I think there are lots of people who love the idea of becoming an affiliate marketer because it optimises the whole “laptop lifestyle” that they crave. What’s not to love about working from your laptop, wherever and whenever you want and getting paid to recommend products and services that you already use and love? What could be simpler?
There are countless others who have false (and limiting) beliefs about what being an affiliate marketer is all about, They say things like; I’m not great at writing, I don’t have a blog, I’m not a techie, I don’t want to bug my friends and family, there’s too much competition, I don’t want to spam people, I don’t have the time…
These people won’t even try and probably won’t try anything else for that matter, for the very same reasons (excuses).
There are many reasons why people (if they try at all) fail at affiliate marketing. Here are my top 5 reasons:
- Most people don’t have the patience. They’re looking for a “get rich quick” way to make money (which by the way, doesn’t exist!). They start off really well, and then they lose interest when the results (commissions) don’t come rolling in while they sleep. It takes TIME to build credibility and authority in your space.
- They are approaching it purely from the perspective of “making money online”. OK, so I get that that’s the objective here, but you’ll never make an penny in any business if you only want to make money from people. You first need to “serve” (and I don’t mean that you should start by getting a job as a waiter). Your approach must be to SERVE others first.
- They choose the wrong niche. This point kind of ties in with the previous point. It’s best to choose a niche, where you either have some knowledge now OR you have a genuine interest in the niche. You’ll need to establish some authority and credibility in your niche before people will trust and ultimately, buy on your recommendation.
- They choose the wrong products. Product selection is critical to your success. Choose products with reputable companies, with low return rates and great reviews. Do your research and yes that means, you need to purchase and use the products you’re promoting. Again if you’ve chosen a niche that you either know or want to know, product selection is easy.
- They don’t do enough work. Being successful as an affiliate marketer requires the same effort, focus and work that is required to be successful in anything, business or otherwise. Sorry, but most people simply don’t do the work that’s required or they don’t do enough (or they don’t even start)
Affiliate marketing can be a great way to earn money online, either full time or part time and it can be truly passive, once you get up and running. As with any business however, it requires, patience, consistency, imagination, determination and a desire to serve others. Nobody said it would be easy, but the rewards (not just financial) can be huge.
Sharon Marie xx
