Business Idea - Lead Generation / Affiliate Marketing?

[Gilmore]

Good Morning,

I'm looking for some guidance if possible with regards to an idea I've had for a while and hoping that some of the members can point me in the right direction for me to do some more research.

Please forgive my ignorance with correct terminology but I'll try and explain in the most simplest of terms what it is I'm looking to do etc.

I'd like to look at the possibility of creating a site that combines features from:

www.cruisecritic.co.uk
www.travelzoo.com
www.tripmule.com
www.icelolly.com

The idea of providing pre-qualified leads to travel agents as well as online advertising in the form of banners, editorials, e-marketing etc - would this be classed as affiliate marketing? If so, could you suggest where best to learn more?

I work within the industry just not within marketing so I'm coming in to this completely green.

I've made contact with some of the above companies to learn more and understand where they generate revenue from etc.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[uber]

Taking on Trip Advisor and other big boys is going to be near on impossible unless you try and focus on a single niche and even then its going to be a massive uphill struggle. I know ex super affiliates who have tried in stuff like cruising spending tens of thousands on content alone, know how to market etc only to be destroyed.

A good travel blog/vlog could work as people love the personal approach to travel and to see what the place is like. You can easily bag some free travel if your contents good and then do a backend deal for referrals

[Gilmore]

uber said:

Taking on Trip Advisor and other big boys is going to be near on impossible unless you try and focus on a single niche and even then its going to be a massive uphill struggle. I know ex super affiliates who have tried in stuff like cruising spending tens of thousands on content alone, know how to market etc only to be destroyed.

A good travel blog/vlog could work as people love the personal approach to travel and to see what the place is like. You can easily bag some free travel if your contents good and then do a backend deal for referrals

Cheers Uber, appreciate your thoughts - perhaps starting off with a website/blog/social media is a good place to start and then see where we go from there?

There's a larger site in the USA that operates in a similar fashion: http://www.cruisecompete.com/ - they take a % of the commission made from bookings.

Thanks again.

[uber]

Gilmore said:

Cheers Uber, appreciate your thoughts - perhaps starting off with a website/blog/social media is a good place to start and then see where we go from there?

There's a larger site in the USA that operates in a similar fashion: http://www.cruisecompete.com/ - they take a % of the commission made from bookings.

Thanks again.

Have a look at this guy he seems to have a nice number on lots of free cruises https://twitter.com/CaptGreybeard

Sites like the one you mention are old and established which is why they do OK via organic search.