Affiliate Marketing Theory

by Jack Humphrey on Mar 22

What do you think?

Software sells better than training because people can’t tell themselves “I can get this for free on some blog somewhere.”

Software, like GoTryThis, solves a complicated problem for which there is no better free solution.

Theoretically, compared to an affiliate recommendation for a written course on stats tracking, link cloaking, and cookie embedding, the software should win in a test because it is the solution rather than information people tell themselves can be found somewhere for free.

Tagged as: affiliate marketing

  • http://www.womeninternetmarketers.tv Diane Corriette

    Software sells better than training because software solves a problem. Anything that instantly solves a problem will always “win”

    Training takes commitment. It means a person has to make time to learn something and follow through with action to make it happen.
    From talking to a number of Blog Success members a lot of them have one thing in common and that is that they jumped from one idea to another, from one product to another trying to build a business. Now they know that it can’t work that way and they are determined to work on one thing only. That’s their blog.

    When people realize that all the free information in the world won’t help them…. neither will all the training for that matter unless they are highly self motivated – the next best thing is a membership site and one that provides support and motivation.

    When it’s free you have no idea how reliable the information is and you are still working alone. Training with support, and a forum where you can mix with other people will always be successful – as long as you make full use of everything available.

    In 2005 when I started online there were a couple of people who refused to buy a training package at an internet marketing event I attended because they believed “it was too expensive” and “they can learn alone”

    Where are they now? one has given up and the other is still struggling to make a few dollars. Everyone that invested in the same training I did is flourishing right now.

    Five years from now you can either be flourishing because you invested in quality training with someone you trust or you can still be floundering around looking for more free information and trying to make a few bucks.

    Just my thoughts :)

    Diane

    P.S. I really should have made that a blog post lol

    Diane Corriettes last blog post..You have greatness in you

  • http://www.asktak.com/ Tak Hikichi

    And perhaps the more lucrative aspect of selling software is that it can be licensed and, it’s not easy to create one from scratch.

    An experienced marketer may put together a training course and it can be copied, but with software, it takes the engineering mind to figure out and not many people go for the trouble of creating one.

    But the question of “which sells better”? That I don’t know. If a well organized training course is sold by an experienced marketer, it can outsell a well manufactured software.

    Jack, you know the answer to this. If you must choose between the two, which one would you keep?

    • http://www.jackhumphrey.com/ Jack Humphrey

      Tak – if I had to choose with a gun to my head – software.

  • http://nicelydonetemplates.com Best Web Templates

    I do agree with you on software does sale before training would, but who could actually make software faster than a training guide, if you were a marketer what would think to create first to make profits a training guide or software? Good post!!!!

  • http://marketsecrets.biz Caleb (Market Secrets Blogger)

    Well this is where things are heading as far as affiliate marketing goes: virtual training centers that offer a more interactive element to learning instantly – which is a better way to learn any way ;)

    …and like Dianne said:

    Anything that instantly solves a problem will always “win”

    Caleb (Market Secrets Blogger)s last blog post..Video Comments Now Live On MSB!

  • http://www.digital-pink.com CAREN MAGILL

    I completely agree, and I often think this myself when I come across ebooks. I think ebooks have lost a lot of inherent value because there is so much readable content on the web already. I have stacks of information I’d love to browse, but I don’t have the luxury of time to do so.

    I will however, pay for teleclasses and webinars as I find them much more useful and interactive. I’m also an auditory learner, and I think that makes a big different to your individual audience

    CAREN MAGILLs last blog post..Why you need social media to build your business, even if you don’t think you do.

    • http://www.jackhumphrey.com/ Jack Humphrey

      Caren – it is certainly a balancing act for product and info producers to deal with the different kinds delivery people prefer. As soon as you creat an ebook, somone wants a video. If you only produce the information in video, the people who like to read and have searchable content, they’ll want you to produce written versions.

      Covering all the bases is important today more than ever as competition for eyeballs and interest is stiff with all the free info online leading many to think they’re getting everything they need for free.

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