Things I Wish I Knew Before Getting into Affiliate Marketing

Avoid Common Affiliate Marketing Mistakes   

Are you considering becoming involved in affiliate marketing? Fantastic decision! Among the best options available to people looking to enter the online economy is affiliate marketing. This sector not only presents a bright future but also opens up a plethora of opportunities for online income generation.

 Affiliate marketing requires industry knowledge and a proper strategy to get right; it's also about being patient and willing to learn. Reflecting on my past, I now see that my early mistakes were valuable lessons. In this post, I'll share some of my mistakes to help you avoid common errors and set you on a successful journey right from the beginning!

Always remember that knowledge is power, and drawing from others' experiences can help you succeed confidently.

Avoiding these mistakes will allow you to build a strong foundation for your success.

Disclose Your Affiliate Links

As an affiliate marketer, you NEED to disclose your affiliate links every time you promote a product. It’s not only the ethical thing to do but it’s also required by law. Make sure to disclose your affiliate links at the very beginning of your content and indicate that any purchases made through those links will earn you a commission. Disclosing your affiliate links will increase trust between you and your audience. Just google this to grab some good verbiage: “affiliate link disclosure.”

Build your Online Presence First 

One common mistake that beginners often make in affiliate marketing is focusing too much on joining multiple affiliate programs right away. (I've made this mistake myself.) It's more important to focus on growing your online audience before bombarding them with many affiliate links. 

Your audience is key to long-term success, so start by establishing yourself as an authority in a specific area, consistently sharing free content, and actively engaging with your audience. You'll need that loyal following to engage, connect, collaborate with your peers, and build a trusted audience.

Once you start pulling in traffic, create link offers that fit right in with your blog or site content. Set up a mobile-friendly website or blog that's easy to find on Google. This way, you'll make browsing a breeze for your visitors and boost your chances of shining brightly and ranking highly online.

Shopify, Fiverr, and CJ Affiliate are a few top affiliate network platforms to consider joining. 

Creating Quality Content

Your content is like your product in affiliate marketing. Making your content stand out online can be tough because there's so much already out there. Finding the right tools to create content that engages an audience took lots of trial and error.

To get people to notice you, you need to think outside the box. Get creative and offer your audience something truly useful and exciting. Remember, having one amazing post is better than having 20 average ones. Your audience is the key to your success. If you prioritize delivering value to them, the financial rewards will follow naturally.

Is there an image included in your post? Research indicates that posts with visuals tend to rank better than those without. 

What's the typical word count of top-ranking posts?  On average, successful posts on the first page are around 1,890 words. Keep this figure in mind as a helpful guideline when creating your own content.

Using The Right Keywords

Keywords are the words or phrases people use when looking for products and solutions on search engines. Affiliate marketers target these keywords so they can reach people who may be interested in their products. On the surface, going for frequently occurring words is a good idea. After all, since many people use these keywords in their search queries, you will surely attract the right audience.

Track and Analyze Your Results

You won't know which pages are most popular if you don't track your website's performance. Proper tracking helps you see where your efforts are paying off. Without the correct title tag and meta description, it's harder for people to find your content. Ultimately, you want to drive as much traffic as possible, right?

It's important to use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to check how well your website is performing. By monitoring your website traffic, sales, and the number of people buying from you, you can make smarter decisions to boost your profits.

Not Taking Advantage of Subscription-Based Products 

 Subscriptions that customers pay for regularly can help you succeed as an affiliate over time. Getting customers to subscribe means you'll get a steady income from them. They agree to pay every month.

With subscription services, you can keep in touch with customers through emails and newsletters.

Unlike products you sell only once, subscriptions require you to keep developing new ideas to keep making money.

So, it's a good idea to focus on promoting these kinds of products to continue earning commissions.

Shopify—20% recurring commissions, or up to $2,000 per sale.
Thinkific—20% recurring commissions.
Buzzsprout—20% lifetime recurring commission, or $25 for each paid referral.
Fiverr—10% recurring commissions, $10 for 12 months for each lead.
Webinar Ninja—30% recurring commissions.
Tailwind—15% recurring commissions.
Teachable—30% recurring commissions.
SEMRush—40% recurring commissions.

Don’t Overdo It

Overdoing it and spamming people with an excess of the same posts, products, and links is a sure way to turn off an audience and get unfollowed. 

Don't get Scammed 

I can't stress this enough: Always be cautious when interacting with unfamiliar individuals on social media.

Regrettably, I fell victim to several scams during my early days of affiliate marketing on Instagram.  It was not a wise decision on my part. I received messages from fake accounts asking me to promote their products, insisting that I was the perfect fit." However, they demanded payment upfront for the products. No, THANK YOU.

 I quickly learned the importance of being cautious about who to trust in this industry. It is essential to invest in accounts you are familiar with or have thoroughly researched.

Never stop learning

One of the most important things I've learned over the years is that you can never stop learning in this field—affiliated marketing changes quickly, with new trends constantly popping up. Even experienced marketers need to stay up-to-date and adapt to those changes.

One great way to do this is to read. Make it a habit to read books, articles, and blogs related to your industry. This will help you stay informed about the latest trends and expose you to different perspectives and ideas. 

It's OK to Start Over 

Building a successful affiliate business takes time and effort—it's not a quick way to wealth, as some suggest online. Remember, you're constructing a real business. It's okay if your first attempts don't work out; setbacks are part of learning. Try new things if your approach isn't working. 

In the end, having all the knowledge won't guarantee success. If you let failure discourage you, you won't be able to understand and succeed in affiliate marketing.

Good Luck out there! I hope these tips are helpful to you. 

I appreciate your support. 

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