Numerous studies have shown the ability to delay gratification as one of the biggest indicators of success through life.

It can be relevant in so many ways; from your ability to budget, to the type of woman you wake up next to, to your willingness to stoneface a Sausage & Egg McMuffin in favour of training for a marathon at 5am. The latter of which, in my case, will never ever happen.

Those who can resist temptation in pursuit of long-term goals are blessed with an enormous advantage over the playing field. It is the essence of focus, concentration, productivity and even the classic quote that an affiliate can’t go 7 hours without seeing on Facebook:

Looking at the career of Internet Marketers, many of us were exceptionally good at delaying gratification when we made the jump to running our own businesses. But it doesn’t always stay that way.

In a rather cruel twist of fate, the more successful you become, the more distractions that entwine their way in to your life. It’s kind of like Muse, the band. Does anybody remember how awesome Muse were in 2002-2003?

Here’s a reminder:

Fast forward ten years and you’ll find a caricature of a space rock trio who have clearly spent too much time indulging in fantasies of the apocalypse. If Matt Bellamy spent less time playing with his [admittedly very rich] balls on Above Top Secret, and more hours alone with his guitar, he’d probably write better rock songs.

Many artists produce their best work when the rewards and recognition are nowhere to be seen. It takes a special personality to cancel out the white noise; to produce the best possible work; when distraction is all around him. And that’s what success brings: distraction.

Vincent van Gogh, one of the greatest painters of the last 300 years, died alone and depressed. You could count on one hand the number of people that appreciated his work. Van Gogh’s tragedy, among many, was that he blew his brains out before seeing the recognition he deserved. But it does go some way to explaining why that work is so highly regarded, particularly for its emotional honesty.

There are only so many distractions that one man, a paintbrush and his mental illness has to bear. The product of that delayed gratification – van Gogh’s lifetime battle with depression and introspection – is what we now call genius.

I’m not suggesting for a moment that the way to get in touch with your best possible work is to despair and retreat from the world. But I do believe that anybody who has the privilege of working from home has to become fine-tuned to his ‘levels of comfort’.

Too much comfort is a bad thing.

Too many distractions will fuck with your ability to see straight through them and catch the bigger prize.

On a personal level, this isn’t something I had to worry about before I quit my day job.

For a period of several months, I would work all day in the city, and then all night in my bedroom. There’s very little reward at 9:02am, day after day, parking at your desk and feeling like your every fibre has been shagged by a pygmy hippo. But there’s an awful lot of potential if you can sustain the act long enough to achieve progress that wouldn’t have been possible at Pound a Pint Night.

The better you are at delaying rewards, the more productive you are likely to be in the meantime. Likewise, the more motivated you are, the more natural that is going to become. Learning to delay gratification is thus a two-part recipe of finding the right motivation and instilling the right discipline.

The effects it can have on your life are pretty remarkable…

The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

One of the most famous studies in to delayed gratification took place over 40 years ago at Stanford University, courtesy of psychologist Walter Mischel, 600 children, and a plate full of marshmallows.

Mischel led each child in to a room free of distractions where they would find a treat of their choice, usually a marshmallow (would have demanded a salted caramel brownie personally, but whatever). The children were told they could eat the marshmallow if they so wished – or wait 15 minutes, and receive two. A very simple premise: more good things come to those who wait.

All of Mischel’s guinea pigs were aged 4 to 6, and it was hoped that the experiment would reveal the age at which a child learns to defer gratification. Sure enough, there was a clear correlation between the older children and a better ‘waiting game’. But it wasn’t until a follow-up study, twenty years later, that the groundbreaking extent of those marshmallows became apparent.

The children who had shown the best ability to defer gratification; to wait for the second marshmallow; had gone on to lead strikingly more successful lives than those who caved in to the immediate reward.

The first follow-up study in 1988 revealed that “preschool children who delayed gratification longer in the self-imposed delay paradigm, were described more than 10 years later by their parents as adolescents who were significantly more competent“. A subjective analysis, admittedly, but one that would be backed by further findings.

The children who delayed gratification were later paired to better SAT scores, greater academic achievements, a healthier body mass index, among other favourable life outcomes.

Whether the ability to delay gratification comes from nature or nurturing is difficult to assess. A 2011 brain imaging study on the same Stanford test subjects (now seasoned guinea pigs) showed greater activity in the prefrontal cortex for the adept delayers, whereas those who struggled to resist the first marshmallow saw increased activity in the ventral striatum, an area of the brain commonly associated with addictions.

Biology and marshmallows aside, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see how a talent for delaying gratification is useful in our world of immediate distractions.

A large number of affiliates walk this earth with the patience of bloodhounds OD’ing on viagra. They wouldn’t wait for the second marshmallow. They’d karate cock slap Mischel, steal the entire bag, and be promoting Adult Friend Finder before lunch.

So…how do we manage that? How do we keep an eye on the greater prize? How in the name of Lucifer’s anus do we learn to defer gratification?

Improving Your Ability to Delay Gratification

Alter The Path of Least Resistance

The Marshmallow experiment is interesting, but one of the conditions I find troubling is that the marshmallow had to remain in front of the child at all times. It was never more than a sweeping arm’s grab away, which is like sticking a bee in front of honey.

What would have happened if the child had been forced to stand up, cross the room, and climb up a pile of boxes if he wished to have the marshmallow? This is what we call altering the path of least resistance.

You take temptation, you bag it up, and you get it the hell out of your sight.

In doing so, you considerably raise your chances of removing a bad habit, or not doing something stupid.

Take for example the confessions of a shopaholic.

What’s a good way to stop yourself from splashing the cash on excessive online purchases that you probably can’t afford? Well, taking your credit cards and freezing them in a block of ice is one option.

I make this the equivalent of the consumer ‘cooling off’ period. If a purchase is truly necessary, it can wait 24 hours while the ice thaws.

Note: I highly suggest you get your groceries in before freezing Mr. Plastic Fantastic, and do not try this with your business cards. It will not say much for your professionalism.

The frozen credit card is a good example of how placing a roadblock in the path of least resistance can save you during a moment of weakness. It’s pretty extreme, but it’s a step in the right direction for people who never learn.

If you can take a bad habit and put it 30 seconds away, there’s a good chance you’ll remove the habit. I spoke about this before in my Premium Posts with examples of blocking time-wasting websites, putting your phone in another room, hiding the PS3 controller in your loft, and so on. Alter the path of least resistance.

The less immediate the distraction becomes, the more likely you are to procrastinate over pursuing it, and maybe – just maybe – get some bloody work done.

I heard an amusing tale from a Yorkshire friend who didn’t want to have sex on a first date, so she would turn up in her least attractive underwear and abandon sexual hygiene for the day. The theory being that no matter how drunk she got, she would always remember that it wasn’t a good night to go home with company. I think she probably overestimated the underwear receptiveness of Sheffield men, but I can see her logic. Fair play to the crazy bitch.

Clearly, one of the best ways to delay gratification is to understand your own thought processes so that you can prepare for weak decisions and create gremlins to prevent them.

For example, if you are the kind of guy who likes to take a break from work to play a few games of pool, firstly a) Don’t be so stupid as to buy a pool table for your dining room.

And b) If you are going to be so stupid, use it as a laundry post from Monday to Friday so it doesn’t kill your career.

(Life lessons. You’re welcome.)

Kids Need to be Taught About Money

I believe in this quite passionately.

In school, we spend hours teaching our kids about how Jesus fed 5000 with bread and fish, but we don’t teach them how to manage their money. That’s a pretty fucking big problem in my book.

Schools need to do away with political correctness, starting with religious education, and get teaching kids some life skills that actually matter. Like how to manage their finances. How to budget. How to distinguish between materialistic needs and paying the god damn gas bill.

While bestselling hack-jobs like Rich Dad Poor Dad have attempted to instill a wiser attitude towards finance in today’s younger generation, it should not be a responsibility left to men like Robert Kiyosaki. It should be taught in schools. In the absence of any foreseeable change, parents have to pick up the ball…

Pressure on Parenting

I was having a conversation the other day about the difference between Yes parents and No parents, and whether it is good or bad for the kid being raised.

Like many key skills in life, the seeds of delayed gratification are sewn in childhood. Parents who feel inclined to say yes to their child’s every demand are likely to give him a skewed attitude towards the supply and demand of ‘getting what you want’ when he reaches adulthood.

I would argue that, similarly, parents who never praise, or who keep both eyes locked on expectations and ‘minimum requirements’ (you will get a degree) are likely to inherit children with damaging self-esteem issues. And those can be just as difficult to shake.

Either way, I encounter so many 8-12 year old fuck-ups on the London buses that I can’t help but think the best advice is “If you’re not ready for them, don’t fucking have them.”

Parents need to prepare their kids for the real world by teaching them about money, and the critical law that governs just about every facet of our lives: supply and demand.

Money doesn’t grow on trees, and neither should it. Expecting millions when your net output is peanuts just isn’t going to work, as the Western electorate is only just discovering. If everybody could have what they wanted; all of the time; nothing would be worth having because all that would be left is sticks and stones.

Delayed gratification is a virtue to those who understand it, and a royal pain in the arse to those who don’t. Would it be better any other way?

I don’t think so.

And on that note, I’m off to shove my pool table in the freezer.

Have a good week.

Hopefully not.

I’d be worried if your day involved my balls.

One of the easiest ways to tell apart an affiliate marketer from another online professional is by inspecting his clusterfuck of a to-do list. On it you will find tasks that defy pattern, logic and – too often – sensibility.

I have explored many different theories of task management. From restricting my day to a maximum of 3 valuable tasks, to assigning letters and numbers to each, to completing the most important task first, to working in pomodoro sequence, to cramming more tasks in to a polyphasic sleep schedule (and completely shagging myself in the process).

One of the takeaway lessons from these experiments, besides appreciating my need to sleep like a real human being, is that clustering similar tasks is nearly always more effective than jumping between projects like a Kardashian on crack.

Multi-tasking does not exist.

Science has a gone a long way to proving that ‘effective’ multi-tasking is one of the great myths in our generation of workaholism. The brain cannot focus on two tasks at once. It can only stop, start, and switch. Any illusion of multi-tasking is actually the ability to do this fast and effectively.

Affiliates, being suckers for to-do lists with juddering changes in direction, have it harder than most. We have to balance many different skills with the regular burden of being ‘the guy who works from home and can therefore a) pick up the kids, b) wait for a delivery, c) take an hour out of the way to run errands’.

Go ahead. Look at what you’ve worked on today and count the number of times you’ve slammed the ‘reset’ button.

• Every time you switch from analysing campaigns to creating campaigns, that’s a reset.
• Every time you switch from designing campaigns to blogging, that’s a reset.
• Every time you switch from blogging to trolling oDesk, that’s a reset.
• Every time you pick up a phone or refresh your inbox, that’s a reset.

Generally I find that the more resets I ask of myself – the more shifts in focus – the less productive I become and the greater my tendency to procrastinate. Too many resets and a kitten will eventually perish.

There’s a very simple solution.

Cluster your tasks and reduce the number of resets in your day.

Instead of working on multiple demanding projects, choose just one. Get in ‘the zone’ and cling to it like a fly to a turd.

If you are anything like me, you will have 6 or 7 projects occupying your whiteboard at any given moment. In this case, a project per day is wishful thinking – a great way to ensure you spend a lot of time grafting with none of the thrill of actually finishing something. If you are balancing multiple projects, I suggest dividing your days in to an AM and PM. Then clustering your tasks accordingly.

I might have a day that looks like this:

AM: Blogging for FinchSells.com
- Reply to comments
- Draft post
- Follow up blog related emails
- Brainstorm Premium Posts concept

PM: Scale TJ/Exo Campaigns
- Assess campaign performance
- Update creatives and reset bids
- Scour for similar targets
- Creative research
- Launch in new region

In the past, I would smatter my tasks on a colossal to-do list, which left me hopping between unrelated items, or worse, sandwiching my important tasks with stupid shit that would completely obliterate my focus.

By focusing on just one project for the AM and one for the PM, you can leverage your lunch break as a natural reset. I have been known to go slightly AWOL on my lunch break, venturing in to town and succumbing to caffeine-aided introspection for hours on end. That’s okay. The AM and PM is purely symbolic; a shift in focus marked by the annihilation of a Halloumi wrap and a brief respite.

Of course, the acid test of any task management philosophy is how you deal with chores and the arrival of the unexpected. For the latter, I have matured enough to pick my battles. That means slowly falling deaf and blind to the most common distractions of affiliate-kind, which from my experience is one question that never ceases to relent, “Could I be working on something that makes me more money than what I’m already working on?” The temptation is always to say yes, whereas common sense says if you don’t finish your shit, you’ll never know and you’ll have wasted your time.

If an awesome CPA offer lands in my inbox, it’s probably not so awesome if it’s gone by tomorrow. If my accountant has an urgent question (“Hi Finch, where are you siphoning your money?”), he’ll be phoning me instead of adding to my Inbox Unzero.

Acceptance that your entire life isnt going to crumble and burn if you fail to adopt a 24/7 vigil over the call of your name is pretty fucking essential to anybody who wants to stay sane (or get something done) in this industry. As for chores, well, there’s only so many times you can wear the same shirt before ‘not smelling like a mountain troll’ becomes more important than your task management.

I have started to assign one day of the week to chores.

Just chores, nothing else.

Now that I live on my own, there’s a lot more flexibility in how I handle them. If i want to quit festering in my filth and bust out a vacuum, then that’s my initiative. The could rather than should makes a huge difference.

Simple acts of putting the laundry in, taking out the trash, or returning a phone call might only take minutes, but in momentum and concentration, they are like a sucker punch to the loins. Save it for your lunch break, or the end of the day, or just do what I am *almost* too ashamed to admit… and hire a maid.

Remember, every time you switch attention from your goal, that’s a reset.

“We overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year.”
- Bill Gates

It’s one of my favourite quotes, and it’s true.

How do you know when you’re overestimating what you can accomplish in a day?

Simple.

Wait for Friday evening and see if you feel like a sack of shit.

If it happens every week, then there’s probably something wrong with a) your expectations, or b) your task setting.

Well, hold on tight… 

What happens to the human brain after four years in affiliate marketing? Is twenty-something dementia an inevitability? Does the industry have a future? These are questions that have been landing in my inbox with increasing regularity since the launch of my Affiliate Marketing Survival Guide 2013.

I’m going to condense one of the hardest years of my life in to 7 takeaway brainfarts. Make of them what you will. 

You Can’t Live Off ‘Potential’ Forever

I had a slight identity crisis through the winter. You might refer to it as a first world problem, but I live in the first world, and we all have our battles. Sucketh on.

When I launched my affiliate business, I was 21 years old and a lot of my identity and self-worth was built around being a young entrepreneur instead of a slave to academia. As the years have gone by and my friends have left University and started their own careers, I’ve struggled to rationalise how this particular brand of entrepreneurship – affiliate marketing – correlates to the type of business figures and moguls I’ve come to admire. 

My own identity has been placed under the hammer, and while I can justify advertising until my face burns blue, I’m not entirely at peace with the legacy of it. 

I read a fantastic piece of advice in The Chimp Paradox that goes like this:

Imagine that you are 100 years old and on your death bed with one minute left to live. Your great-great-grandchild asks, “Before you die, tell me, what should I do with my life?”

Whatever your advice was to your great-great-grandchild is really the advice to yourself. If you are not living by this advice, which is the essence of your existence, you are living a lie.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the transition from a young guy in the industry with stars and dollar bills in his eyes, to being an established part of that industry and then not being sure if the industry is what he would want on his tombstone. This, in large part, has forced a dramatic shift in where I spend my time, and where I see my future. 

Writing 1000 Words Per Day

One of the best decisions I’ve made in the last year is a commitment to write at least 1000 words every day. 

Sometimes my writing involves commercial products that I intend to release, sometimes it involves blog posts (like this), and sometimes it means wave after wave of scribbles in one of about 5,000 moleskines.

I went through a phase of brutally recommending the 1000 words a day as catharsis to anybody and everybody who would listen. The truth is, everybody is different. Writing is just one of many different forms of expression, it only so happens to be the one that best erases my stresses and strains.

Whether you are a writer, an artist, a social butterfly or somebody who can only think straight with adrenaline coursing through his veins, it pays damn well to get in touch with the medium that allows you to express yourself and ‘get it out’. Finding what works for me (although I already knew) is definitely one of the plus points of the last 12 months. 

A Bad Diet is a Big Handicap

After growing sick of Masterchef breakfasts, I recently rocked up to Whole Foods and pillaged the supplement and shake aisles for more vitamins than I’d previously ingested in my other 25 years combined. 

While I have slipped back in to bad patterns recently (a broken fridge will do that to a man), there is no mistaking the benefits of eating well. The effect a good diet – and particularly a nutritious breakfast – can have on your productivity is absolutely mindblowing. 

I have a sweet tooth, some might even say a McTooth. But I’ve seen what difference processed crap has on my ability to think clearly, and to sustain that focus for hours at a time. I will be damned if I don’t consolidate some major dietary changes in the next 12 months. It’s money on the table in billable hours.

Mind Power Experiments

I recently followed a tip from Charles Ngo and have been taking L-Theanine supplements mixed with caffeine and Green Tea before the more intense parts of my day. Kiss my balls in advance, I’m not talking about RedTube.

L-Theanine is an amino acid that can lower anxiety and reduce the psychological and physiological effects of stress. It is relatively free from side-effects (everybody reacts differently, do not assume I wear a white coat), and one of many nootropics that *may* boost cognitive performance. If Limitless grabbed you by the gooch, they are worth checking out. 

While I have started to build up a tolerance to L-Theanine, it remains a pretty badass supplement when used sparingly to trigger a 3 to 4 hour burst of lucid focus, something I swear by when I’m writing. I kicked back a dose before writing this post and my eyes haven’t left the screen. Godsend. 

Another ‘mind hack’ I’ve become very familiar with in the last year is hypnosis. No, not the apocalyptic Derren Brown kind, but gentle, relaxation techniques. I took 7 hours of professional hypnotherapy from Darren Marks in Harley Street (recommended), and the sessions have helped me to get a grip on some damaging personal issues that were getting my titties in a twist. 

Cheap self-hypnosis tracks are available all over the Internet, for just about any pursuit imaginable. Even if you don’t ‘believe in hypnotism’, they are excellent relaxation tools for 20 minute breaks.

Relationships can’t be immune to change

The last time I mentioned my relationship, it was in glowing terms with an engagement and a move to America on the horizon. Well, that didn’t work out so well. I broke up with my ex in February, and the quiet on this blog has a lot to do with the force of the change ripping through the rest of my life. 

There was no hatred, no resentment, no posturing to spare the blame. Just a sad mutual realisation how something that once felt so right; over days, weeks or months; had splintered in to something that no longer was. That’s the story. 

I resent the 24/7 gossip mill culture that says scapegoats need to be found, drama made, or an opinion of a person has to shift if you break up with them. It’s Grade A bollocks, and I have no time for the bloodthirst.

Even worse, there’s judgment from the passive observer (who could only possibly find fulfilment in an episode of Hollyoakes); he or she who thinks that two grown adults making a decision has to reflect badly or tellingly on one of them. 

“Where did it go wrong? Who did what?”

C’est la vie. 

Sometimes life throws you lemons. 

Instead of making lemonade, I prefer to throw them back at the idiots who need conflict and bitching to get through their days. That’s pretty much all I want to say about it. 

This is an affiliate marketing blog. And yes, I use the term loosely. 

I Cannot Dance

Holy shit.

Being single again has reminded me how garishly offensive-on-the-eyeballs I can be when unleashed on a dancefloor.

My friends knew this already, but I had forgotten the fact over time.

I want to take this opportunity to say sorry in advance for the empty bars, clubs, etc.

It’s not you, London, it’s definitely me.

And what about Affiliate Marketing? Is it Dead?

No, she lives. 

There were times in the past few years where I felt overly paranoid for questioning when Lady Affiliate Marketing would pop her clogs and we’d all be forced to look for a day job. 

The bottom line is that any change is gradual, and even our worst fears (traffic source meltdowns, offer implosions) are negotiable by diversifying carefully, not resting on your laurels, and reading your RSS once in a blue moon.

Basically, don’t live under a rock, don’t pretend you’re invincible, don’t brag about your success (Karma is a bitch) and you should be okay. 

One day, the industry will resemble a completely different beast. That’s true. And yes, one day the tactics that worked in 2013 will be laughed at by the Internet nerdscallions of 2017. 

Who needs to lose sleep over it? 

The rest of the ‘unanswerable questions’ have a time, a place and a name.

They’re called 2014, 2015 and 2016. 

Keep your eyes open, work hard, don’t be a complete fuck-up, and you’ll be just fine. 

Recommended This Week:

• For a more complete dissection on where affiliate marketing stands, I suggest you pick up this Survival Guide, updated for 2013.

I decided to compile a list of all my favourite tools, networks, blogs and resources. Feel free to flick through it below. If just 1% of it is enlightening and/or informative, then this won’t have been a collossal waste of time.

Enjoy.

(I’ll be editing the list regularly. Well, semi-regularly.)

Blogs

CPA

FinchSells – Well, hello.

Mr Green – New Zealand’s best (and maybe only?) affiliate marketing blog?

IM Grind – Daily Internet Marketing news. Fetish for infographics.

Aff Helper – Regular contributions from all over the affiliasphere.

Charles Ngo – Popular affiliate and rightly so. Don’t think he’s ever put out a bad post.

Adult Media Buying – Man o’ Scandal? You’ll enjoy this. Sound advice for making a filthy dollar.

PPC.bz – Hilarity, affiliate marketing and… weed porn?

Wall of Monitors – The blog of affiliate marketer ‘HeavyT’. Shares more than just his monitors.

Perform(ance Marketing) Insider – The Daily Mail of affiliate marketing rags.

Perform(ance Marketing) Outsider – Amusing parody, that often manages to be more relevant than the above.

IPyxel – Lots of tips for getting profitable on Plentyoffish.

StackThatMoney – Head straight to the Case Study section.

Luke Peerfly – Award winning affiliate manager with a busted brand if he ever leaves Peerfly.

Nicky Cakes – The blog that got me in to affiliate marketing. No longer updated, some classic reads in the archives.

Aff Playbook Blog – Lots of practical tips, especially useful for PPV marketers.

Zac Johnson – One of the longest running CPA blogs out there.

CTRTard – Helmet wearing CPA dude. Where did he go?

Ian Fernando – Travels the world pointing his finger. One of the last remaining active CPA blogs.

Rohail Rizvi – Affiliate insights and regular ‘earnings reports’ if you need some inspiration. Doesn’t seem to post much these days.

Justin Dupre – Has been caught staring at more titties than any other marketer in Thailand.

Riley Pool – He said he was going to post a new campaign every day, then he disappeared completely. A recurring trend in the affiliate blogosphere!

Bryn Youngblut – I just love his name. Another once prolific CPA blogger who has vanished, presumably back to Monkey Island whence he came.

Inside Affiliate – Check out his older posts on PPV.

Affiliate Help – Covers a lot of the basics in an easy-to-read manner.

POF Blog – Advertising on POF? Ben can hook you up with some good strategies.

Who Is Andrew Wee? – The kind of guy who seduces affiliates with ice cream and chocolates.

AM Navigator – Interesting perspective from those managing affiliate programs. ‘How to monetise us pawns…‘

Moby Affiliates – One of the few blogs dedicated to mobile affiliate marketing.

Mob Aff Blog – Another one, written by an angry Russian dude.

Affbuzz – Aggregates the latest CPA news.

Affposts – Like Affbuzz, emphasis on newer posts.

Conversion Optimisation

UnBounce – Delicious landing page optimisation tips.

Conversion XL – ‘Extra Lucrative’ conversion advice.

Topping Two Percent – Excellent write-ups, lots of juicy info on how to squeeze the maximum out of your landing pages.

Boost CTR – Light a rocket up the jacksy of your search and social ads.

Optimizely – Full of A/B testing examples.

Shock Marketer – Consistently good advice, no fluff.

Conversion Voodoo – Company blog with plenty to say about improving conversions.

General Marketing

OKTrends – Unmissable insights for anybody working in the dating niche. You need to read this.

Kiss Metrics – More data analysis than a marketer can shake his stick at.

ViperChill – One of the most informative Internet Marketing resources on the planet. Featured in the Guardian.

Sugarrae – Impressive collection of straight shooting posts. Covers a spread of Internet Marketing topics.

Direct Response – One of my favourite direct marketing reads. Don’t just beat the competition; crush it.

Blue Hat SEO – Outdated as hell, still an epic read.

Shoemoney – Love him or hate him, you can’t not know Shoe if you work in this industry.

Inside Facebook – Essential reading for the sadists otherwise known as Facebook marketers.

Dukeo – Has really come on strong in recent months. Lots of great content for affiliates.

SkyRocket SEO – One of the few SEO blogs I keep coming back to.

Generation Y – Tips on how to survive working from home, from those already surviving it.

PPC.org – Tips and tricks for clickety clicks. Heavy focus on Google.

Skimlinks Blog – Regular dollops of advertising industry news.

Think Traffic – Consistently good advice for brand building and traffic swallowing.

Networks

There are so many networks out there. I’m only going to recommend those that I’ve tried personally, or those with near unanimous praise.

CPA

Adsimilis – If you’re sick of networks posturing over who has the biggest grapefruits or the dopest bling, then sign up with Adsimilis. They ‘get’ the affiliate mindset, without adopting it for themselves.

A4D – Led by Jason Akatiff, A4D is one of the most highly regarded affiliate networks in the business. You’ll be tough pressed to find a bad word said about them.

Convert2Media – Recognized by 500 INC. as one of the fastest growing companies in America.

Neverblue – Tons of great mobile offers, and one of the rare few genuinely ‘international’ networks. Made my first ever CPA commission with Neverblue. *le sniffle*

Above All Offers – If Eli Aloisi puts even half the time in to his network as he did with the BlueHat blog, this has to be worth joining.

F5 Media – Founded by the same guys who brought you the STM Forum, F5 packs a bunch of strong dating offers.

Monetise – Promising network with a heavy slant towards UK offers.

Peerfly – Strong industry following, popular launch pad network for beginners.

Incent.ly – Owned by Peerfly, dedicated to incentive traffic.

Mundo Media – I haven’t tried them, but I’ve heard good reviews. Mobile seems to be their specialty?

Ploose – Good for adult dating and hookup offers.

Cupid – Vast selection of dating offers from Cupid.

People Meet – Home to the People Meet brand. Excellent converters.

Date Connected – Another direct dating/hookup merchant, home to JustHookup. Can you guess which niche I work in?

Traditional

CJ – Known for its shoddy treatment of affiliates, but with so many good offers, you’ll want to join regardless.

ShareASale – Much respected Chicago-based network. Large selection of boutique CPS offers.

LinkShare – Another colossal network. Better support than CJ.

ClickBank – Where many an affiliate marketer sold his first shining turd. Sketchy digital products galore. They have the audacity to start deducting commissions through ‘admin fees’, which will piss you off.

Amazon Affiliates – Underrated by CPA affiliates, overrated by everybody else.

Google Affiliate Network – Boo the irony.

Mobile

OfferMobi – One of the leading mobile performance networks.

Revived Media – Created by the prolific IMGrind team. Dedicated mobile network with great reviews.

KissMyAds – Mobile affiliate network. Regrettable name for the dinner table?

Linking Mobile – UK based, recommended to me. I haven’t tried them.

Conferences and Meetups

Affiliate Summit – The premier affiliate marketing conference, where affiliates convene to talk shop and party in strip clubs (or drown in sausage).

A4U Expo – Popular performance marketing conference, especially in Europe. A bit suity.

ad:tech – Digital marketing conferences scattered all around the globe. Very suity.

LeadsCon – Vegas/NYC based event dedicated to lead generation.

AM Days – Specialised conference for the management of affiliate programs (aka, how to deal with unprofessional slackers in their underpants).

Self-Serve Traffic Sources

Below is a relatively small selection of traffic sources that I can personally recommend. For a more comprehensive list, see this sprawling bookmark cert on 3things.

Search

Google AdWords – Still the King of search PPC. Not an easy dragon for the affiliate to slay.

Bing Ads – Closest alternative to AdWords. Less booty lashings.

7Search – You’ll need to be on your game to find a converter in here. Only troopers hit the green.

Social

Facebook – Hugely competitive. Potential to make you rich. Quickly.

Twitter Ads – …Good luck.

POF Ads – Target dating users down to the hair color. Saturated but still powerful.

Adly – There’s something I find immensely entertaining about the prospect of affiliates soliciting celebrities for their ads. What’s the worst that could happen?

Cubics Adknowledge – Advertise across a selection of over 1200 Facebook apps.

Contextual

Media Traffic – Good PPV network for single opt-in submits and gaming offers.

TrafficVance – Highest quality PPV traffic in the business. Requires $1000 deposit.

Lead Impact – Good starting point for PPV marketers. Lots of room to scale your campaigns.

DirectCPV – Haven’t tried them but they’re always giving free coupons away. Sign up and make the most?

Display

AdBlade – Self-serve, popular choice for the CPA affiliate (particularly those who dabble in rebills).

50onRed – Intext and display ads available. $500 to get started.

BuySellAds – Buy direct placements on high profile websites. Easy to use. Tough to find the good spots.

Buy Ads – More direct placements.

Pulse360 – CPC-based with lots of high quality traffic. Expensive. Won’t work on lower payout offers.

engage:BDR – High quality display traffic that you’ll need some budget for.

SiteScout – Low risk media-buying entry point for affiliates. Suggest you start here.

MochiMedia – Great launch pad for newbie affiliates in the gaming niche.

Ad2Games – Lots of quality gaming traffic. Heavy German influence.

CPM Star – More gaming traffic. Only limited experience with this one, looks decent.

Juicy Ads – Incredibly lenient, self-serve adult dating platform. Cheap. Great for learning the ropes.

Traffic Junky – One of the most popular sources of adult traffic in the world. Big volume. Equal competition.

Exoclick – More adult dating by the bucket load. Probably not *quite* as good quality as TJ, but offset by cheaper traffic.

AdBucks – Don’t be fooled by the minimal interface. This adult display source packs a donkey punch.

Retargeting

AdRoll – Named the #1 Advertising Company by Inc. Magazine. Growing fast, seems to be everywhere. Oh wait…

Retargeter – Renowned for having one of the best customer service teams in the business.

Chango – Specialises in search retargeting rather than site retargeting.

Mobile

AdMob – The daddy of mobile advertising. Now owned by Google.

Leadbolt – Temperamental but popular platform.

InMobi – Lots of traffic, not the best interface for a newbie.

Adfonic – Over 100 billion monthly impressions.

AdModa – Has a useful Campaign Planner to help you avoid desolate markets.

JumpTap – Hit and miss customer service, high quality traffic. Worth sticking with.

Search Marketing Tools

SEOMoz – Powerhouse in the SEO world. Monitors your search and social performance for a good price.

Open Site Explorer – Part of SEOMoz, but free to use. Offers a bird’s eye view of your site’s current standing in relation to competition.

Spyfu – Download your competitor’s profitable keywords (then do your damn best to find them).

SEO Book Tools – Useful all-in-one resource covering most of the SEO board.

Google AdWords Keyword Tool – Don’t live by this tool, but don’t completely ignore it either. Useful when applied in context.

Forums

Subscription

Stack That Money – My forum of choice for affiliate marketing discussion. I’m a moderator here, and it’s the only forum I post on. This is high-end CPA advice for those who are actively running campaigns. Costs $99/month, worth every penny.

AffPlaybook – Another popular forum, particularly with North American affiliates. This started as a specialist forum for PPV, but it now covers pretty much every avenue for the CPA affiliate. Costs $67/month.

IMGrind – I’ve never seen it. Reports suggest it attacks Internet Marketing from a broader scope and is not aimed directly at the CPA affiliate. Costs $99/month.

The Dojo – New paid addition on the CPA Fix forum. Lifetime access for a one-time payment.

Free

WickedFire – Where the occasional golden nugget can be found buried between tits, ass and Rick Astley. Generally NSFW.

Affiliates4u – Very active forum, heavy European influence. Better place to network with merchants and product owners than it is to find other affiliates.

ABestWeb – Largest affiliate marketing forum in the world, with a heavy corporate slant. Where the utterly blind converge with the suited and booted.

CPA Fix – Mostly focused on CPA marketing, seems to specialise in free traffic sources and generating leads on a budget.

Must-Read Books

The Affiliate Marketing Survival Guide 2013 – Written by yours truly. My uncensored take on where the industry stands in 2013, and most importantly, where your business needs to stand in 2014.

Ca$hvertising – A must-read for any direct response marketer. Golden tips for improving your sales funnel with an emphasis on getting the conversion now.

The Millionaire Fastane – A book of two halves. Skip the preaching first half, but burn the value creation tips of the second half in to your retinas and live by them.

Influence – A seminal classic from Robert Cialdini that many affiliates glow over as the most important book they ever read.

Ogilvy on Advertising – Classic work, now decades old, yet Ogilvy still speaks more sense than most. The lessons of an advertising great.

The Happiness Advantage – Wise words for those whose happiness depends on the next stats refresh.

Thinking, Fast and Slow – A modern classic on understanding people. A skill that pays the bills in this biz.

You Are Not So Smart – Light, fun, breezy read on the many psychological biases and flaws that an affiliate marketer could do untold damage with.

Outsourcing and Delegating

ODesk – Great place to hunt for programmers, designers and virtual assistants.

Easy Outsource – Hit and miss pool of Filipinos for hire. Some golden workers, some… not so much.

Elance – Slightly more expensive, and generally more ‘westernized’. Use Elance to hire specialised writers for your ‘money’ sites.

One Hour Translation – If you are running foreign campaigns, it can be tempting to cut corners with language translation. Don’t do it. Use this site to get your landing pages and creatives translated within the hour.

Guru – Another big cat in the outsourcing world. I’ve never used it.

Fiverr – Seriously, is there anything that can’t be outsourced to Fiverr? This site is like a slap in the face to every freelancer who cherished his hourly rate. Good for us though…

99 Designs – Crowdsource your design work. Pricy but spoils you for choice.

Mailing Software & Tools

AWeber – Popular email marketing tool. Loses points by charging for unsubscribers, still my favourite.

MailChimp – Has a free option up to 2000 subscribers.

OptinSkin – Sends your opt-ins through the roof. Used on this site. Developed by Mr. ViperChill.

Mobile Resources

Inside Mobile Apps – Probably the best resource on mobile app dev.

HowToGoMo – Test how your site looks on mobile devices.

Mobilizer – Great mobile browser tester, free app.

iMobiTrax – Mobile tracker from the guys behind IMGrind. Looks very impressive.

MobGrind – Useful aggregator for mobile news.

PPC.bz Mobile Resource List – A list within a list. So what?

Content Publishing

WordPress – Has opened up content publishing to the mass market. Love you, WordPress.

Joomla – Flexible and aesthetically pleasing platform.

Clickthroo – Landing page builder with over 100 templates and split-testing functionality.

600+ places to share your content – Use, don’t abuse!

Research Tools

IMDB Coming Soon – If you like to monetize trends, this is probably the most underrated resource on the planet. Pick a blockbuster movie in the distant future, build your website, eat the traffic.

IMDB Just Announced – Get your first mover’s advantage on.

Google Search Trends – Analyse the latest search trends. You’ll need to act fast if you want to make any money from them.

Google Ad Planner – It’s almost like they want us to advertise with them!

Amazon Future Releases – Drill down your search by categories to find the hottest products coming soon to your niche.

Yahoo Clues Beta – Clues is a pretty good name for it. Data that gives you a headache.

Think With Google – Small mountain of research in to consumer trends. Broad in scope, interesting nonetheless.

Compete – Popular research tool. Scratch the underbelly of your competition, sniff out their popular keywords, monitor traffic metrics.

What Runs Where – Spy on the world’s most successful display campaigns.

Mixrank – Good, underrated alternative to WRW.

Adult AdSpy – For adult dating marketers with good self-control. Wank ‘o clock.

Offervault – Handy tool when searching for CPA offers.

oDigger – Network reviews and offer searcher. I wouldn’t place much faith in the star reviews, but the rest of the site is useful.

Creative Tools

BannerSnack – Suck at making banners? Use this.

Icon Finder – More arrows and buttons for your landing page than you could ever possibly need.

Ugly Banners Work Better – Oh yes they do. This is a sweet tool for fuglifying your creatives and increasing that all important CTR.

Jing – Don’t miss inspiration when it comes. Jing allows you to capture images and clips on the fly. Great for scoping campaigns.

Convertasaurus – Select two calls-to-action and watch them fight to the death. Not sure how accurate but pretty cool?

Browser Shots – Always be testing how your landing pages look in different browsers.

BrowserStack – Best browser tester I’ve found so far. Works for mobile too.

Tracking Tools

Complete Solutions

CPV Lab – Premium but oh-so-easy campaign tracking. My favourite.

Tracking202 – More customisable than CPV Lab, and free. Can be a little fiddly if you’re a technophobe.

Bevo Media – ‘The only place affiliate marketers need to be.’ All in one suite. Never tried it.

iMobiTrax – Mobile tracker from the guys behind IMGrind.

Tracking Everything Else…

Optimizely – Popular A/B split testing tool with a free trial.

ClickTale – Spy on your website’s visitors.

Crazy Egg – More spying goodness. Eye tracking technology.

Google Content Analytics – Some very useful (and free) website performance insights from the big G.

Visual Website Optimizer – A/B testing, multivariate testing, heatmaps. Free trial available.

HasOffers – If you’ve ever wanted to create your own affiliate program…

Cake – See above. Another network favourite.

POF ExcelBundle – Free collection of Excel tools to optimise and manage your Plentyoffish campaigns.

Productivity Tools

Producteev – One of the best takes on David Allen’s Getting Things Done system to date.

Wunderlist – New favourite of mine. Simple to-do lists. No clutter.

Trello – Excellent tool for managing your workflow.

LeechBlock – A must have for ‘work from homers’. Block yourself from time-wasting sites.

Pomodoro Timers – Nine timers for the popular productivity hack where you break your day in to 25-minute work stints.

Yast – Track where you are spending your time. Needs a sand pit to bury your head in upon analysing results.

Sanebox – An absolute Godsend for anybody who spends Monday morning drowning in emails. Filter the chaff.

WriteMonkey – Spend a lot of time writing? This tool removes every last distraction from your screen. Write monkey, write.

Miscellaneous Tools

Concierge – All-in-one shop for every service an affiliate could possibly need, from copywriting to server tuning to legal advice.

FTC Guidelines – Well, this you did not expect.

Evernote – Remember everything, everywhere. I could not live without Evernote.

Ad Calc – Estimates your anticipated CPCs, EPCs, CTRs, CPMs, BMIs and so on…

SimplyNoise – One of my favourite ways to stay productive. Use this free tool to increase your focus and block out any noisy distractions.

SimplyRain – Like white noise, but slightly more pleasing on the ear. There’s nothing like a heavy thunderstorm to block out the irritating arsewipe from across the office…

Flippa – Sell websites, buy websites. Flip your god damn balls for profit if you so wish.

UBot Studio – Beast of an automation machine. Amazing for web scraping and point-and-click task gobbling.

Mr Green’s POF Uploader – Carpetbomb POF with your ads. Nice time saver.

GeoSurf – One of the best proxy tools on the market.

Maxmind Geo Tools – A staple in affiliate marketing landing pages, this open source tool lets you serve different content to different countries. Worth thousands if used correctly.

OIOPublisher – Sell ad space on your websites. Full geotargeting available. Excellent plugin.

Slanguage – Good resource for local slang. Give your campaigns a local touch.

Cool Slang – More slang, careful how you use it.

The Premium Post Series – Seven volumes of explicit, juicy affiliate marketing tips, straight from this author’s arse.

LastPass – Because when you work with a gazillion networks and a billion traffic sources, remembering passwords can be a pain in the arse.

Crunch Accounting – £70/month for excellent accounting software and advice whenever you need it. UK only.

Web Page Test – Slow landing page = Low conversion rate. This tool checks the speed of your pages.

VTC – I have a soft spot for VTC. When I dropped out of school, I taught myself everything online-related using this site.

Lynda – Video tutorials for just about anything business related.

Useful TED Talks

‘How to get your ideas to spread’ – Seth Godin doesn’t like to play it safe.

‘The tribes we lead’ – Seth Godin on the power of building a tribe, and how to lead one.

‘Life lessons from an Ad Man’ – Rory Sutherland on the difference between ‘real’ value and perceived value.

‘The happy secret to better work’ – Shawn Achor shares some of the secrets from his Happiness Advantage philosophy. Enlightenment for affiliates.

‘The power of time off’ – Stefan Sagmeister on the revitalising effect of planned time off. When was the last time you did nothing?

‘The puzzle of motivation’ – Dan Pink on why most managers get it wrong.

‘Trial, error and the God Complex’ – Tim Harford on why trial and error is the way forward. It really is.

‘What physics taught me about marketing’ – Dan Cobley’s fascinating if slightly contorted slant on what marketing and physics have in common.

‘Schools kill creativity’ – Hugely popular talk from Ken Robinson that I wish I could have sent to my teachers 10 years ago.

I will be adding to this list over time, and it’s only natural that I will have forgotten a few deserving sites and tools. If you think something needs adding, feel free to plug it in the comments.

When I’m home alone, I like to watch documentaries, shit panel shows, and TED. 8 out of 10 Cats isn’t the best fodder for the brain, but the documentary section on Netflix has yet to let me down.

I’ve been inspired by three documentaries in the last week, each in a very different way. Instead of burying their lessons in my viewing history, never to be recalled, I thought I’d share them with you guys.

Each film is around 100 minutes long, and utterly compelling from start to finish. I suggest getting your little grubby paws on them.

Man on Wire

The Fearless Genius

On August 7th 1974, Philippe Petit set off on a quiet stroll from the World Trade Center’s South Tower to the North Tower.

Except it was no ordinary stroll. It was the wire walk that stunned the world.

A quarter of a mile above the ground, Petit walked between the ill-fated towers not once, not twice, but eight times.

He enthralled the stunned crowds, somehow finding the grace (and the balls) to lay flat on his back, to kneel to the heavens, and to mock the enraged NYPD who spent over 40 minutes pleading for him to retreat to safety.

At one point Petit offered to surrender. He neared the guards, clearly amused by their dumbfounded horror. A performer to the end, he couldn’t help himself. He turned 180 degrees and raced back in to the abyss, his feet leaving the wire, dancing, showboating. All this a mere 110 stories from instant death below

It took the threat of being ‘captured by helicopter’ to bring an end to Petit’s stunt. He stepped back on to the roof, straight in to police custody, and that was that. New York City continued onwards to work, albeit with a slightly shellshocked stagger.

Philippe Petit had dreamed about the Twin Towers for six years. He planned his stunt long before the towers had been fully constructed. He called it his destiny, and he spent a lifetime training to make it so.

It was the ultimate heist. To break in to the towers, to evade security, to rig his wire in darkness, and then to walk.

The only thing certain was that failure would result in death.

Petit’s life was a combination of gruelling training – both physically and mentally – and undercover sleuthing, of which Solid Snake would be proud.

One does not simply… break in to the World Trade Center, climb to the roof, set up a wire and dance across merrily, balls flapping in the wind.

Such acts require grapefruits of steel a lot of careful planning.

Petit had an unwavering belief that he would one day step across the New York skyline and be immortalised for the feat.

Against all odds, he is remembered today for the culmination of his dream on that [unfortunately] misty morning. And perhaps even more remarkably, he is still alive to tell the tale.

It’s difficult to contemplate what rushes through a man’s mind as he takes his first step off the edge of the South Tower…

Imagine the mental toughness required to place your entire body weight forward, away from safety, on to a three quarter inch wire, while every bone in your body buckles from vertigo as the 1,368 foot drop looms ever closer below.

It can barely be quantified. I shit my pants at the very thought.

But then the average onlooker hasn’t spent a lifetime eating, breathing and sleeping the same reality as Petit. Total conviction drove this man to an achievement that went beyond impressive. It was superhuman.

Petit’s stunt was beamed around the world. There was no publicity, no advance warning, and no precedent. Just 40 minutes of daredevil lunacy that forced an entire city to stop in silence, and to stare at a man in the sky.

His journey is captured brilliantly in the Man on Wire documentary.

Bobby Fischer Against The World

The Calculating Genius

Successful businessmen are distinguishable by their ability to think several steps ahead of the competition. They visualise the game we call life, they gauge their moves – as well as what life intends to throw back at them – and they make a decision based on the likely outcomes.

To be just one step ahead is to be blessed.

Now consider the excellence of a chess grandmaster…

“There are 400 different positions after each player makes one move apiece. There are 72,084 positions after two moves apiece. There are 9+ million positions after three moves apiece. There are 288+ billion different possible positions after four moves apiece. There are more 40-move games on Level-1 than the number of electrons in our universe. There are more game-trees of Chess than the number of galaxies (100+ billion), and more openings, defences, gambits, etc. than the number of quarks in our universe!”
- Chesmayne

A novice chess player can enjoy much success over fellow amateurs by thinking 3 or 4 steps ahead.

A grandmaster will regularly think up to 12 moves ahead.

The best of the best have such astonishing memorisation and visualisation techniques that their brains can filter through billions of potential positions and pick the best possible move while you and I are still processing the last.

What made Bobby Fischer so remarkable was that he could make those calculations barely a decade after leaving the womb.

His excellence was the result of endless hours analysing positions and outcomes in excruciating detail. He was a child prodigy in every sense.

Aged just 14, Fischer became the youngest ever US Champion. A year later, he was the youngest grandmaster in chess history. He would travel the country holding exhibitions where he would compete against 30-40 amateurs at the same time, soundly beating them all, swaggering from one table to the next.

Fischer’s life revolved around the chessboard to such an extent that his mother forced him to see a psychiatrist to try and kick the addiction. It was all he ever talked about, all he ever cared about.

The problem for Fischer, as many calculating geniuses have discovered, was that he never knew how to switch his brain off. He wouldn’t just think 12 steps ahead on the chessboard. He’d think 12 minutes ahead at the supermarket. He’d analyse each and every part of his life in such cynical detail that, inevitably, his world came crashing down. The paranoia turned Fischer in to a recluse.

In 1972, Fischer took part in the ‘Match of the Century’ against World Champion Boris Spassky of the USSR. It was the game that put chess on the map. A battle of East vs. West during the height of the Cold War. The tormented, troubled Fischer vs. the latest in a long line of Russian champions.

In the days leading up to the showdown, Fischer was suffering from such inner turmoil that there was doubt he would even show up. After several delays, he eventually got on the plane, and promptly made one of the most spectacular blunders of his career. He lost Game 1, then no-showed Game 2.

Facing a 2-0 deficit and written off by almost everybody, Fischer surged back in to the match and eventually beat Spassky 121/2 – 81/2. He returned to the United States a celebrated hero; an A-list celebrity; the 29-year-old World Chess Champion.

It was the last competitive match he ever played.

Bobby Fischer refused to defend his title in 1975. He disappeared in to obscurity, fled the USA, and eventually became known for an anti-Semitic political agenda that would see him die in lonely exile.

Fischer had a brilliant mind capable of superhuman calculation, but he was just as capable of self-destructing at any given moment. It is a sad and familiar correlation of genius.

Indie Game: The Movie

The Artistic Genius

Indie Game follows the exhausting efforts of four independent games developers as they battle through deadlines, Internet trolling, and Microsoft’s lame support to catch a lucky break.

Now, I don’t know much about designing games (even though I once dreamed of it as a career), but thankfully the film doesn’t require any inside knowledge. You need not give a damn about XBox Live or Mario-style platformers. You need only recognise the trials and tribulations of working in isolation, wondering when it might someday pay off.

Someday, someday. That is the hook.

The film covers the development of Super Meat Boy (Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes), Fez (Phil Fish) and Braid (Jonathan Blow) with over 300 hours of archived footage.

The smell of blood, sweat and tears emanating from their bedroom slash home-offices is palpable throughout. This is a documentary made for affiliate marketers.

Indie Game covers many hotbed talking points, including artistic integrity vs. monetary return. Most interestingly, it touches on the process of launching a product and watching the online world react.

If you’ve undergone this cathartic rites of passage, you’ll be able to relate to the uncontrollable nervous energy. The not knowing what to expect. The sheer blindness of working on something so hard and for so long that you can no longer tell whether it’s a work of art or a glistening turd.

One developer states matter-of-factly that if he doesn’t launch his game, he’ll have no choice but to kill himself. It’s an extreme threat, but clearly non-negotiable.

Another developer suffers a launch day bitch slap from Microsoft where it’s a wonder that he hasn’t yet been arrested for hunting down Bill Gates and burning him at the stake.

The film is slow out of the blocks, but it’s impossible not to be fully invested by the final third. The payoff is immense, a proverbial kick up the arse if ever you needed one.

Anybody who works online can relate to that passing moment of accomplishment between achieving one goal and drowning in the next. Indie Game: The Movie is like a surge of adrenaline for those on the brink of achieving something awesome.

Watch this shit and your motivation will soar. That’s the best compliment I can give it.

Suggestions for Inspiring Documentaries

What films have inspired you to go out and achieve big?

Your suggestions are welcome, especially if I can find them on Netflix.

Boom!

Recommended This Week:

• I want to say a special ‘thank you’ to everybody who’s picked up a copy of my brand new Affiliate Marketing Survival Guide 2013. The book shot straight to #1 on Amazon’s Marketing bestsellers in the space of 12 hours. Booya! If you haven’t yet grabbed the book, a) Why are we still friends? b) Get one here. It’s $5.

On May 3rd, StackThatMoney and F5 Media are hosting what promises to be an epic night of networking, schmetworking, boozing and (probably) red light district cruising.

This is going to be one of the biggest affiliate events of 2013, and you don’t want to miss out. The meetup also coincides with Queen’s Day on April 30th.

What is it about Amsterdam that attracts the world’s top CPA marketers?

We probably shouldn’t answer that question. It’s obviously the stroopwaffles.

Queen’s Day is a national holiday in the Netherlands, and this year will be even more chaotic than usual. Prince Willem-Alexander will be succeeding his mother to become the first King of the Netherlands since 1890, thus turning Queen’s Day in to King’s Day.

The Dam is sure to be bouncing, and in more ways than usual.

How do the Dutch like to celebrate a changing of the monarch? The same way they celebrate every other day: by being awesome, slurping mayo, and staying vocal all night.

…Albeit in a slightly oranger shade of clothing and hair than usual.

The downside to this national event is that hotels and flights to Amsterdam are going to be more expensive than usual.

Book accommodation early or be prepared to spend your evenings paying €50 per 15 minutes to curl up feebly in a hooker’s nest. You snooze, you lose.

For more information and to RSVP, check out the official Facebook Page.

Recommended This Week:

• I want to say a special ‘thank you’ to everybody who’s picked up a copy of my brand new Affiliate Marketing Survival Guide 2013. The book shot straight to #1 on Amazon’s Marketing bestsellers in the space of 12 hours. Booya! If you haven’t yet grabbed the book, a) Why are we still friends? b) Get one here. It’s $5.

Well, I took my own advice.

I’m happy to announce the release of my first ever affiliate marketing book on the Kindle platform, and I think you’re going to enjoy it.

Included inside:

• A fast-tracked introduction to the affiliate industry
• My take on the expected (and unexpected) trends of affiliate marketing in 2013.
• A look at the still-talked-about moneymaking methods that went bust in 2012
• How to build an affiliate marketing brand for the future
• Why our industry is at a dangerous crossroads, and what you can do about it
• How to build a sustainable online business for 2013 (minus the bullshit)
• A crap ton of useful resources

This is a completely rewritten overhaul of last year’s free Affiliate Marketing Survival Kit, which was a very brief overview of the industry and where I saw it going.

Checking in at over 28,000 words, Survival Guide 2013 is bigger, better, ballsier and bang up to date.

It is also dirt cheap.

I am using this guide as a marketing experiment on the Kindle platform, and for that reason, I’m charging less than 5 bucks. Yes, the price of a Starbucks for a complete analysis of the affiliate marketing industry as it stands in 2013.

And that’s from somebody who isn’t going to bullshit you with a pipe dream. I’m so confident, I even slapped my real name on it.

What’s the worst that could happen?

You’ll lose a Starbucks.

You can read the introduction for free over on Amazon. Just choose your market of choice below:

• United Kingdom
• United States
• Canada
• France
• Germany (still processing)
• Spain
• Italy
• Japan
• Brazil

Enjoy the book, and keep an eye on this blog. I’ve got lots of brand new content coming next week.

• Banners Broker Scam – Don’t Let it Affect You
• Banners Broker Scam Update

In response to the criticism, I was contacted by Terry Stern who is the International Public Relations Director at Stellar Point (acting on behalf of Banners Broker). Terry offered to fly me out to Ontario, put me up in a hotel, and show me exactly how the company operates.

It’s a generous invitation, and one that I plan to accept, although I will be paying for the tickets and hotel out of my own pocket.

Due to work commitments and the fact that my passport is currently floating around the US Embassy, I am unable to make the trip until March.

In the meantime, I suggested that Terry could respond to some of the most pressing criticism directed at BannersBroker in a Q&A session on this blog. He agreed, and you are about to read the full unedited exchange.

Note: There are various questions where I asked Terry to elaborate and provide further detail. Terry declined for the reasons stated at the bottom of this post. In the interest of complete transparency, I have included the unanswered questions and marked which ones Terry did not wish to respond to any further.

Banners Broker Q&A

Finch: First of all, it’d be great to hear some official figures on the money currently circulating in BannersBroker. Can you tell me, a) how much money has been invested in to the system by affiliates, b) how much money has been withdrawn from the system by affiliates, c) how much money is currently sitting marked ‘My Total Earnings’? These figures should help us get an idea of the ratios, margins and overall profitability of the program.

Terry Stern: a) No, this is private information of which no private company would release. b) Again no, private companies don’t release this type of information to outside sources. c) To provide you with this information would disclose proprietary systems that would enable anyone to replicate what BBI does. This is what allowed BBI to be accepted by the Brokers we do business with.

Finch Note: Banners Broker is not shy of boasting at seminars about how much money the program has already paid out, so this was news to me.

Finch: Banners Broker denies that it is an ‘investment’ of any kind. So what is it?

Terry Stern: Banners Broker International is a direct sales company just like any other direct sales company, whereas we buy or manufacture our products, mark them up and resell them to affiliates.

For example, the Broker sells ad space to an advertiser for $10,000, BBI offers to fulfill their obligation for $5,000. BBI resells the ability to generate traffic to an affiliate for $1,000 and upon completion gives the affiliate $2,000 for doing so while retaining $3,000 profit. This is just an example, but it gives you an idea of how the opportunity works.

Finch: The problem with this model is that there is no shortage of advertisers with budgets far bigger than Banners Broker who will also fulfil this obligation for $5,000. What makes you think BannersBroker can get a discount on the ad space but another advertiser can’t?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: Banners Broker has made numerous presentations on the ‘$500B/year Blind Network’ that governs how advertising space in auctioned over the web.

This is a remarkable claim considering global advertising spend across all media types was only forecast to grow to $465.5 billion in 2012. When you break the ad spend down to just online advertising, the number drops to $83.2 billion. Only a percentage of this is spent on blind networks…

Terry Stern: …According to a report released by Visual.ly, the total ad spending for 2012 was around $529.5 Billion, with approximately $94.2 Billion spent on online ad spending. Other sources show anywhere from $500 – $600+ Billion, with over $160 Billion spent on online ad spending. There are many sources of information to gather statistics on.

Finch: And I haven’t yet found a single source that acknowledges the presence of a $500/B Blind Network. Can you show me one?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: Banners Broker talks of the ten major brokers that work with ‘The Blind Network’, but there is little to no evidence outside of Banners Broker that such a network exists. Can you name the ten brokers, explain The Blind Network, and tell us why nobody else is talking about it?

Terry Stern: This is actually untrue. Blind Networks are a common term used in the online advertising and mobile advertising industries. They’ve been written about by multiple authors, advertising companies etc. OpenX even has on their website the definition of what a Blind Network is. There’s no need for me to list them over and over when the information is readily available.

Finch: You are dodging the question. We all know that blind networks exist, but Banners Broker promotes the concept of a singular Blind Network, of which there are 10 major brokers. Once again, can you tell me the names of those ten brokers?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: Banners Broker regularly claims that money paid out to its affiliates is not derived from advertisers signing up on BannersBroker.com, but rather it comes from advertisers being recruited externally on The Blind Network. Can you explain what the company means by this?

Terry Stern: It’s very simple really. The Blind Networks offer low pricing to direct marketers in exchange for those marketers relinquishing control over where their ads will run. Blind Networks achieve their low pricing through large bulk buys of typically remnant inventory combined with campaign optimization and ad targeting technology. “Blind” networks do not allow advertisers to know which site their message will appear on. Most general ad networks offer some transparency related to which sites are a part of a network, or allow for editorial guardians to prevent an ad from appearing on a certain type of site.

Where Banners Broker International comes in, is that they purchase ad space that these ads will appear on in bulk, and the Blind Networks service those spaces through providing ads with the advertisers paying the network for doing so. There are a substantial number of websites that allow for advertising to be placed on them, and those sites are paid based on the number of impressions they boast. Since each site that’s a part of the network is required by the network to have a specific traffic flow-through, the networks are able to sell those impressions and space to resellers. BBI comes in at this point. BBI purchases the ad space on the websites that are looking for ads through the Ad Network, then the ad network services those spaces with ads. BBI generates an income through the difference between what the Ad Network charges the advertiser, and what it costs to pay the publishers. When an affiliate purchases a package from BBI, they are purchasing a pre-packaged amount of ad space, with different propagation time-frames. As the panels run, they symbolize an ad space on a website in the network, and the traffic that’s viewing that ad space. The rate the affiliate pays is more than BBI pays for the ad space, and the amount BBI pays the affiliate is less than it earns for the network. This is how BBI generates the bulk of its revenue.

Some have said that they don’t see their panels moving regularly, this is because the panels don’t move in real-time, and were never advertised to do so.

Finch: You say you purchase ad space in bulk. Well, that makes BannersBroker an advertiser (regardless of whether it resells the space). You are purchasing ad space on a publisher’s site. Advertiser.

You are in direct competition with other large advertisers who want to purchase that same ad space, and are also willing to buy in bulk. The only difference is that they don’t have to pay any affiliates, which gives them a competitive advantage and allows them to price you out of the market. Your mark-up is unrealistic and impossible to sustain.

It is an inevitability of using a model like this:

advertiser > broker > broker > network > publisher

Instead of the tried and tested streamlined model:

advertiser > network > publisher

You say networks ‘are able to sell impressions to resellers’. Forget resellers. The only thing the network does is sell impressions to advertisers. You may be a ‘reseller’, but first and foremost you are an advertiser. And a very disadvantaged one in the sense that you have 300,000 affiliates riding your back.

I’m not even going to breach the subject of panels and packages. They have no relevance in the real world.

So I ask again, how is this a sustainable business model?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: If the advertisers that BannersBroker relies on to pay its affiliates are not being recruited on BannersBroker.com, what role do advertisers who sign-up through the website play? Where are their ads being shown?

Terry Stern: Any advertiser that signs up through the website goes straight through to the Ad Networks we are involved with. BBI takes a ‘finder’s fee’ for bringing in new advertisers, and pays the affiliate 10% of the amount the advertisers spends.

Finch: Long shot, are you prepared to reveal any names of advertisers?

More importantly, if you are working with multiple ad networks, how is it decided where a campaign will be run? If I’m an advertiser, I’m at a severe disadvantage if I’m paying a premium to have less choice and less control over where my ads are served. What do I gain by using BannersBroker?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: The websites on The Choice Network appear to be owned by the same company. Much of the content might fairly be considered ‘junk’ and there seems to be almost zero organic traffic on these sites. Can you explain why they would be considered a valuable proposition for an advertiser’s ad spend?

Terry Stern: The Choice Network is in a BETA stage, and is currently under review.

Finch: Why is there no mention of this to paying advertisers?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: Can you detail the nature of the past relationship between Banners Broker and Clicksor? Is it not correct that until recently, the company used the Clicksor Reseller Network to serve ads?

Terry Stern: This is actually correct. You must keep in mind that the arrangement BBI has with the Ad Networks it does business with is not a typical ‘reseller’ relationship. Clicksor in itself is a small piece of the whole, but still capable of meeting the demands of BBI. With the addition of another Ad Network, we’re now capable of meeting the growing demands and offer new products, and it’s only a matter of time now before other Ad Networks come aboard.

Finch: The Clicksor Reseller Network specifically states that it will only grant the third party access to its publishers, not its advertisers. So, if Banners Broker used this network, can you explain how the model works without having to recruit advertisers through BannersBroker.com?

Terry Stern: As I previously mentioned, we have an a-typical relationship with Clicksor due to the nature of the initial proposal we made to them. Unfortunately I am unable to give additional details regarding that relationship as it’s proprietary information regarding our business model.

Finch: I would agree that your description of the ‘reseller’ relationship is certainly not typical. It’s not typical because it makes no sense. As an advertiser, if I want to run ads on Clicksor’s blind network, I sign up through Clicksor and setup my campaign. There is no need for a broker.

Without attracting advertisers, BannersBroker brings no value to the table. The relationship is built on Clicksor’s platform, using Clicksor’s publishers with an advertiser who signs up via Clicksor. You are suggesting that Clicksor is then going to share a slice of the pie with BannersBroker. Why would they do that?

The purpose of the Clicksor Reseller Network is to give you, Banners Broker, access to the publishers that are signed up with Clicksor. The responsibility falls on you to recruit advertisers. It’s what defines you as a broker, and it’s the only reason why Clicksor would share their profits.

It’s all very well to say that the above does not apply because your relationship is not ‘typical’. You’re damn right it’s not typical. Let’s start by getting to the bottom of how it’s even possible.

Please explain exactly, in the most simple form, how your Reseller relationship differs from the standard Reseller relationship. And more importantly, why it makes sense for a) Clicksor, and b) the advertiser.

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: Here’s a quote from a BB presentation: “In the beginning, Chris Smith went to the 10 banners ad brokers and proposed that he create a relationship with them as a broker of a different type. All but one of those companies refused. One mid sized broker could see the potential.”

Can you describe the nature of this relationship that he proposed?

** Terry declined to comment **

Finch: It’s well known that Rajiv Dixit, Chris Smith and David Hooker like to travel the world holding seminars to attract affiliates. Can you explain why there is no evidence of a Banners Broker presence at any of the major advertising trade shows?

** Terry declined to comment **

Finch: Rajiv Dixit is well known for his involvement in the controversial ICF World Homes program, which was effectively shut down by the Canadian Competitions Bureau. David Hooker was also Director of Sales and Marketing at Herbalife, another company facing allegations of illegal pyramid trading. Very little is known about CEO, Chris Smith. Can you describe his background and what he did before founding Banners Broker?

** Terry declined to comment **

Finch: One of the great hooks behind the Banners Broker business model is that it helps the ‘little man’. As a philanthropic cause, doesn’t it make more sense to operate a streamlined business model (without affiliates) and then, say, donate to charity?

Terry Stern: This is the business model that was chosen. The affiliate program gives everyone interested, or who may have failed at building an online business before, the opportunity to succeed and generate revenue from an online business.

Finch: Why choose the least effective form of financing? There has to be a reason why a vastly inefficient affiliate model was favoured over venture capitalists. What is it?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: I’ve read reports on this very blog of $300 purchases resulting in profits of thousands per month. The affiliates see your company as a remarkable opportunity to make money (who could blame them?). I see those affiliates as more of an achilles heel.

If we are to assume that Banners Broker ‘borrows’ $100 Million from affiliates to leverage the company’s ad/pub growth, and if we take an extremely conservative estimate that the end goal of those affiliates is to double their money, that means that – effectively – Banners Broker has borrowed $100 Million while paying another $100 Million in interest (expected affiliate payouts). That’s an instant APR of 100%.

You have spoken on a number of occasions about the potential of leveraging affiliate purchasing power. My view is that it is a curse, not a blessing, when the expected returns (indeed, the reported returns) are so high.

A venture capitalist or an investment bank would take one look at your business model, give you the cash – if it’s up to scratch – and only ask for a fraction of the return. That’s more growth, more purchasing power and far LESS support tickets than you receive by using affiliates. What are your thoughts on this?

Terry Stern: This is where most become confused and accuse us of being something other than where we are. We do not guarantee that you will double an affiliate’s money, we state that after the first two complimentary cycles have completed, that an affiliate will have twice what their initial inventory purchase was valued at. They will either have their initial purchase price available in their ewallet and a matching amount in panel inventory, or they will have twice their initial purchase value available to them in inventory. After that, it’s up to each affiliate to manage their business according to what their individual goals are. We do not make claims offering obscene amounts of money, or that you’ll make thousands each month. The returns are completely dependant on the efforts of the affiliate. Yes, there have been some issues with conflicting verbiage that has been used in the past, which is why the company has created the roles of compliance and public relations in order to correct these issues.

Furthermore, it’s currently being introduced that affiliates must have running campaigns as part of their businesses. This isn’t a ‘sit back and do nothing’ business, this business requires attention in order to work optimally, and since this business is about brokering ad space, it’s important the affiliate understands the business through utilization and application.

Finch: With all due respect, the archived BannersBroker Facebook and Twitter feeds are littered with examples of guarantees and false promises. The entire business was launched on a promise of ‘doubling your money’.

Here’s the BannersBroker.com homepage, as it appeared days after launch:

You are now saying that you’ve never guaranteed doubling the affiliate’s money, despite hundreds of examples of such promises, both online and offline at events.

Do you not feel that the 300,000 members who’ve signed up to BannersBroker should be entitled to full refunds given that many of them have been recruited under misleading advertising?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: What makes the company think Banners Broker is operating a sustainable business model when a competitor could enter the market with the exact same model and undercut you by not taking on affiliates?

Terry Stern: In order for your assumption to be valid, you would have to fully understand the details in the BBI business model, which isn’t a standard reseller’s agreement, and you would have to have access to the algorithms that are used to support the system. There are many companies that ‘undercut’ others, which is what defines competition. It’s like how Coke and Pepsi are constantly undercutting each other to gain larger sections of the marketplace.

Finch: Affiliates are told that BannersBroker requires work to succeed. They are encouraged to build their own ‘Banners Broker business’. Can you explain, in market terms and as a value proposition, what this business is?

Terry Stern: The business simply put, is brokering ad space for advertising. The more affiliates an affiliate can bring into the network, the more they are able to take advantage of the credit incentives the company offers. As previously mentioned, affiliates are now also being required to run campaigns. The business is about brokering ad space, and an affiliate can run a campaign to promote their BBI business, but they still must run a campaign as part of their business.

Finch: You say affiliates are being required to run campaigns. What kind of campaigns? And why should they have to run them?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: Paying affiliates internationally via a pre-funded Mastercard is considered by some to be a form of money laundering. Money laundering or not, it’s a very strange method of payment that is not available through any other reputable ad networks. Why hasn’t the company set up international direct deposits or even cheques as a payment option?

Terry Stern: In order for the automated software to work properly for everyone, the company needs to have options that everyone can use. Since PayPal doesn’t work for every country, and bank transfers become complicated with some countries, in addition to placing additional delays on the time it takes for payments to propagate, additionally, some affiliates that come from poorer countries may not have bank accounts due to the complications involved in getting one. Since the system needs to provide options that accommodate all affiliates, only those methods that can actually be used by every affiliate are considered and used. The BB Card is an approved method of transferring funds accepted by all countries we do business with, provides the shortest amount of time to process, and enables an affiliate to gain access to their funds quickly.

Finch: You mention ‘automated software’. It seems that BannersBroker payments are anything but automated, otherwise there would be a consistent pattern to when they are received.

Why does every payment method have to accommodate all users? If that was the case, there would only be one payment method. You’ve already shown that you are willing to be flexible otherwise it would be just STP, or just Payza, or just the card. Why not extend that flexibility to reputable payment processors that work much more efficiently with much less hassle?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: Can you explain why the company requires notarised user ID from affiliates when its competitors do not?

Terry Stern: Since we do business internationally, we are required to verify the identity of each person we do business with, just like a bank does with KYC “Know Your Customer”. The payment provider we use requires that we provide them with specific ID verification samples in order for them to approve payment processing for that affiliate. All information we collect to provide ID verification is passed to the payment processor who validates that information prior to accepting payment requests for them. If they fail verification, they are unable to be paid until they have solved the issue. Any ID accepted by BBI on behalf of affiliates, is kept in the strictest of confidence, and is only provided to the payment processor with the same level of confidence. There are multiple forms of ID that are accepted, and notarization demonstrates that the person in-fact matches the ID form used.

I am unable to speak on behalf of other companies since they have their own criteria that they are required to comply with.

Finch: Many affiliates will be keen to hear why their payments have become more sporadic. Standard members were originally told they would have to wait 7 business days to receive withdrawal requests. They now have to wait 20 calendar days, and many members have reported waiting significantly longer. The delays are consistent with a pyramid operation where it takes longer and longer to fund the exponential increase in withdrawal requests. If that is not what is happening, what would you say is the real reason behind these payout delays?

Terry Stern: BBI is unable to control the time it takes for payments released to their institutions, as once funds are released, it falls to the institution to release the funds according to their protocols. It usually takes 3-5 days for the funds to be released from the BBI banks following a request. From there it takes an additional 3-5 days to transfer the funds in order for the institution to verify the request. Once the institution receives the funds, it is up to them how long to wait to release the funds, we can’t dictate that. This is why BBI is transitioning everyone to the BB Card. Once the funds are released to be loaded, the cards are loaded right away and the delay is minimal.

Finch: The company has implemented a requirement that 3 months advance notice be given for any withdrawal over $10,000. We know that advertiser revenue enters the system as soon as the impressions have been bought. In fact, on BannersBroker.com, the advertiser is required to pre-fund his account before he can run any ads. This advance payment means the strain on cash-flow should be minimal. Why does it take 3 months to issue the larger payments?

Terry Stern: BBI has investments in various places, with the time it takes to gather the funds from the various institutions to meet the requests by our affiliates. It’s a well known fact that financial institutions invest the money placed in their trust. Even PayPal follows this practice. In order for sums to be processed, first the financial institution must request the funds to settle our request, then our request needs to be processed. Once the funds are processed they need to be dispersed to the various financial institutions, they must then process the requests and then the payments are released to the individuals. For extremely large sums the timeframe takes longer. You must understand, that the amounts BBI requests isn’t for one affiliate but for hundreds, so the amounts are quite large and require enough time to safely ensure that all funds are available to the affiliates.

Finch: Yes, it’s a well known fact that financial institutions invest money placed in their trust. But when I go to draw a large sum out of a bank, I’ve never been told to go and take a seat and wait for 3 months, certainly not for $10,000. Either you have the money or you don’t. If your investment in ‘various places’ is slowing down the withdrawal process to such an extent, dare I say the company should stop investing in ‘various places’ and focus on improving its cashflow so affiliates can get paid in a timely manner?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: When Banners Broker was launched in 2010, it was advertised as a ‘straightline cycler doubler’ on its official blog, on its Twitter account, in YouTube videos and in promotional materials provided to the HYIP community.

Here are tweets archived from Banners Broker in 2010 and early 2011:

7th December 2010
“The Banners Broker Queue is at 6 Days to start Doubling! Where else can you double your money this quickly? A LOT of Members Doubled Today!”

22nd December 2010
“The time frame to double will always fluctuate, but currently we are at an amazing fast past with only 3 days to start doubling!”

8th January 2011
“We are at an AMAZING 2 days to start doubling!!!! This weekend only. Now is the time to buy Packages. Spread the word!”

22nd January 2011
“Welcome back the 2 DAY QUEUE! That’s right, we are sitting at 2.5 days for you to start doubling your money. Buy a package now and get in!”

Can you explain how the company has undergone such a radical transformation from self-proclaimed ‘straightline cycler doubler’ to the most rewarding advertising/publishing platform the world has ever seen?

Terry Stern: This is an exaggeration. The platform isn’t the most rewarding, although we appreciate your stating so.

In the beginning, admittedly, the wording wasn’t chosen with the delicacy and precision that it should have. This is why Stellar Point has introduced their international compliance and public relations departments, not just in Canada, but in every country they operate in. Currently the wording for much of BBI’s marketing and training materials is undergoing revision to correct the inaccuracies in how the programs and company were described. Verbiage aside, the program does provide what it states, to provide a return following the completion of the two complimentary cycles, equal or greater than the initial inventory purchase value. Once again, after that, it’s up to the affiliate to move forward according to their individual goals

Finch: Yes, you have introduced a compliance team a full 24 months after the launch of the program. Meanwhile over 300,000 affiliates have already joined the program – many under false pretences of doubling their money.

Given you are accepting that the company has been falsely advertised and misrepresented by both affiliates and your own website, shouldn’t your customers be entitled to full refunds?

You have taken their funds happily whilst using misleading advertising, and being compliant for over 2 years in allowing the false misrepresentation of your company by affiliates.

I’m sorry, but a vow to ‘fix things’ for the next 300,000 affiliates is unlikely to please many of the existing 300,000 affiliates who feel they’ve already been sold down the river.

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: Banners Broker was launched privately in the HYIP community, a space notorious for ponzi schemes and false ‘get-rich-quick’ claims. Why did the company choose to target the usual ponzi players for its seed investment as opposed to an investment bank, a venture capitalist or, say, Mike Arrington?

Terry Stern: Simple, because this is where people looking for affiliate and self-generated business opportunities look for new ones. The community is also where legitimate companies looking to source affiliates for their programs, not all of which are ‘ponzi’ schemes, and the intention wasn’t to source seed investment, but as mentioned previously, those that are looking for an opportunity to succeed online where they may have previously failed.

Finch: Self-assessment deadline is rapidly approaching in the UK where many Banners Broker affiliates will be required by law to report their full online earnings. What tax advice would you give to your UK affiliates?

Terry Stern: None, BBI doesn’t provide tax advice. Each affiliate is their own business entity, and thus are responsible for their own accounting and taxes. Realistically, affiliates should speak with an accountant to determine what the best advice would be.

Finch: When filing a tax return, the Banners Broker income listed under ‘My Total Earnings’ should be declared as earnings even though it hasn’t yet been withdrawn. Would you agree or disagree?

Terry Stern: Disagree, an individual doesn’t pay taxes on earnings they haven’t drawn.

Finch: Regarding the Banners Broker office raid in Goa:

At the time of writing (and according to the North Goa Courts database), Ana Luisa Onofre Alves Bento, head of BB India, is awaiting a court hearing after charges were brought under IPC section 4, 5 and 6 of the PCMC banning act 1978, 406 and 420.

‘Mischief’ from a past employee was the reason given for the trouble in Goa. Can you give a little more detail about the exact sequence of events and the nature of the charges?

Terry Stern: Unfortunately I am unable to comment on an ongoing investigation and court case.

Finch: David Hooker was quoted by a Banners Broker employee as saying that the Goan office would be open on the Saturday following the raid, and that the entire event had been a misunderstanding. We are now hearing that the office was willingly closed as the company had already made plans to move to Bangalore. Was the Goan office closed by the police, or was it closed willingly?

Terry Stern: The office was closed by the Police, however the company was not closed down and is still actively operating in India. In November of 2011 a decision had been made to move the company to Bangalore, the “Silicone Capital” of India due to it being more conducive to BBI’s expansion plans.

Finch: In David Hooker’s statement, he says:

“PS: Please be informed that although Mr Edney Heredia has been terminated from Banners Broker he continues to be one of the directors, and 50% shareholder in the company as he refused to relinquish his shares in the company. He tried to sell his shares for $50,000 and when this was refused he reduced his request to $10,000 which was still refused by the Executives of Banners Broker International.”

$20,000 seems like an extremely modest valuation. Can you disclose on what basis the offer of $10,000 for 50% of the company was refused?

Terry Stern: The company Banners Broker India was initially set up to operate on behalf of BBI and provide training and marketing services. This function has been passed to an Independent Contractor and as such, the company has no value. Mr Heredia has shares in a company that has no function or value. Paying $10,000, $20,000 or $50,000 for a company without value seems a bit ridiculous does it not?

Finch: On one hand you say the company has no value and its function has been passed to an independent contractor, on the other hand you say the company was not closed down and is still actively operating in India with plans to move to a large new office in Bangalore. Which is it?

** No further comment from Terry **

Finch: There are conflicting reports over how BannersBroker plans to deal with bloggers – like myself – and critics posting ‘negative’ pieces about the company. Just recently, Lorenzo Guarini, a leading Banners Broker ambassador was quoted as encouraging affiliates to “ignore the negativity online and get on with [your] businesses. They [Banners Broker] are going to have a bit of a blogging war, by having BB writing negative blogs about the negative bloggers which should be fun.”

This contradicts the official line of communication, clearly, as I am sitting on a cordial invitation to visit Canada and explore the head office in person.

What is your official response to the naysayers and critics? Should we be prepared for targeted hate campaigns, legal action or open invitations to Canada? Is there anything you’d like to say?

Terry Stern: I’ve actually already responded to this on your blog but I’ll say it again here.

Neither Stellar Point nor Banners Broker International is launching any type of ‘hate campaign’ or ‘blogging war’ against those who have expressed negative opinions about our company online. Every company looks to protect its image, however, I will not resort to that sort of behaviour. An invitation was sent to 4 people, 2 have accepted, 1 has refused and 1 has not acknowledged the invitation at all. So far, I have not received any dates to which any of those contacted would like to visit, but the offer stands.

I made this offer in order to allow those that would say negative things without having first-hand information, to have the opportunity to see and learn first-hand who we are, how the system operates, and have their questions answered in-person in-context rather than through text where the message can get lost or edited. Once they’ve had their questions and concerns dealt with, they can report back on us with factual first-hand experience and knowledge, whether they feel we’re legit or not, and everyone is satisfied.

I don’t like the “schoolyard rules or etiquette” like I’ve experienced on some forums/blogs. Our doors are open. If people want to know what’s really going on, come visit and find out for themselves, but to quit guessing and making a fool of themselves. They really don’t have the answers they think they do.

Finch: You were recently quoted on this blog as saying:

“BannersBroker used to have regional offices set up in each country they did business in. The problem arose whereby the people running some of those offices chose to stray from the official method of doing business and implemeted their own procedures and instructional techniques. This resulted in some of the problems we’ve been talking about on the blogs and forums, where misinformation was handed out, and affiliates were told the wrong thing to get them to sign up. One such issue was in fact in the UK, where the representative there started charging affiliates for support when he should have referred them to BBI. He also signed up people under false pretenses to the tune of $4 Million which he placed in an offshore account. You already have heard of what’s going on in India.”

This leads to a few obvious questions.

Firstly, is the UK representative you are referring to Ian Driscoll?

Shouldn’t members who signed up to Banners Broker under these false pretences be entitled to a full refund?

What action is being taken against the individual in question?

The official line on Driscoll’s departure was that “We wish Ian Driscoll and his wife Leslie all the very best for their new business venture.” Do you not think your UK affiliates have the right to know if their former recruiter stands accused of stealing $4 Million of their money?

** Terry declined to comment **

In Conclusion…

As you can see, Terry declined the opportunity to reply to many of my follow-up questions. He gave this reasoning:

“I’m letting you know, that I won’t be responding to the follow up questions. I’m not doing this out of malice, but rather basing it on the fact that my responses are being viewed through eyes that are comparing the company to traditional forms of using ad space rather than truly reading what I’ve been describing. Even reading through your follow up questions, it became apparent that you’re still looking at BBI as though they were an advertising company and not a broker.”

“As a result of this, I’ve composed a rather lengthy post, but a comprehensive response to you and those reading your blog, regarding once again, who the company is, and how it works. Everything there is the same as has gone to different governmental organizations around the world describing who the company is and how it operates. Hopefully this time people understand a little clearer how the whole process works, and find better things to do with their time than try and twist minute details into synthetic issues for debate.”

You can read Terry’s full response here.

I want to thank Terry for taking the time to answer (some) of my questions.

It would be easy for Banners Broker to ignore this blog and allow their devoted followers to dismiss the previous scam warnings as misleading lies and malicious ‘hate blogging’. Some will certainly try that tactic.

I appreciate Terry’s attempt to respond to the criticism, and I hope our exchange quells the ridiculous rumours that a ‘crack legal team’ is about to take action against me, and people like me, who speak out against the program.

Have any of the arguments put forward by Terry Stern changed my view of Banners Broker?

Unfortunately, no.

The core business model just does not stack up, and there are too many questions that remain unanswered. These were not difficult questions.

While Terry is quite within his right to refuse to comment, I reject the idea that “you’re still looking at BBI as though they were an advertising company and not a broker” qualifies as a reason for why some of the questions were passed over.

I look forward to visiting the Banners Broker HQ first-hand in March. Until then, I’m afraid my advice remains to avoid this program. If you already have money invested, I suggest withdrawing as much as you can as quickly as you can.

Shelved until 2014? Completely forgotten? Laying in a pile of abandoned gym spandex?

Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.

Last October, I posted about my plans to move to the States, crack the American Dream, build a house and live happily ever after.

True to form, my plans have changed about seven times since then. First I was staying in London, then I was going back to Thailand, then I was looking at the South of France, and now I’ve finally decided on Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme America.

It speaks volumes of my indecision that – in the last week alone – I’ve had emails from 3 different affiliates on 3 different continents all thinking I live near them.

No, I’m not some kind of direct marketing gypsy, I just really suck at finding the right property.

My fiancé and I both work from home, and we both like to travel, which means deciding where to move is a liberating joy, but one that can lead to episodes from The Shining if we’re not very bloody careful.

Don’t… touch… me. I’m… typing.
Don’t… touch… me. I’m… typing.
Don’t… touch… me. I’m… typing.

Renting in London: The Road to Ball Ache

If you’re going to live and work in the same building, it really needs to feel like a home.

But how can you make somewhere your home if you need written permission to hang a photo on the wall? Or to give it a lick of paint? That is the problem with renting in London, and it is the straw that broke this camel’s back.

For such a vast monthly spunkage of money, you would expect a home in return. What you actually get is a roof over your head and a pain in the arse. Several of them if your estate agent is Haart.

I want to own what I live in, but I don’t want to pay hundreds of thousands for a shoe box in Fulham. The alternative is a safe family home in suburbia where Costa marks the nearest attraction, and the next bus terminates at death. Or worse, having kids.

Ultimate bitch point: I don’t want my local food store to be a Budgens. I want to live in a country where Budgens is just a bad dream.

One of the great hooks of America is the opportunity to build our own home; something brand spanking new, so fresh we can still smell the timber.

I want something that has enough square footage to incorporate two home offices, a swimming pool and a snooker room.

She wants… to decorate it with candles, cushions and throws. Why are women like that?

Alas, America is the best choice. It’s also the most exciting choice.

You guys have a lot of cornfields. But you also have a lot of exciting, vibrant cities. New York City, Miami, San Francisco, Las Vegas… the mind reels with bright lights and a lifetime of Hollywood.

I’m sorry in advance if I besmirch any of the above with my presence.

Knock knock, America

Want to know how the immigration process for moving to America goes?

Very, very slowly.

I’m only just over halfway through the process.

Not only has the ordeal wiped crucial centimeters off my hairline, but it’s butchered at least 80% of my mornings with fun activities such as:

• Chasing vaccination files
• Pleading with the police for my arrest records (Disclaimer: There are none)
• Spending time in photo booths
• Kicking photo booths
• Swearing at photo booths
• Buying enough stamps to post myself around the world

I haven’t even had my medical at the US Embassy yet. There’s still a chance they’ll turn me back when they find my blood pressure reading says **AFFILIATE MARKETER**

Of course, there are things I will miss about London:

My friends and family

The hardest part about relocating is leaving behind your friends and family. I got homesick while living in Asia, and much of it was down to the false belief that I was disconnected from my loved ones. I felt like I was missing out on something, although I could never quite put in to words what that something was.

When I got home, it was great to see everybody. But people move on with their lives. They don’t wait for you to come ‘home’ to continue theirs.

Homesickness has very little to do with your location. It’s how content you feel with your day-to-day living. That means embracing wherever you are, not trying to crawl home to the nest, just because it feels familiar when your current surroundings do not.

The incredible NHS

Health care is a super important issue to both my fiancée and I. There was a point in November where we had reached an agreement that if Mitt Romney won the Presidency, we would stay in the UK. I don’t want to get overly political on a humble marketing blog, but it’s fair to say that we will miss the National Health Service that is available in the UK.

The NHS is a brilliant institution and part of what makes Britain great. It is a lifesaver for people with pre-existing medical conditions.

The infuriating but begrudgingly effective transport network

No TFL is going to suck.

I’m sure I’ll feel guilty for mocking the Picadilly Line within about 3 weeks of our separation. Even for those occasions where it really, really deserved the scorn.

It also means I’ll have to buy a car when I land in America.

For all the hate that gets directed at Transport For London, very few cities can claim to be as well connected. Until it snows.

It snows, we perish.

The ability to keep calm and STFU

There’s a certain way of life in London that can be summed up quite simply, “I won’t bother you, if you don’t bother me.”

If you’ve taken the tube before, you’ll be aware that it extends to just about all lines of communication. “I won’t catch your eye – even though I’m the breadth of a nose hair away from your face – if you won’t catch mine.”

To tourists, we must come across as the least social animals on earth. But to a Londoner, that moment of sweet purposeful avoidance tells us that we’re home.

The glorious tropical climate

Yeah, about that…

Show me the plane, already.

I’m hoping to make the jump across the pond on March 25th, as long as I get through the visa process in time.

It can be quite stressful to hop continents. And it will be the third time I’ve done so in 3 years, but it’s also very exciting. I can’t wait to meet new people, explore new cities and chase that elusive American dream.

Which may or may not be Taco Bell, screw you.

After charging the tablet for the first time, I felt a pang of guilt. Digital seems dirty for a traditionalist, but only for about 17 seconds. It then becomes a marriage of convenience.

I’ve always loved the feel and smell of fresh books.

I could spend an entire afternoon in Waterstones pawing my germs across the Marketing section. I still do, but only in the name of Showrooming.

When it comes to making a purchase? I usually land on Amazon, combing for rarities and loading up my Kindle with enough material to completely zone out and forget about London’s Central Line.

I am not the only one.

Book sales are shifting from print to digital at a frightening rate.

In August 2012, Amazon revealed that for every 100 hardbacks and paperbacks sold through their site, customers were downloading 114 ebooks. That was just two years after the introduction of the Kindle. Where might the publishing industry be in 2015?

Online, is the answer you’re looking for.

The Rise of the Ebook

A few years ago, if you told people that you had an ebook for sale, you would notice their claws sharpening in a reflex motion.

Ebooks were associated with Clickbank sales letters and products of the lowest calibre. If you had a secret to sell, or a magic formula to peddle, it belonged in an ebook.

Most reputable authors did not touch the format for fear of cheapening their art, but us Internet Marketers? We loved it.

Here’s why:

Yes, before selling ebooks became artistically acceptable (or even widely accessible), it was all about making money.

The arrival of the Kindle, paired with the boom in tablet sales, has seen a revolution in how we consume the written word; from newspapers to novels, from University textbooks to Nuts magazine (all 14 words of it).

The ebook is no longer a vehicle for novelty products. It is the only format that makes your writing available to all corners of the world in the click of a button. That is powerful. Selling digitally cuts so many costs that, inevitably, the print book will soon become a novelty.

Showrooming has become epidemic. The High Street can no longer cope with bastards like me flicking through the shelves with a camera in one hand, and a laptop in the other.

They say that the consumer is ‘always right’. While I will admit that he doesn’t have to be such an arse about it, there is good reason why we showroom and then buy online:

Better selection, cheaper prices, user feedback, and so on…

What does this mean for marketers and writers? It means that the publishing industry is now fair game for the little man. Once protected by agents and publishers, anybody who can slap their keyboards for long enough can now come away with a bestselling hit.

Just ask E. L. James.

Kindle for Writers… and Marketers

What is it that makes the Amazon Marketplace such a lucrative honeytrap for writers and marketers alike?

Well, firstly, it’s the built-in audience.

Even for the lucky few writers who score publishing deals, the biggest challenge has always been marketing their work. How do you get book sales when your prized masterpiece is hidden behind four crates of Fifty Shades in a dark, forgotten corner of the shop?

Selling on Amazon evens the playing field considerably. Not only can we optimise our work to leap ahead in the queue, but we can get that work in to the hands of millions of customers who would never usually find it.

If you are a writer sitting on an ‘almost’ finished manuscript, perhaps one that has been gathering dust since 1997, there has never been a better time to drag your work over the finishing line. Once you’ve uploaded your file to Amazon, it is available to buy within 12 hours. All around the world.

While writing is my passion, marketing is my day job. As a marketing platform, the Kindle represents a unique opportunity to grow an audience while funnelling traffic through to your website. One of the most interesting hooks of selling on Amazon is the opportunity to enrol your work in the KDP Select program.

By joining KDP Select, you can make any of your books freely available for a maximum period of 5 days out of 90. You might be wondering, “What is the purpose of giving away my hard work for free? I slaved balls to the walls for some sales!”

There are two main benefits:

• Instant exposure – In my most recent trial run on a Non-Fiction Self-Help title, I made the book free for 2 days and it received over 1600 downloads. For an extremely niche title, this was more than I expected.

• Free downloads affect the charts – Amazon doesn’t care whether your book was downloaded for free when it compiles the bestseller lists. Free copies means early momentum, and user reviews…

Once you get your books in to users’ hands, there’s also the chance of having the title appear in ‘Customers who liked this…‘ lists, which are invaluable for promotion if a user wouldn’t necessarily search out your title.

So, marketers, let’s say you have a website for a weight loss regime. You want to promote the course that goes with it, and you intend to use a mailing list to drive the sales.

Where do you start?

On one hand, you could invest a fortune in to paid advertising campaigns (the quickest and fastest way to gain traction, but usually the most expensive). Likewise, you could troll your own sanity by trying to crack Google for weight loss terms.

But what if you condensed some of the key points behind the course, repackaged it in to an ebook for the Kindle, and then gave it away for free on Amazon? You can use your ebook to deliver a cocktail of valuable tips, plus a subtle sales pitch for your further products.

Many titles are capable of scoring thousands of free downloads in their promotion days. This is music to the ears of a canny marketer. You don’t have to do anything to get your message out there. The audience devours it willingly.

While the money you make from Amazon on non-promotion days is unlikely to set your wallet on fire, it is a fantastic platform for getting your message in to the right hands.

Even once your 5 free promotion days are over (after 90 days, you receive 5 more), you can lowball the product at a measly $0.99 and attract an endless stream of spontaneous buys that would never have otherwise found your brand.

Note on royalties: Amazon uses a tiered royalty system. Ebooks priced below $2.99 earn a 35% royalty, while those priced over receive 70%. A book priced $0.99 will net you a $0.35 royalty, while a book priced $2.99 will get you $2.09.

How to Get Published on Amazon

It’s easy to get published on Amazon. The first step is to sign up on the Direct Publishing platform.

Once you’ve got an account, you are free to load your bookshelf with as many titles as you can muster from that abandoned folder marked ‘To Sort‘ on your desktop. (Speaking from experience here, but I’m sure many of you can relate…)

When you add a book to Amazon, you’ll be asked to provide the title, a description, the categories and some keywords to target.

• The title – Self explanatory. Aim for clickbait with the name of your book. It needs to attract eyeballs. Check out this great resource from Copyblogger on how to create magnetic headlines. Much of the same logic applies.

• The description – Your description is designed to read like a good blurb. It should draw readers in to what your book offers, without giving away the secret sauce (if you have any!). The description is also a great place to air testimonials and social proofing. For a new writer with a >$0.99 price point, these are deal clinchers.

• Categories – You can only choose two, so choose wisely. Spend time researching similar books on Amazon to get a feel for where your book belongs.

• Keywords – If a user was searching for the information/advice that is available in your book, what would that search term be? This should come naturally to SEOs.

After filling out your book’s details, you will be asked to submit a cover art. Now here’s where even the best writer has been known to get his panties in a twist.

Cover art is important. It’s more important than the 150 hours you spent crafting a masterpiece.

Why?

Because nobody is going to read a title that receives its final blessing from MS Paint at 4 ‘o clock in the morning.

Your book needs to stand out from the Amazon listings, which means studying two key variables:

1. What colour is the eye attracted to?
2. What typeface is easiest to read?

Choosing a colour requires that you explore the existing books in your target market and find a nice combination that stands out from the pack (whilst avoiding garish mutilations of yellow, green, sparkles and polka dots)

My advice for the typeface is to keep it simple. I don’t care if you’ve written a gothic horror thriller, or a Jimmy Savile memoir, Arial/Times beats splatters of blood where text is concerned. Here are some excellent pointers on designing your ebook cover.

I feel guilty for tempting you with a ‘How To’ guide where cover art is concerned. In nearly all cases, you will be better served outsourcing to a professional (or amateur) designer who is experienced in Photoshop.

I’ve read that it costs hundreds of dollars to get a good cover art. That’s BS. Try five bucks on Fiverr. You might not get a work of art, but you’ll beat your own MS Paint massacre.

Note: For a checklist of cover art requirements, see this article on KDP.

Once you’ve uploaded your work (remember to check it for errors, typos and all-round format butchery in the Kindle Preview tool), the only thing left to do is set your pricing.

This works on a per region basis. If you really wanted to be awkward, you could charge $0.99 in the United States while asking UK users to fork over £10. I generally don’t recommend being awkward. It is worth experimenting with a slightly lower price point in the developing nations though (Brazil, India etc).

How to Sell 1 Million Ebooks in 5 Months

Back in June 2011, John Locke became the first self-published author to break 1 million ebook sales on Amazon. He did so in the space of 5 months by selling an ebook every 7 seconds.

Pow, pow. That’s fast.

Locke’s strategy involves pricing low (usually at $0.99), marketing well, and relying on the strength of his back-catalogue to deliver volume of sales.

It’s well established that one of the best ways to break in to the Kindle market (especially writing fiction), is to have a series. You can then give away the first book for free, whilst driving your new readership to the rest of the series. If you are a good writer, a reader will pay $0.99 for your additional work. It’s a spontaneous buy.

“I put (the most famous authors in the world) in the position of having to prove their books were ten times better than mine”
- John Locke in the Telegraph on his pricing model

It’s a powerful strategy, and a dangerous one for the print publishing houses. They simply cannot compete in the basement bins with popular authors.

I often joke with my fiancée that I should write a bondage-themed vampire chic thriller, then call the main characters Kristan and Robart and be done with it. I joke, but then I think… maybe I really should.

There is huge potential on the Kindle for any writer with the self-discipline to get a series finished, particularly those with a marketing background and an eye for hot trends.

Through Fifty Shades, we have already seen that you don’t need to be a great writer to sell books. You need only have one eye for public sentiment, and another for good timing.

It is worth noting that selling 1 million ebooks, like John Locke, is no guarantee that you will become a millionaire. His books are mainly priced at $0.99, which means 1 million sales is only going to produce royalty revenue of $350,000.

That’s not small change, but it’s quite an underwhelming return for such a huge turnover of units. As marketers, we hope that selling a million of anything will be enough to make us millionaires.

Then again, these numbers were achieved in the space of 5 months during the first year of the Kindle boom. I’m sure there is no shortage of dinner on Locke’s table.

My Thoughts on Kindle

I am still experimenting with how to get the most out of the Amazon platform. Here are a few tips based on what I have learnt so far:

1. Learn to hoard social proofing

Affiliate readers of this blog will know only too well that social proofing sells. It cuts through decision fatigue like a knife through butter. If you can get an authority figure (or a relatable figure) to leave positive praise for your work, it might just be the dealmaker that persuades fence-sitters to buy. Use any public acclaim in your book’s description.

2. Promote every book with a mini-site

Amazon has a huge built-in audience, but we should be aware of the dangers in becoming platform-dependent. You don’t want your entire business to hinge on an Amazon product listing.

I recommend that for every ebook you publish, you should also create a standalone website complete with Facebook, Twitter and testimonials.

A great example of a mini-site that pimps its book well is this awesome effort from MJ Demarco, author of The Millionaire Fastlane.

Now, that is how you build a platform for your audience. Buy his book, too. The second half is an inspiring read.

Note: If you are selling your product via Kindle, tell the reader so! The Kindle’s little ‘Click to look inside’ icon is an established visual cue that builds trust on the back of the Amazon brand.

3. Use pen names

From what we know about ‘return buyers’, it may seem counter-productive to use different pen names for your books. If a user likes one book and searches for more from the author, does it not make sense to have ALL of your work available to buy?

In my opinion, hell no.

I use various pen names for the different genres I write in.

If you are a non-fiction writer, readers expect you to be an authority in your field. So it makes sense that you would publish all of your neuroscience ebooks under one pen name, instead of blurring your perceived authority by also having chick lit, conspiracy theories and sci-fi available to download.

If you are going to cover multiple genres, you need to either:

a) Brand yourself like a Kardashian
b) Develop multiple pen names and brand them individually

Showcasing a diverse hodgepodge of amateur expertise under one name is not recommended.

4. Use social media but don’t be an arse about it

I’ve read a bunch of advice on how to use Twitter and Facebook to skyrocket your book sales. One of the worst tips I’ve seen is that you should schedule publicity tweets throughout the day in the hope that people will click through to buy your work.

This is stupid advice. Stupidly stupid.

It’s robotic, it’s soulless and it’s damn near ineffective for those of us without a million followers on Twitter.

Promoting your work on Twitter and Facebook can be very effective, but only if you take the time to embrace a two-way conversation. Posting link after link after link on auto-pilot is a primitive use of social media that should have expired 3 years ago, it’s akin to the boo boos of a content marketing moron.

Your audience does not want to be dictated to, especially with pleads of “Buy my new book! Buy my new book!” every 4 hours.

Social media: the clue is in the name.

By all means, tell the world about your new work. Just learn when to shut your cake hole.

5. Premium bitesize content is going to explode

One of the most exciting aspects of the Amazon platform – and the low pricing strategy – is that it opens the door for a new kind of ‘bitesize content’.

Think items like:

• Reports
• Whitepapers
• Niche ‘How To’ guides
• Short stories

These are formats that the publishing industry has typically shied away from. It doesn’t make sense to publish bitesize content on a grand scale in print form, but online distribution is a game changer.

Now that we can monetize small pieces of content at a low price to a very large audience, there is a whole new frontier of premium content just waiting to be explored.

The customers are willing to buy. Are you willing to create?

Final Thoughts

The current surge in ebook sales is not going to slow down anytime soon. This is a booming trend, and it is there for the taking.

By tapping in to the Amazon marketplace, you can leverage a huge audience that has scaling potential by the bucketload.

I’ve set myself a target of selling 200,000 ebooks this year. That’s a lot of sales, and there’s a long way to go, but I’m confident I’ll get there. I then hope to use the sales as a launch pad for a traditional book deal, which is a different beast altogether.

Are you looking to crack Amazon? Have you made it a part of your marketing strategy?