OK, this might be the world's longest checklist for affiliate marketers and bloggers.
But don't let that deter your interest in becoming a blogger who does affiliate marketing, as many items on this affiliate marketing checklist need only be done once (i.e. install your blog), while a number of others are tongue-in-cheek, i.e. eat and sleep. 🙂
Most items on this checklist are linked to blog posts on this site where you'll find more information about the topic.
Important list items WITHOUT links (i.e. choose your niche, assess affiliate programs, create an autoresponder series, etc.) are covered in detail in my book.
I hope this affiliate marketing checklist helps with your business.
Happy Blogging!
- Determine whether blogging is right for you.
- Are you able to finance a blogging business?
- Learn and understand industry terminology, i.e. do NOT say ‘affiliate' when you mean merchant!
- Ask LOTS of questions!
- Consider your interests (food, going green…)
- Assess / research markets for profit potential
- Consider the state of the economy
- Confirm that there are products to sell in your niche.
- Choose your niche. Be happy, avoid the BizOp niche.
- Decide whether to use your real name or a pseudonym
- Think up a good name for your business / blog
- Protect your computer against spam and viruses
- Arrange computer backups – backup power unit or at Carbonite (or both)
- Register your domain name
- Arrange web hosting
- Familiarize yourself with host's operating system, i.e. cPanel
- Learn and exercise patience
- Confused? Evaluate educational opportunities
- Be careful to avoid scam artist ‘teachers'
- Setup email forwarding addresses, i.e. me @ mydomain.com
- Install WordPress
- Install Akismet for blog spam protection
- Buy a professional WordPress theme
- Design or hire a professional to create a logo
- Install multiple web browsers to review blog design
- Configure your blog backup schedule.
- Setup comment moderation preferences.
- Write a Comments Policy.
- Add a ping list.
- Setup user registration preferences, subscriber vs. author, etc.
- Get a Gravatar.
- Write your Author bio.
- Setup a PayPal account for commission payments.
- Get a Google account.
- Set up a Google Feedburner feed
- Sign up for Google Adsense.
- Set up an autoresponder account to build your subscriber list
- Create an autoresponder series
- Install autoresponder code on blog
- Setup Blog Broadcast functionality with Feedburner feed info
- Setup a Facebook Profile (here's mine)
- Setup a Facebook Page
- Install Facebook code on your blog
- Register at LinkedIn
- Setup a Twitter account
- Install Sexy Bookmarks to allow readers to share your posts
- Install the Contact Form 7 plugin
- Create a Contact page
- Create an AboutUs page
- Add Disclaimer page
- Add Disclosure page (to keep FTC happy)
- Create blog categories
- Write blog category descriptions
- Get a text or HTML editor to write your posts offline
- Write a series of ‘starter' posts
- Use multiple browsers to see how your blog appears in each
- Tag posts with relevant keywords
- Buy graphics / images to enhance posts
- Use your own images with a Flickr account
- Monetize your site intially with Google Adsense.
- Join the Amazon affiliate program (if you are eligible)
- Join Clickbank
- Join other affiliate networks, e.g. CJ, ShareaSale
- Supply networks with direct depost information
- Apply to affiliate programs
- Appeal to merchants directly if declined
- Evaluate and compare affiliate offers
- Choose best offers and products to promote
- Organize your affiliate information
- Learn how to cloak your affiliate links
- Write product reviews
- Get affiliate code from merchant
- Install affiliate links in product reviews
- Monitor sales statistics
- Confirm commission checks and bank deposits are accurate
- Set a goal to double earnings each and every month
- Assess why commissions may not be as high as expected
- Tweak posts to increase conversion rates
- Review sales statistics again
- Monitor you email list for unsubscribes after publishing posts
- Assess best ratio of promotional to informational posts
- Create a publishing plan to follow
- Continue writing informative articles
- Create a swipe file to prevent writer's block
- Buy and use PLR content when writing bores you
- Respond to blog reader comments (good and bad)
- Use reader comments to get ideas for content **
- Build relationships – respond to Facebook friend comments
- Setup a polling plugin
- Create polls to get reader feedback
- Send out a press release with poll results
- Create an Android or iPhone app for your blog
- Build trust – respond to email submitted via Contact form
- Write standardized responses to frequently asked questions
- Create a F.A.Q.
- Check email regularly for new affiliate offers
- Monitor website traffic with Google Analytics
- Use Google Reader to stay abreast of industry news
- Comment on relevant blogs to build traffic through backlinks
- Comment on relevant forums for backlinks
- Set up a Yahoo! account
- Make video product reviews (you'll Flip for this)
- Upload videos to YouTube and post to blog
- Connect your YouTube and Facebook accounts
- Monitor and respond to YouTube user comments
- Add monetization to YouTube videos
- Assess popularity of blog posts
- Create a list of popular blog posts
- Create a list of your best blog posts in a single category
- Sign up for Klout to check your ‘influence'
- Check your ‘bounce rate'
- Write additional articles for placement on article directories
- Re-invest earnings in software and hardware upgrades
- Buy PPC advertising on Google Adwords
- Perform WordPress and plugin updates (but not TOO quickly)
- Figure out which plugin is causing blog bloat
- Fret over database errors and other traumas
- Prepare for possible server outages
- Clone your blog
- Check site for broken links
- Look for links that still work but do not go where intended
- Link posts together with relevant keyword phrases for better SEO
- Hold a contest to encourage reader feedback and additional traffic
- Invite guest bloggers to write articles
- Guest post on other peoples' blogs
- Write stellar responses to questions on Yahoo! Answers
- Find out how much Klout you have
- Take a course or buy software to improve your copywriting and writing skills
- Tackle and take down copyright thieves
- Attend an industry conference
- Implement lessons learned at conference
- Turn your blog into a membership site … I did
- Translate your site
- Get success tips to stay inspired, focused and motivated
- Learn how to manage your money
- Subscribe to industry trade magazines
- File your taxes
- Sign up for an affiliate marketing / blogging course
- Celebrate and monetize the holidays
- Eat
- Sleep
- Get some exercise
- Have some fun
- Make time for your family
- Give to others
- Enjoy your disposable income
- Wash, rinse, repeat
fd
Have I missed anything? Comments, questions or suggestions? PLEASE let me know by leaving a comment below!
Cheers,
