with your niche
- An email list building strategy

If you are willing to take those three steps you can become a super affiliate in your niche. Sure, it takes time and commitment, but the rewards are there for the taking.

Or maybe you do not want to be a super affiliate. Maybe you'd prefer to hire out the big guns to promote YOUR wares. If so, the answer to that second question will help...


2. How can a merchant get super-affiliates promoting their wares?

This is much easier than becoming a super affiliate. No, I did not say it was EASY, but it can be done by anyone with a website and something to sell.

You'll find lots of ebooks and software on the web that promise JV riches, but one thing I've learned over the years is this... the best joint ventures develop with people you ALREADY KNOW or have heard of.

Think about that for a second.

You probably get lots of email newsletters in your niche market or interest. Who's writing them? Have you ever dropped them an email to let them know you enjoy their publication? Try that. You'll take the first step toward forming a relationship and maybe eventually a JV.

Another thing you can do is consider buying a product or service from a merchant before asking them to promote yours. It's a secret among many gurus that they will search their CUSTOMER list before considering a JV offer to see if the person is a customer of theirs first. I've been known to do that.

In fact, I get so many JV offers now that I rarely have time to reply to them all. I usually take a quick look and if the offer is not related to my niche, the message hits the trash. If the offer is related but the site is not professional looking, it goes to the trash. If the offer passes those first two tests, I reply and let them know that I MAY be interested. But I also tell them I have to limit my JV's ONLY to members of JV-Alert.com - THE JV screening system most of my guru buddies are now using. So I reply with the following email...

"Thanks for the invitation. But I am currently receiving 100+ JV offers per month now. I simply do not have time to check them all out. While yours does sound interesting, please understand my predicament. There is only so much time in the day!" ;-)

"What I can do is tell you how you can get me (and lots of other high profile marketers) to look over your offer and seriously consider it. In fact, I can all but guarantee you'll pick up some great new super-affiliates."

"Just head over to www.jv-alert.com and start rubbing elbows with the web's top marketers. Hopefully, I'll see you there. It's THE place where ALL my JV's develop."

That is an effective letter, as it pre-sells that unique service AND gets me off the hook for not taking time to check out yet another JV! Plus, it gets me into the web's best JV's as new members contact me.

OK, so now you know a few ways to get super-affiliates selling your products and services. Now I'll close with one last tip...

If there is one thing you need to do BEFORE approaching potential JV partners it is this... you MUST get familiar with what they do. And you need to PROVE you are familiar with them. Tell them you've been reading their ezine and never miss an issue. Tell them you have followed their progress over the years. Tell them you love their product and exactly how it has helped you.

Why all the hoopla? Simple. Super-affiliates get literally hundreds of offers every month. Everybody wants them to sell their stuff for them. You need to stand FAR APART from the rest of those JV offers. Go the extra mile and you might just land a great JV partner.

Well, that's it for this month's gazette. I'll be talking' with ya in October.

Jim Daniels
bizweb2000.com
make-a-living-online.com

P.S. The URL I mentioned in today's tip, JV-Alert.com was just introduced this week. The site facilitates the formation of joint ventures with super-affiliates. This is a proven web marketing strategy you need to investigate fully. I now do ALL my JV's through this website. (It's for serious JV marketers only.) Come see why.

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