AFFILIATE MARKETING OVERVIEW PROGRAMS…

THE RICH JERK
$49.95. Intermediate.
Program Includes: eBook (65 pgs), access to online members forum and blog. Free affiliate web site if you sign up for a hosting account. 60-day money-back guarantee.

The Rick Jerk eBook is well-written, and gets points for professional type and layout, including a thoroughly hyperlinked index. (We could do without so much orange, but that's just our opinion.) The tone of the e-book is personal — arguably a bit too personal, if you have a low threshold for chest-thumping narcissism — though, to be fair, the bloviation so obnoxiously flaunted in the web pitch is held to a minimum in the eBook. And after all, that's the Rich Jerk image and positioning. Like it or not, it works. Effective branding and consistent message are the secrets to the program's success. Independent verification suggests that at least most of his claims of attaining wealth from internet-based businesses are true.

The Jerk lays out a step-by-step plan for generating multiple passive revenue streams, and does a good job of interconnecting affiliate revenue strategies. The book offers sales pitch tactics and aggressive ideas for attaining uniqueness. Competitive Pay-Per-Click strategies are presented, including tricks for optimizing Google AdSense ads and advice on Google AdWords bidding. He reveals a few infamous Black Hat" search engine optimization strategies and how not to get caught employing them. (Use these at your own risk!) There's also a section on buying wholesale goods and reselling them on eBay, which includes good tips on avoiding wholesaler scams, particularly with respect to import goods.

Making serious money with the Jerk's plan is best accomplished if you own your own web site(s). Some of the more clever SEO tactics are slanted toward the entrepreneur with an intermediate to advanced knowledge of the HTML, though there is a special section for beginners.

The Rich Jerk online forum is often a lively discussion which features helpful ramblings by affiliate on what works and what doesn't. Since affiliates often competete for the same market dollars, there's a natural limit to how much many of his affiliates seem willing to share. But the Rich Jerk forum is an extensive affiliate community, thus has the potential to be an effective tool for building an affiliate network.

We recommend Rich Jerk. If nothing else, it's a good lab project. Buy it to dissect the anatomy of building a successful brand. Learn more about the Rich Jerk program…