Affiliate Marketing For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing
	Chapter 1 What Is Affiliate Marketing?
		Getting a Handle on How Affiliate Marketing Works
		Profiting from Internet Promotion
			Multiplying opportunities
			Automating the money flow
			Distinguishing affiliate marketing from other internet businesses
		Preparing to Start Your Affiliate Marketing Business
			Setting expectations
			Laying the groundwork
			Walking through the process
	Chapter 2 Why Should You Be an Affiliate?
		Surveying the Requirements of Starting a Traditional Business
		Assessing the Advantages of Affiliate Marketing
			You can start your business instantly
			You can choose your own path and lifestyle
			You can offer a diverse range of products
			You have no product development and fulfillment
			You don’t have to be a technical genius
			Payment and accounting are automated
			You get company-supplied marketing materials
			You can take advantage of tax deductions
		Setting Expectations
	Chapter 3 Pitfalls and Risks for Beginners
		Looking Out for Personal Pitfalls
			Lacking focus
			Managing time poorly
			Making few (if any) content updates
		Avoiding Internet Risks
			Stay away from instant businesses
			Don’t fall for the next bright shiny object
			Don’t follow others too closely
	Chapter 4 Steps to Take Before Becoming an Affiliate
		Setting Your Goals
		Assessing the Skills You Have and Need
			Where are you now?
			How do you move ahead?
		Strengthening Your Ability to Focus
			Deciding what is (and isn’t) important
			Setting your priorities
			Seeing the magic of massive action
			Making time to play
			Ridding yourself of time wasters
	Chapter 5 Surveying the Affiliate Landscape: Programs and Networks
		Digging into Affiliate Programs
			Assessing the advantages of affiliate programs
			Finding and evaluating affiliate programs
			Joining an affiliate program
		Looking at Affiliate Networks
			Checking out the advantages of affiliate networks
			Finding and evaluating affiliate networks
			Joining an affiliate network
		Understanding the Dangers of Getting Banned
Part 2 Building on the Basics
	Chapter 6 Keyword Research and Product Selection
		Combining Passion and Profit
		Analyzing Product Keywords
			Looking at long tail keywords
			Golden keywords
		Sifting through Keyword Analysis Tools
			Market Samurai
			KeywordRevealer
			Google Keyword Planner
		Examining Markets
			Focusing on evergreen markets
			Sizing up seasonal markets
	Chapter 7 Using a Website for Affiliate Marketing
		Beginning with the Benefits of a Website for the Affiliate Marketer
		Establishing a Domain Name for Your Website
			Choosing a name
			Using a registrar
			Checking out the aftermarket
		Comparing Self-Hosting to Free Hosting
			Self-hosting
			Free hosting
		Going with WordPress Software
			Installation
			Themes
			Plug-ins
		Monitoring Your Website
		Totaling the Costs of Starting and Running an Affiliate Marketing Website
		Asking a Few Important Questions about Websites
	Chapter 8 Niche Marketing
		Understanding the Basics of Niche Marketing
		Finding Your Niche
			Following the head and the heart
			Considering market size and competition
		Reviewing Keyword Analysis Tools for Niche Marketing
			Market Samurai
			KeywordRevealer
			Google tools
			Keywords Everywhere
		Spying on the Competition
		Surveying Seasonal Niches
	Chapter 9 Affiliate Marketing Without a Website
		Getting Started When You Have Followers (And When You Don’t)
			Leveraging the followers you already have
			Taking action when you have no social media presence
		Surveying Strategies for Different Social Media Platforms
			Facebook
			LinkedIn
			YouTube
			Instagram
			Reddit
			Quora
			Guest blogs
		Checking Out the Cons of Affiliate Marketing Without a Website
			Your web presence is limited
			You’re not building asset value
			You don’t own the ground you’re building your business on
			Your content doesn’t last long in front of your followers
			You’re always fighting the competition
			You have to adjust your approach for a different audience
			You must keep on top of social media limitations and restrictions
			Social media isn’t necessarily less complicated than having a website
			Having a website isn’t as expensive as you may think
	Chapter 10 SEO: Search Engine Optimization
		Taking Care of Some Issues Before You Focus on SEO
			Selecting the right niche
			Understanding the elephant in the room: Google
		Distinguishing On-Page and Off-Page SEO Factors
			On-page SEO factors
			Off-page SEO factors
		Setting Up Your Site to Be SEO Friendly
			Tags and categories
			Posts and pages
			Building a silo
		Trying Out SEO Tools
			Yoast
			Market Samurai
			Google Webmasters
	Chapter 11 Email Marketing
		Assessing the Advantages of Email Marketing
		Building Your List with Different Types of Email
			Marketing emails
			Autoresponders
			Transactional emails
			Email campaigns
		Hosting Your Own Emails
			The pros of hosting
			The cons of hosting
		Playing by the Rules
			CAN-SPAM
			The opt-in
			The double opt-in
			Unsubscribing
		Understanding Email Screening
			Soft bounces and hard bounces
			Beware of buying a list of emails
			A risk of probation if email addresses aren’t checked
			Email throttling
		Considering Different Email Senders
			Sendinblue
			Amazon SES
			SendGrid
			Mailchimp
			Constant Contact
Part 3 Advanced Affiliate Strategies
	Chapter 12 Multitier, Passive, and Other Offbeat Commissions
		Getting a Handle on Multitier Affiliate Marketing
			Trying two-tier marketing
			Watching out for the third tier and beyond
			Finding affiliates for your multitier program
		Picking Out Passive Income Opportunities
		Profiting Even When No Sale Is Made
			Cost per action/pay per lead
			Cost per click
			Cost per view
	Chapter 13 Affiliate Platforms, Directories, and More
		Assessing Affiliate Platforms
			JVZoo
			ClickBank
			CJ Affiliate
			Amazon Associates
		Digging into Affiliate Directories
		Checking Out CPA Networks
		Looking at Advertising Networks
	Chapter 14 Opt-In and Landing Pages
		Examining the Elements of an Opt-In Page
			Videos versus text
			The layout
			Other considerations for success
		Checking Out the Elements of a Landing Page
			The visuals: Colors and images
			The headline and the subheadline
			Ad/sales copy
			Testimonials
			Bonuses
			The “what’s inside” element
			The bio
			Payment buttons
			Guarantees
			Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
			Legal notices and disclaimers
		Focusing on Other Factors for Success
			Testing with the A-B split
			Considering SEO
			Using an exit pop-up
			Benefiting from others’ wisdom
			Trying landing page templates and software
			Judging results
	Chapter 15 Sales Funnel Strategies
		Selling Your Prospect on Multiple Offers
			Starting with the front end
			Moving to the main or core offer
			Continuing with the back-end offer
			Using upsells and downsells
			Putting everything together
		Setting Up Your Sequence of Offers
			Looking at the tools you need
			Modeling a merchant funnel
			Assessing an affiliate funnel
			Building a structure for passive income
Part 4 Going Professional
	Chapter 16 The Legal Stuff
		Following the Federal Trade Commission
			Knowing the main guideline
			Avoiding unrealistic claims
			Retaining records about testimonials
			Watching your language
			Keeping your pricing consistent
			Having a clear refund policy
			Being aware of the rules about business opportunities
		Getting the Scoop on the General Data Protection Regulation
		Safely Using Images and Other Content
			Getting permission in writing
			Understanding special content rights
		Addressing Legal Matters on Websites
			A privacy policy
			Disclaimers
			Terms of service
			Other sites’ rules
	Chapter 17 The Merchant Side of Affiliate Marketing
		Knowing Whether You’re Ready to Be a Merchant
			Is your product conducive to an affiliate marketing program?
			Is your compensation plan attractive?
			Can you service affiliates?
			Becoming an “undercover affiliate”
		Choosing Your Technology
			Considering an in-house affiliate program
			Using an external affiliate platform
			Outsourcing
		Recruiting and Working with Affiliates
			Knowing where to find affiliates
			Making offers they can’t resist
			Providing affiliate tools
	Chapter 18 Taxes for the Affiliate Marketer
		Setting Up Your Business for Taxes
			The simplest business structure: You!
			The second simplest business structure: The DBA
			The next level: LLCs, corporations, and partnerships
		Handling Taxes on Affiliate Marketing Commissions
			Federal income taxes
			Federal self-employment taxes
			State and local taxes
			Sales tax
		Digging into Powerful Tax Deductions
			Deducting home office expenses
			Looking at the most common affiliate deductions
			Checking out other common business deductions
		Keeping Good Records
		Researching Pension Tax Benefits
		Reviewing Resources to Help You with Your Taxes
Part 5 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 19 Ten (Or So) of the Biggest Pitfalls for Affiliate Marketers
		Looking to the Next Bright Shiny Object
		Battling a Lack of Focus
		Not Investing in Yourself and Your Education
		Making the Transition from Content Consumer to Content Producer
		Having Unrealistic Expectations
		Spreading Yourself Too Thin
		Not Sticking It Out Until You Achieve Success
		Not Spending Money to Save Time
		Not Protecting Your Trust Flow and Reputation
	Chapter 20 The Ten Best Free Tools for Affiliate Marketers
		WordPress
		Elementor
		Yoast
		Keywords Everywhere
		SpyFu
		Blog Ideas Generator
		Market Samurai
		GTmetrix
		SimilarWeb
		Buffer
	Chapter 21 The Ten Best Paid Tools for Affiliate Marketers
		Market Samurai
		Keyword Revealer
		SpyFu
		Elementor, Astra Pro Theme, and Ultimate Addons
		Content Samurai
		WP Robot
		CleanTalk
		Sendinblue
		Amazon SES
		Mailster
	Chapter 22 The Ten Best Marketing Strategies for Affiliates
		Guest Blogging
		SEO Strategies
		Social Media Marketing
		YouTube Marketing
		Email Marketing
		Content Marketing
		E-book Publishing
		Joint Ventures
		Media Interviews
		Smartphone Apps
Appendix: Tools and Resources for Affiliates
Index
EULA