Thousands of people flock online every day to try their hand at affiliate marketing. Some come on eagerly, while others take a more paranoid approach and study everything excessively before they’ll consider anything. Of course there are pros and cons to both approaches. It is possible to make a lot of money online – the question no one has the answer to, is how? A lot of people think of marketing as a hobby they do to make a little cash on the side.
Reason #1: People don’t treat affiliate marketing as a business.
If you went to your job thinking, “I’ll do a little data entry and report filing on the side when I’m bored,” your boss would have a few choice words for you. Internet marketing should be no different. It does take time, effort, and motivation to see success. There is some correlation between your personal effort and the level of success you get out of it. Some may only measure success in terms of money, but I think knowledge and wisdom are actually more valuable than a couple bucks. Part of what you should be working towards online, is creating value for yourself and others. Anytime you learn something new, you have in fact encountered success.
Reason #2: Some become Nomadic Biz Opp Seekers, and relentlessly sample every dish on the Biz Buffet menu.
When a newbie starts online, it’s often times hard for them to know what’s good. Many decide sampling is the best way to figure out what is legit and what’s not. Trying multiple programs at the same time is great for getting your hands dirty, or if you’re spreading your wealth around so not all of your eggs are in one basket, but it’ll get you nowhere if you never take any of them seriously. This is why meeting others online you can trust is so important (more on that later). If you join every program for a short time, you will likely learn nothing about the program and make nothing either. In most programs, it takes months to see results. I understand this can be discouraging, but sometimes there are secrets or tricks to get the programs to work.
Usually when I approach a program, I do my own research by digging deeper into unbiased reviews. I search for inconsistencies and compare and contrast it with other programs I’ve been involved with in the past. Next, I’ll ask around and find out if anyone I know has joined. If they have, are making money, and recommend the program, I’ll join them, and tell others to do the same (if I share their sentiment). Once I’m in a program, I dedicate a lot of time and money to that program. I use profit from other programs when I put money in or advertise for another program. I learn everything I can and develop my own fast-track guides for my downline so they can learn it as well. My network helps me out tremendously in this process. The third reason is very similar to the Nomadic Biz Opp Seekers.
Reason #3: Many marketers get involved with too many internet programs/projects too soon before they even know how to market.
Like I alluded to in the first reason, many maketers don’t treat marketing like a real business. In a real business, you would establish a plan, do your own research to optimize the plan, set realistic goals you hope to accomplish, both short-term and long-term, and implement that plan with precision. In marketing, the same applies, only many marketers know nothing about business or strategy – all they know is they want to make money NOW. With so much crap to choose from at every turn, its easy get lost in a quagmire of marketing filth.
Not all of what people take on online is filth, but there’s really no difference if you don’t know how to use a program. It could even be as nice as a Ferrari, but without the engine or the keys to start the engine, its pretty much useless. You need to get a clue before you can solve the puzzle. A crucial aspect of marketing is patience, even in the face of insatiable desire to be successful. That is a hard balance to achieve, especially when friends and family ridicule you for your involvement in “internet scams.” Eventually, you will either have to learn how to tune them out, or just listen and quit.
Reason #4: Since people are only online to make money, they refuse to spend any of their own money on traffic or programs.
A lot of marketers limit themselves in a paradoxical prison right out of the gate. They turn to the internet to earn money, but expect to do so without spending money of their own. Newton says in Physics, that matter can not be created out of nothing…the same applies to money. In traffic exchanges, you are not spending money, but you are spending a form of currency – time. Time is a very expensive thing in this business. Learning how to allocate and manage your time efficiently is something we all struggle with from time to time.
How much is an hour or two worth to you? You could spend it in traffic exchanges clicking links aimlessly in hopes of capturing someone’s attention, or you can use that hour to build a website or make a video that will not only capture someone’s attention, but provide perpetual value for you in the future (as long as the site/media remains active). You can make money and spend it, but you can’t make time. Once you’ve spent it, it’s gone. If you think spending money on advertising is wasteful, then you need to get your priorities in order as soon as possible. I understand not everyone has a lot to spend on marketing. You can only do what you can do! But if you are just afraid or stubborn, a little risk is not foolish – quitting because you didn’t want to take a risk is foolish.
Reason #5: People Don’t Always Network
I will be totally honest with you. I was a total failure online until I figured out the fifth reason. I had never made more than $10 here or there. Once I started to network, I began to see actual, bonefide results. A lot of people are under the impression that being online is an excuse to hide your identity and do everything anonymously. There are important lessons you just won’t learn from a marketing lesson. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, knowledge they’ve gained that others may not yet know. Knowledge does have inexplicable value and sharing that knowledge with other people is kind of like investing. You will learn from them as well. If you meet the right people, you can all grow into an unstoppable entity – a force to be reckoned with. Networking is free and requires little time.
Real success is easily achievable when you learn how to avoid and combat failure. I believe these five reasons will set you on your way on that path to freedom from failure. Just remember to treat your internet business like a business. Don’t be afraid to admit it to other people! Do your research and make a plan. Become an expert at something and share your knowledge with others. If you truly follow these guidelines, you already are a part of the allusive 2% that succeed. Never give up and never become complacent. Always strive for more.
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