Chronic Commissions Review
As I am writing this post a product called “Chronic Commissions” is the #1 most popular product in the e-business & e-marketing (online business and internet marketing) section of Clickbank, which also happens to be one of the most popular affiliate marketplaces on the internet, if you didn’t already know that. I noticed it the other day when I was checking my CB sales stats but I didn’t really look into it until I saw a post on the most popular internet marketing forum in the world. I recognized one of the people posting positive reviews in the thread as a very well-known and respected IM expert. Obviously they are doing something right so I decided it was probably time for me to check out Chronic Commissions for myself.
After going through it I decided to write a review for my blog readers (such as you) to read. So here is my review of Chronic Commissions…
To start I must say the sales letter is full of hype. It’s seriously overboard in that category. I’m not a fan of hypey products in general so that definitely gives this a negative point in my book, even though it is expected on most internet marketing products. However, on the other hand, their video is actually quite entertaining. It kept my attention well enough to watch the whole thing and that is very rare for me. So I will give them a small bonus on that aspect of the sales letter.
Now. let’s get a little more into what the Chronic Commissions product really consists of…
Basically it’s a very cool web based software that automatically builds your email list for you and promotes various products to your list so you can make money from them. I’m sure you’ve heard the popular saying, “the money is in the list” and it’s very true. Chronic Commissions can help with that.
Pretty much all you have to do is to put in your autoresponder and clickbank account information. Then, a few more quick things and you’re done. The system also has pre-loaded email swipes that can be used to send to your subscribers to make it even more effortless for you.
The setup is quite user friendly even for a complete beginner. And there’s a video for each section that is very easy to understand.
It really doesn’t even require you to have your own domain or hosting because the software is web based. All you do is enter in a few pieces of information:
* Clickbank ID – For your affiliate links
* Paypal ID (optional) – In case you want to get paid per lead
* Autoresponder Code – To build your list
After you finish that simple step, you’re ready to set up your campaigns. That part is also pretty self explanatory.
They have several high converting offers displayed for you. All you have to do is simply type in your tracking ID and decide if you want it go to the squeeze page or salesletter. Once you do that it takes you through a few more easy steps of picking and choosing what you want, and showing you what it will look like.
They also give you a great list of solo ads providers. Each of them shows you their testing results, the list size, costs per click, and so on. These people and companies will send emails to their lists for you at a great price. I loved this part because it is information that can be used for my internet marketing in many ways.
Once your list starts building, Chronic Commissions will send out emails to your subscribers about the various products in a way that is proven to generate sales.
That’s pretty much it. There’s a little more to it here and there, but that’s the main part of it and really all you need to know.
Also, there are some really great bonuses, but I won’t get into those since they aren’t the main part of what you are actually paying for.
So, the big question is…
Does the product deliver as promised or is it just one big pile of crap?
Well, the answer is actually somewhere in between if you ask me. It’s not quite as easy as they try to make it out to be and I highly doubt you are ever going to earn the kind of money they are claiming from it. But, it’s not worthless either. You really can make money using the system and it’s not overly difficult by any means. In my opinion, it’s definitely worth giving it a shot.
So, do I recommend Chronic Commissions? Overall the answer is yes, I do. Just don’t expect to get rich in the next month with a few clicks of your mouse as the sales copy would have you believe. But it does have great potential for building a great list and making money, so it’s certainly worth the cost.
That’s all I really have to say about it. So, I guess that concludes my chronic commissions review. If you are still interested in checking it out after reading my opinions about it, I would really appreciate you using my link. Here it is again: Chronic Commissions
Can You Make Big Money on Amazon?
In a word, yes. It’s absolutely, 100% possible to make an extremely comfortable living promoting products through the Amazon Associates program.
Plenty of people dismiss the Amazon affiliate program because of its low commission percentages and short cookie times. But the truth is, Amazon’s program has several things going for it that no other provider on the market can compete with. It is these advantages that make the program so appealing to affiliates around the world.
For example, you can’t beat Amazon’s brand recognition or reputation for superior customer service – both of which are known to convert visitors more effectively than most other affiliate programs.
Think about it – who would you trust more to offer a good product for your hard earned dollars? A seemingly fly-by-night affiliate website with a few pages of content and a bunch of banner ads? Or Amazon – the web’s largest retailer, whose A-to-Z customer satisfaction policy guarantees every transaction? When it comes to reputation and trust factors, you just can’t beat Amazon.
Amazon also has another major advantage over most affiliate programs, and that’s the number and breadth of product lines, which can increase the dollar value of your visitor substantially. Although Amazon’s cookie length is short (you only have 24 hours to convert a visitor into a buyer), most customers who click through your link will wind up buying more than just the product you’re promoting.
As an example, say you run a site that promotes scrapbooking products. If your site visitors click through your affiliate link to purchase scrapbooking die cut machines, they might also add scrapbooking stickers, die cut cartridges and decorative papers to their orders to save on shipping costs, which could easily double or triple the amount of the sale. With absolutely no work on your part, you’ve increased your commission substantially.
Now, there’s no arguing with the fact that Amazon’s affiliate percentages are substantially lower than most other affiliate providers. You’re going to start at a 4.00% commission rate, and you’ll have to sell over 3,131 products to reach the highest payout level – which is still only 8.50% for most product categories. Compared with affiliate products that pay out 50-75% per sale, this can be quite a shock to new affiliates when they first join Amazon’s program.
However, there are two factors that make these low commission rates a non-issue. The first is the tendency of visitors to purchase more than just the item they were referred to, which effectively increases your commission rate, as described above. And the second is a choice that you, the affiliate marketer, can make to only promote products over a certain dollar value.
So again, say you’re promoting scrapbooking machines, as in our earlier example. Instead of promoting entry-level machines, which might retail for $50-$100, why not go after the higher end models, which can sell for $500+ or more? For the same amount of work, you’ll earn more money, which will more than compensate for the lower payout rates.
But don’t take my word for it. Look at example like Chris Guthrie, who earned a substantial monthly payout promoting netbooks on his “NetbookReviews.com” website before selling the site in a five-figure deal.
Top Amazon affiliates take advantage of Amazon’s unique perception as being the lowest cost provider of goods, online and offline. They count on their affiliate site visitors to remember Amazon’s free shipping policies, helpful reviews and extensive buying resources – all of which help them translate these visitors into more sales and more income.
To get signed up with the Amazon affiliate program, simply navigate to https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/ and complete the application. Please note that, at this point, affiliates in some states – including Rhode Island, North Carolina, Illinois and, most recently, California – aren’t currently eligible to participate in the program, after these states passed laws that require internet affiliates to collect local sales taxes.
However, if you are eligible for the program, signing up is a breeze and integrating Amazon affiliate ads into your current website is easy to do. So start taking advantage of the unique benefits of partnering with the web’s largest retailer and enjoy what the Amazon affiliate program can do for your bottom line.
Guest post submitted by Pawel Reszka, the creator of Affhelper.com, a blog where he posts killer affiliate marketing tips to help others make money online. Check out his free video course on how to make money with Amazon.
Interview with an Internet Marketing Manager
Considered working as an Intenet Marketing Manager? This interview will take you through the ups and downs you can expect in the position, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story as told to MarketingJobs.org and is one of many interviews with marketing professionals which among others include Marketing & Media Relations and VP Marketing.
What is your job title and what industry do you work in? How many years of experience do you have in that field?
My career position includes creating and executing marketing plans for small businesses that are mostly web-based. I spend roughly 8-10 hours a day creating web copy, researching search trends and creating marketing plans. Many people think that web marketing is just about using the right keywords to get web traffic but our jobs are much more than that.
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your job satisfaction? What would it take to unleash your full enthusiasm, talent and productivity?
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my job satisfaction at a 10. I enjoy what I do and I get to use the full range of my creativity. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like work.
Does this job move your heart? Feel like you found your calling or sweet spot in life? If not, what might do it for you?
I definitely feel that this job is my calling. I started out looking for a career as a writer, and with the evolution of the Internet, becoming skilled in marketing just followed naturally. I love what I do and I look forward to learning about the new changes in web marketing every day.
Is there anything unique about your situation that readers should know when considering your experiences or accomplishments?
The one thing that is unique about my experience is that I didn’t start out looking to go into marketing. With my journalism background, however, the opportunity just seemed to fit naturally. Careers sometimes happen that way. From fields you never expected to enter.
How did you get started in this line of work? If you could go back and do it differently, what would you change?
I initially wanted to be a newspaper reporter but found that the newspaper market was difficult to break into. I started taking freelancing jobs in writing and found that I had a natural talent for it. If there is anything I would do differently, it would have been to take more classes in business management. Freelancing is a lot like running a business and those skills would have helped me tremendously.
What did you learn the hard way in this job and how did that happen?
I learned the hard way that it’s not enough to just be good at something. There are a lot of people who are better than you, more talented and more skilled than you are. You have to learn to sell yourself, especially in competitive markets. I learned to create a personal brand and market it.
What don’t they teach in school that would’ve been helpful to you?
The single most important thing I’ve learned outside of school about the working world is that you can’t limit yourself to one skill. You have to be versatile and multi-talented. You have to be able to fulfill many roles and do a lot of jobs. The days of getting one job and performing one task are over.
What’s the strangest thing that ever happened to you in this job?
The strangest thing that ever happened to be in this job was doing a marketing event for a celebrity client. We had a limited time to get everything done and we had to meet a lot of demands. I had to run all around the city looking for one of those big checks for their ribbon cutting ceremony. It was stressful at the time but now that I look back on it, it was big fun.
What’s the most rewarding moment you’ve experienced in this position? Of all the things you’ve done at work, what are you most proud of?
I get up and go to work every day with a smile on my face. I get paid to do something I love. How many people can actually say that? I always feel proud when something I’ve written or created helps a business earn more money. I like helping small business owners.
What’s the most challenging moment you’ve experienced? What would you prefer to forget?
Every day brings a new set of challenges. There are those clients that don’t understand how we work and get upset when they don’t see instant results. Then there are those times when we have to try several different methods to get things to work the way we planned. It gets rough some days.
How stressful is your job? Are you able to maintain a comfortable or healthy work-life balance?
Overall, I would say that my job is pretty low-stress. We all wear jeans to the office and a lot of us work from home part-time. We have a basketball hoop in our office and we take frequent coffee breaks. It’s fun.
What’s a rough salary range for the position you hold? Are you paid enough and/or happy living within your means?
As a marketing manager, my salary range is between $55,000 and $85,000. I live in a major metropolitan city so that generally skews the range upward. For people who work for themselves, that figure can easily be doubled.
How much vacation do you take? Is it enough?
I generally take about two to three weeks of vacation time per year. Sometimes I take my laptop and work from the beach. When I do that, I can take an extra week of vacation time.
What education and skills do you need to get hired and succeed in this field?
Generally you need a bachelor’s degree in business or written communication to succeed in Internet marketing. However, many Internet marketers are self-taught and are more skilled than their more educated counterparts. When you’re studying toward a career in marketing, it helps to take courses that specifically address Internet marketing techniques.
What would you tell a friend considering your line of work?
If I had a friend considering Internet marketing as a career, I would definitely tell them to go for it. The field is only expected to grow in the future. With new advances in social media marketing and mobile marketing, there is a huge demand for professionals that can assist small businesses in their marketing efforts. You don’t necessarily have to get a four-year degree to learn internet marketing. There are many conferences, webinars and internship opportunities that will assist you in learning the craft. If I had a friend considering Internet marketing, I would let them know that the time to act is now.
If you could write your own ticket, what would you like to be doing in five years?
If I could write my own ticket, I would be retired in five years, sitting on a beach.
