Marc Heighway is an affiliate marketer and SEO consultant based in the United Kingdom. He recently launched new email service which lets affiliate marketing people subscribe for free weekly email alerts containing new niche ideas. In this interview I get the low-down on this new service, plus hear about plans for his own personal website which contains SEO hints, tips, and affiliate marketing guides.
- What got you interested in starting AffiliateNicheIdeas.net?
I’ve been making a living from affiliate marketing for a number of years now, and always have too many ideas than I can actually work with. I’ve been noting the ideas down for quite a while, but realistically know that I am never going to get around to doing anything with most of these affiliate niche ideas.
In the future I am planning on developing some SEO software, but realistically know that if I am going to market that well, I will need a subscriber base to tell about it. That got me thinking about how I could feasibly build an email list of relevant people, whilst at the same time building trust with them and giving them free content that they would value.
That’s how I came up with the idea for the Affiliate Niche Ideas website and a new video promoting affiliate niche ideas. Over the next few months I will give my subscribers helpful content and then in the future tell them more about the new software I’ve developed which will also help them build their online income.
- What can someone expect for being a subscriber to your site? What are some example tips you will be sharing with your followers?
Each week I will give them a new affiliate marketing niche idea, but also offer out some free advice on link-building and SEO tips. For example, last week I sent the subscribers to Affiliate Niche Ideas a new blog post I wrote about my top 10 secret list of free back-link opportunities.
Essentially I want to give real value to the readers and help them to build up their own projects which start to create them a passive online income.
- What are some tips you can provide to others who plan to dive into affiliate marketing?
Mostly it concerns trying new things until you hit upon one that actually works… then rinse and repeat is as much as possible. When I first started out in affiliate marketing I might create five projects, but only one would become profitable.
After a couple of years doing this and testing various methods I fell into a more productive pattern. I will share tips on how to do that on my internet marketing blog.
- Of all the affiliate marketing models out there, what’s your favorite? Amazon, Clickbank etc.
I’ve always loved programs like Commission Junction as you tend to find retailers in there who already have a high-trust value and brand equity with the public – meaning it’s a lot easier to sell their products and make those final commissions.
Over the last 12 months though I’ve become a lot more active in lead generation in some of the legal niches. The profits in these industries can be very big, and whilst the SEO and search landscape is extremely competitive, with a lot of hard work and effort it’s a very rewarding industry to work in.
- What are your future plans for your personal site?
To keep expanding it, to offer value, honesty, and truth. Of all the Internet marketing blogs on the web, the ones which are really successful are the ones which are honest and upfront about what works, and don’t try to hard sell products.
Essentially I want to grow the subscribers and create compelling content that they value and want to share. If I can help people to achieve their aims with their online projects then that’s going to be very rewarding on a personal level.