Part 1 -
"ADWORDS IN A NUTSHELL"
I've skipped straight past the introduction, as it's totally
irrelevant for what you need to know. So, part 1 is upon us...
This section is obviously aimed at the total newcomers to internet marketing, where we are told what Adwords is and how it works in very basic and summarized terms. I like the comment "It sounds easy, and it really is" part already.
This section is a little basic but I can see why it is included. Clearly, we have a product designed for total beginners, and as I can remember what it's like to be a beginner, I can see exactly how this product would help newbies quite effectively. This is cool, but the real question is does it keep on track with the beginner in mind? Well, we'll soon find out.
Ok, we're 10 pages in and I am still learning about how to find Google's Adwords application screen. But we are soon moving onto actually creating your campaigns, but again this is all an overview so I will not make too harsh judgements here. If you've used Adwords before, then skip right past this basic overview section.
Part 2 -
"WHY YOU'VE FAILED WITH ADWORDS"
Ok, so we've gone from a very basic overview of what Adwords is right into the assumption that we've actually used Adwords in the past.
Now, correct me if I am wrong here but why would I want to go straight from reading about what Adwords actually is and how it works to a section telling me why I've failed with it in the past?
Call me crazy, but that's not consistent and if you're a newbie then you're going to feel even more confused. But hang in there, we might be jumping the gun...
This section actually contains some very useful info because it outlines the major risks of setting up and running what is
referred to as a "runaway campaign". Basically, this is all about setting up your campaign (including picking the right products, the right keywords, the right budget and so on) so that you don't end up losing money.
So in fact, this section applies to beginners just as much as struggling
advertisers. This section actually gets more in depth when it talks about the big reason why campaigns fail, and that is conversions.
But in the back of my mind I can't help thinking that if you're a beginner then the first thing you need to know about is picking the product you're going to sell, but again, I am being a little hasty...
Because after getting a
reasonably good education on what conversions actually are and what they mean to you as a marketer (which is useful to know), we're led into the next part which clearly breaks down the whole process of setting up a campaign right from the point of picking the market/niche/industry that you're going to sell products in.
Part 3 -
"FINDING YOUR NICHE "
Now this makes sense, as this is where all of your success starts (or ends). I feel this should have been the start of the guide, but that's just me personal opinion. The advice given here is actually pretty solid and proven.
Although not exactly "exclusive insider secrets", the advice about finding your niche is all about using competitive analysis. In other words, looking at
existing businesses and essentially takes notes. Again, this is
extremely useful info for a beginner and I would dare say refresh the minds of struggling marketers.
In the eBook this is claimed to be something "the new wave of internet marketers are doing" that suggests has never been thought of before. I can't agree entirely on that statement,
because people have been using the method of seeing what works and emulating it for as long as history has been documented.
But still, the info does go into detail and shows you how to actually start looking and finding niches/markets that you'll likely see success in. Most of these methods are free and actually really useful for less experienced marketers.
If you've been marketing online or part of a marketing forum for more than a few months, then you will likely know some (if not all) of this part of the info, but again this is clearly aimed at the new starter and does a good job of keeping things easy to understand.
I would say that it would have been great to have this info when I first started out, so I do think newbies would get some good value out of this section.
Sadly, when it comes to keyword research (which is a crucial part of your initial research), you're advised to check out a paid for service which I don't think is
necessary at all. You can use free keyword research tools online and I would recommend that you ONLY use free tools when you're starting out for obvious reasons (unless you've got a lot of spare cash at hand).
But with that being said, the advice is very detailed and sound, so you can still take away some key techniques for keyword research here, regardless of the keyword tool you decide to use.
There are reasons why he mentions certain paid for tools, but I still think that there are other ways around this part of your initial research without having to spend any money doing so.
Then you're shown how to spy on successful ads and landing pages, which again is great information and certainly a great way to do your research. This then leads us onto a section about automating this entire research phase, but again another product is suggested which requires another payment from you, so this might not sit well with people on a budget.
You don't have to automate, so I'll let that one slip.
What's concerning however, is that large chunks of this guide are devoted to teaching you how to use other people's products (that you have to pay extra to use, of course).
Part 4 -
"PICKING YOUR PRODUCT"
So now you know what kind of ads work and how to create a landing page (well, sort of) you are now ready to pick an affiliate product. This is the part of the process that needs to be spot on in order for you to be successful, so let's see what we've got...
This section is a little short, but I admit that the advice is pretty spot on and incorporates time tested techniques that will be hard to fail you. Again, what is taught is the "spy on the competition" approach, which goes into more than enough detail in my opinion. What's more, I've been using this technique for about 12 months and it works, I can assure you.
There are numerous ways to decide what product you should promote as an affiliate, but this is probably one of the safest...which is obviously a good thing if you're a beginner.
Part 5 -
"PROMOTING YOUR PRODUCT"
The next logical step is obviously getting out there are getting traffic to your offers. The first section in part 5 talks about the type of landing page you should use.
This makes sense to get this right first, because if you get this wrong then you're going to be wasting time and money further down the line when no-one buys through your affiliate links.
The sad part about this is that the advice is not only minimal, but just plain ineffective. The advice is so basic that I honestly don't think you'll get by in PPC marketing if that's all you're taught about landing pages. The truth is, there is more to it than is described here...much more.
Then it quickly (too quickly) moves onto the actual writing of the PPC Adwords ads. However, this is actually pretty
in-depth and really solid info. It makes me wonder if there are two people writing this eBook considering how some sections are extremely brief and others are more than adequate.
Then we learn about the tracking of keywords which again covers adequate info of how to test and track all of your individual keywords. This, as you'll soon learn is crucial for PPC survival so it's a good thing that due care and attention has been placed on this part of the guide.
Part 6 -
"WRAPPING UP "
In comparison to most other affiliate marketing guides that I have read recently, this seems to end all too soon. I was sat here thinking, "Am I missing a chapter or something?". But before I be too hasty, I realized something...
In order to start making consistent profits online via Clickbank and Google Adwords, things are often a lot simpler than you're led to believe.
The truth is, if you follow the principles laid out in this guide, you can and will be making profits from day one. Sure, even using this guide you will still need to use common sense and be careful on things like which keywords are cutting into your profits (which the guide explains), also you'll need to take a few leaps of faith every now and then when trying out new ideas. But hey, that's business and we're all in the same boat.
But when you've got a no-nonsense guide (apart from the long winded intro) to affiliate marketing via Google Adwords, you've really got no excuse to failure.
THE CONCLUSION
Clearly this guide is most suited to beginner marketers, or at the most people who are looking to venture into the
extremely profitable world of Pay Per Click advertising on Google Adwords.
Sure, many people talk about Google Adwords being a risky "black hole" of
paid advertising, but the truth remains - If you follow a simple, proven system then you'll succeed... but only IF you take action and don't give up after day one.
For people who are not interested in reading hundreds of pages of info on
setting up Clickbank accounts and creating Gmail addresses (or whatever else those guys are teaching these days) then you will find this a refreshing, concise change.
The info is definitely solid and I know first hand that it will work for you if you take action. I would not say this is the best product ever made on the topic of affiliate marketing via Google Adwords, but for the untrained newbie, this is a great place to start.
Ultimately, the time saved learning from trial and error along with endless fumbling around in forums for the same answers (which you can't
necessarily trust) is certainly worth the small price point.
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