Hi there, I'm working for a company called FDC Holdings and we just launched our online Affiliate program and I really need ideas on how to market this successfully. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Also, rest assured that this is definitely NOT spam.

Anyways, what we're doing is an online affiliate program where we help our affiliates open their own online store. We will provide them the products, a customizable website, a management and real time sales tracking system, as well as multiple payment solutions for their future customers. We will also provide the customer support and also ship out the products under their company name.

Affiliates get to pick which product they want to sell and what prices they want to sell it at. We'll provide the products to them at cost price. The difference between the cost price and the price they sell the product at would be their profit.

Our products are mainly international goods, ranging from food to stationary and household wares. We already have more then 7,000+ products in our warehouse for our affiliates.

I'm in charge of marketing this program over at the company and just trying to reach out and ask for marketing ideas. Just wondering what you guys think about the concept and is it a viable one?

And before you guys question why I'm posting on this particular board, yes the company is based in Oklahoma, hence how i found this board. So please help out a local company!

I appreciate all sorts of feedback!

You are in charge of marketing a new affiliate program and you're out soliciting ideas, on a largely anon message board, on how best to go about it?

A generation back another in your line of work hired Tom Bosley and paid a passle to line up a barrel full of infomercials on the telly. Saw those commercials all the time, well, the first few seconds of them anyway. I'd put that idea in your list of things not to do.

Good luck in finding what might work today.

Anyone need a ceramic unicorn or a bronze giraffe?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttix2Ks4JsM&feature=related

Sorry if i'm posting in a wrong forum. I didn't mean to solicit for anything. Just merely asking for some help if there was any internet marketers on the boards.

I looked into SMC and what we're doing is completely different from them. From what I've researched, they're merely a scam, trying to con people into buying their products to resell. I don't promise easy money for our affiliates, but provide an opportunity for those who are interested in online business. I've hit a wall trying to figure out how to market it and that's why i came to this board looking for help.

Don't take this as a personal jab, but how exactly did you get your job if you don't have any experience in the position? I used to be the marketing person for University & Children's Hospitals, and a couple of other companies locally, I would be mortified if my employer found out I was soliciting free advice from an Internet board for the position in which I'm being paid. This isn't the same local company that used to post a photography position online, to take photos of their thousands of products. They paid around $10/hr. and then tried to turn the photographer into their marketing guy. They go through a photographer every few weeks.

Also, how exactly do you really differ from SMC? Their only real 'scam' was selling overpriced crap to middlemen.

I'm basically a recent college grad just sizing up my opportunities and potentials. Basically I'm in charge of marketing for the program, but the online field is new to me. Also, i get paid on commission solely so I'm just trying to figure things out at the moment.

So a person joins SMC to get products at wholesale cost where they can then sell to whoever they want to sell. That person would have to be in-charge of ordering the products, meaning that it would cost them money before they even make anything, unless they get orders first and then ask for products, in which case it takes too long to ship. This makes it extremely hard for the middleman to be able to do anything. On their brochure, they write that you can make 2x-3x of cost, and with certain products, certainly might be possible, yet who can sell those products? I've read complaints where people was complaining about the shipping rates of the products.

With us, our agent market their website however they choose, be it online or to their own physical communities. Orders that come in through the website get routed instantly to our warehouse, where the product is shipped out. It is basically a hassle free process for the agent. They don't have to buy any product, nor be charged anything for the products. It goes directly to the end user. We worked out a deal with nationwide carriers to provide fast shipping at a flat $5.99 fee regardless of weight or amount of items, thus helping our agents to sell.

Lastly, the products that a company carries is extremely important. We are focusing on international groceries and snacks, basically things with a niche market. We aim towards the convenience factor for people. Students who don't have easy access to the local international grocery or working adults who want to save time and buy groceries online. Here's an agent website for example. www.easternfoodhouse.com

In hindsight, I probably went overboard calling SMC a scam. By looking at their business model and products, like what you said, they were selling overpriced crap to middlemen. In most cases, the middlemen gets the short end of the stick. With us, we have real products that are used everyday. We just want to find out a way to reach more people then opening a single website and advertising that.

For clarification - SMC does drop ship.

Well said BBates, who hires without experience. I'm a professional Marketing Sirector for trade, but most affiliate marketing is gimmicky at best. Things like this are what water down the real advertising biz. Sounds like it's time to explore more fruitful opportunities..

Hi Benny,

Welcome to OKCTalk!

Can you post the link where we can check it out and possibly become an agent? I'm curious into what kind of products are available, etc.

Sincerely,
Thunder

PS - With lots of love. <3

To be frank with you all, I've had people ask why exactly would he hire without experience, it is because some people want to train up their staff in that company culture. Although yes I might not know much about the online marketing business, I do have a degree in Mass Comm and have quite a substantial amount of real world marketing experience. Its the online world with all its technicalities and coding that has me baffled, hence why I browse online looking for resources and ideas on how to market.

Our website is www.maestrolicensing.com. We're still in the process of adding info and content up. Also, PM sent.

Cmpanes usually "train" those without experience for a reason, usually because they have something to hide, or are an MLM which it sounds like this is an MLM

Cmpanes usually "train" those without experience for a reason, usually because they have something to hide, or are an MLM which it sounds like this is an MLM

Lots of companies train and promote from within. But I can't think of any legit ones that hire fresh out of college types with zero experience for such a critical role in a company's future. But, then I heard, "I'm commission only" and that was the death nail.