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,
First of all I would like to say suoerb blog! I had a quick question which I’d like to
ask if you don’t mind. I was curious to find out hhow
you center yourself and clear your mind prior to writing.
I’ve had a difficult time learing my thoughts in getting my ideas out there.
I do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the ffirst 10
to 15 minutes are usually wasted simply just trying to figure out
how to begin. Any recommendations or tips? Thank you!
Hello Rosalind,
I actually got your book two years ago, but only now have I started to do something about it.
Just today I chose a domain name with blue host as you recommended, but I wanted to ask you if you would also recommend the additional services blue host offers such as:
SiteLock Domain Security- $14.99 per year,
Site Backup Pro – $12.95 per year
Search Engine Jumpstart – $14.99 per year, and
Domain Whois Privacy-$9.99 per year
Thanks,
Hi Rosalind,
I noticed that on this list and in your Super Affiliate Handbook you don’t mention registering your site with like Google or Yahoo. Is this not a necessary step?
Thanks,
Cristina
Hi Cristina,
If you’re following the program, you don’t need to ‘register’.. you’ll get listed automatically in Google. If you want to list with Yahoo!, then by all means, go ahead.
Cheers,
Ros
Isit possible to use your disclaimer?
Hi Debbie,
Feel free to use the basics of my disclaimer, but do make some changes to make it clearly your own.
Cheers,
Ros
Another thing Rosalind,
No Im not intending to sell my own items. Im planing to do an affiliate programe. Which I actually read from your book. strategies methods and stuff. i mean I do have a concept of what I want to do and sell. Its just I’m not so computer savy that makes me unsure how to start with. ok back to SBI. is it still ok to do affiliate with SBI?
Regards
Justin
Hi Justin,
Absolutely, you may use SBI for any type of website you want to create. 🙂
Cheers,
Ros
Hi I am thinking of enrolling with SBI. are they good does it realy help beginners? im pretty much at the beginning stage where i dont realy know much. at the moment.
Regards
Justin
Hi Justin,
I definitely still recommend SBI as a means of doing online business, especially if you plan to sell your own product. You can read more about them at https://rosalindgardner.com/blog/sitebuildit-review/
Cheers,
Ros
…very good…I appreciate the ‘list’ I will do my ‘checklist’ from it so that I can be sure to maximize my ‘connection’ opportunity (with people) and my maximal income potential…I do believe people need what I have to offer, so why not ‘learn’ and be reminded how to make sure they get it in the most effective and accurate way possible…thanks for sharing Rosalind!
Hi Rosalind
A pretty comprehensive list. I will have to keep coming back to check what I am doing and what I am not doing!
A very informative post as always
Dee
Great list. I think you covered it in your book as well, although I lost it along with the laptop it was downloaded on. You could actually double your list by having every even number as being “organize what you’ve done”. I find myself spending more time looking for things that I should have easily accessible in one place. Just starting, I thought I only had a few things to keep up with. Now it’s just confusing.
Always a fan,
James
Great list very thorough Rosalind. I would also like to add do not think you will get rich over night blogging is a business and it takes work like any other business to succeed. But stick with it and be persistent and you will eventually. Happy 2012 Rosalind.
Hey Ros:
This is a pretty big and comprehensive list. There are quit a few ideas that I need to start implementing.
I really like #93 – Create an Android or iPhone app for your blog. I never really thought about doing something like this (I must have missed that post). I did check out you post on this and Bloapp does look pretty easy to use.
Thanks,
– Rick
Hi Rosalind
Thanks for this list…
I wonder if it will all fit on my computer!!:)
I have one down and 147 to go…
Item #129 course
Regards
Larry
Roz,
What a great list. Found a few gems I didn’t know about. Keep up the fantastic work!
Lowell
Hi Rosalind,
What a great, fun list! I’m looking forward to testing myself against it. Bet I haven’t even done half!
57 and 26 seem to be duplicates – Installing multiple browsers for testing.
Cheers,
Jake.
Awesome list Ros, and awesome post as always 🙂
Great list have bookmarked it and will share it with my list.
Thanks
Thanks so much. This list is sure to remove a lot of confusion about what to do when, instead of just going around in circles.
Wish you’d create a downloadable PDF of the list too so that we can print it out and stick it at some place where we can see it all the time.
Hi Ros
I love that list – so methodical.
One thing that struck me is that there is no overt mention of keywords SEO and link building etc other than a reference to Article writing and guest blogging – to be honest if the focus is on properly structuring the blog and greatcontent then that is very refreshing – but is it enough?
Another is testing – 147 actions are a lot if you don’t keep an open mind about whether you are fishing in the right pond?
Best wishes
David
Thanks Ros for the great 148-point checklist. I printed it out and keeping it on my deck.
Thanks again
Jim Scott
I have such a long way to go….so far I made the coffee. Thanks for the great check list.
Rosalind,
WOW!!! Thank you for your checklist. This will definitely make me a better internet marketer. Keep up the good work.
Rosalind,
Great list and just shows I have learned a lot from you and others in the last few years. Only a few on the list that I wasn’t aware off (Wp plugins) and a few I’m guilty of just not doing.
This will probably get posted on my wall above my monitor.
Thanks. Monna Ellithorpe
Wow! So much information all in nice neat order. No wonder my head swirls at times wondering what I’ve missed.
I see alot of things here I do, things I should do and haven’t, and things I slack on too much.
All in all, a wonderful list to refer to as a refresher, and I’m hoping (but have no doubt) some good detailed instructional information I need badly on a few specific subjects.
Thank you Ros so much! This is great.
Loving the fact that Eat is #139 and Sleep is #140, we’re all cut from the same cloth! although I think I would have started with #1 make your self a Coffee!
Great list, as a WordPress developer, can I add to the WP section
Install WP Firewall Plugin
Install Login Lockdown plugin
Both critical for security and best done at the start before it’s too late
Matt Houldsworth
Digitalquill
Thanks, Matt!
Consider it (already) done!
Cheers,
Ros
A most comprehensive list that I can hardly wait to dig into and go deeper. Although some I can check off, others will give me more options and topics to consider. Thank you for taking the time to put this all together!