I’ll be putting up the content from Affiliate Summit West over the next couple of days, but here’s the most important lesson I picked up from the affiliate managers and super affiliates I’ve been talking to.

You don’t already need more content than what you’ve already seen on their blogs and forums, but here’s the difference that makes a difference.

The major obstacle and stumbling block for 99% of online marketers is your mindset.

And it’s not something you can rationalize, but rather an emotional reponse.

Sure, all of us can think we theoretically earn a million dollars a month, but the question is whether you feel you have the ability and are motivated to achieve it.

Jeremy Schoemaker (Shoemoney), Andrew Wee, Jon F (WickedFire)

If you have no expectations about your online earning potential, you’d likely be happy with earning $1.

But from there, whether you hit the $10/day, $100, $1,000 or $10,000 level all depends on the ‘glass ceiling’ you’ve set for yourself.

Internet Marketing is truly a mind game.

Because once you’d set your mind in motion, you will go all out to find the strategies to reach the next level.

Here’s my personal beliefs that will help you reach the next level:

• Never Stop Learning

Things never stay the same. Expect change. And deal with it. Whatever doesn’t stop you will only create a barrier of entry for other.

• Problem-centered or Solution-centered

Are you someone who’s apt to complain or get stressed when a problem arises.

If you shift to a solution-oriented approach when something happens and you’re able to deal with it sooner than the others, you’d have a headstart on your competitors.

• Test, Test and Test

The first step is to take action, the second is to test everything. Never take anything for granted and you could see increases of 10-20% in your results.

The most important attribute, however, is persistence. If you work at something long enough, you might not get the same results you’re aiming for, but you’d be pretty close.

• Internet Marketing events
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It’s about 16 hours before I head off on my long flight to Affiliate Summit West.

I’ve been talking to the WickedFire folks and we’re psyched about meeting up.

I’ve planned out my itinery and will likely be spending more time networking and attending sessions, compared to drinking and clubbing.

There are a number of networking parties including one hosted by oneNetworkDirect and Wynn Las Vegas at Wynns’ TRYST nightclub which features a private lagoon. If there’s one phobia I have, it’s dancing in public.

We’ll see how this pans out.

Besides visiting the exhibit halls, I’m planning to (more…)

• Internet Marketing events
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WickedFire founder Jon F just announced the beta launch of the affiliate marketing forums’ resource areas earlier today.

WickedFire is virtual home to several experienced affiliate marketers (as evidenced by threads like “Post Your Stats“, including a purported $16 million buyout offer for the 8 month old forum.

As of today, the forum is rated at PR4, Alexa 1,879
Jon, famous (or depending on your point of view, infamous) for posting $80,000 screenshots of his earnings on SitePoint, had announced on his blog that he’d be stepping down from affiliate marketing earlier this month. (The End Of An Era – Jon Resigns From Affiliate Marketing As An Affiliate)

WickedFire looks set to eventually to become a community portal and information resource site for affiliate marketers.

It looks set to leverage on the (more…)

• affiliate marketing
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If you’ve been planning to build highly profitable niche websites, or looking for ways to squeeze additional profit from your already successful ones, you might’ve seen Matt Coddington (AKA Feroz) posts in WickedFire’s “How to Start a Niche Minisite” thread.

His posts have already received just about 1,200 diggs.

Although purist bloggers with “altruistic intentions” might label it a ‘spammy digg’, it certainly will be very useful and instructional for niche minisite builders.
Matt goes through the process of keyword research, content development, monetization techniques and takes questions on his system.

He goes through start-to-finish for (more…)

• Internet Marketing
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I was surfing through Scott Jangro‘s new site, which had metamorphsized from his Affiliate Blog List into the BumpZee Affiliate Marketing community when I came across this ABestWeb Affiliate Marketing forum thread (Affiliate Summit Tips). [Which is a case that social networking sites DO generate a nice bit of traffic].

Here’s the pointers I found useful from the thread and from my experience at other trade shows:

• Before Affiliate Summit West

1. Prepare lots of business cards: 500? 1,000? I guess you’d want to give out lots of cards and leverage on the opportunity to network with affiliate managers and fellow affiliates. Want to go off the beaten track? Check out Cost Per News Sam Harrelson’s Business Card Tag Thing.
2. Pack Warm Clothing: Especially for those who us coming from Asia, I hear it gets pretty cold in the desert. That being said, I’ve walked around Texas in t-shirt and shorts in the middle of winter.
3. Preserve Your Voice: Cough drops, lozenges, whatever it takes to ensure your voice last through the event. Although you’d be talking to a lot of people during the day, I’ve seen footage of people at after hours events which leaves no doubt as to the cause of their hoarse voice (A clue: It doesn’t have to do with talking to hundreds of people during the day.)
4. Sleep: From what most seem to be saying, most won’t be sleeping much during ASW. Maybe not even at all. Deals are cut very early (about 4 or 5am seems to be the sweet spot).
5. Bring Cash: Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest food around ASW will be prohibitive expensive. Although I’ve been to Vegas previously and had $5.99 prime rib at the Golden Nugget and $0.50 margaritas farther along the Strip. But then, if you’re a prime affiliate, I guess you’d be getting wined and dined not infrequently.
6. Loose Change: On a related point, carry lots of small notes. Most service staff expect some sort of tip.
7. Empty Luggage: You’d probably be collecting a lot of t-shirts, pens and all sorts of doodads, so I guess there’s a certain logic in coming with at least one empty bag to carry home your booty (Sounds like Halloween for adults, doesn’t it?)
8. Comfortable Shoes: Blisters are not fun.

• At the Summit

1. Getting from the Airport to the Hotels: Cabs cost $20 from the Airport to the Hotels. The shuttles cost around $5.
2. Say Hi to Everyone: You’ve come all the way to the summit, say hi to everyone who looks friendly. That quiet guy standing in the corner might be a super affiliate. The affiliate manager at the smaller table might represent an up-and-coming affiliate network. In Vegas speak, spread your bets.
3. Buddy Up: Meet up with people whom you’ve corresponded online, split up and cover different sessions if you can. Compare notes later. More importantly, introduce people you’ve met to each other, so you have a common pool of contacts. An exception might be the Shoemoney/Jon F–WickedFire session, I think everyone and his brother will be making a beeline for that.
4. Bring Water: I hear water is as scarce in the casinos as it is in the desert (except for the firewater variety). Bring a small bottle, so you can talk even more.
5. Measure Time: Time looks like the commodity in shortest supply. It might look like 3 days is a long time, but I’d prioritize the people and booths you’d like to visit first, so it’s mission accomplished. Else you might not be able to spend as much time talking to the people who would’ve given you the most leverage.
6. Gum and Breath Mints: The people you’re talking to will be more receptive if they’re conscious as you’re talking to them. Ditto for deoderant.
7. Pen and Paper: You might have a PDA photo or a photographic memory, but nothing beats writing stuff down. You might like to note down important facts on the back of someone’s business card for later reference.
8. Las Vegas Discount Coupons: Here’s a especially useful tip if you’re coming in a group, there’s a discount coupon over at LasVegasAdvisor.com which contains discount coupons. See: here

Shawn Collins has mentioned that presentations for the various speakers will be made available to attendees. This is subject to the speaker’s consent. [Check out Shawn’s sharp looking cards here: Got Your Business Cards for Affiliate Summit?]

Sam Harrelson and partner in crime, Wayne Porter, will be camping out in the Nevada desert (It’s flagged as the Lake Mead Recreation Area, but it still looks like desert on the map). I wonder if they have any wilderness survival tips.

Rumors are that PlanetAndrea will be stalking the showfloor to build the biggest business card collection at ASW. If you see her, hand her a business card.

One last thing I’m wondering (although I’m fairly certain) is that there is Internet access from the ASW exhibit or conference area, so I’ll file blogging reports on-site. Maybe Shawn can shed some light on this.

• affiliate marketing
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When it rains, it pours. I got tagged twice today with this meme making the rounds by PlanetAndrea and CasThompson.

Like a game of ‘Pass the Message’ which you play in a big group, depending on who you check out, the meme is known as:

• 5 Things You Might Not Know About Jarrod Hunt
• 5 Things You Don’t Know About Me (Cameron Olthuis)
• 5 things You Didn’t Know About Todd Malicoat
• 5 Things You Never Knew About Me (Shoemoney)
• 5 Things You Never Knew About Me (David Naylor AKA DaveN)

At first look, it seems like Shoemoney and DaveN are on to the right thing. Then again, it could mean that DaveN is good at following formats after being tagged by the Shoemeister.

So this freeform means you have the right to rename the meme (Master Rename Rights so to speak).

Instructions: (Especially for those I’m tagging)

From what I gather, you are supposed to:

1. Disclose 5 personal things about yourself
2. Tag another 5 victims friends to pass this labor of love to.

Here’s my (more…)

• social traffic
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