When you read the title I bet you thought I was going to rag on another hype-filled eBook, right? Well this story is not pie-in-the-sky sales letter copy - it's for real! "<strong>From 10 Hours a Week, $10 Million a Year</strong>" was published by The <strong>New York Times</strong> yesterday and it's about one affiliate marketer that makes 10 Million a year from home, working only 10 hours a week.
I've <a href="http://affiliate-blogs.5staraffiliateprograms.com/1107/video-millions-in-underwear-from-home.html">blogged</a> <a href="http://affiliate-blogs.5staraffiliateprograms.com/1061/dating-affiliate-10-million.html">several</a> <a href="http://affiliate-blogs.5staraffiliateprograms.com/787/plentyoffish-on-tv-news.html">times</a> in the past about Markus Frind the owner and creator of the phenomenally successful dating site <a href="http://www.plentyoffish.com">PlentyOfFish.com</a>. His success and income are widely publicized and he's a true success story for our industry.
I knew Markus worked from home like most affiliates do. I knew he worked alone, until recently, when he hired a single employee. What I didn't know is that he only needs to work about 10 hours a week to keep his site going and the revenue rolling in. So it's interesting to me to see how he leverages his loyal user base to help him manage the site.
The other thing I REALLY like about this particular version of the 'Markus makes 10 Million' article is that it talks about his affiliate marketing revenue and says his affiliate links are the "most profitable of all." Almost every other Markus article only talks about his Adsense revenue and I know there is no way he could make that much from Adsense alone. I knew lots of his income was from affiliate marketing, it was just never highlighted in any of the articles I've read. So it's nice to see affiliate marketing share the limelight with Markus in a mainstream publication like the New York Times.
<blockquote><strong><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/business/13digi.html?_r=2&ei=5088&en=9a69f05cdc551c11&ex=1357880400&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1200232905-Iiw+Y8Nj+eGcn6PMp7mYxQ&oref=slogin">From 10 Hours a Week, $10 Million a Year - New York Times</a></strong>
"Plenty of Fish displays banner ads, Google-supplied ads and, most profitable of all, “affiliate” marketing links that send users to other dating sites. For example, Mr. Frind said, when one of his customers clicks on an advertisement for a book titled “Double Your Dating” and, after being sent to the publisher’s Web site, ends up buying it for $40, the publisher pays Plenty of Fish a commission — of $40 — for the sale, glad to have landed a customer that past experience shows is a good prospect for “upselling” other goods and services related to dating."</blockquote>
Note to newbies - you CAN make big money like this but the eBooks that promise to teach you how are usually full of hot air. Markus had technology background to help him automate everything and the site has been around for years and he created a good niche EARLY - free dating site, back when everyone else was charging for membership.
I also am pretty sure in the beginning - as he worked to build the site, generate traffic and build a reputation - he didn't work 10 hour weeks.
The Markus story also proves another point I've mentioned a few times - an affiliate site does not have to be pretty to generate traffic and revenue. Ugly sites like PlentyofFish and CraigsList have users flocking to them.
That isn't to say you should build ugly sites, but it proves the value that you offer INSIDE is more important than the outside esthetics.
I've <a href="http://affiliate-blogs.5staraffiliateprograms.com/1107/video-millions-in-underwear-from-home.html">blogged</a> <a href="http://affiliate-blogs.5staraffiliateprograms.com/1061/dating-affiliate-10-million.html">several</a> <a href="http://affiliate-blogs.5staraffiliateprograms.com/787/plentyoffish-on-tv-news.html">times</a> in the past about Markus Frind the owner and creator of the phenomenally successful dating site <a href="http://www.plentyoffish.com">PlentyOfFish.com</a>. His success and income are widely publicized and he's a true success story for our industry.
I knew Markus worked from home like most affiliates do. I knew he worked alone, until recently, when he hired a single employee. What I didn't know is that he only needs to work about 10 hours a week to keep his site going and the revenue rolling in. So it's interesting to me to see how he leverages his loyal user base to help him manage the site.
The other thing I REALLY like about this particular version of the 'Markus makes 10 Million' article is that it talks about his affiliate marketing revenue and says his affiliate links are the "most profitable of all." Almost every other Markus article only talks about his Adsense revenue and I know there is no way he could make that much from Adsense alone. I knew lots of his income was from affiliate marketing, it was just never highlighted in any of the articles I've read. So it's nice to see affiliate marketing share the limelight with Markus in a mainstream publication like the New York Times.
<blockquote><strong><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/business/13digi.html?_r=2&ei=5088&en=9a69f05cdc551c11&ex=1357880400&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1200232905-Iiw+Y8Nj+eGcn6PMp7mYxQ&oref=slogin">From 10 Hours a Week, $10 Million a Year - New York Times</a></strong>
"Plenty of Fish displays banner ads, Google-supplied ads and, most profitable of all, “affiliate” marketing links that send users to other dating sites. For example, Mr. Frind said, when one of his customers clicks on an advertisement for a book titled “Double Your Dating” and, after being sent to the publisher’s Web site, ends up buying it for $40, the publisher pays Plenty of Fish a commission — of $40 — for the sale, glad to have landed a customer that past experience shows is a good prospect for “upselling” other goods and services related to dating."</blockquote>
Note to newbies - you CAN make big money like this but the eBooks that promise to teach you how are usually full of hot air. Markus had technology background to help him automate everything and the site has been around for years and he created a good niche EARLY - free dating site, back when everyone else was charging for membership.
I also am pretty sure in the beginning - as he worked to build the site, generate traffic and build a reputation - he didn't work 10 hour weeks.
The Markus story also proves another point I've mentioned a few times - an affiliate site does not have to be pretty to generate traffic and revenue. Ugly sites like PlentyofFish and CraigsList have users flocking to them.
That isn't to say you should build ugly sites, but it proves the value that you offer INSIDE is more important than the outside esthetics.