This document discusses diversifying income streams beyond just affiliate marketing. It profiles three individuals - Robert Adler, Eric Nagel, and Joe Sousa - who have diversified into other areas like programming, agencies, and full-time jobs. The document also compares different monetization models like affiliate marketing, software as a service, freelancing, and traditional jobs. It emphasizes that few people can sustain a living through affiliate income alone and that diversifying skills and revenue streams provides more stability and opportunities for growth.

1. Beyond Affiliate Income:
Diversification in the
Industry
Joe Sousa
Affiliate Coordinator, Fanatics, Inc. (Twitter @drcool73)
Robert Adler
President, The Link Builders, LLC (Twitter @Bofu2U)
Eric Nagel
PHP Programmer, ericnagel.com (Twitter @ericnagel)

2. Robert Adler, @Bofu2U
● TheLinkBuilders.com
● MicrositeMasters.com
● Diversified by
○ C++/Ruby/Java Programming
○ Software as a Service
○ Reputation Management
& SEO Agency

3. Eric Nagel, @ericnagel
● www.EricNagel.com
○ Affiliate Summit Best Blogger
Pinnacle Award in 2011
● Diversified by
○ PHP Programming
○ Consulting

4. Joe Sousa, @drcool73
● www.whatdoesjoethink.com
● 15+ years in the affiliate
space
● Diversified by taking a “real”
job as an OPM and then as
Affiliate Coordinator for
Fanatics.com

5. What’s happening
● 20% of respondents make $50K+ a year (full
time income)
● That leaves 80% who would probably like to
make more in this industry

6. Industry Shifts
● Very few “old timers” are still making a living
from just affiliate income
● Very difficult to start from scratch
● No longer to just build sites, you need to
build a business
○ Not many can do that

7. What to do?
● Fill a void / build a service
○ Adler: The Link Builders, Microsite Masters, Arctic
Hosting
● Fill a void / be a service
○ Nagel: PHP Programmer
● (Re)join the “working world”
○ Sousa: Fanatics.com

8. Stay Current
●
●
●
●
●
Attend conferences
Blog
Social media
Build relationships
Masterminds

9. Differences in Models
Affiliate-only
Service
Freelancing
Traditional Job
Source of income Commissions
Subscriptions
Clients
Employer
Number of
income sources
Many
Many
A few
One
Time to first
paycheck
60-90 days
Slow
Soon
Instant
Req’d For
Stability
A Miracle
Less $ Per, More
#’s
More $ Per, Less
#’s
No Control
Consistency in
pay
Every 30 days
(Usually) Every 30
Days
You can set the
schedule.
Feast & Famine
Weekly / BiWeekly

10. Differences in Models
Affiliate-only
Service
Freelancing
Traditional Job
Barrier to entry
$3 shared web
hosting
$8 domain name
Knowledge
Finding a void to
fill
Building it
Getting the word
out
$20 DBA
Foot in the door
Foot in the door
Specific Skillset
College Degree?
Benefits
On your own
On your own
On your own
Supplied
Growth
Fast, but insane
risk (PPC / CPM)
- or Slow, with low
risk (SEO)
More stable, but
slower
Quick to plateau
Depends on
people above you

11. Differences in Models
Affiliate-only
Service
Freelancing
How to Scale
Increasing traffic
Better conversions
More subscribers Bill more hours
Increase your
hourly rate
N/A
Limitations to
Growth
Market size
Bankroll
Offer availability
Sold out inventory
(CPM)
Competition
Market size
Quality of
Product
Your boss.
Size of company
Market size
Politics
Hours in a day
Traditional Job

12. Differences in Models
Affiliate-only
Service
Freelancing
Traditional Job
What can destroy Offer goes away
you
Increased
competition
Google slap
New competition
Accounts Payable
All eggs in one
basket
You’re fired
What’s your
“out”?
Being bought
Just walk away
Retirement / gold
(services have no watch
equity)
Sell content site

13. Monetization Model:
Software as a Service
● Pay per Month /
Year
○
○
○
○
○
Microsite Masters
Raven Tools
SEO Moz
Ahrefs
For Me To Coupon
● Pay per use
○
○
○
○
Copyscape
iStock Photo
Codecanyon
Ahrefs API

14. Monetization Model:
Software as a Service
● Fulfillment happens at the same rate as
billing period.
○ Usually in the form of “usage”. They will have the
ability to use the product for the billing time period.
■ If no payment, availability is revoked.

15. Monetization Model:
“One Off” Purchases / Selling Products
● Physical Products
● Virtual Products
○ WordPress themes
○ WordPress plugin
○ Challenges
■ How do you stop buyers from redistributing the
software to others?
● Fulfillment on a Service, but only once.
○ Example: one-time link building package, design,

16. Monetization Model:
Money for Time - Per hour: Freelancing
● Controls Rate
● Controls Hours (usually)
● Reputation
○ Can dictate your hourly rate.
● You don’t work, you don’t get paid
○ Vacation / sick time / conferences

17. Skill sets to you have
that you can offer others
●
●
●
●
Social media
Graphic design
Programming
Industry knowledge / consulting

18. Monetization Model:
Money for Time - Per hour: Traditional Job
● Doesn’t actually “control” rate. Can request.
● Doesn’t control hours in most cases.
● Benefits
○ Health insurance, 401K, paid holidays, etc
● Steady paycheck
● Stability

19. External Threats
● Government
○
○
○
○
FTC
Nexus
Obamacare
Privacy / Do not track
● Other Company
Actions
○ SEO
■ Penguin / Panda
can cause
cancellations @
Microsite Masters
○ Financial
■ Frozen PayPal

20. What do you value?
●
●
●
●
●
Independance
Stability
Do you need to stay put or can you relocate?
Steady work
Fly by the seat of your pants

21. Adapt or Die
“Those who adapt the fastest
get paid the most.”

22. Questions?
Beyond Affiliate Income:
Diversification in the Industry
Joe Sousa
Affiliate Coordinator, Fanatics, Inc. (Twitter @drcool73)
Robert Adler
President, The Link Builders, LLC (Twitter @Bofu2U)
Eric Nagel
PHP Programmer, ericnagel.com (Twitter @ericnagel)