McIntosh Marketing Blog

Is Affiliate Marketing Really Worth It?

Now this is a question that I hear over and over from client’s and co-workers alike.  Everyone wants to know if Affiliate Marketing is not only worth it but if it is really beneficial?  Or what the risks are of marketing for a company and then finding out their unethical?  Just like everything else, it really depends on what products your sign up for and how you market them.

One of the most important things you must do before deciding to market for a company is to inspect the website.  Take your time to check and make sure they have accurate contact information by calling them or looking them up in an online phone directory.  You can also take this time to verify their address.  If you notice the address varies with other listings online then this may be a flag that the business is not legitimate.  This is not always the case as others may be marketing this product as an affiliate as well but the corporate information, address and phone number should all match up regardless.

PAY ATTENTION!!!   You should always make sure their site offers details, images and a full description of the product or service that they are offering.  You are responsible for what you are promoting so it is very important that you educate yourself on the product or service prior to any affiliate marketing promotions.

Always check the sites disclosure on what the charges will be to the users/client’s.  This will show you that there is nothing the company is trying to hide and that it is not a scam.  If there is no disclosure on the site it may be a real good sign to take your business somewhere else.

Next you should search for their company name on Google.  This will show you how well they are ranking currently which can give you some insight on how easy or difficult it may be to market the product.  Like I said, this is just for insight and it may not be accurate for a product that is brand new.  Also at this time you can see what kind of feedback people are giving on the product prior to committing to selling it.  You can see if there are lot’s of customer complaints or satisfaction which can help you make your decision before investing any time or money into it.  You have to be realistic when using this tip to make a decision because many companies will have complaints, regardless of their legitimacy, so you may need to feel them out to see if the complaints are valid.

Allot goes into finding an legitimate affiliate with a good offer besides just how much they pay out.  Always make sure you feel 100% informed about your product so you are totally comfortable prior to selling it.  Confidence and believing in your product truly is the key to increasing your online sales and making your affiliate marketing really worth it!

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Web Marketing & Sun Tzu

I have always been a fan of Sun Tzu’s treatise, The Art Of War.  But when I recently watched the History Channel’s presentation on this world-renowned book, it made me think how most businesses do not apply it.

One would need to watch this TV version of the book as a good start, as well as read the book itself. ( I recommend the James Clavell version)  But one thing stuck out for me above all else and that was to attack an enemy’s weakness despite one’s size. In this case size does not matter. In other words, any guerrilla force can be effective if they are stealthy, consistent and attack the enemy’s weak spots.  And everyone has at least one.

In marketing, I hear to often about how they have a small budget, no sales people, lower revenue and on and on. In other words, they have not realized that they have to adapt and become a guerrilla marketer. And no where else can this be done more effectively than the web. This is because of two major factors:

1. The internet has evened the odds, more than any other factor in business. You may be operating from your home, or even while eating a muffin at your local coffee house, but your potential client cannot tell that by looking at your web site.

2. About 90% of the companies, big and small, are either not utilizing all possible methodologies and tactics or are making big mistakes that is costing them SEO and SEM potentialities.

The guerrilla marketer does not look at what he or she does NOT have. They look at their competition’s weakness and develop practical ways to exploit them.  Most companies do not blog often. This is a weakness. Most companies do not submit articles or use online PR distribution channels. This too is a weakness. There are hundreds of examples of weaknesses to be found.

Based on this knowledge, one can then develop tactics that would make Sun Tzu proud and your banker even happier with all the profits generated with your online marketing campaign.

Ancient knowledge is still as applicable as it was today, even in the world of internet marketing.

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Marketing Company Provides Free Local Internet Marketing Help

McIntosh Marketing, a leading Internet marketing consultancy, announced today its offer to provide free local online marketing evaluations and plans. These consultations will give customized steps and strategies for getting concrete results from web marketing.

Stanton, California, March 27, 2010 – McIntosh Marketing, an experienced online marketing company, announced today the launch of its newest offering, a free Internet marketing analysis and strategic plan.  The strategy creates a step-by-step plan to dramatically improve a company’s revenue, website traffic, and online prestige.  McIntosh Marketing will include instructions on how to do video marketing, social media image, and local search engine optimization.

This free consultation is produced to give companies the chance to turn any non-performing website or online marketing project into a profitable endeavor.  Daily changes in communications technology, like Google’s smartphone interface, have catapulted the importance of establishing a positive, highly visible, local online presence.  The local Internet marketing plan provides a detailed guide of how to maximize Internet exposure for increased business, including how to obtain positive reviews, optimize local search engine results, create loyalty, word-of-mouth online advertising, improve website design, and take advantage of new social networking sites.

Over the past 12 years, Bill McIntosh with McIntosh Marketing, has created 1,000 plus websites and generated $20 million in revenue for its clients.  The company’s Twitter followers number 40,000 and CEO Bill McIntosh’s YouTube videos have had more than 500,000 views.  McIntosh Marketing’s website, http://www.mcintoshmarketing.com/products-services, offers additional resources for Internet marketing.

About McIntosh Marketing:  McIntosh Marketing is a premier, genuine web marketing and consulting company with expertise advising businesses on how to improve their profits, website traffic, and online buzz.

Contact:

Edwin Dearborn

12235 Beach Blvd. Suite 206
Stanton, CA 91505

(877) 797-6825

http://www.McIntoshMarketing.com

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Win An Apple iPad LIVE At The Orange County Mixer Business Networking Event!

I’ll be broadcasting LIVE tonight from the Orange County Mixer. We’re celebrating the re-launch of our new site & will be promoting our Internet marketing & website marketing services for business. To really kick off this promotion I’m launching a brand new contest tonight where you can win an Apple iPad!

Click here for more information on the Orange County Networking Event

It’ll be an awesome event with thousands of business owners & executives coming out to network. We’ll have a booth at the event & if you’re local you should stop by to say hi. If you’re not local… don’t worry 🙂 I’ll be broadcasting live online at:

http://www.mcintoshmarketing.com/live

I look forward to seeing you there!

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