Many of us trying to get into affiliate marketing make a lot of mistakes before finally getting the hang of it and start earning the dollars. It’s a little time wasting doing it on your own with no help, and we all want to get there faster, right? So if you’re thinking about getting into affiliate marketing, there are several things you should know. Here I’ll state a few affiliate marketing mistakes that people make, (me included back then) so hopefully it will save you some time and effort and get you on the right track earlier rather than later.
First and foremost, too many people think that they are going to get rich overnight. Surely, you’ve heard of the many “Get Rich Quick’ schemes. If not, there are thousands out there. They are costly mistakes people make by purchasing some product that promises thousands of dollars in your first few days or weeks. As the saying goes – ‘If it sounds too good to be true…’ (yes you know it), then it is! We need to weed out the bad, and find the best. (I had a fantastic mentor, no money wasted there, and I’ll tell you a bit about that in a later post)
Ok, onto the next 6….
Not Taking Action – It happens to a fair few out there…. You have a plan, educate yourself, make a start somewhere, learn some more, then it seems as if you don’t know enough so you don’t do anything yet. You should take action from the moment you begin, there will be a few mistakes, but it really is the only way to get the hands on experience that you need. Then continue learning and build it up from there. So Take Action! Right Now!
Relationship Building – It’s an absolute must, that you build and maintain a relationship with your prospective customers. You need to get them to know you and trust you, so whatever it is you are selling, they can trust that you have recommended the right product for them. Give, give, give, then you’ll begin to receive. (No flashy banner filled, link filled sites allowed!) Simple really – if they trust you, they’ll buy off you, and come back again. Repeat business – what we’re aiming for!
Choosing the Wrong Product or Program – The right affiliate program can make you some good money, whereas the wrong affiliate program will be a waste of time and effort. Where possible, try choosing products you know about or that you are interested in yourself, and obviously, related to your niche. Ask yourself – does it fit perfectly within my niche? Also, don’t just look for high paying products (which can be an easy mistake with the $ $ signs in our eyes) look for quality, even if the payout is lower. Quality will always win when it comes to conversions. If you find quality, with a high payout, then bonus! Even better…. A high quality, recurring paying product! Great support within your affiliate program is also important, although affiliate program owners won’t make sales for you they should do everything in their power to help you make sales easily.
Not Researching the Product – Many new affiliates will fail before getting anywhere, (then give up too soon) because they don’t research a product entirely before promoting. (You could get lucky, but who wants the risk when your reputation’s on the line?) Researching is crucial, the more you know and learn, the more you can decide if the product is suitable. Note:- While doing searches, more than likely the first 20 or so results will be reviews of the very same product (if it’s popular) and are just people who are also trying to sell the same, and although it could be a great product, delve a little deeper, so you know for sure.
Avoid joining too many Affiliate Programs at once – Most affiliate programs are easy to join, and the biggest mistake the new marketer can make is joining too many at once, thinking it will maximise earnings. It is much more profitable to concentrate on one or two great products, and go all out with these. (Also makes more sense) The best results will come from focusing on one product that pays between 40 – 60%, and stick with it. When the time is right, and you are generating a reasonable profit, only then you should join another program and rinse and repeat so they say right?
Failing to get the proper Affiliate Marketing Education – Go about it completely on your own and you’ll be scratching your head and getting frustrated for months, even years in some cases. You’re not going to bring in the huge commission checks unless you learn how to do it first. You should invest a little into learning and educating yourself so that you’re aware of all the in’s and out’s in succeeding with affiliate marketing. It doesn’t have to be much, just a few dollars here and there on some how to guides (don’t buy just anything, remember research first!) or even investing your time to find the free (useful) information out there. If you do have the funds, then I highly suggest getting some top notch education from a high quality course or mentor.
Although Affiliate Marketing is hard work to begin with, it does get easier. Avoiding these mistakes early on will give you a better chance at success at a faster rate.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment below.
Very nice article, exactly what Iwas looking for.