What do I mean by '2nd Wave'? ... let me explain:
Can you remember the good old days when affiliate programs first came into existence in the mid to late 1990's? Everybody jumped in with two feet and put up dozens of affiliate links on their site with no real thought to what they were doing. We then wondered why we didn't make any money - not any real money that is.
The same thing has happened with the launch of other new industries in that the initial craze and hype got out of hand but when things quietened down people thought things through, put together business models and now succeed big time within that industry. The good news is that we, as affiliate marketers, can learn from these industries through their first and second phases.
A Definition of what a First and Second Wave is
The first wave is the pioneering stage, the launch of a new industry. There is lots of excitement and hype with most people now knowing what they are doing. There are many failures and very little profits during this period.
The second wave is the exciting phase. It has already come to light within phase 1 that there is potential within the industry. People put together long-term business plans and even ordinary people like you and I can succeed in a big way. Hence, wave 2 is when the real wealth is created.
Industry Examples of their First and Second Waves
Let's take a look at some examples of industries in their first and second waves and the success they have achieved for thousands of people who were in the right place at the right time:
Video Cassette Recorders (VCR): Remember the first VCRs? They were huge, very expensive and not many people could afford one. In 1972 Phillips were the first to launch a VCR for home use but it didn't appeal to the consumer market. Only a few hundred were sold.
Second wave: VHS introduced their version of the VCR in 1977 which was more appealing to the public. Prices came down and soon the average household had one. Today, DVD players are now replacing them and huge profits are being sought in this industry.
Personal Computers: In 1976 Apple launched the first PC, quickly followed by IBM with Microsoft's DOS operating system in 1981. These PCs were slow, expensive and always seemed to crash.
The second wave: Dell and Compaq introduced new design PCs, and Bill Gates and his Microsoft Empire launched 'Windows 1.0' in 1985. As a result of this boom thousands of millionaires were created in a single decade.
The 1st and 2nd Wave of Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing: The first wave of the Internet and the affiliate marketing business lasted between approximately 1996-2003. All the initial hype about the World Wide Web and making money from selling other people's stuff grew within this period. Affiliates give no real thought to their sites and put up dozens of affiliate links. Not many affiliate marketers made any real money to talk of and not many of these sites are in existence today.
The second wave is from about 2003 onwards. The initial hype has died down a bit and with the introduction of new wave technology and software, means that it is now easier for the average webmaster to build a successful and useful website business to succeed long-term with big profits.
So What Does This Mean For Today's Affiliate Marketer's?
You are now caught up at the beginning of the 2nd wave of affiliate marketing. You are in the right place at the right time - use this to your advantage now.. today... Here are some reasons why:-
In order to get ahead of this ever-increasing competitive industry, you need to think of affiliate marketing as a business. Even go as far as writing a business plan out for your affiliate business. You need to understand that in order to get ahead of your competition and even get to the top of the search engines, you need to build a business platform for long-term success. You must think of yourself as a publisher of informational content first, then an affiliate marketer second. This is the 'key' to the success of the second wave of affiliate marketing. Let me repeat it again 'you must think of yourself as a publisher of informational content first, then an affiliate marketer second'.
Summary
Realize that the Internet is still in its infancy and that you are here in the right place at the right time. This could only happen once in your life, so jump on it straight away. The first frantic phase of affiliate marketing is over and we have entered the new and exciting second phase, which is where the 'real' wealth is created. Remember, Bill Gates and his Microsoft Empire came into existence within the second phase of the personal computer industry - the rest is history!
About The Author
Claire Bowes is a successful freelance writer and owner of many successful affiliate marketing websites. Read how Claire built her money-making affiliate sites at http://www.website-business-solutions.com.
Before I get into depth with this article I first... Read More
Millions of people sign up for affiliate programs, but have... Read More
Some tips for Affiliate MarketersSo Google has changed its policies... Read More
Many people think that they can only get involved in... Read More
Affiliate marketing is a very hot topic on the web... Read More
Affiliate marketing is a large business in the internet today... Read More
Affiliate Program are the easiest way to make a substancial... Read More
Regarded as one of the choice Internet marketing systems offered... Read More
There are many opportunities to make money working on the... Read More
Have you always wanted to work at home? Have your... Read More
Customer referrals are vital to small and home-based service businesses.... Read More
It is my opinion that the best AFFILIATE PROGRAM ever?is... Read More
Affiliate Program have exploded on the internet. Thousand of people... Read More
Okay so you've read (fill in the blank with internet... Read More
Affiliate Marketing is a very lucrative business online, especially where... Read More
There are a lot of affiliate marketing programs out there... Read More
Some people are making big money with affiliate programs-some are... Read More
When people decide to join an affiliate program to make... Read More
I am not going to describe what a product feed... Read More
Are you having trouble creating new product offerings from scratch?... Read More
Google introduced some new features to AdSense account. When I... Read More
If you truly want to generate sales, one great way... Read More
Let me ask you a simple question. "Now that you... Read More
Affiliate programs are a great way to earn an income... Read More
The Internet is powerful selling tool. Never before has been... Read More
This is a technique I teach almost every day. Yet... Read More
When you join an affiliate program or start an affiliate... Read More
There are many affiliate programs you can go to to... Read More
"What's the Buzz About?""I made $5,000 in one week""I quit... Read More
Like the more common single tier affiliate programs, 2 tier... Read More
Okay, so you have been looking at affiliate programs for... Read More
If you have been longing to start a business online... Read More
Affiliate marketing has become a booming industry thanks to the... Read More
Do you participate in chat rooms and message boards related... Read More
Many seasoned professional speakers agree that you can make more... Read More
'Self-replication' sounds like science fiction but it's not. It has... Read More
So you've found the perfect affiliate program, you've signed up... Read More
Internet Marketing can be an enjoyable and profitable experience, but... Read More
There are obviously many ways to make money online, some... Read More
Affiliate marketing has become a booming industry thanks to the... Read More
Whether you realize it or not, if you've been on... Read More
Did you know that you can make money on the... Read More
This article is for Affiliate Program Managers: Interested in increasing... Read More
Are you promoting affiliate products?This article will show you 5... Read More
There are literally thousands of affiliate programs on the Net.... Read More
Let me ask you a simple question. "Now that you... Read More
If done properly, reselling web hosting and related services can... Read More
Most of the truly successful marketers have three competitive advantages... Read More
For some time now I have been aggressively marketing my... Read More
More and more people are getting into online businesses for... Read More
Here it is in Black and White:Don't make the same... Read More
You have probably heard "the money is in the list"... Read More
In this article I'm going to cover two specific marketing... Read More
Affiliates make money in pretty much two ways, firstly by... Read More
Affiliate marketing is one tough business. Everyone online... Read More
Millions of people sign up for affiliate programs, but have... Read More
If you are an affiliate marketer, then you are in... Read More
Affiliate marketing is quickly becoming a very specialized form of... Read More
The first thing you may be wondering before you join... Read More
Are you frustrated with your affiliate programs?I used to be.... Read More
To illustrate the concept of arranging simple joint ventures that... Read More
Like the more common single tier affiliate programs, 2 tier... Read More
Affiliate programs can be a very powerful source of income... Read More
It might have been Vince Lombardi or some other famous... Read More
Once you truly understand the power of backend profits, you'll... Read More
Throughout the coming weeks, I am going to thoroughly cover... Read More
Affiliate Revenue |