Hey DPers, I felt like writing about the 3 common mistakes affiliate marketers make. Hopefully it helps you. We all know that affiliate marketing is one of the most effective ways to make a decent living online. In affiliate marketing, everyone has a chance to make a profit with minimal investment if they do things the right way. As with affiliate marketing and real life outside of the internet, there are pitfalls and walls we encounter, even some costly mistakes. Sure we all run into problems in life, but with affiliate marketing, costly mistakes can be avoided. I hope these three simple tips help you. Mistake # 1: Joining too many affiliate programs. Because joining affiliate programs is so easy and free, many people sign up for every program they stumble on in hopes of building a online affiliate empire. I know their intentions are good, but signing up for every program you see will have you spread so thin that you might as well be a piece of plastic wrap around a sandwich. Trust me, I've been there. When we spread ourselves so thin, we lose track of what we are working on and our websites suffer because of it. Here's the truth, if you are thinking you are going to get rich by signing up for every affiliate program you see, then you are dead in the water. You should only focus on two or three programs at a time and put all your heart in soul into it. Others might argue to only focus on one product at a time till you are making a decent income. Nothing happens overnight in this business, although it possibly could. If you put your focus on one or two affiliate programs at a time then your hard work will pay off. Just give it time and don't give up. Mistake number 2: Choosing the wrong affiliate. Most people want to money as fast as possible that they get in a rush and pick a product that everyone is promoting. They have hopes of overnight success without even having a interest in the product or niche. In this game, you have to love what you do. Instead of jumping on the bandwagon, try to choose a product in which you are truly interested in, know a lot about, or are serious about learning more about it. Remember always to research the market first. Mistake number 3: Not buying the product or using the service. As an affiliate, you main purpose is to effectively and convincingly promote a product or service to find customers. Therefore it is important that you have at least tried the product or know someone who has. Honestly, how are you going to write about a product that you never seen or tried. Once you know a product, you can sell it much easier. New Affiliate marketers make this mistakes to often and it's a shame, yet it's part of the learning experience. Hopefully these tips help and give you some new ideas. Also remember that documenting everything you do is critical. Take the time to document your marketing strategy. Track your results and see what is working and what isn't. If a product isn't selling like it should be then you are doing something wrong. Maybe it's your content or site design. Ask around and see what other think. Take the time to look at these things. If done properly, you will reap the benefits of affiliate marketing.
Some good info here... but I have to disagree with one of your points... I don't agree that you have to be interested in a product or service to be successful. If you want to make a GOOD LIVING from your efforts -- you have to choose a niche that's highly profitable. Unfortunately, many of the things you're interested in don't have a lot of money making potential. Obviously, you can make some money in any niche -- but can you make a lot of money??? Most of the BIG MONEY is made in the health and financial-related niches. Unless you want to settle for $100, $500 or $1000 per month, you probably should choose a niche with big profit potential. Personally, I've found even the most boring things can become interesting when you start making a bunch of money. Payday loans have been very profitable for the last several years (see my sig) -- and this isn't exactly the most exciting subject. And even though it's very competitive (because there's lots of money to make!), when you hit it big -- you can make a great living. Even if you don't hit it big, you can still earn much more by choosing a popular / profitable niche. Of course, if your goal is just to make a little money on the side -- go for something you're interested in and don't worry about the money-making potential. It will be fun to write and create content, and you'll make a little extra money too. But if you want to earn a great living, you may have to choose a subject that isn't quite as interesting...
I agree with your comment too, and most of the time when someone starts promoting a niche they are unfamiliar with, they become interested in it and want to learn more. Sometimes, they do not. You're correct, it goes both ways and ultimately it does boil down to the individual.
I agree with number 2. For number 1 I would say it depends, because if I were building a more general site I might want to join as many programs as possible. For number 3 I always tell my people doing what you love is important, but make sure you get in a niche that pays first and do what you love second and then see how it goes as far as making a living.
How's it going Walter, I understand what you are saying by joining with as many as you can for a general site..and you are probably right. For one site it might be better to join a few different types of AFs. On the other hand, if a person is signing up for many AF programs then they shouldn't be trying to put up many sites at once, but rather they should be focusing on two or three sites at a time. Basically one site might get more attention then the others and you might miss important steps of you spread yourself to thin. Unless you outsource of course. This is what I was trying to say, but I guess I didn't get my point across clearly. =)
Yeah! I agree with you. Signing up for too many affiliate programs usually goes to waste! One more thing I noticed, affiliates usually go for product related domains. Can you share your insight on this please?
Well, you know how it goes we focus, but then we never really have control over things. Think about it if the media decided to tell the well that the economies of the world have failed, then we'd really be in trouble. lol So, everything always depends