NEWBIE NEEDS TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT AFFILIATE MARKETING

13 replies
Hello All: I just signed up for two affiliate programs and it seems like both are full of up sales, delays getting started either withholding all of the necessary products, products not working properly, no real support. I've sent an email asking for assistance and I get a pre-scripted email.

Is it realistic to think that I can make $$ with affiliate marketing without having a lot of $$. I have been unemployed for over a year. So, I can't spend a thousands of dollars on products. Are those programs real that say no website needed and the blog programs? I need to either find something that works or get out while I can still get a refund.

I appreciate your comments and I need the truth!!

Thank you
LADYOFLOVE
#affiliate #marketing #newbie #truth
  • Profile picture of the author NateRivers
    You could read for years online about affiliate marketing methods, and I'm just talking about free resources.

    You should start with Amazon associates- there's tons of threads on here about how to get started, and there's also a lot of IM blogs out there that will explain how to get started with Amazon.

    High quality paid courses can be invaluable, but the trick is to stop at one, and implement what it's teaching you until you master it.
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  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    It is realistic, but you need to be careful who you promote in doing so.

    The products you promote are a reflection of who you are, whether you like it or not.

    Free websites can be gotten at blogger.com and wordpress.com, but to rely on them is to put a third-party in charge of your future... Kind of like having a job with an employer who can fire you at any time with reason or no reason.

    The best thing you could do starting out however is to build an audience and a mailing list. You can start with an Aweber account for the first month for $1, then $19 per month until you get more than 500 subscribers.

    Aweber is the best investment I ever made.
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    Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
    Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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  • Profile picture of the author dsouravs
    1st of all r u working somewhere right now...
    I don't want to be harsh but if u r not earning anything then I think IM sould be ur 2nd option...1st option would be to either look for offline job or give online services like content writing and seo stuffs.

    Now the affiliates u signed up....is ur site new....if ur site is new then most of the affiliates wont reply u...yes they wont reply u... so strt with amazon as nate told u.
    amazon accpets sites easily...just have a professional design and some 7-8 good content.

    thnx
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    I can convert your Non-Responsive website to Responsive website ... How sweet is that? :)

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  • Profile picture of the author noah.whitmore
    The Truth from my own experience...

    1. People who run affiliate programs are trying to make money however they can. So, they also love to make from their affiliates, however they can. Can you blame them? However, you need to get out of that hamster wheel - because it never ends. You spend money, you get another offer, you buy it, you get another offer, you buy, another offer - you'll never learn or achieve anything!



    2. Here's how affiliate marketing CAN and DOES work for many people.

    a. find a market
    b. build a list of subscribers within that market
    c. give them good and valuable information for free
    d. once they trust you, you can give them helpful and SOLID suggestions of QUALITY products to purchase that will actually help them
    e. they will buy stuff and you will make money



    3. Oh, and the Amazon Associate program is free
    and you can bank thousands of dollars with it, seriously. You don't need to buy any $39 product to do it, either. I'll tell you how...

    a. decide on a market
    b. do some keyword research using Google's Keyword Tool - find keywords related to your market that have a good number of searches.
    c. decide which keywords don't have impossible competition. Which keywords can you get to the top of Google for??
    d. create a website where each page targets a specific keyword
    e. build backlinks all day long, every day for one month

    Eventually, your pages will get to the top of Google search for their targeted keyword and people will visit your site. Make sure that you share USEFUL information on your site and direct them to Amazon through your associate links. You will make money if you do it this way - seriously. I've done it and TONS of other have done it too.

    Don't worry about reinventing the wheel - if you want to make money, just do what has worked for others.


    Good luck. You're taking a step in the right direction by asking questions!

    -Noah Whitmore
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    No Pitch For The Moment - Just A Nice Hello.
    So... 'Hello'
    Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about my posts. I'd like to hear from you!
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  • Profile picture of the author Big Al
    Check out Nate's blog, he's got more than enough free stuff there to keep you in affiliate income for sometime.
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  • Profile picture of the author markowe
    WAIT! WHO is asking you to spend any money on buying into some program or other?

    DO NOT spend any big money! I mean STOP, RIGHT NOW! It sounds to me like you have run into some sort of scam, or at least some expensive "make money online" course or book which could just leave you worse off than when you started. Maybe I am wrong, but your mention of spending thousands rang alarm bells.

    You do NOT have to spend money to get into affiliate marketing, other than some very minor expenses:

    1) Website hosting (as little as a couple of $$ a month)
    2) A domain ($10 a year).

    ...and in a pinch you could even start with a completely free blog or something just to learn the ropes and it would cost you NOTHING (though it's probably best not to).

    If anyone wants you to spend more, DO NOT! All the information is out there for free. Go also read Pat Flynn's blog, for example (Passive Income: The Smart Passive Income Blog) - read it from the very beginning, and you will start to get a better picture of what it's all about.

    Yes, you can make money, but do not give up your day job, it took me several years to really start getting it, and I am not alone, I assure you.

    So REPEAT: DO NOT SPEND THOUSANDS on ANYTHING!!
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    Who says you can't earn money as an eBay affiliate any more? My stats say otherwise

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  • Profile picture of the author vlada111
    You can success in affiliate marketing with just low starting money. (For hosting domain and maybe some articles if you don`t know English good).

    But you must NOT except $xx in yy days. At the start you will not make any money at all. But with a lot of hard work it will payoff!

    Stay motivated and enjoy IM!
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    • Profile picture of the author Adarme
      The truth is that to make money in affiliate marketing you need to master 2 major skills
      1. Targeted Traffic generation
      2. How to get conversions

      If you focus on these 2 objectives consistently you will not have any problems as an affiliate.
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      • Profile picture of the author ripperdav
        As everybody else has said here, of course there is money to be made as an affiliate marketer.

        Also, I completely agree with Nate's suggestion of finding one good solid program
        and sticking only to that, until you begin to see your efforts pay off.

        One question you may want to ask yourself before you even get started though
        is this, and it's always been a bit of a mystery to me, as to why practically no
        courses really cover this at the start.

        The question is this:

        What type of an affiliate marketer do I really want to be?

        Basically there are four different types of affiliate models..which can be broken down like this:

        1. The Anonymous Affiliate
        2. The One Niche Affiliate
        3. The Expert Affiliate
        4. The Entrepreneur Affiliate

        Now generally as you go through your affiliate marketing career, you'll learn more and begin to move through the different levels, however, one of the hugest mistakes I believe people make is what most "newbie" courses teach..
        and for the most part they teach the "Anonymous Model".

        Which generally goes something like this:

        1. Go to Clickbank..find a product with high gravity ya, yada..yada
        2. Set up a review style site...review the products..mention benefits etc.
        3. Cloak your affiliate link
        4. Create a call to action and link out to the products you are recommending in the hopes of making some sales...

        So yes, this does work..however..

        It makes a lot more sense from the start to realize that your main job as an
        affiliate marketer is that you are a solution provider.

        You really want to put yourself into the conversation going on in the mind of
        the prospects looking for a solution...

        "How do I get....?"
        "How do I solve...?"
        "I need a solution fast..."
        etc..etc...

        There's many more...

        Next...what are your prospects pleasure points? Their pain points?

        What's the ultimate outcome that they are looking for?

        By researching and figuring out the conversation going on in your prospects
        heads you'll begin to learn how you can press those buttons...aggravate the
        problem to some degree..

        Also, you'll find that if you can provide some real value and provide some insight into the answers they are looking for beforehand...you'll find more success.

        Provide some benefits and answers to them before ever asking them for anything else in return..such as "Clicking Here":

        If you can begin to build a solid relationship with your prospects from the "get go" it will be well worth your while in the long run.

        Wouldn't it be better to provide such a great experience for them, that you'll be the person they come to in the future for products instead of some other affiliate?

        What's your competition doing? How can you stand out in the crowd from them?

        In other words, you'll definitely want to be building a list from the start..this will provide you a way of recycling and getting instant traffic in the future..

        This could be an exhaustive and lengthy discussion..but, I hope I'm giving you a few things to think about anyway.

        Cheers

        Davin
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        The Ultimate "HIgh Ticket" Laptop Lifestyle Business Shortcut - Build The Life You've Always Dreamed Of! - Dream Laptop Lifestyle Club

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  • Profile picture of the author Val Wilson
    You definitely do not need to spend a lot of money to get started in affiliate marketing. I wouldn't touch any affiliate program that you have to pay to join. Personally I think Clickbank is a great place to get started - free to join, and a good range of products with high payouts.Choose a niche and products, set up a simple website preselling your chosen product, and use free methods to drive traffic - article marketing, forum posting, blog commenting, etc. As already suggested, it's a good idea to collect subscribers, build a relationship with them by offering genuinely good information about your chosen niche, and then recommend good products.It is a proven model that really does work if you put in the effort, and you do not need a lot of money to get started.
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    • Profile picture of the author Marian
      Yes, affiliate marketing works. The best thing would be to write something about a topic you're passionate enough. I guess everybody has some knowledge that can be "traded".. or published on a blog. And while you're posting - you're also building a list. Then it's not that hard to recommend a good product as an affiliate.

      I like blogging. And I get results.

      Marian
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  • Profile picture of the author SutejoTan
    well, it's kindda shocking truth.

    As some warriors mentioned above
    1. You still need money in order to make money
    e.g : domain name, hosting ,etc

    2. If possible, find offline job to support your online business activities (for newbie only)
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    PM me, If you want to do swap .THx
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    • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
      Thread titles in all caps are considered the online equivalent of SCREAMING!!!!

      Don't.
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      .
      Stop by Paul's Pub - my little hangout on Facebook.

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