| Most of us are familiar with the traditional model of | | | | action taken by the visitor.) Some affiliates use organic |
| affiliate marketing. We set up a site or blog to promote | | | | search results to generate traffic. |
| a product, and--after pre-selling the visitor on the | | | | There are many, many hundreds of CPA networks |
| product we encourage them to click on an affiliate link | | | | out there. A simple search engine search will reveal as |
| to go to a publisher's or distributor's page where | | | | many as you like. Note: Once you join a CPA network, |
| hopefully they will make a purchase. | | | | you must read the restrictions of every offer you |
| With CPA, (cost per action) type affiliate marketing the | | | | consider promoting. For example, many offers will not |
| model is slightly different. As an affiliate, what you are | | | | allow general search engine traffic to their form to be |
| being paid to do is to drive visitors to a site or form | | | | used as they consider it a rather low octane form of |
| and take some form of action. Usually that action is to | | | | traffic. Some offers will not allow email marketing of |
| fill out some kind of form and submit it. The form may | | | | their offers because a small number of affiliates are |
| simply be a request for more information. It may be a | | | | accused of using spamming techniques to market to |
| request for a sample product. It may be that it is an | | | | their lists. |
| actual request to purchase a product. But in all cases, | | | | But the big thing to remember is that in many CPA |
| some form of action must be taken by the visitor to | | | | programs, it is not required that visitors you generate |
| generate a commission. | | | | for a company actually purchase something. Often if |
| Individuals interested in earning commissions with a | | | | they simply fill out a form to request more information |
| CPA network have many options for driving traffic to | | | | or a product sample--you will get a commission. |
| the form designated by the advertiser. Some use | | | | CPA affiliate promotions can be a powerful cash |
| existing mailing lists to promote the offer. Some use | | | | generating opportunity for individuals with the ability to |
| PPC ads to drive traffic to a form. (The goal being to | | | | drive traffic to a form and take a specified action. |
| keep the PPC costs below the commission for the | | | | |