Life got rough and we decided to change it. We decided to start an Affiliate Marketing Business but like all business, there are the challenges in affiliate marketing.
The Newbie’s Spin
It’s in the decision, as they say from the book “Think and Grow Rich” a successful person makes a decision fast and takes a long time to change it, if at all. While an unsuccessful person makes decision slow but is quick to change it and does it often.
My Affiliate Disclosure, “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”
So, you have made that decision and your journey has begun. Life is rough and you need to make a change, this is why your decision was made. This is known as your state of mind, almost leaning towards the desperate side which why most people try affiliate marketing, as they have been led to believe that it is easy and that success comes fast. In some cases, yes but not as a norm.
Information That You Have Been Given
- The definition of Affiliate Marketing, selling other people’s product for a commission. How hard can that be?
- The definition of traffic, visitors to your affiliate link, where ever it is.
- Build a Website
- Don’t build a website.
- Build a sales funnel
- Don’t build a sales funnel, we will give you one.
- Use free traffic sources
- Pay for traffic to a link and earn, it’s all about numbers
- Use this tool
- Don’t use this tool.
- Sign up for this Affiliate Training, we’ll guide you the whole way.
I can go on, the list is endless ………………..
What They Don’t Tell You !
Affiliate Marketing is huge and there are many strategies out there to earn an income but it requires you to choose one and follow it until you are successful. Remember make a decision and don’t change it until you are the master.
Sorry for this comment but someone has to say it. Remember there are gurus out there who are using the newbies as a free traffic source, they give them funnels to use and tell them not to change a thing as it has been proven to work, so they say.
The newbie’s paid them for the training and then end up sending traffic to their sites for which they are paying for, with material that every other newbie is using. I ask, how are they supposed to be successful?
Lastly, remember when the lead lands on your product owners landing page and clicks, this is when they are officially no longer yours, as they now follow your products owners sales funnel. If by a stroke of luck, you manage to get them onto an email list before they become your product owners lead, they will be in two funnels for the same product.
Surely this must upset someone and upset potential customers don’t buy ??
This is The Affiliate’s Marketing Dance !!
Well, now you know the truth and to remind you before you start packing your bags. Successful people don’t change their decisions quickly.
The truth will set you free. Now you know the evil plot, how do you work around this?
Make your second decision on your affiliate marketing journey.
Choose a strategy and follow it until you Master it.
To make it easier to understand, I’m keeping this at high level view. Choose between paid traffic and free traffic.
Paid Traffic
To chose this strategy, you will need join an affiliate program like the Super Affiliates System or Fullstaq to learn the game. Secondly before you decide, have a budget of about 100 dollars for tools and a 300-dollar budget for ads, allowing you to spend 10 dollars a day on ads. This is a minimum to start. I would also strongly suggest that you make this allowance for the year. Therefore, to total it up, you will have 4800 dollars cost for the year on your affiliate marketing business.
My Affiliate Disclosure,
As the owner of this website, I have tracked the best deals through my experience and research for the products and services mentioned herein. When you use the links on this page and make a purchase, I may get a small commission for the effort I’ve put in, to bring you the knowledge. It’s a win-win all around. Full disclosure.
So now your budgets are set and you are ready to go, remembering the name of the game is to focus. To drill it down further, decide on a product and on the paid traffic source.
I will leave the product for you to choose but on the paid ads side, decide between solar, Facebook, link in and YouTube. Each one of these sources have their tricks and understanding that you will need to master. My suggestion is to master Facebook ads first, earn some income and then move on to the other sources. Why I say this is because you will need to test, test, test and test before your ads will work and by trying other sources will allow your focus to become blurred, even if you have a bigger ads budget still only try one avenue until you are successful.
Lastly on paid traffic, referring to the evil plan. Do a dance with your potential buyer before you send him to your affiliate link, make sure his hot and ready to purchase before you take him to the sales office where you are not invited. This will ensure that when the buyer enters the sales funnel of the product owner, they move swiftly through to the purchasing counter. Learn to Dance, take them on a few amazing dates and then let them go, to remember you forever.
Make That Decision !
Free Traffic
For those of us who have a limited budget or none at all.
Choosing this strategy, does not mean that it will easy.
It requires more work and possibly it will take longer. NO, it will take longer but you will be building a more sustainable online business.
Remember if you throw money at a strategy, you have to keep on throwing money at the strategy, for it to keep on working.
There is a totally free version but let’s not kid ourselves after all you are here to build a business and before long you will out grow the free version.
So to explain this you will need to sign up to platform called Wealthy Affiliates, where you will receive 1 website domain for free, 10 free lessons on how to set it up and access to a helpful community, who will help you every step of the way.
So when you are hooked and need more information, training and websites you can pay a membership fee of 49 dollars a month or pay yearly, bringing down the amount to just 29 dollars a month and that’s all.
To explain it in a little more detail, you will build a website around a specific niche thus attracting viewers of similar interest where you will sell them products that will help them in your chosen niche / field.
Why is this better, you ask?
It is because you are building what is called a digital asset which in time will have a monetary value to it.
Conclusion
I have in brief, explained the challenges in affiliate marketing and it all boils down to the shinny object syndrome, not making the decision on a strategy, focussing on it and mastering it until the money river starts flowing.
So choose now and don’t look back !
Paid Traffic – Having a budget, Further Drilling Required but Faster to the Money
Free Traffic – No Budget or very small, Slower to the Money but Building a Digital Asset
Paid Traffic – With a Budget
Free Traffic – No Budget
Dear Barry
Thank you very much for your fantastic website that shows the most effective approach to start up your own online marketing business which can grow gradually. I hope more people will know about your website and follow your guidance.
Kind regards,
Andrey
Thanks Andrey, always nice to hear such positive comments, appreciate it.
Regards Barry
Dear Barry
Thank you so much for this article.
I came a group a group of marketers who appeared good to me. I bought into the idea because I felt, it was worth trying.
I ended up being disappointed. There are a lot of schemes out there, so we have to be careful.
I like your honesty in sharing that that there are two ways to the affiliates business, the paid and free traffic.
You have pointed out the truth behind both. Expensive on the one hand and gritty on the other.
A lot people are desperately looking for something to do, and the affiliates business is the newest bride in town.
One has to learn the tricks of the trade to succeed. Thanks for this
Hi Ibi, It’s my pleasure. In affiliate marketing there is such a learning curve because it is actually very simple but at the same time confusing, all of us get sucked down some sort of rabbit hole before we actually fine the right way to do it. Thanks for your comment. Regards Barry
You’re right, chosing and sticking to it is necessary but also difficult. You explained it very well. Thanks!
Thanks Hannie, I think this is the key to affiliate marketing because it so big. Focus on one strategy & forget the rest until you master that specific one.
Regards Barry
Being in the business of affiliate marketing, I still feel there is so much to learn yet. And offcourse I learnt quite a lot from your post here.
Many Thanks
Kind Regards
Thanks Habib, I agree with you, lot’s to learn in this industry so we need to help each other along the way.
Regards Barry