How to Start Affiliate Marketing by Avoiding 3 Traps

So you’re ready to start controlling your own schedule… and you want to do it all from your laptop…

No more bosses telling you what to do or when you should do it…

All you need is the right ‘Vehicle’ to accomplish this seemingly distant feat, right?

If you’re reading this post, you have probably considered something called Affiliate Marketing. What exactly is this? Well, one example that everyone can relate to is Television. What do you see on… say… the Super Bowl game outside of the game itself?

Commercials, right?

That’s affiliate marketing. These mega-companies know that the Superbowl gets mass traffic (views) in a short period of time. And if they can just place their message (or better yet… have someone else place their message) ever so clearly where the traffic is… while the game is going… INSTANT EXPOSURE.

In essence, NBC or CBS is the affiliate marketer. They market other products to their viewer base. Makes sense? Now, let’s land this plane on a more familiar runway.

With digital marketing, we have the same moving parts. One person has the product – often a training course, software, a how-to program, etc. And another person promotes that product.

When the ‘promoter’ makes a sale, the vendor or product creator makes money and also gives a portion of the profits from that sale to the promoter or Affiliate.

It’s a win-win because the vendor doesn’t have to do any of the selling and the affiliate doesn’t have to create any products yet they both make money.  Do you follow?

It’s a beautiful marriage of skill sets and exactly how I make most of the sales of my digital products. In fact, I rarely sell my own stuff. Instead, my ‘Affiliates’ do all the selling for me!

Sounds easy enough, huh? Of course, there’s more to the process and it does take work and consistency to not only make sales but also cultivate profitable relationships with good affiliates that last.

Which brings me to… What NOT to do when starting an affiliate marketing business.

3 ‘Traps’ to avoid when learning How to Start Affiliate Marketing

Through several years of trial and error, testing, and pushing through a grueling learning curve, I’ve honed in on some simple but necessary pitfalls to avoid.

It’s almost like the kid who’s been told over and over again not to do that ‘thing’, but has to make his own mistakes before he adjusts.  This was me.  Only, instead of being told (because no one actually told me), I had to experience these mistakes over and over again until I GOT IT.

So, now, if you’re sensitive… or better put, more aware of what NOT to do, I can help you get to better results faster than I did.

1. Be careful who you get advice from

In the beginning, I went through my own testing of different combinations of methods.  Most of them failed miserably.  As I had a few successes along the way, I would make a note of said success, put it in my hip-pocket, use it, and move on to another round of testing.

I eventually hired a coach who showed me what to do – his way.  And I have to say, it was great.  It wasn’t until I gathered more experience that I found out some of his methods were not a good fit for me.  In other words, this affiliate marketing game is not an exact science.

Overall, he was a good teacher.  And most of his teachings contradicted what other marketers were saying.  But I have to say, for the most part, he was right.

But it was what he DIDN’T say that made the learning curve much longer than it needed to be.  Why didn’t he reveal some key steps that were essential to long-term success?  I really don’t know.   Maybe he knew I would be his competition…  Maybe he didn’t think I’d stick around… I’ll never know.

Regardless, I’m still thankful for the guy, but ‘stubborn’ was still a part of me and I needed to make this mistake again.

When you get in this business, know that you will get advice coming from all around you.  Yes, scrutinize the ‘advice’, but more importantly, scrutinize the place the advice is coming from.

If the advice-giver thinks HIS/HER WAY is the ONLY way, be careful (Even if he or she has immense experience on the subject).  Times are changing rapidly in this business.  In fact, we are currently in a much-needed paradigm shift.

SO any “coach” who solely relies on their experience, education, or even “proof” in an ever-changing environment… is living in the past and only the ‘NOW’ is what matters.

I’ve seen it happen over and over again.  The so-called “steadfast rules” being broken and broken time and time again to shatter these beliefs while producing eye-opening results!

Most importantly, don’t let ego get in the way – yours or theirs.

Ultimately, Ego will cause some sort of suffering for you, them, and your business.  In the long run, ego is like a festering poison that takes way too much effort to cure.

But look hard enough and you will find those hidden-gems.  People who have no ulterior motives.  People who just want to help… maybe for no other reason other than they too had life-changing help when they got started.   Treasure and respect these people.

2. Be careful what kind of list you cultivate.

Making sales is the number one goal, right?  Negative…

At least when you’re coming from a long term approach.   Make sales, yes, but grow your list to make more sales on autopilot over time is a better goal, wouldn’t you agree.

This is done by capturing email addresses of interested buyers.  Did you get that?  Buyers.

Because folks who actually buy are the most responsive and valuable asset in this business.

In the beginning, affiliate marketing seemed like a mad-dash toward building an email list of potential buyers… but surprisingly, most are not focused on the type of list they’re building.

Here’s what I mean.  Look around this space and you’ll find many marketers with gigantic email lists… I mean 10s of thousands…

And when I first started asking for affiliates to promote my products… you should have seen my starry-eyes glaze over when I found a mega-list owner affiliate approach me to promote my product!

I just knew sheer numbers would ultimately win over and over again.  Well, I was in for another big surprise.  Those mega-list holders?… Were just not worth their salt.  In fact, their underperformance was so bad, they needed the equivalent blue-pill to cure their affiliate marketing ED.

You see, their lists were not targeted.  They somehow cultivated a list of cold-emails and a majority will probably never buy specific niche products they promote.

Again, nothing beats a “BUYER” list.  An email list of bonafide past purchasers who will build on the initial momentum and keep buying over and over again.

And if they’re not buyers… be careful… because that list will bring down what’s called an “affiliate” score. If this score suffers, Marketers who create digital products to sell will steer clear. Why?

Well, they know conversions will suffer as a result.  And if their conversions take a hit, this may detract other ‘good’ affiliates from promoting their products.

This is why many marketers who know the importance of a responsive list will still decline offers to promote based on low conversion rates and high refund rates (Even if the affiliate requesting to promote has a ton of sales under their belt)

3. Wait!  You can’t take it personally – have a thick skin.

How to start affiliate marketing the right way?  Let the low-blows bounce right off.  That’s right, you’re going to get hit. It’s part of the game.

Here, let me give you some specifics.

Aside from other marketers being over-generous with ulterior-motive advice, you’ll get feedback from customers.  Whether you are an affiliate promoting another product, or the marketer creating the product being promoted, the tomatoes are coming.

Yes, consider the review and feedback – then use it to improve.  But also know the proper perspective.  If you are selling or promoting an info-product, keep in mind that there’s nothing tangible that the buyer gets. In fact, the only thing they will “grasp” is results.

But here’s the kicker, they have to TRY the method, in order to get results.  As you know, for any method to work, you can’t just try once.  You have to keep trying.  So when a customer buys a product, tries it for a day or two with no result, then crucifies you with their “not so kind” review – remember…

… You’re selling an info product.  And it’s digital. And you’re not there in person to train them.  You’re going to get frivolous feedback… and some will be outright insulting.  Just brush it off knowing they also have issues… consider the parts that may be somewhat true… improve on it… move on.

Be hopeful. Be steadfast. Stick with it while seeking out the right advice… and you may just find… your search for the right ‘vehicle’ is over because affiliate marketing has opened up a new world of learning, building, and succeeding.

And that, my friend, is my take on how to start affiliate marketing.