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Can you really make money as an affiliate? I’ve been involved with many affiliate companies and there are a few things you need to realize. There are companies that work and those that don’t. When someone first starts out as an affiliate many times they are confused as to where to begin. Especially people who know nothing about internet marketing usually struggle. Make sure you have the right mindset otherwise you’ll be walking into the industry blind.

The first question you should ask yourself is why you want to become an affiliate marketer. Do you think its easy money? Do you think it gives you more free time? Many people start out with the wrong reasons. If you decide to become an affiliate thinking you’ll be a millionaire overnight, you got your head in the clouds. I will tell you straight up this business has its ups and downs like any business. Your reason for becoming an affiliate should have to do with freedom. As an affiliate you will have a lot more free time once you achieve your desirable income. Also, this business is one where you can go completely mobile. As long as you have the internet and a computer, you can make money.

When it comes to joining the right affiliate company you need to ask yourself what kind of affiliate company you want to join. For example, if you join a nutritional drink affiliate company, don’t expect your sales to come completely online. Affiliate companies that sell physical products will usually require person to person selling rather than 100% online. Companies that sell physical products will require the affiliate to host meetings with potential prospects. Without potential prospects, the business dies. Then we have the affiliate company that is 100% online. For example, if you join an affiliate company that sells ebooks, you can do all the work needed online. You don’t have to hold meetings and make phone calls to sell an ebook. However, you still need potential prospects or leads in order for the business to survive.

Mistakes To Avoid As An Affiliate

I could seriously write a book about mistakes an affiliate can make because there are so many. The first mistake is joining the wrong affiliate company. You need to join a company that has good reviews and that will fit your needs. If you don’t like talking to people, then join an affiliate company that is 100% online. The second mistake is what I call the “newbie mistake”. When people are new, they are vulnerable to other companies trying to sell information or the next greatest thing to help the new affiliate. My biggest piece of advice is to not chase after every “shiny” object you see on the internet. This is a good way to go broke.

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Another huge mistake is not taking the time to learn. People with zero marketing experience need to learn! They need to read and watch training videos every day to understand how the industry works. If a new affiliate doesn’t learn enough, they will soon fall between the cracks and their business will fail. A perfect example is using paid advertising to promote a product. A bran spanking new affiliate should not just jump right into pay per click advertising without training. I did this when I first started and lost $200 in less than 2 hours. You need to know what you’re doing!

An affiliate should know what he or she is selling. I can’t tell you how many times someone asked me for help and had no clue what they were even selling. As an affiliate you should know your product inside and out. If a potential buyer even senses a hint of unsureness, he or she will start having second thoughts.

Another mistake is failing to get leads. When you’re a new affiliate your biggest priority should be leads. Without leads the business dies since leads convert into sales. I know many affiliates who failed because they sent traffic to a sales page instead of capturing their email. In the end they had 0 leads and only 2 sales. Leads who are on your email list could still buy your product even after a year has gone by.
Lastly, I know one affiliate who does nothing but spam. That’s his secret – spamming, or should I say secret to failure. Nobody likes being sold on anything. This is the first lesson a new affiliate will learn.

Quick note to realize…

A new affiliate should realize this quick note. These two tips explain why the mistakes above are all fatal mistakes. Remember, you’re selling products to people. These are hardworking individuals who are going to give their hard earned money to a person they don’t know. There are two types of buyers. Those who will buy right away and those who will buy months down the road. If you don’t capture leads you will lose out on the people who will buy your product down the road. The majority of people will not buy right away. This is something every affiliate should realize.

A word of advice…

Find someone who is already successful who can actually teach you. Don’t become an affiliate blind. Have a goal, have a way to reach your goal, and have someone to teach you the ropes. Make sure you keep learning even after you start making money. In affiliate marketing, the learning never ends. Finally, just because something worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you.

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How To Succeed As An Affiliate

Before we get into succeeding as an affiliate, I want to briefly talk about the time before you even become an affiliate. Choosing the right affiliate program is a very important step that should not be overlooked. Here are the steps to choosing the right affiliate program:

1. Choose an affiliate program that has over 50% commission. This really depends on what you’ll be selling. If you’re only selling products that cost around $50 you better make sure you are receive over 50% commission. Like any affiliate program you’re going to be putting a lot of effort into selling products, so you want to make sure the pay is up to par. There is one exception to this rule though. If the commission is recurring commission, then in my opinion you don’t have to go by the 50% rule. Just make sure you are going to be profiting from the program over time.

2. Look at reviews. Make sure you do your research. Never just jump into a program without knowing anything about it. If people are saying it doesn’t convert, then don’t bother. Also just because people are saying it’s a scam, doesn’t mean it actually is. Every affiliate program on the internet is viewed as a scam from certain people. Why? Because they joined, didn’t know what they were doing, didn’t make money, and blamed their troubles on the affiliate program. In the end, it all comes down to your efforts.

3. Check out the payment schedule. Make sure the program pays out at least once a month. If the minimum payout is over $100, then you may want to rethink about joining that program.

4. Choose a program that provides adequate training. I can’t tell you how many times I joined a program and I still had no idea what to do or how to promote. You need to make sure the training that comes with the program is easy to follow and adequate enough for you to get started.

5. Choose a program that fits who you are. If you don’t like talking to people over the phone, then I highly suggest you choose a program that sells digital products or one that doesn’t require cold calling. Programs that sell things like nutritional drinks and physical products usually require affiliates to hold meetings and sell via face to face.

6. Research how well the product sells. Since all your income will come from sales, wouldn’t you like to know how well the product sells? Again, do you research but this time on the product, not the affiliate program.
I can’t stress enough how important following these tips are. In order to become a successful affiliate you need to choose the right program. You could be a master at selling, but if you’re not selling something that’s profitable, then you might be wasting your time.