But, when I got an email about an affiliate contest for the launch, I knew I had to participate.  And I knew I could get conversions.

Yes, I tried to use the first place prize (Some expensive BMW) as motivation, knowing full well I couldn’t compete against the big boys.   And, I would have just sold the car anyway.

But just playing in the same sandbox with the big players was enough for me.  This time.

And I did extremely well.  It was a short window where the product was massively discounted.  I only had about a week to make as many sales as possible.  And make them I did.

I blew past my goal and did end up winning a prize for having over ten sales.   I had twelve.  And at a 40% commission, that’s a nice chunk of change for a few hours worth of work.

The morale of this story?

Reach a little higher.  Take action on your goals.  Believe.

This step scares off a lot of people because you have to apply, you have to go through a phone interview, they will probably review your website if you have one, and then they decide whether or not to accept you.

This is not nearly as difficult as it seems.

I got in to Hydra and Tatto Media without any issue. Here’s how I did it. I used a referral link that I got from a forum.

Here is a referral link for Hydra that you can use:  http://network.hydranetwork.com/refer.php?id=41690

Here is a referral link for Tatto: http://www.tattomedia.com/affiliates/signup/2093

The reason I’m posting these links for you is that it is easier to get in the networks if you come in through a referral.

For Hydra, a few days after you submit your application they will call you. If you miss their call, call them back, press 1 for the Affiliate line.

When you speak with them you have to tell them that you will be using PPC as the source of traffic. If you don’t have a list or a website, that’s okay because you will be spending money on PPC and that is fine with them.

The questions they asked me were (my answers in parenthesis):
–How do you get your traffic? (PPC)
–How long have you been doing Affiliate Marketing? (9 months)
–How much do you spend each month? ($250-$300)
–What niches are currently working for you? (technology, health, real estate)
–What other networks are you working for? (Clickbank, CJ, Share-A-Sale)

Basically, they seem to want to know that you are a real person, that you have a plan on how you are going to do your marketing. If you have answers to these questions that are reasonable then you will be accepted.

Give it a try, you have nothing to lose.

The first post of the official blog of the Obama administration on WhiteHouse.gov listed 3 priorities:  Communication, Transparency and Participation.

And the expectations of the internet community have changed as well.

You can no longer hide who you are on the internet and expect that people will respect you and buy from you.

You can pretend to be a guru.  But not many people will fall for it.  You will be found out.

However, if you are yourself and let yourself come through, you will find people that really connect with you.   You will build relationships built on common interests not on you trying to sell them something.

Perry Belcher spilled his guts on this YouTube video.   Why should he hide his past when anyone with access to Google could “dig it up” anyway.   He now has over 22,000 followers on Twitter… coincidence?

Come clean.  Own your life.  Be yourself.

Also, Eben Pagan talked about the same concept in his Wake Up Productive program.   He used the example of people who are trying to quit smoking.  They repeatedly say to themselves, “Don’t Smoke, Don’t Smoke” but all their brain hears is “Smoke, Smoke”.

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. –James Allen

This lead me to start thinking about the power of positiving thinking and/or the Law of Attraction, or whatever you prefer to call it.  There’s no doubt that focusing on what you want (instead of what you don’t) works.     But now it makes a bit more sense to me why it works.   Your brain doesn’t hear the negative.   Stop saying to yourself things like, “I have to stop procrastinating” and replace those thoughts with “I will get more done today”.

What you focus on, what you think about, is what you bring into your life.

It allows you at a glance to see:

• Page rank (according to Google cache)
• Number of inbound links (according to Yahoo)
• Monthly traffic (according to Compete.com)
• Number of directory listings on dmoz.org
• Social media statistics

SEO Toolbar

It doesn’t appear to effect performance, but when you are casually surfing you can easily turn it off if you’d like.