Just to situate you, in my last post I discussed Affiliate Project X and stated I would create a PPC campaign to sell the very same product using the methods in the guidebook.
It’s a hefty order but I like challenges. To catch yourself up if you missed it, read part 1.
When I left off, I had two major missions to accomplish. I needed a pre-sell powerful enough to bring the massive conversions I will need to claim my stakes in this incredibly high competition niche.
Second, I needed an irresistible bonus that would not only entice visitors into buying but practically force them to buy from my affiliate link, no matter how many other pre-sells and bonuses they had been offered.
Tall order.
And I went WAY overboard. So far I’ve got about 8 hours of work on this bonus and I’m a little more than half way through.
That’s quite a bit more time than I had planned to spend but his bonus is incredibly powerful.
Looking back on it, I don’t regret spending the extra time because this is something I will be able to use again and again to supercharge my own affiliate campaigns.
This is one of the things I should have done a long time ago. It would have saved me a lot of time and certainly helped me make more of my affiliate campaigns a glowing success.
In fact, this bonus is so good; I am already seeing how it can become a product in and of itself, and a darn good one at that. Ok, I’m excited, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?
To create the bonus, the first thing I needed was the idea. I asked myself “what is the most difficult part of the process?” In other words, what part of Affiliate Project X will the average buyer have the most difficulty with?
Here are some of the ideas I came up with:
• How to write an autoresponder series, with swipe file
• How to choose profitable keywords, with examples
• How to write stunning articles in 15 minutes, with swipe file
Bah. They all would have made a good bonus. But it’s so been done before…
I sat there thinking.
Thinking I need to go bigger, better, more useful. And as I sat thinking, I dreaded what came next: writing the powerful pre-sell that would make visitors focus their attention like a laser beam from start to finish. From headline to affiliate link…
I dreaded it because it’s a lot of work and it’s not easy.
And then it came to me. The pre-sell.
That’s the really hard part.
That’s what makes 95% of promotions fail.
That’s what chases new affiliate marketers out of the scene with their tails between their legs before they give themselves a fair shake…
And so my bonus was born. The Art of the Pre-Sell: Affiliate Marketing on Steroids. Or some such thing. I haven’t come up with a title yet but you get the picture…
Tomorrow I should finish the bonus and I’ll describe how I built it and what’s inside. And it’s not just a rehased little guide…
If you participate by leaving a comment on this post, I may even send you a pre-release copy so you can give me your appreciation.
Stay tuned and check out Affiliate Project X if you haven’t already. If you have, you know how powerful this bonus will be…
I got hold of the Miceks’ book. Thanks for pointing that one out. How would you reconcile the pre-sell, and techniques that you use within it with the ideas that people are becoming annoyed and tuning out to interrupting marketing?
Have these ‘New Media’ ideas changed your affiliate marketing strategies, especially the pre-sell?
Dan
Hi Dan,
First of all, I have to tell you, I haven’t read the whole book yet because I’m out of the country until December 13th and I won’t be able to get my hands on it until then.
In my mind there are two kinds of pre-sell.
The kind I am referring to in this post is more of a buyer confirmation + enticement than a pre-sell.
In this case, people that are hot on the tracks of buying a specific product will find the pre-sell. What it serves to do is confirm their feeling that buying is the right choice while making the impulse stronger by adding a bonus into the mix.
The other kind of pre-sell would be something softer, for example what you read on the blog about “Secrets of Online Persuasion”. It reads like an honest opinion and it is.
There is nothing salesy about it but it sells nevertheless assuming I have a certain authority built through trustable quality content (or maybe not
).
I definitely want to direct my efforts towards this in the coming year and will post about it more in depth once I get the chance to read the book.
Thanks for your comment. Let me know if you want a copy of the bonus, you’ve earned it as per the terms mentioned in the post.
Cheers,
Alex
Hey Alex,
The pre-sell is an idea that I am looking at, at the moment. Essentially I see myself as my own affiliate, using my blog to get people to my main site to sell my book.
However, the salescopy on the main site has to be directed to people landing on the site having been directed there by the blog (pre-sold), and those turning up with their defences still up. So, finding the right balance that you were talking about could be tricky.
I definitely would be interested to see your pre-sell bonus for sure.
Dan
Hi Dan,
It’s more for traditional affiliate marketing, particularly in the internet marketing category.
I will certainly send you a copy though when it is ready.
Great, thanks Alex.
Hi Alex,
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with your choice of a guide to doing a leech pre-sell and as such will have the most attractive offer.
I suspect that’s a part the average buyer will have considerably difficulty with and one of the areas most likely to cause the procrastination that will lead to them never getting started (the other being finding/creating a bonus — maybe I’ll do that one the lazy way with PLR!
).
All you need to do is make prospects see that pitfall and offer yourself up as their saviour, which if you can write the guide you’re obviously capable of doing anyway. Even as I write I can see a possible outline of your own pre-sell forming in my mind along the lines of Chris’ KWE copy!
Incidentally, I came across your post via Google doing some APX research: Talking about what you are up to should also add to your sales — but then, I’m sure you knew that before you typed a word!
All the best,
Azam
Hey Alex,
How’s it coming along?
The idea of the Art of the Presell is brilliant; the hard part is articulating it and providing solid examples I guess.
Azam,
I’m glad you agree.
The pre-sell is actually the part I had most trouble with until I got down to a specific formula that I now repeat with small variations.
Now the work of writing a pre-sell is much much easier as I follow a recipe rather than reinventing the wheel each time.
Bonus creation is a little bit more of a challenge. You can be tempted to go overboard like I did in this case. I think outsourcing would clearly be a solid choice…
Kang:
Thanks for your comment. It’s coming along…
I’m about to put up a short post explaining my absence, hopefully followed by the release of the bonus.
I think I’ve done a pretty good job on it, I’ll send you your copy shortly and you can tell me what you think.
Cheers,
Alex
Alex,
Thanks for sending me the document. I tried to reply by email, but it failed to get through.
I look forward to reading it.
Regards
Dan
Hi Alex,
Just dropped by to thank you for sending me your bonus — that was a nice surprise!
I haven’t had chance to go through it yet, but once I do I’ll add a comment on the latest post you’ve done about it.
Thanks a lot mate!
Alex,
I found your site while researching the Affiliate Project X product, and have been sucked into your blog! I think it is great. As it is now March, I was wondering if you will be updating your site with your successes. I look forward to reading about it.
Thanks,
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for your comment. I will be updating it shortly since you’re right, it’s about time.
Alex
Alex,
sounds like an awesome bonus…I’d like to check it out.
you wanna trade bonuses? i went a little hardcore myself with my bonus of day job killer and had the whole ebook outsourced to a professional studio to record in mp3. there’s a sample in the DJK posts on my blog. so if you already bought DJK, which I’m sure you did, the mp3/ipod thing makes a great companion for etching chris’ methods into your brain. its helped me immensely. drop me an email if you’re interested in the trade. – Rian
Hey Rian,
Sounds interesting. I need to get more into video audio…
Great site, found it while researching Project X. Can you tell me, as someone who has had limited success as an affiliate marketer by reading GoogleCash and some Perry Marshall, where should I start with Chris’s e books? I don’t want to read beginning stuff again, does this make sense?
Julie
Hi Julie,
If you’ve already read those, I would consider Affiliate Project X as the only one you should give serious consideration to.
I also had considerable experience and found it useful as the kick in the pants that got me started writing reviews, something that has made me thousands since…