No, this post isn’t just for Linkbait. The title is what it is. There’s definitely a few similarities, although MOST Affiliate Marketing is perfectly legal and ethical.

What I’m speaking of is mostly about those Affiliates who promote CPA Offers with Rebills.

I was having a conversation with a buddy of mine, and he sent me a link to a story about how Colombian Drug Smugglers are using Semi-Submarines to get past Authorities.

OK, so you’re probably wondering HOW these two occupations are similar, right? Well, let’s take a look…

For decades, Colombians have played a game with the DEA that involves “catch me if you can” type antics. They were very creative in what they did, and they weren’t about to give up and lose big money. Of course, there’s always those few smugglers who get caught…

For years, Affiliate Marketers have played a game with the FTC that involves “catch me if you can” type antics. Most play by the rules, but a few really don’t give a damn. They’re after those big bucks. A few have been caught… a few more will be caught soon enough.

Much like Colombians who use submarines to slip under the radar, Affiliates will try everything they can to do the same. Obviously, nobody REALLY wants to get caught. It just so happens that there’s always a few idiots who seem want to try their best to do so.

Affiliates will use any type of traffic they can get. They’ll test it all. Some will fail, some will convert. The main thing is — the Affiliate just needs to get the product and the customer closer to each other.

Colombian Drug smugglers will do the same… they’re looking for whatever “in” they can find to get that product closer to the hands of the customer. Some of their methods will work, while others will fail.

The key is: being creative, and not worrying about the law…both Blackhat Affiliates and Drug Smugglers are doing this just like each other. Creativity in getting the people and the product together is how both of these groups are making their money…and who’s to blame?

In the end, we know that most Networks aren’t like Drug Cartels. They’re not looking to push the Governments resources, time and money to be used against them. But, could it be true that certain networks are turning the other way, just for a quick buck?

Could it simply be bad employees (Affiliate Managers) who are stirring things up?

In the end, someone always pays…

Staying under the radar, pushing the limit and simply deceiving the customer…that’s how these Flogs and various other Blackhat methods are going to make this Business look downright dirty in the end.

It’s might sound crazy, it might sound downright stupid…either way, it’s unfortunate, but it’s true. There’s too many unethical Affiliates out there that are simply killing this Business for the rest of us.

Now, I’m not taking any personal stance against any specific party. I really don’t care too much at this point. There’s nothing I can do. The FTC is now working around the clock to take down these “traffickers,” much the same way the DEA is working to take down the real traffickers, smuggling drugs into the U.S.

As I stated before…in the end, someone has to pay. There’s plenty of hard working, honest, and ethical Marketers out there doing their job the right way. Then, there’s those who are going to push the limits and test the deeper waters, hoping to slip by the Eagle’s Eye, looking closely on this industry.

Be careful.

Posted by Clint Lenard | 11 Comments »

With a few other Poll products out there, I’ve had to answer this question quite a bit…and I could easily turn this post into a 1,000 word blog post and make your eyes bleed to get the answer, but I won’t.

Plain and Simple fact: Poll Factory doesn’t need to be installed on each domain you run the poll on.

Why is this good?

Well, what happens if you have another Poll product that you’ve worked hard on, and you’ve got it running perfect… and then one day Google slaps you?

Looks like you’ll have to switch domains.

Sound like fun to you? If it does, keep using the other products.

Poll Factory works like this:

1. Install it on ANY domain …
2. Create a poll and it will give you output code that you simply copy and paste into a file…
3. Upload that file to ANY DOMAIN YOU WANT … ANY domain. It doesn’t have to have Poll Factory on it!
4. If your Domain gets slapped, you don’t have to go through the entire setup process again… you simply take those files and put them on the new domain. No re-installation of the product!

Also, I do feel that Poll Factory is way above the others in quality — and I also feel that it’s much better for QS and SEO, too.

Everything about this product is so simple to use and learn, and make money with. While it may cost a little more, it’s WAY better than the competition. Hands down.

And yes, I do own the others. They’re cool for what they do, but they’re not nearly as functional as Poll Factory.

Posted by Clint Lenard | No Comments »

Real quick — I know a lot of you probably heard of Market Samurai from Ed Dale, as they promoted it on the 30 Day Challenge.

Well, today I got an email that had a special discount for $97! (Ends SOON!!!)

http://www.marketsamurai.com/c/ourmistake

This is NOT an affiliate link.

I, personally, bought this program today and I like it. I also like collecting tools…

So, with that being said, ONLY buy this if you’re a full on Affiliate Marketer who does Article Marketing, SEO and PPC, etc. Otherwise, it’s probably not needed

This special discount is going away either tomorrow or the next day…I forget. Grab it now if you really want it!!!

And, please…don’t show up 3 months from now telling me the link doesn’t work. This is a 48 hour special, I believe. It’s MARCH 25TH today, so it should end within the next 24-36 hours.

Posted by Clint Lenard | 5 Comments »

OK, so Resveratrol is a great product… but what happens when you have Dr. Oz promoting it on Oprah?

You’ve got a million Affiliate pushed to push it on other people.

Today, I was told to watch Oprah as it was based on Health Products – and there would be a certain product revealed that would be pushed onto the Nation…

…and then the emails will come rolling in. I’m waiting.

Dr. Oz only had to hold out some pills and say the word: “Resveratrol” — now we can see the trends explode.

Watch for it!

Posted by Clint Lenard | 3 Comments »

One of my favorite research tools is Google Insights. This tool can give you back so much information, it’s simple incredible… if you know how to use it right!

I won’t lie. I have kept my mouth shut on this topic for quite some time because of the fact that everyone else was. Very few people really know how to use Google Insights, from what I’m seeing.

But, I figured “what the hell…”

Without any fluff, let’s dive right in.

First of all, head over to Google Insights.

(more…)

Posted by Clint Lenard | 1 Comment »

With all the talk going on about Pay Per Click Advertising, it’s easy to forget the most important part of your site, in my opinion, and that’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Sure, most people who push CPA offers are building flogs filled with fake content, fake testimonials, etc. and they’re probably making a killing.

But, do you really want to risk spending that kind of time and money to make that type of money, only to have a lawsuit come in from the FTC, that far outweighs the earnings you’ve produced?

I sure as hell don’t.

That’s why I keep it real, and stick with the title of this blog: “build your sites with SEO in mind.”

What’s sad is that most PPC Marketers have NO CLUE about SEO, and they wonder why their sites are getting slapped left and right. They’re trying all the latest tricks of the trade that they PURCHASED through ebooks/courses, but they’re just not working.

SEO’s (white hat SEO’s) play the game right. They abide by the rules of the Search Engines, do what they’re asked to get high rankings, and that’s that.

Why waste time trying to game Google, when you can easily get an easy pass from them? Well, maybe not “easy” – but far from the issues that most PPC newbies face.

My suggestion to any new PPC Advertiser is this:

1. Learn as much information as you can on SEO.
2. Get a lot of content. Whether you do this yourself, or hire someone else – do it. It’s worth it.
3. Don’t try to “slip by” Google. You will get caught, and it’s not worth the headaches. If you play by their rules, things will be fine!
4. Content is KING.
5. Always build with SEO in mind. Regardless of size, do it the right way the first time around.

SEO is your friend. It goes hand in hand with PPC if you do it correctly.

With all of this in mind, I want to bring this point up…

I haven’t been slapped by Google Adwords, and hope I don’t ever have it happen to me in the future, although it’s possible that it will happen!

Does this mean I’ll lose sleep at night? No.

If this happens to you, don’t stress out about it. Move on and try other engines. They really are JUST AS GOOD.

Yahoo, MSN, Social Media sites, and 2nd tier SE’s can work for you.

Come back to Google later. Don’t give into their head games. It’s not worth it.

Posted by Clint Lenard | No Comments »

You’re probably seeing this everywhere today. It’s called AffiliateTheme by UBD.

AffiliateTheme will be used on a lot of new sites over the next few months. So, does that mean it will become saturated?

Honestly, I had mixed feelings in the beginning. But, now that I see how it really works, I’m seeing that anyone with half a brain can make this theme super customized without hacking through any code…so it’s nearly impossible for it to become too saturated, IMO. At least not for a while…

There’s so many options available for this bad boy, and you can easily build out quick landing pages or mini sites without knowing HTML, which is awesome for anybody…even newbies. ESPECIALLY newbies, to be honest. At first I thought “this is way too expensive for newbies.” And, it is very expensive – but since you have to have Landing Pages and Mini-sites, I think it would be a GREAT investment for any Affiliate Marketer.
Definitely check it out and see the examples and the video!

[UPDATE]

After playing with this thing for over 24 hours, I actually like it a lot. This thing is like XSitePro on steroids, IMO. It’s using WordPress as a backbone, since it’s just a theme, which makes it far better than most products out there.

All SE’s love WordPress, and there’s a reason why. The system is based on Blogging, and it’s well known that it’s very professionally coded and has been designed especially with search engines in mind.

A lot of people think this system takes a lot of time to learn. Not true. Actually, you can learn this system in a matter of 2 hours, tops. They supply you with Videos, Tutorials and even a Support forum.

What makes this theme even more special is that it’s easily customizable…as in you can quickly create your own Banners and Backgrounds based on this theme, within a few minutes. If you’ve got basic Photoshop skills, it’s not a problem at all.

AffiliateTheme

Are you good with CSS? If so, this theme lets you bring in your own CSS with a few clicks.

Know your way around WordPress? That makes it even better… you can obviously, EASILY customize this theme with ease, through the code itself.

BUT, if you don’t know ANY of the above, that’s what makes this theme awesome. It’s made for people of all levels, and it makes it really easy for those who don’t know HTML, or have never built their own website.

I prefer the Super version, as it comes with a ton of extra banners and stuff. It can also give you more ideas for future Layouts/Banner versions for other projects. While it is a bit expensive, it’s FAR, FAR cheaper than hiring an LP designer, or buying Dreamweaver and trying to learn it.

If you’re a newbie – I highly suggest this theme. ESPECIALLY those of you who don’t know much about HTML, or don’t have the time or patience to learn it.

AffiliateTheme

Posted by Clint Lenard | 4 Comments »

First off, this post is not for beginners, or even Affiliates whose Business is not bringing in a decent profit. If you don’t have extra money to spend, do not attempt this at home…

Seriously, I think it’s really backwards thinking to outsource everything when you’re a newbie. You’ll never learn this Business from the inside and you’ll never know how much money you may be losing. DO NOT get stuck with outsourcing everything without first learning the ropes in this Business!

Moving on…

In any Business, you need a team. The problem with most Businesses is that they fail to build “the right” team, with “the right” players. Rather than spend quality time looking for quality team members (employees), most managers simply stick to “good enough.”

In Affiliate Marketing, you cannot use this way of thinking and become successful. If you choose to build a team, you need the best players possible, or your Business can literally fail overnight.

If you need Design work done and your Designer is a week late – this can destroy a campaign, right? So why stick with this person?

It amazes me how many chances some people give others, even after they’ve screwed up more than once, JUST because they were simply too LAZY to spend more time on finding a Designer (in our example) that will be prepared, or even a few backups to turn to in case that person is not capable of doing the given task.

I’m currently building my own “rolodex” of “team players” that I can test out for small jobs and slowly, but surely, be able to count on them to do bigger tasks… right now I’m taking names, emails, AIM info, etc. for Banner Designers, LP Designers, XHTML and CSS coders, PHP programmers, Server Admin’s, etc.

Since I need my Business to move as smoothly as possible, I’ve already been slowly building this team and testing out some designers, content writers (articles, blog posts, etc) and even a few XHTML/CSS coders to implement my LP Designs, etc.

I’m always struggling to get my work done, so now it’s time to step it up several notches and have others helping me out in my Business. Some people are looking for work, and a ton of Internet Marketers are looking/needing to hire!

If you’re wasting time with doing stuff that is NOT a strength of yours, you’re KILLING your Business. You need to focus on your strengths, and have other people fill in the voids.

If you can’t write good, why bother? There’s plenty of people out there that are very affordable, if not downright CHEAP, that provide excellent content. The same can be said about Landing Page Designers, Programmers, etc.

The more you focus on your weaknesses, the more your Business BECOMES that weakness. You’ll be wasting valuable time trying to accomplish something that someone else has been fully trained to do, and can do for cheaper than the time you’ve put into the same project.

I know of some people that actually go out of their way to learn something new – just because they think they need to program something themselves… this is STUPID and a MAJOR waste. If you want to learn something because you have a burning desire to learn it, then go learn it. But do it on YOUR OWN time, not your Business’ time!

Go figure out what your strengths are, your weaknesses, and even what you don’t like doing — and then write them down. Make a list of things you’d love to have OTHER people do, and go out and find those people!

Stop wasting time and money on pointless work. There’s far too many people out there that are more than capable of doing that job for you, for cheap, while you work on YOUR STRENGTHS.

Posted by Clint Lenard | No Comments »

Nope, actually you’re paying in Canadian, so PPC Coach is currently $39.0961 (in US currency).

This is about the same price as several other Affiliate Training Membership sites, right now. Not too bad, huh?

Check it out: PPC Coach

Posted by Clint Lenard | No Comments »

Maybe this topic is a little young… maybe not. I haven’t heard anybody really talk about it, and I haven’t read anything, either…so, let’s dig in!

I’ve always told people to keep an eye on Twitter Search, as I seriously think it will become a major factor in search for the future. Not to mention news.

But what’s better than TWITTER TRENDS!?

Think about it. Every NEWS STATION is now on Twitter. Everyone is slowly but surely finding their way there… the latest news and trends are on Twitter quicker than anyone can imagine. If someone gets shot on the corner of Hollywood and Vine, Twitter will have it covered quicker than news, thanks to Twitteriffic and Twitterberry.

The data is going to pile up quickly, too. Hash or not, the news will be there. Are you going to wait around for Google or Yahoo Buzz to give you an update, when you could have it nearly hours before?

Right now, when you go to your Twitter home page, you’ll notice there’s a new Trends drop down menu, along with a Search Box. This has been released within the last few days, and it’s going to be an awesome tool for any Affiliate.

How can you use this? Like any other tool, obviously!

Click on this link and you’ll end up directly on the Twitter Searchbox.

When you arrive at this page, you can see the top 10 trends on Twitter, happening RIGHT NOW. Not in the last few hours… this data is NOW. LIVE.

You can do a search for any topic you like. You can use the # symbol followed by the keyword (ie, #acai), or you can simply enter in the Keyword (ie, acai)…or both!

When I last did a quick search, the trends showed #pcn09 as the number 1 rising trend…2 minutes later, the term “cleveland” showed up. Apparently, there’s a 15 year old girl missing in Cleveland. Amazing? Yes.

Google cannot do this for you, but Twitter can. People are using Twitter, and Twitter is producing it’s results for all to see. Use it and you will find a lot of up and coming trends.

Follow this up with your normal research, and you could have a killer campaign on your hands!

Posted by Clint Lenard | 2 Comments »