Mike Guida is a Sr. Affiliate Manager for GetAds Affiliate Network. He also recently started blogging at MikeGuidaLikesThis.com. He has been active in the industry since 2007.
I've been an Affiliate Manager for a few years now. I've had the chance to work with every type of affiliate out there, from the newbs just starting out to the pros making six figures a month. A lot of people ask me when they are just starting out, "What can I do to have that kind of success?" So I decided to make a list. Here are, in no particular order, the Top 5 Traits that I have identified in many of the so-called "Super Affiliates" that I have worked with in my time.
1. - They Test, Test, and Test Some More
Many affiliates will decide that a campaign is a winner or loser way too early. If you've only tried one method, ad copy, banner, target, etc., you haven't done enough. Super Affiliates will find a campaign that they believe can work, and they test dozens (if not hundreds) of different variations and angles on the campaign. Just because your campaign was -50% ROI when you first tested it does not mean that it won't do 150% ROI with the correct landing page or ad copy. Test it. Don't pre-judge, let the traffic decide.
2. - They Don't Give Up Too Early
This ties in with point number one. You will never be able to test enough things to make a campaign work unless you stick with it. Don't take it too far, there is a point when a dud is a dud. You do need to know where to draw that line. But if you know in your gut that a campaign will work, stick with it until you break through.
3. - They Are Always Creative
Copying landing pages is not creative. Direct Linking is not creative. The Super Affiliate does not simply rehash old ideas, he creates new ones. Think of the first guy that came up with the idea for the flog. He killed it, and everybody in the industry was scrambling to catch up. Sometimes this does mean they ride the edge of what is compliant, but being on the edge is fine. Just don't cross it.
4. - They Ask Their Affiliate Manager Questions
My top affiliates are the ones that are always on the phone asking me about how they can improve their campaigns. It's not that I have all the answers on what they should be doing, but they bounce ideas off of me and it helps a lot. Also they often will ask me questions like, "How many leads is the #1 affiliate on this offer doing per day?". This gives them motivation since they know what is possible and they go out and hit it as well. Also they ask me things like, "If you were the consumer, what would entice you to fill out this offer?". Sometimes it helps just to get a fresh perspective.
5. - They Aren't Stuck in a Single Offer Mindset
The last thing I'll mention is that Super Affiliates will often expand their campaigns to include 2 or more offers centered around the same niche. Since they are already buying traffic, this is a great way to increase your profits without starting from scratch on a new campaign. It could be an offer that is relevant to the demographic of the first one, or even an offer in the exact same niche or vertical. Just like the flog guys paired up an Acai offer with a Colon offer. It was a one-two punch.
So there you have it. These aren't the secrets to success, but they certainly will give you some insight into the minds of the most successful affiliates in the biz.
