Top 6 hurdles for an affiliate marketing newbie
I have to confess, it can be kind of hard working for Affilorama.
All around me people are doing affiliate promotions and earning cash on the side... while I'm the fresh graduate whose eyes boggle at the very prospect of it all.
So six months ago (has it been that long?) I started following AffiloBlueprint and putting together my own affiliate site.
Here I am with all these resources around me, this great course to follow, and a very big student loan I'd like to pay off... and still I find myself procrastinating.
In fact it's taken me all this time to get my site to a point where I'd even begin to call it finished. I've just started seeing some small commissions coming in... but it's been a long road
I know I'm not the only one who's found the road pretty rocky, and faced more bumps than I wish to count. But I thought I'd share with you what I've found hard so far, as some of you might just know what I'm talking about...
1. Remaining committed to one strategy only
For me, it wasn't a question of who to trust or which strategy to follow, because Mark has always said that building a website is building an asset. My weak point was more about not getting side-tracked by all the promotions and products offered by different people.
In all my eagerness to do affiliate marketing myself, it slipped under my radar just quite how long it takes to start seeing any real results (money I'm talking about!), and I didn't anticipate a long drought of endless hours of effort and commitment with no reward.
It's not that I doubted that the method works. It's just, well, I get a bit fidgety... and prone to distraction. The idea of a quick fix that other products claim to offer began to look all too appealing.
And so I found my commitment wavering, as instead of spending time working on my site I was researching (well, many just arrived in my inbox) alternative options and pondering those.
Luckily for me, others around the office were able to set me back on track with a few sharp words of advice!
2. Choosing a niche
It takes one quick glance at our forum to tell you that this is a big deal for many people. After all, if we get it wrong here, it's going to make it a lot harder to carry out the rest of the work needed...
I started with the intention of choosing a niche that I have some interest in (and preferably, some sound knowledge in). But then when you factor in competition, search volume, buyer intention phrases, and gravity... it's not that straightforward.
Call me boring or stupid, but I was scraping the bottom of the barrel for potential niches that I had both interest and some knowledge in.
And so the research process of choosing a niche, keywords and products to promote that hold some profitable potential had me running around in circles, and spending a lot of time on what at first glance appears to be a minor task.
3. Building a website
Raise your hand if you've posted on, or at least consulted, the ‘website building' part of our forum.
That's what I thought. Fiddly, annoying, detailed, and tricky. I envy anyone who built their first website with absolutely nohiccups. No matter how comprehensive the instructions or advice that you follow, why is it that they always leave you with questions, or panicking over what may or may not be a small or large error?
HTTP Status Error Codes and website headers, you are not my friends. And I don't like the language you use either.
4. Creating content
For those lucky few who happened to choose a niche that they knew a whole lot about, are good writers and marketers, then this stage may not be so much of a hurdle for you.
However people like that are few and far between, and for the rest of us this part means hard slog, or risky spending.
For the type of website recommended by AffiloBlueprint, the amount of content we're talking about is around 30 pages of content. And that's before even considering a newsletter series, and promotional eBooks...
So what's it going to be?
For me, I decided to write my own content. Boy did I underestimate the time I needed to spend online and at the library researching my niche so that I could write like an expert on it.
The other option didn't look too flash either though. Maybe you chose to tackle Elance, learnt how to outsource your content, and took a punt with $300 of your money on what might return you 30 mediocre articles, if you're lucky.
At least I saved myself $300 - but then I've probably spent about $300 of my time researching and writing my content (well, I'd like to think I'm worth that much!).
5. Getting traffic
So I've put all this work into creating a website, but barely anyone's noticing it. It's just not fair is it?
This presents another fork in the road that isn't clearly signposted with ‘right way' and ‘wrong way'.
Whether we take the SEO route or the PPC route, we're still at risk of burnout.
Call me fickle, but there's only so much link building and waiting around for my rankings to rise that I can do before I'll lose interest altogether (or at least get side-tracked).
Likewise with PPC, us newbies don't have unlimited funds, and I've heard alarming things like you've got to spend $500 before you can learn to make PPC work for you.
6. The Newsletter series
I know that newsletters are really effective (I've heard Mark complaining that too few affiliates build them) butto be honest, I haven't even started this one yet. It took me so long just to write those thirty articles for my website, I think I would be mortgaging my youth if I wanted to write enough emails to build a newsletter series.
I've also done the math, and I figure that if I was to outsource this and get enough newsletters written to last me a year, it would cost me around USD$1000. When you're earning New Zealand dollars, that's practically a winter wardrobe I won't be able to buy.
Plus there's the monthly subscription to MailPush or whatever other service you use.
I'm feeling like I might need to wait until my site is earning its keep before I buy it any more nice things. I guess you'd say this is a hurdle I haven't quite cleared yet.
In summary
Don't get me wrong. I'm really glad that I've done this, and I know that my next site probably won't take me as long to put together. But man. It's been some effort
Actually... I think I'm allowed to give you guys a heads up about this now. I KNOW that my next site isn't going to take me as long to put together, because we've got a new product coming out pretty soon.
I don't know if I can share the details, but I can say that if you've been struggling with any of the stuff I struggled with, this is really going to help you. In fact I'm a little annoyed that this didn't come out six months ago when I first started... but that's the way it usually goes, right?
Want to know more? Watch this space! But here's a mathematical hint:
(80 + 20 + 3) x 5 :)
Do these hurdles sound familiar to you? What is your biggest obstacle in getting started in affiliate marketing?
View all 97 comments (Currently displaying latest 20)
By TracyS at 5:09 19 Jun 2010
What's with these get up and going in 3 hours. It took my 4 hours to read beginers info on this site!
This is way more than a full time job. In the mean time, who keeps a roof over my head?
By mynameisJoe at 9:58 22 Jun 2010
Hi Kim,
Congrats for joining Mark's team
(obviously the kind of job I would like to find to make my employment dreams come true).
;o)
(80 + 20 + 3) x 5 --> wow I still ignore what those figures mean... ;o)
How many Grey cells do I have to fry before solving this Pr Layton's equation?
lol
1. Remaining committed to one strategy only
For sure this is a really BIG issue as sales letters are often very tempting.
;o(
So we have to say okay this method seem fair enough for me then I stop searching any other one
& I dedicate time - efforts - money (reinvesting) in my first project.
2. Choosing a niche
There are tons of ways to find niches.
ie: buy a magazine & have a look on the ads
3. Building a website
Oh yes this can be very complicated at least for your 1st baby.
The choice IMHO is between WordPress (free or cheap if you purchase a good template) & XsitePro2 (not free)
4. Creating content
If you have more time than money to invest in this task then
expect weeks to produce useful & interesting content.
If you already earned $200-$300 online then hire a ghostwriter.
Advices:
a) ask 2 or 3 articles previously writen as samples on any topic
b) get started w/ 5 articles
c) check if the content id original
d) pay 50% now & the rest after you received the whole order
e) be very specific in your needs
5. Getting traffic
Here again its time consuming & you have to explore several ways.
ie: SEO, bookmarking, profile linking, article marketing, videos, rss feeds, etc.
Dont put all your eggs in the same basket & if you chose keywords w/ enough monthly searches
& not too many competition bang you can reach page1or 2 of Google in 2-3 months.
As you I am not a big fan of PPC is quite risky...
6. The Newsletter series
Once again start this new aspect when you made enough cash to bear that expense w/out
having to get an instant ROI.
================
SEVEN. Dont quit before reaching your goals!
Print out your goals & stick them on your wall & as soon as you reached one goal,
"update" your poster.
It may help.
EIGHT. Dont put yourself in a situation where the lack of sales put you in danger!
(ie to pay the rent)
Not making (enough) sales is already frustrating & can soemtimes lead to doubts
so dont add stress to those gaps!
NINE. From time to time have a break & enjoy life w/ your family & relatives.
If you can afford watching a film: Go!
Go to the restaurant etc.
Your wife/husband/kids/friends wont understand you stay away from them for months
(even if you were already making thousands of dollars).
I hope this helps!
Joe.
By IronSleeves at 20:21 22 Jun 2010
I feel you, i used to get really distracted by other offers but i learned to just book mark them and review them when im done with work. my problem is finding business partners particularity web developers.
if your a web developer and you know about internet marketing then our breed is really lethal. some advice for professional internet marketers and novice peeps. if you want to run the internet marketing game. learn everything about web development. knowing this knowledge makes you literally the boss of internet marketing if you plan things right. it is really hard doing it by your self trust me. im still a lone wolf.web development is really powerful knowledge especially when your an internet marketer.
note: if you do take my advice do not learn PHP programming IT SUCKS
LEARN ASP.NET IN VISUAL BASIC OR C# (SHARP).
YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH IT.
By Candy Kotalik at 20:54 22 Jun 2010
Great post! You're right about the time investment... Fortunately, the time investment is more feasible for most than a financial one.
I also think you made a great point on the challenge with writing good content. It takes quite a bit of time to put good articles together.
Keep up the great work with your blog! I enjoyed reading it.
By joe at 14:45 27 Jun 2010
You''ve obviously struck a chord with a lot of people speaking your truths. Maybe your next article will be the best ways of overcoming your big 6. Thanks
By Don Bengert at 15:09 28 Jun 2010
Good thought process on this subject...Are we sure there's only six hurdles? You definitely got six good ones, if not the top ones...I agree with you about the outsourcing issues, but depending on the niche we have chosen, the writing can be the most significant item. I consider myself an expert in the niche I'm in, even though it's not a top pick by the "gurus". When I start profiting I will try the "guru" style approach to heavy saturated markets to see what their talking about and make those 6-7 figures they speak of...I can't wait (lol)... Thanx for the good read
By Leon at 1:10 29 Jun 2010
Honestly, Kim, I understand all six points, and could write a heap more on all of them.
I am about at the point where any logical person would say that either I am the most useless idiot in the world - or the whole I.M. thing is nothing more than an end-of-the-rainbow myth! My dear wife probably thinks both!
I could explain the general principles of more than a dozen different internet marketing systems and sound like an expert, but when I sit down to "DO" something I get lost in technical Neverland EVERY time.
I've done endless research, got URL's, hosting, even an autoresponder account, but right now I can't even get a Wordpress theme working right. Oh yes, and I have Dreamweaver too, so I should be able to 'throw up' an html site. "Throw Up!" That's what I feel like doing.
Every day I assure myself that "I will beat this!" - but I think I'm fooling myself.
I've got more 'ultimate systems' on my hard drives than I could even remember what they are. I've got lists of keyword research, loads of articles about various things, research tools and auto-posting thingys - all littered across three computers - but I have not been able to get any one money-making website actually 'working'.
It might sound like I'm a technophobe, but in fact I am an expert in a couple of Photoshop areas and am quite computer savvy, both Mac and PC!
Sometimes I feel like driving the 5 or 6 hours to Christchurch and knocking on your doors and asking for someone to help me (or else certify me as clinically I.M. insane).
Kim, it would seem that even for a NZ$ wage your job there is potentially worth a whole lot more than the dollars! Congratulations on getting your job, and especially the expert help you're obviously getting. I'm envious!
I guess I'll take another look at "AffiloBlueprint" and see if I can NOT get stuck or overwhelmed this time.
By Leon at 12:27 29 Jun 2010
Yes, me again.
I just took another look at AffiloBlueprint and, just in case my last post gave the impression that AffiloBlueprint was the problem, I want to assure readers that it is NOT.
I started with AffiloBlueprint the day it opened but got horribly swamped with my 'normal' job shortly after. I completely forgot about Affilorama and Blueprint apart from a couple of quick looks last year.
Having just logged back in I can see that I should have stuck with the programme and continued as soon as I had the time. I would have saved myself several hundred dollars that I spent on other comparative junk over the past 18 months!
AffiloBlueprint is the real deal, and I'm committed to being successful with it!
By dannybuntu at 14:37 29 Jun 2010
There are ways to earn money instead of paying for a program you know. Like, work for other affiliate marketers and learn from them.
By Elgica at 1:05 7 Jul 2010
Great article, I am an affiliate marketer myself and it is very difficult at the beginning, but with dedication and persistence one can go a long way.
Keep up the good work!
By bureSnura at 1:40 13 Jul 2010
Hi Guys!
I strive to catch 'em all ! Meaning ways to make money.
Since I am a student in New York city, I live one day at a time and I never know when
I'll be on my last dollar therefore I need a steady income which is hard to find.
Being a full time student and working part time is a hassle.there's not enough hours in a day.
So I might as well close down the hatch, stock up on water and get ready for something to come.
Today is a sunny du though. I can open my hatch.
I found proactol a weight loss pill and
it helps me get that steady income that I've been looking for.
All I have to do is spend a few hours a day on the computer and the rest of the 22 hours focus on school work.
My architecture major buddies know what I'm talking 'bout.
Since I take proactol myself due to my not so great weight. I can tell you it's safe.
So do me and yourself a favor and check it out. Easy weight loss.
Bye to everyone.
By twhite at 6:08 14 Jul 2010
Hi everyone
T White here
I just joined and completed my profile and wondered over here. I read the 6 Hurdles comment
it was right on. There is one thing I would add - finding the "right" information for a newbie to start their foundation with.
My experiences are filled with RRRRRRR because the people/programs i found were not designed exclusively
for the newbie. I found that even those who claimed a newbie would have no problems ... wellllll maybe I'm just slow ; )
Anyway it's 2AM been here since 9:30 yesterday morning
night / morn'n /
Peace
T White
Success Creates Peace
Work at Home
By Jan Houghton at 5:39 16 Jul 2010
Hi Kim, Great post! I'm sorry to say I only just read it (was going through my 200+ emails seeing what I'd missed before I deleted them).
It (your post) so hit the spot. I've been in internet marketing for about 8 months, haven't made any money, learned quite a lot, but - oh how easy it is to get sidetracked! Just in the last couple of days I've made my mind up that I have to concentrate on just one or two 'systems', decide on my style of marketing, and just delete everything else that comes through the inbox. Cos I love it, and I know it's only a matter of persistence before I crack it.
Anyway, good luck with your business :)
Jan
By zillouise at 8:06 19 Jul 2010
In time I will grow old hearing about Affiliate Marketing and Making Money On Line.
I need to get going with the stuff. Is any body listening? Times are difficult, and I am still hanging on. Any credit for that? Now we get someone who tells it as it is. We need those tools brother, to market. He feels truth and lays it out. Those who stayed years hammering out the contents, will now say it is easy. You just drop your Link and don't think. Why do you still have questions after following all instructions. You hear words such as PDF and Html, as a newbie
you don't know what tastes best with your salad. However, you digest these things sooner or later.
you get to know. You know what, let all this knowledge be sooner. I want to grab my first Website. Its time to do business.. ZM
By RasCharma at 15:12 20 Jul 2010
I now started reading your sites and would like to get started but still don't understand
By rbailey at 4:21 21 Jul 2010
Thankyou for your personal outlook on starting out in affiliate marketing. I am new also and running into a lot of the same roadblocks. I just have to keep plugging away and staying steady.
By wojo2010 at 21:44 21 Jul 2010
Shall I chime in on the frustrated affiliate marketters, too? I am a newbie that hasn't received a penny from my site. I have spent $'s on SEO and read and studied, edited my site many a time with next to no hits. Frustrated..... you bet! The promise from most vendors was that I would make a return on my investment in a matter of days. Well, it is now over 60 days.... where is it? The only thing in my clickbank account is from my own purchases which I can't get until..... You know the story.
By wojo2010 at 22:04 21 Jul 2010
I submitted a comment to those who are a bit frustrated as I am after two months of working at affiliate marketing, but I am such a newbie that I neglected to log in first and my lengthy note got sent to ciber space. What I mentioned was that I have spent $ in SEO and updating my pages without much success. I was promised a return on my investment within days.... Hello? Where is it?
By cna training at 23:00 27 Jul 2010
My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!
By Margaret Meyer at 2:42 31 Aug 2010
Hi Kim,
Thanks for emphasizing the time commitment necessary for an affiliate site. I think the time needed along with the learning curve have been the biggest challenges for me in starting my affiliate sites.
However, almost 90 days in I am starting to see some progress. I've made a couple hundred dollars in commissions and am even getting search engine rankings. When I get frustrated with the process (and how much time it takes) I focus on my goals and look back on the progress I have made. I try to keep reminding myself of how far I have come and imagine where I will be 30, 60 or 90 days into the future.
Best of luck to you (and all of the other new affiliates on this post) with your sites!
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