This is a guest post by Mark John Hiemstra from Beezid

It’s official. Penny auction sites are one of the hottest up-and-coming affiliate promotions. You may have seen the commercials on TV, heard them on the radio, or even read about this new craze in your local newspaper. Despite a few rotten apples that have given the industry a bad name, the barrel is far from spoiled – and there is plenty of fruit ripe for the picking.

As with any type of business, before promoting a penny auction site, it is imperative that you ensure the site you are promoting is on the level, and, just as importantly, that you are using ethical, and effective marketing practices to promote that site.

To help you on your way to penny auction affiliate marketing success, here are eight helpful “ates” to use as a guideline.

Investigate
Which sites are legit? Which ones are delivering the products to customers, and are operating within ethical boundaries? Which sites are paying out their affiliates? These are obvious questions. Some sites automatically charge customers a fee without asking, which can result in refunds and charge-backs that cancel out affiliate commissions. You should really do this kind of investigation before promoting any site at all, regardless of the vertical.

Educate
Many people are looking for penny auction sites directly. There are others still who are unfamiliar with the process, and it is these that must be educated as to what they are about to experience. Because penny auctions can be easily misunderstood, telling people exactly what they are getting into is imperative. Some people visit penny auction sites expecting a model like eBay, and are either a little lost, or there is a disconnect of expectations. Educate your customers about the risk, and both you and your customers will reap the rewards.

Illustrate
The penny auction model can be a difficult one for some people to grasp. One need only look through search results to find that there are many people who have failed to understand how penny auctions work, and, therefore, feel as though they have been scammed, a common occurrence when visitors arrive at sites with automatic credit card charges. It is up to the affiliate promoting penny auctions to properly illustrate the methods whereby consumers can benefit from an investment in a penny auction site. It’s not gambling; it’s all about strategy on penny auctions. Show your visitors how to save money, demonstrate the methods, and they’ll be far more likely to convert to a sale.

Dedicate
As with all other forms of promotion, one must dedicate oneself to really digging in one’s heels and committing to the promotion. If you are not seeing dividends, start looking into your promotional methods. Is your SEO strategy sound? Is your content engaging? Are you calling customers to action? Like everything else in life, good things come to those who work their butts off to get them.

Appreciate
When we, as marketers, attempt to show someone the benefits of a specific product, it is always best to be able to walk a mile in your potential audience’s shoes, as it were. I’ve always thought of marketing as a little bit of acting. I like to get into character as a person who might be interested in the product I’m promoting, and try to get into their head to attempt to ascertain what would motivate them to make that purchase. A little bit of understanding into your target audience goes a long way.

Penetrate
Penny auction forums are popping up all over the Internet. Join those forums and begin to position yourself as someone who is an expert on the subject. Of course, you’ll have to be an expert first, but if you are able to, this is a great place to show off your knowledge on the subject. Once you have their ear, you may be able to get them to your site, where you can then send them to a conversion page.

Captivate
No matter what product you are promoting – be it a penny auction site, or a site that sells pet rocks – the goal of your promotion must always be the same: to captivate your audience to the extent that you have their attention for long enough to explain to them the benefit of using that product. Whether it be though your text, or your creatives, you must engage your audience, and give them a reason to click your link.

Celebrate
Penny auctions really are an amazing opportunity for consumers. There are now tens of thousands of incredibly satisfied customers who have received products that range from large-screen HD TVs to iPod Shuffles, and everything in between, for more than 90% off the retail price. This is amazing. It’s up to you to show them just how amazing it really is, and to give your audience the means to benefit from these opportunities.

Penny auction sites are gaining more popularity every day, and the time is right for affiliates to start capitalizing on some of the great opportunities being offered to them. Stick to the high road, make sure your marketing bases are covered, and do your best to help your potential customers understand penny bidding techniques, and you have a great opportunity for affiliate revenue.

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About Beezid’s Affiliate Program
Beezid offers a generous incentive of $25 per CPA. As long as a purchase is made within 180 days, you get $25. You get a reliable and knowledgeable affiliate manager that will help you with your marketing efforts, and can provide a large selection of carefully crafted and consistently updated banner ads and text links.

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