Jill Stanton on Creating and Managing Affiliate Partnerships: An EOFire Classic from 2021

0:01Boom! Shake the room, Fire Nation. JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire. brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals with great shows like The Hustle Daily. Today, we're pulling a classic episode from the archives, and we'll be breaking down the creating and managing of affiliate partnerships. To drop these value bombs, I are brought to Jill Stanton and to EO Fire Studios. Jill and Josh are the co-founders of Screw the 9 to 5. They call themselves serial online entrepreneurs and world travelers. Oh, and parents to their little guy, Kai.

0:34Jill recently launched her own brand, Millionaire Girls Club, the first, last, and only five-day all-inclusive luxury retreat for unapologetically successful women. And today, Foundation will talk about the key is to showing up with integrity, honesty, and transparency, how you can serve your audience by connecting them with experts and get paid for the referral, and so much more. And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Jill and our sponsors. The Gold Digger Podcast, hosted by my good friend, Jenna Kuchar, is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

1:08The Gold Digger Podcast helps you discover your dream career with productivity tips, social strategies, business hacks, inspirational stories, and so much more. A must-listen episode is one of Jenna's recents on everything you need to know about affiliate marketing. Listen to Gold Digger wherever you get your podcasts. Is today your day? Visit thrivetimeshow.com to see testimonials of how Clay Clark's business coaching has helped over 2 ,000 entrepreneurs to dramatically increase profitability. It's month to month and less money than an average minimum wage employee. Schedule your free consultation today at thrivetimeshow.com.

1:46Today, we're here to talk about creating and managing affiliate partnerships because back in 2011, Jill, you and Josh quit your jobs. You went ahead and screwed that nine to five and you started kind of looking online to say, hey, what can we do to travel the world, to be location independent, to be financially free, all the things that, of course, we are just gifting you, Fire Nation, in the common path to uncommon success. I mean, if only Jill and Josh had the 17-step roadmap, which now they're actually a part of, chapter 16, step 16 in the 17-step process. But you guys stumbled across affiliate marketing.

2:23Give us just a quick recap about those first few months of you kind of discovering that and what you were doing in that world. Yeah, I remember when Josh first presented me with the offer or the idea, he was like, I think we should create a skincare affiliate site. I was like, 100%. What's an affiliate site? I was so green. So essentially for anyone who doesn't know, I'm sure you've read it in the book, but essentially affiliate marketing is simply connecting your audience to the people, products, programs, services, tools you use, like, or believe in. And so it really is you acting as a middleman, providing immense value.

2:59And then if someone clicks your link and purchases said offer through your link, it's tracked and you get a commission. Excuse me. And one thing I've learned through all our different affiliate adventures, we've had different niche sites, we've done affiliate launches, we've done evergreen affiliate stuff, is really front-loading every affiliate offer you put out there with immense free value. That's always been the biggest win for us. I mean, for me, like when I look back and I just kind of keep thinking about all the things that I could have done over the years, I'm like, okay, you know, I literally could have served Fire Nation who's looking to grow their online business with a million different courses, a million different like opportunities, books, product service, whatever that looks like, masterminds, you know, coaching, you know, I literally would have become just like a jack of all trades, but a master of none.

3:53And then when you do that, especially in this world, like a specialization, like you lose on a massive level. So the fact that, you know, I was able to like focus on the few things that I really was great at, like podcasting and, you know, doing stuff like on productivity and, you know, discipline and focus. I was able to win on those levels at a high level and then take my odds and say, Hey, if you want some of these things, if you want to do X, Y, or Z or learn X, Y, or Z, here's the best person in the industry to do that. go to this person. And then, you know, a great example is if they have, you know, a course or a mastermind for, let's just say$2 ,000, they have a 40, 50 % commission on that.

4:31Boom. I'm getting a lot of money for pointing somebody in the direction of the best place that they can go. And everybody wins. The person who I gave the client to, the client wins because it's the best. And then I win because I'm not trying to do everything, yet I'm still generating revenue. So looking back over the years, yeah, looking back over the years, one thing I loved it, ask you and talk about is like one of your favorite affiliate partnerships that you've done. I want to actually jump in here real quick because you and I. Are you going to say ours? I want to preclude that one because we did we did one last year together.

5:05It was obviously fantastic. I don't want you to feel like you have to talk about that because that was so much fun when we partnered up to do the affiliate launch with KBB came in number five. We're going to Tony Robbins house in a couple of months. It's going to be fantastic. Like that was a blast. But you know, besides that, which I know Fire Nation's heard about before, what is like another one of like this affiliate partnership that you're like, man, that was just a great setup? Up until 2021, we've promoted a program called Business by Design by James Wedmore nearly every single year since he's had it.

5:35And what I love about it is it's a very holistic entrepreneurship program, but it's not just a course. It's done for you, templates, launch plans, execution guides, and systems. So it's essentially like the how of everything you want to do, marketing, sales, and launching and team growth, really. So it's quite different. So it makes it so easy to promote it for us because one, it's one of our favorite programs. Two, we can create a really great experience for other people to come in, see what it's like to work with us, introduce them to James. And then if they choose to buy through our link, they will get all sorts of bonuses.

6:14And I think when you're doing affiliate launches or affiliate promotions, especially, it's so critical to have your own bonuses, like your own incentives for someone to join through your link, because this space is noisy, especially in the online business space. And there's a lot of affiliate offers floating around. So if you can differentiate yourself and stand out through your own bonuses that are unique to you and kind of plug the holes that the program isn't addressing or maybe build upon it or offer coaching, you can seriously win. And so those promotions have always been our most lucrative, our most profitable and our most, our easiest and our most fun, if I'm being honest.

6:54Also, I love you, John, of course. And I loved our KVV. Oh, it was the best. It was a lot of fun. We did a lot of cool videos and we had a challenge. And that's kind of one of the things that you've done is like you and Josh have really been amongst the leaders when it comes to like really building out these bonus packages that are just irresistible. So when somebody hears about, you know, this course through you, they're not just like, well, I'm just going to go Google, you know, XYZ and just go buy it right away. And you're getting no credit for that. They're like, well, I have to go through Jill and Josh's link because I need to get all these bonuses as well.

7:27So it's a very savvy business move. And again, you guys were one of the pioneers in the challenge space as well. So you really built these great rapport or this great rapport with all of your like leads that you were generating. So they just wanted to be part of the family, wanted to be part of that, you know, just whole vibe that you were creating there. And in the Common Path to Uncommon Success, you go through three tips. And we're not going to go super in depth on any of these because, you know, obviously it's all in the book and this is just, you know, a little teaser per se, but I wrote them down.

7:58So I'm going to go through them right now. I'm just going to, I'm going to share one, you know, give a little, uh, expound a little bit on it, maybe give a quick example, and then we'll go to the number two and three. But for number one, you say, hey, make a list of potential products that are in your niche that you can review and add to your website and social media. What do you mean by that? Okay, so say you are a health coach or a fitness influencer or something like that. And you have your coaching or you have your programs. But typically, people want to know what you're using to get results, right?

8:30And so one thing I always say is start listing out all the products you love. if you're like a fitness influencer or a health coach or something, it's probably something like, um, um, Vitamix or supplements or shakes or workout equipment or apparel or shoes or certain workout programs. Typically a lot of these, um, or even like shakers or anything like that, any kind of, uh, equipment or just accessories, typically a lot of these products have affiliate programs. And so you can just open up a Google search and type the product you love and in quotes, referral or affiliate. And that'll tell Google that you only want to see results from the product you're interested in, the product you love, and if they have an affiliate program.

9:14So it's really easy because then you can share that stuff on social media, right? Through your Instagram stories. If you have a Facebook group, you could put it in the file section. You could do IG live broadcasts around this. You could do reels around this. Like this would be so engaging with, um, IG reels. Or if you are into Tik TOK doing this kind of stuff, hanging out in the clubhouse, of course, hello clubhouse, so many platforms, it's hard to keep up, but really just talking about why you love this particular product and what people will get out of it if they incorporate it into their daily routine.

9:49And that's just the health space. Like think about makeup, momming travel when the world opens again, of course, like, um, business, there are so many softwares, tools, courses, programs, like all these kinds of things that you can sign up to as an affiliate, connect your audience to them and then provide your link. Maybe you have a discount code that they can use to get even more money off. And it's a win, win, win. And I think about things even like what I'm passionate about, like right now I'm really trying to dial in my sleep and I'm like, man, if I was an affiliate in the sleep world, like I could be like talking about my favorite mattresses.

10:24You know, I have the Uler, which is like a cooling pad underneath. I also now have a weighted blanket, which I think you would love Jill. It's like this suit really heavy, everything. I've got magnesium drop, sorry, melatonin drops by my bed. I've got a magnesium spray. So there's just like all these different things, you know, I've got, I've got like the thing that goes over my eyes. I've got, um, the earbuds. What is happening? Yeah. Kate just lays down and falls asleep. I'm like, I hate you. I'm like, I love you, but I hate you. So like, stop sleeping so easily. I love you and I hate you. I hope you didn't hear that because you're asleep.

10:58Yeah. But this is our point though, is like, there's so much in any niche, in any, in any area, in any industry. And it's just exciting to be able to identify stuff that you're passionate about already and say, Hey, why don't I just, and this is actually, we're going to be getting into number two, make a list of the products and programs that you use and create tutorials on how to maximize their value. But we're first going to take a minute to thank our sponsors. Artificial intelligence is at the top of everyone's newsfeed. So we all know there are plenty of business pros out there benefiting from AI.

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13:19Knowledge will not attract money unless it is organized and directed through practical plans of action. Become the next success story. Schedule your free 13-point assessment today at Thrivetimeshow.com. All right, Jill, number two, make a list. Take it away. Yes. Okay. So this is super easy. How do you use this supplement? What results have you gotten? What's the before and after? How do you use this tool? What's a tutorial? Like, how could someone else use this? I like versus. Versus is great, you know? Oh, versus is a great idea. Yes. And so also, can I just quick say so that I don't forget it?

13:56Another like absolute benefit of affiliate marketing is you don't have to deal with any product fulfillment, customer support, like any of that kind of stuff. You are simply connecting your audience. So I just want to make that clear. Like it's not like you are then having to ship all this stuff out or deal with customer support or any refunds or fulfillment. None of that. You're simply spreading the word. Okay. So tutorials. Yes. Again, this is where something like reels could come in. YouTube videos. Search, like search queries. There's so many things that you could do here. So creating tutorials on how you, on your sleep setup.

14:32And then you're like, hit this link or I've listed all the links below. Yeah. If you are on IGTV, on YouTube, you could do this on live. You could have a site, a page on your site where it lists all the links. Like there's so many ways that you can do this. It really is just how creative you can get and how you want to show people how to use the particular product or program or service or tool you're using. All right. Number three, are there courses or communities that you're not an expert in that you can direct your audience to? This is my favorite because so many people think, well, I want to serve my audience, so I should create this and this and this and this and this.

15:12And it's like, no, you can connect them to the experts in that particular space, niche or skill set and get them into their courses. That way you can say exactly what you were saying before. You can stay single focused on what you're meant to do and what you're doing in your business and just like kind of adjacent promote, right? Figuring out all the other things that your audience is interested in and then connecting them with the people who are the experts in those spaces and then get paid for that referral. I mean, it really is. That's why I love it so much. It's like the most no brainer way to make money.

15:50And this is just the stuff that builds up like snowballs over the years. It's stackable. Like I literally am still getting checks from all different places of things that I promoted in 2012, 13, 14, 15. Like it just kind of builds upon itself. So these are like baselines and foundations you can build now that just grow over time. And Jill, this is the grand finale right here. This is the last thing we're going to talk about right now. Cause I did pull this quote from your specific contribution to the common path to uncommon success. you shared, affiliate marketing is connecting our audience with the people, products, programs, and tools we use like and believe in.

16:33Trust is the currency in affiliate marketing. So bring this home for us. How can Fire Nation go all in and start creating and managing affiliate partnerships? I think the real key here is to show up with integrity, honesty, and transparency. When I say trust is the currency of affiliate marketing, if you go to promote something because you think it's a quick path to money or like a get rich quick kind of thing, you will lose the trust of your audience. And that is like so much power. If you lose the trust of your audience, it is so not impossible, but it is so challenging to get it back. Right.

17:14Because once you've kind of burned someone, they'll they'll always have that in their mind. So showing up with integrity and transparency and honesty and only promoting things that you use or that you believe in. Right. And so not just trying to sign up as an affiliate for anything and everything just to make a quick buck. I promise you people will be able to smell that from a mile away. It won't work as well as you think it will. And you will lose credibility and trust and integrity with your audience. And when you get into that arena online, it is so hard to crawl back from it. Fire Nation, you can see why I brought Jill Stanton on the mic to rocket about creating and managing affiliate relationships.

18:02Step 16, which is also chapter 16 in the common path to uncommon success. Like one thing that came up for me, Jill, when you were just sharing that is some of the worst advice I ever think people can get is fake it till you make it. Because we can smell fakeness a mile away. Like people want to be with you for the journey. They want to know that you're honest, open, transparent, that it's you. And hey, you have flaws. I have flaws. We're human beings. Like that's how we connect with other people. Perfectionism doesn't exist. So Fire Nation, this is just a glimpse of the value bombs that Jill drops in chapter 16 of the Common Path to Uncommon Success.

18:40If you're listening to this before March 23rd, you still have time to pre-order the book. And guess what you're going to get? All five of our pre-order bonuses that completely disappear the day March 23rd comes. And just one of the five bonuses, by the way, I'm shipping all three of my journals, the Freedom Mastery and Podcast Journal to your door if you're in the US, digital versions for those outside the US. And there's four other amazing bonuses. Check them out. UncommonSuccessBook.com UncommonSuccessBook.com Jill, thank you for sharing your truth your knowledge, your transparency your value with Fire Nation today for that we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side Thanks for having me The Gold Digger Podcast hosted by my good friend Jenna Kuchar is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network the audio destination for business professionals The Gold Digger Podcast helps you discover your dream career with productivity tips, social strategies, business hacks, inspirational stories, and so much more.

19:43A must-listen episode is one of Jenna's recents on everything you need to know about affiliate marketing. Listen to Gold Digger wherever you get your podcasts. Is today your day? Visit thrivetimeshow.com to see testimonials of how Clay Clark's business coaching has helped over 2 ,000 entrepreneurs to dramatically increase profitability. It's month-to-month in less money than an average minimum wage employee. Schedule your free consultation today at thrivetimeshow.com.