Tag: the affiliate marketing business

Three Common Affiliate Mistakes to be Avoided




Avoiding mistakes

Affiliate marketing is one of the most effective and powerful methods of earning money on the Internet (Web), because it is a system that gives everybody a chance to make a profit through their activities on the Web. Since the various affiliate marketing programs are easy to join and implement, as well as to automate commission payments on a regular basis, more and more people are now willing to participate in this business.

However, like all businesses, there are lots of pitfalls in the affiliate marketing business, and some newcomers to the business who, without realizing it, who allow themselves to commit some of the most frequently repeated mistakes in this business will lose large portions of the profit they would otherwise make on a daily basis. That is why it is better to avoid these affiliate mistakes than having to regret making them later on.

First mistake to avoid

Choosing the wrong affiliate system – There are those who want to earn from affiliate marketing as fast as possible – even overnight they believe; and in their rush to be part of a system they think will allow them to do so, they tend to choose a bandwagon product. These are the kind of products that the affiliate believes to be “hot;” and therefore they choose the product that is in demand without actually considering if that product appeals to them, or their website visitors. This is obviously not a very wise decision.

Instead of jumping on the bandwagon, try to choose a product in which you are truly interested. For any endeavor to succeed, you should take some time to plan and figure out your actions. Try to pick a product that appeals to you and/or your website audience, and then do some research about that product to see if they are in demand. Promoting a product you are more passionate about is easier than promoting one for the sake of the earnings only.

Avoid this mistake

Joining too many affiliate programs – Since affiliate programs are very easy to join, you might be tempted to join multiples of affiliate programs to try and maximize the earnings you will be getting; and while you may think that there is nothing wrong, or that you have nothing to lose by being part of many affiliate programs, there could be significant problems create due to conflicting messages and distractions, as well as irreparable harm to your ability to build credibility with your audience.

It is true that affiliate marketers can develop multiple sources of income, but joining multiple affiliate programs and attempting to promote them all at the same time will prevent any affiliate marketer from concentrating on each oneto the degree that s/he should.

In order to realize maximum benefit from your affiliate program, try to avoid signing up with multiple affiliate programs which could result in reducing your potential income, and instead, join just one program which pays at least 40% commission. Doing this will allow you to devote most of your and best efforts to that program by enthusiastically promoting it and simultaneously sending a singular, focused, strong message to your audience. Once you see that this single program is reasonable successful, you can then join another affiliate program.

While the suggested technique is slower than some would prefer, it certainly has more potential for success than the other way. Quite honestly, there is really no need to rush into things, especially with affiliate marketing, because the way things are going it seems affiliate marketing has a bright future and will be here for a long time too.

Easy to avoid this one

Failure to buy or use an affiliate product – As an affiliate your main purpose is to effectively and convincingly promote a product or service and to potential customers; and in order for you to achieve this purpose, you must be able to convey to those customers that a certain product or service is valuable to them. However, it is often difficult for you to convey such value when you yourself have not tried the product/service. Thus, you will fail to promote and recommend it convincingly; and you will also fail to create a desire in your customers to try what you are offering.

Why not personally try the product or service first before you sign up as an affiliate? This way you will learn firsthand if it is really delivering what it promises. When you have done so you will be one of the credible and living testimonials who has firsthand knowledge of its advantages and disadvantages. Your customers will then feel the sincerity and truthfulness in you and this will trigger them to try the product/service out for themselves.

Many affiliate marketers make these mistakes and are paying dearly for their actions. To avoid falling into the same situation, try to do everything to avoid making the same mistakes. Time is the key; so take the time to analyze your marketing strategy and check if you’re on the right track. If done properly, you will be able to maximize your affiliate marketing business and earn more substantial profits.

Affiliate Marketing Fosters Multiple Streams of Income


Resource assessment

Are you familiar with the phrase “multiple streams of income”? Do you know what this phrase means? For many business persons, creating multiple streams of income online or offline is one way to financially secure themselves and their businesses for the future, while simultaneously avoiding (dodging?) the so-called famine effect dreaded by many in the business industry. As a practical and protective step those engaged in the affiliate marketing business should pursue multiple streams of affiliate marketing income since relying on one stream could prove detrimental if it ceases.

If you were to ask any of the more successful online entrepreneurs about the wisdom of establishing multiple streams of online income, they would tell you it is highly recommended. That is not to say, however, that doing so is easy since such a strategy involves careful planning, goal-setting and commitment, as well as a healthy dose of persistence and hard work. That having been said, the very first step an affiliate marketer must take in creating multiple streams of income is to assess/evaluate his/her resources.

Use the skills of others

So if you are an affiliate marketer who wish to establish multiple streams of income and you are at the assessment/evaluation stage, you must first assess yourself and evaluate your resources. Also, you might want to Jot down your own answers to these questions:

  • What are the talents, abilities and strengths you possess?
  • Are you gifted with excellent and creative writing skills?
  • Can you do well at sales?
  • Are you good in communicating with people?
  • Are you born with an artistic skill?
  • Do you possess a unique ability that others do not have?

Through this exercise you can determine the type of business in which you can excel. Next step would be to look around and write down your assets and physical resources such as computer, color printer, scanner, digital camera, cell phone, CD or DVD burner and any other equipment/tools that can be used in your efforts.

This list becomes your resources! Consider also to ask your friends and family if they possess any skills or resources that you can have access to. Remember that no man is an island so you should try to use talents, skills, knowledge and resources of everyone you know.

Research & training

Those are basically the essential first steps you must take if you want to create multiple income streams; and if you’re already a webmaster or a website owner you definitely have an edge in the sense that you may be able and ready to simply join an affiliate marketing program and generate some extra income out your own website that will go a long way in helping you achieve your overall objective.

Being involved in affiliate marketing is one of the most desirable ways to create multiple sources of income, because affiliate marketing programs come in various shapes and forms and there are large numbers of affiliate marketing programs that you can research, compare and sign on with a few to start generating income right away. Affiliate marketing lets you to make money by promoting, selling and reselling affiliate products/services (‘products’) as well as by recruiting new affiliates and sub-affiliates.

What is also good about this business is that you can find a wide array of training materials which can be used to enhance your marketing abilities which in turn helps you to identify genuine products to promote and sell where the end result is generating real income, but also putting you on a solid footing to establish multiple streams of income.

It’s a business!

Whether you start out as a part time or full time affiliate marketer, it is important that you approach affiliate marketing as a business to which you are committed (devoted?) and responsible for its management, reputation and profitability. Simply acknowledging that it is an excellent way to create multiple income streams by means of promoting products from web merchants is not enough. You must work hard to make it successful, otherwise you may as well be engaged in affiliate marketing as a game, hobby or other kind of exercise for fun.

Consider this for a moment: Where else can you get affiliate commissions without investing big bucks to make your own product? And how many other businesses can you go into without worrying about book keeping, customer support and ecommerce? Not many! As an affiliate marketer, all you have to do is promote and resell the products on your website and refer potential customers to merchants’ sites and product pages where, if/when purchases are mde by these customers, you get paid.

When attempting to create multiple streams of income in affiliate marketing, it is advisable to promote promote products from different merchants so that your visitors will have variety of destinations to choose from. Using multiple merchants from the same site or niche is really the only practical way to create multiple streams of affiliate income. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this business strategy because it is one of the best ways to protect your business and expand your horizons.

Know your product

This strategy is almost a guarantee against you experiencing a crisis if ever one of your web merchants closes his/her program. However, you should choose only those affiliate programs that interest you so that you can effectively advertise and promote them. Don’t ever be tempted to sign up for numerous affiliate programs in the hope that one of them will bring income. Select wisely and don’t be engaged in selling products you know nothing about. Go with the stuff that jives with your enthusiasm and your passion will help capture visitors’ attention and guide them to your affiliate link.

As was mentioned earlier, you work hard to make your multiple streams of income more stable; and you can do this by embracing certain strategies and tactics; but also by developing within yourself, the traits that can help you become successful in any kind of business. Such traits might be described as patience, persistence and thirst for knowledge.

Just remember the adage about putting “all your eggs in one basket.” Avoid putting all your affiliate marketing eggs (in this case, your hard work, hopes and aspirations) in one basket (one affiliate merchant) because if that one goes down there’s a strong possibility that you’ll go down with it; but if you have several, losing one will not have as devestated an effect on your affiliate marketing business; you will still have a steady flow of income to rely on.