5 Reasons Why Affiliate Marketing May Not Be Right For You – And How To Fix It!
Before we answer the question in the title we need to think about the bold statement above. 5 Reasons why affiliate marketing may not be right for you. Once we explore this idea, only then can we address the question, Is Affiliate Marketing The Best Way To Make Money From Home?
The 5 Most Common Reasons Are Below
- Unrealistic expectations of making money fast
- Too busy and not willing to set aside time to do the work
- Not good at following instructions
- Constantly looking for a better mousetrap
- Gives up too early before allowing the process to work
Let us explore each of these reasons in detail and see if we can find a resolution so that they do not contribute to your failure. I prefer to categorize them as barriers to success. Can you review each of them carefully, because not all may apply to you.
Be prepared to discover that there could be no solutions. If so, you got to face reality that Affiliate Marketing is not for you.
However, if between us we can find solutions, there can be hope. And that is a good thing, because countless individuals of all ages, with different educational backgrounds and living in countries all over the world, have been able to make a success of Affiliate Marketing.
Before we go further, I want to clarify what Affiliate Marketing is and isn’t.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
It is the process where a company that sells a product or service offer almost anyone to sign up as an affiliate for free, to market their products. They will give you a commission for any business you send their way that results in a sale. You can do this in any way you choose. However, the most common way is to do this business online by creating your own website where you help buyers make an informed decision to buy, or not to buy.
You offer them a link either using a phrase or an image to click that will take them to the online store of that company.
When you sign an agreement with the host company, they provide you with a unique link through which they can track any sales made through you. Every month they tally up your commissions and direct transfer the funds to your registered bank account
It is as simple as that. They each have their own terms of agreement that you have to read, agree to, and sign prior to being accepted into their Affiliate Program.
Before you jump to the conclusion that this is a path to easy money, hold your horses. It is a path to earn a lot of money in a year or two. It is possible to start earning modest commissions sooner. How soon will depend on how quick you can learn and implement what you learn. There are very special skills you need to acquire before you can do Affiliate Marketing online successfully. I will get to that later.
There are too many companies out there who have Affiliate Marketing Programs. Meanwhile, I want to give you a list of 10 companies, some of whom may surprise you, who all are into Affiliate Marketing!
Let’s dive into these pesky 5 reasons.
1. Unrealistic Expectations Of Making Money Fast
It is common to need money fast to solve a pressing financial problem. When presented with an opportunity like Affiliate Marketing, it is reasonable to think that there could be a way to turn this into making money quickly. If that is truly the case, then I suggest that Affiliate Marketing is the wrong method to generate money.
Going into this business with that kind of expectation will create a lot of stress. Firstly because there is an urgent need for money, And second, when the realization dawns that Affiliate Marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It is more like a get rich slow approach. Many in this business have shown that if one never gives up and sticks with the program, there is an excellent chance of hitting it big time. But if one expects to be earning substantial amounts of money in a month or two, don’t join.
The only way around this is to find other means to get the money needed urgently, like applying for a loan or selling assets, or negotiating a delay in paying back a debt if that is the issue. If a work around can be devised, then it makes sense to dive into Affiliate Marketing with intensity to accelerate the time normally necessary to start generating cash.
2. Too Busy and Not Willing to Set Aside Time To Do The Work
From my brief experience, many start their Affiliate Marketing journey fully aware that it will take time to build a successful business. If you have a full time job, and married with kids, it is tough to find the time.
There are options. Modify one’s expectations to give the necessary time to do the work. Then schedule some time every day to do at least a little.
Here’s a problem. If one does the work sporadically, it is possible to forget what one learned and make mistakes. One of the most important aspects of those or any other venture, is the importance of building a strong foundation. If the foundation is weal, then the business will fail.
The best workaround for this situation is to schedule a fixed time each day, probably in the evening after the kids are in bed. Do not watch TV or go onto social media. Make a concerted effort to make the sacrifice now to build a successful business that in time will generate an income when only maintenance effort will be necessary.
3. Not Good At Following Instructions
First, let’s assume assume that you’re going to commit to learn the skills to build a successful Affiliate Marketing Business. Not following instructions is more common than one might think. While going through the course, it is possible to think there must be a faster way to make Affiliate Marketing work. The lessons are not followed exactly. Short cuts are taken. The closest analogy is a guy buying furniture in a box that requires assembly. Rather than reading the instructions, they think they can figure this all out by themselves.
It isn’t very long when the guy discovers that incorrect screws were used for parts of the assembly. So they make do by forcing more wrong screws into the manufactured drilled holes thinking that will work just as well. Sadly, when the job is complete, the furniture appears unsteady. Or worse yet, crooked.
If one can put ego aside, and a touch of humility is added then Affiliate Marketing will work for you.
4. Constantly Looking For A Better Mousetrap
No matter how good our intentions maybe, it is natural to get impatient as the weeks expands to months and no money is seen coming in. We know that it is crucial to give this time.
While browsing the Internet, it is common to be bombarded with new and better ways to make money FAST. So0 we tell ourselves, what have we got to lose by giving something else a try. Before we know it, we have lost our focus on what we were doing and dilute our efforts in multiple programs.
This can get so confusing as well as endanger succeeding in any of them.
The best policy is to not even look for other opportunities, and to ignore the one’s that pop up online. If you do not believe that the program you are working on is the best opportunity you have come across, then that is a big danger.
You have to promise yourself that once you decide to sign on for the course you chose, you firmly believe that this is the best one for you. The way to accept that is to do your homework before signing so that you are absolutely convinced that you are about to make the right decision.
5. Gives Up Too Early Before Allowing The Process To Work
Once again, the root cause of giving up too early can lie in any of the above four reasons raising their ugly head. You lose belief that you are doing the right thing. Life happens. And you get discouraged. When you lose hope, it is so easy to conclude that this is not going to work for you.
That is one of the reasons why you need a mastermind of other successful individuals you can talk to for guidance. If you do this in a vacuum, that is going to put added pressure on you. When things get tough, you need to have the opportunity to bounce your questions and concerns to others.
Anything worthwhile in life is worth fighting for. It’s like entering a race and quitting a split-second near the finish line letting others win. In this business you are not competing against anyone else. Everyone progresses at their own pace. If you notice another person going ahead of you, do not even worry about that. For all you know they could be the person cutting corners and will fall flat.
Remember, the only person you are competing against is yourself. It is totally in your power to make it across the finish line or not. If you chose the right vehicle for you to develop your Affiliate Marketing skills, then stick with it. Back the winning horse. And NEVER GIVE UP!
The Winning Horse!
CBS published an article on the Psychology of Winning – And Losing as applied to Football. It is reassuring to know that in the field of Affiliate Marketing you are not competing against another team. It is more akin to a race between many competitors. If you do not come first, there is honor in coning second or third, and even in finishing the race. Food for thought!
I’d like you to check out this review of a company that is second to none in teaching you the skills to become a Master Affiliate Marketer. You will never find a better opportunity anywhere else. I won’t tell you anymore because it is all laid out in this article.
Can you do me a favor? What do you think about these 5 BARRIERS TO SUCCESS we just discussed?
Can you see any of them being applicable to you? If so can you overcome them in the ways I suggested, or in any other way you can think of? I would love to know your answer. I’d really appreciate it if you wrote something in the comments section below.
You can also send me an Email to: edwin@affiliatemarketingforleaders.com
Finally, after checking out the above review, can you also answer the question, “Is Affiliate Marketing The Best Way To Make Money From Home?”
I wish you all the success in the world.
Edwin
I have had an interest in bringing in affiliate marketing to my golfing blog over the last several months, but I’m constantly put off by the learning curve and the workload – it’s great to read your article and see that my worries are correct…this is going to be hard work!
On average, how long does it take someone to learn the ropes before they can earn any sort of money with this form of marketing?
Good question Chris. Before I answer your question, I want to share what are the factors that govern the speed for results. When someone does a search for a business they enter a phrase in Google. A new page opens immediately with a list of relevant search results. Your website needs to be on the first page of these results to provide the best chance of getting traffic. We are taught how to structure our Blogs by using Keywords that rank high and using Search Engine Optimization techniques. Even after doing that, Google plays a big role in this process. They give preference to websites that attract viewers so that they can throw ads at. It takes time fir Google to consider a website an authority and provide value. If you do the work, it takes about 4-6 months to see some income generated. The growth curve is asymptotic.Slow at first, then rising fast in about 9-12 months. There is always the option of using Pay Per Click. But this is best used to scale up after ones website is earning a income the previous way. Virtually everyone who has stayed on for a year has seen great results. My advice is to dive in and do the work.
I really like your straight-forward, honest approach, saying that affiliate marketing might not be right for some people. Affiliate marketing definitely takes a lot of time and patience, which is indeed not for everyone. Your reasoning is very sound as you’ve given 5 excellent examples of what it takes not to succeed with affiliate marketing. I also like your positive, honest advice, and how you explained what affiliate marketing isn’t. I think these barriers to success are spot-on and I really appreciate your post. Well done!
Oh I love your validation of the points I made. I actually want to discourage people from starting if they do not have realistic expectations. That would be a waste of time for everyone. It is like a filter of sorts. Obviously I want people to sign up so that I can make money. But only those who are serious and will stay the course. It’s like building a strong foundation. I will be writing a new post based on that principle. So stay tuned! Thank you for your comments.
Good points you present there. I believe that the ones you explain are the main reasons why most people fails. Unfortunately most that are seeking to work online want success and they want it now. But this doesn’t work that way. As with a real business you have to spend a lot of time and do a lot of work to actually start seeing results. No one will give you success overnight and the same applies to affiliate marketing. That’s why only the few that are determined succeed.
Stratos, you got that right! The is like a university course. Unlike waiting 4 years to get a job, in Affiliate Marketing the Wealthy Affiliate way, one can achieve measurable results in about six months and really good ones in a year. Maybe I should have mentioned that as a guide in my article. Thanks for your encouraging comments.
This is a great article to reiterate how important realistic expectations are to success. The great thing about these 5 reasons is that they are all within our control! If you can work past these barriers, you will see success in due time.
I agree that humility is important. No one would pick up a violin for the first time in their life and be offended if someone pointed out that they weren’t very good at playing it yet. People can be rude sometimes, but mostly you need to take the constructive comments and utilize them to improve.
Holly, I love your reaction to the points in my Blog. I feel you have the right attitude to succeed. And why not?
Hi Chris,
Much of what you have written about, I have personally felt during my time involved in Affiliate Marketing. I have gone through times of great motivation and times of slumps and discouragement but I have found that keeping the end goal in mind helps through those times. I have tried to keep my timeline expectations in check and seeing this as a long term investment of time and energy that will pay off in the end has assisted me personally in carrying on.
Anyone looking to make a quick buck will be quickly disappointed and will leave what they have started. Before starting on this journey, a really hard look in the mirror will tell you if this is right for you or not. Really enjoyed the read.
Rich
I appreciate your thoughtful comments Rich. We are all human and can experience disappointment when things do not go our way. However, at WA we have a tremendous support system that I frequently use to get me out of sticky situations. When I read the success stories of those who are doing so well after hanging in there for at least a year, I also get energized. In the grand scheme of things a year is not that long. Definitely better than a 4 year university degree!
Cheers.
Edwin
Hello Edwin, This is one of the most innovative articles I have ever read concerning the reasons for being unsuccessful as affiliate marketers! Takes care of future problems right at the beginning, and I like that! I see you do it in a helpful, non-criticizing way, just showing forward some of the pitfalls! Janice 2019 😊🌷
Hi Janice, I appreciate your honest words. The main purpose was to not only show the reasons why one fails, but also to provide methods to overcome the causes for failure. Human nature being what it is, we tend to take the easy way out. However, knowing in advance the issues we will be dealing with, prepares us to address them before they manifest themselves. It also helps to filter out anyone who decides they cannot meet the fundamental requirements to succeed. If you feel that I met these objectives then that makes me feel glad I wrote this article. Cheers! Edwin
Hello Edwin. I liked all your points you made especially point 1. People always looking for easy ways to make money online thats why there are so many scams and are doing good.
I wouldn’t believe anyone who would tell i could make lots of money from day 1. As you said in your previous comment, in 6 to 1 year you might start seeing results (unless you are a prodigy or something) but it’s better than a 4 year university degree.
If only i knew about affiliate marketing when i was at university, i would start building my website and my social media earlier instead of wasting money on useless stuff.
In regards to point 5, if you give up it means you didn’t wanted it enough and it was just a passing hobby.
Thank you for this interesting article. Take care!