We have all heard the phrases “dress for success” or “look the part” have we not? Most times it is not a matter of going to great lengths to follow this wisdom. But it does take some thought and deliberate action.
Naturally those phrases apply to the way we dress and groom ourselves. For example even professional sports franchises have dress codes for their players and staff. In the NBA for instance players and coaches are required to wear a business suit when they travel between cities to play opponents in their cities. Why does it matter? These are adults playing basketball.
Frankly, it has a clear connection to professionalism. Think about it. The NBA like all sports makes most of their money through broadcasting and advertising. Yes they make some revenue by people paying a lot of money for a ticket to attend the games. But believe it or not, that pales in comparison to the tv/radio and advertising contracts.
Also the reality is that the broadcasting end of it is about advertising also. The networks pay the league for the rights to air the games but they in turn make their money by advertising dollars during that broadcast. But wait there is more.
Each arena or stadium that hosts an event is loaded with advertising! You can’t even go to the bathroom without seeing an ad in front of you. Guess what all of this is called?
We just described an affiliate marketing relationship between the sports franchises and the business world. Yes indeed, the Internet did not create affiliate marketing. But here is another guess what? The Internet is widely successful do to affiliate marketing!
The fact is that the sports industry would be a fraction of what it is if it solely relied on ticket sales to make money. And realistically many businesses feel that advertising or being an affiliate of professional sports makes their business more successful. It’s a 2 way street. That is what makes it a partnership.
So here we are now looking at our Internet business. Or course we want people to visit our web page and use it for the intended purpose we set it up for. If we have a blog than we want readers, and if we are an e-tailor, than we want potential buyers. And so on. But the fact is it doesn’t have to end there.
For one all of the other web pages in existence want the same thing as we do. They also want traffic and potential customers. This is why affiliate marketing is valuable and irreplaceable. It is also why you can earn money using affiliation.
But like any other business you need to be professional. You can have a professional advertising banner on your page but if your page is not fresh and disorganized it won’t be effective for you or your affiliates. Or if your site is full of ads and little other content it won’t come across professionally either.
Now there are web pages that are exclusively set up to advertise an affiliate but that is effective only because it is set up like a professional Internet billboard. It’s a commercial page basically.
However you have to be careful if your site is supposed to be there for another reason. I mean if you maintain a blog for instance and you rarely add content then you appear as if you are just providing ads for affiliates. You also put out the vibe that you really don’t care that much about your blog. That would be unprofessional and you would not be dressed for success.
“But I am just a regular Joe or Suzie. I am not a professional” many will say. Then why are you trying to confuse us? If you are going to attempt to make some money through affiliate marketing than you are insinuating that are now taking a professional approach.
Being a professional often does not mean you have to be a corporation or that you have a staff. I mean if you tailor dresses and suits on the side for money you are now offering a professional service in essence. You do not have to be a college graduate to be professional.
It’s the presentation and the care you put into your work that makes the difference. Dressing up in a suit for instance doesn’t make you a better basketball player, but it shows the world that you are serious and put a value on what you do. That is why the NBA insists the players dress up. It also reflects on the sponsors and advertisers.
And it really is not something to stress over. The overall point is to put your best foot forward even if your web page is just for fun or a side project. Go that extra mile and consider the details. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Simple things like being relevant, up to date, accurate, and user friendly will show the world you take your web page seriously. And this will reflect a positive image on your affiliates. And that will only help you and them.
So remember as your managing your site to “look the part”.
This is a post from the " Be Professional " series of articles.
Other posts from this series:
- Be Professional Even Doing Your Hobby
- Be Professional Don't Follow The Path of Least Resistance
- Be Professional: Writing and Blogging
- Be Professional: Good Video/Audio And Imaging
- Be Professional: Advice Can Be Rewarding
- Be Professional: Be Flexible and Know Your Target Market
- Be Professional: Selling Your Products
- Be Professional: As a VA or Freelance Contractor
- Be Professional: Listen Up Recruiters
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