When I started this six-week ClickBank Profit Challenge, I made a decision.
I didn’t want this to become another case of signing up for something, looking around for a few days, and then moving on to the next thing.
I wanted to slow things down and concentrate on the foundation first.
Because the more I look at affiliate marketing, the more I believe many beginners don’t have an information problem.
They have an order problem.
They’re trying to do too many things before the basic pieces are in place.
The Usual Way Can Get Complicated Quickly
When you’re new to ClickBank, it’s easy to think the first thing you need to do is find a product.
Then you grab your affiliate link.
Then you start looking for traffic.
If somebody clicks and buys, great.
But what happens to everyone who clicks and doesn’t buy?
In many cases, they’re gone.
You paid for the traffic, created the content, or spent your time generating that visitor, but you have no way to continue the conversation.
That’s one of the biggest ideas I’m focusing on during this Challenge.
Keep the lead, not just the click.
I’m Looking at the Business in a Different Order
Instead of thinking:
Traffic → Affiliate Link → Hope for a Sale
I’m looking at:
Traffic → Lead → Email List → Follow-Up → Relevant Offers
That may look like a small change.
I think it’s a very important one.
An affiliate offer can change.
A vendor can change.
A promotion can end.
But an email list gives you an audience you can continue communicating with.
Of course, building a list doesn’t guarantee anyone will buy from you.
You still have to provide useful information, earn attention and make relevant recommendations.
But at least you aren’t starting from zero every time you promote something.
Why This Challenge Caught My Attention
This is one reason I’ve been paying attention to what John Thornhill is teaching.
John isn’t approaching ClickBank simply as a place to find a product and grab an affiliate link.
The model behind the ClickBank Profit Club puts much more emphasis on building your list, following up and creating a simpler long-term business.
John has over 20 years of online experience and is a 9x ClickBank Platinum Vendor. Those are two of the reasons I was interested in seeing how he approaches the process.
For somebody trying to build an online business in their spare time, simplicity matters.
I don’t want ten disconnected strategies.
I want a small number of pieces that work together.
My Week 1 Focus
So my goal for this first stage isn’t to chase impressive numbers.
It’s to understand and build the foundation.
I’m concentrating on three questions:
Where is my traffic coming from?
Where am I sending that traffic?
What happens after somebody becomes interested?
That third question is particularly important.
If someone isn’t ready to buy today, I don’t necessarily want that to be the end of the relationship.
That’s where the email list and follow-up become important.
And it’s also why I’m building Spare Time Profit.
The blog gives me somewhere to publish useful information.
The email list gives interested readers a way to stay connected.
And over time, I can introduce readers to relevant tools, training and opportunities that fit what I’m writing about.
That’s a much clearer business model to me than constantly looking for another affiliate link to promote.
There’s Also a Live Challenge Coming
John and Alex Thornhill are running the first ClickBank Profit Challenge in October.
At the moment, General Admission is being offered for $9 as a special early-bird price.
According to the current Challenge information, that price is scheduled to increase to:
$19 on September 14
$27 on September 21
$39 on September 28
I’m mentioning those dates because if you’re already interested in taking a closer look, there’s little reason to deliberately wait for a higher ticket price.
But don’t join simply because it’s $9.
Take a look at what’s being offered and decide whether the training fits where you are with ClickBank and affiliate marketing.
Take a Look at the ClickBank Profit Challenge
SEE THE $9 EARLY-BIRD OFFER HERE
Always check the enrollment page for the current price and details before purchasing.
I’ll continue documenting what I’m learning and focusing on throughout my six-week Challenge here at Spare Time Profit.
The goal isn’t to pretend everything works perfectly.
It’s to find out what makes sense, put it into practice and share what I learn along the way.
To your success,
Gregory Cassius
Spare Time Profit
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on Spare Time Profit may be affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Earnings are not guaranteed. Results depend on many factors, including your own effort, skills and circumstances.
