In this article, we are going to address three of the most common mistakes affiliate marketers make when starting out. This does not mean that these are the only mistakes made or that they are exclusive. Marketing both offline and online is a continuous learning process and mistakes are all part of that process.
It is assumed at this time that you are fully aware of what affiliate marketing is all about and equally what it is not about. Just to clarify the point it is not a push button; get rich quick system, in spite of what the marketing gurus tell you. It does also require quite a bit of input, usually disguised as work.
So with the groundwork cleared let’s dive into our topic of the day.
First Mistake: Wrong Choice Of An Affiliate Product.
Most beginners are very enthusiastic about an affiliate business and see it as an easy way for making quick money and living the dream lifestyle. Sadly this is where most beginners fall by the wayside. They dive in without any proper plan or without having taken the time to review the affiliate markets.
More often than not they hear or see that XYZ product is booming and jump on the bandwagon to hopefully cash in. What they don’t realize is that once a product has become highly popular in the media then it is already well covered by the sellers online and you will be extremely lucky if you can make any worthwhile income from such a product.
When starting out it is much better to choose a product that is popular in an evergreen market or niche. If you are not familiar with the term then “evergreen” refers to an item that will sell all year, is not dependent upon seasonal trends and sells year in year out.
This may sound very simplistic, however, the reality of finding such a product is not so simple.
So how do you go about finding this evergreen product?
Well, you will need to do some serious research. I would recommend if you were just starting out, to pick a product that appeals to you. You will be more enthusiastic to research a product that appeals to you rather than some vague product that might make the grade. Word of caution here you will need to ensure there is a reasonable market for your product, don’t engage in obscure niches that only have limited numbers of interested people.
Second Mistake: Trying To Run Too Many Affiliate Programs.
This is always a temptation for newbies. The thinking goes along these lines, “If I can make $50.00 per month from one affiliate product then I could be super rich, in no time, if I have, 50 affiliate products.”
This may be an eventual long-term goal, however, the simple answer here is that you definitely need to learn to walk before your can run. Multiple affiliate programs can drain both your energy and resources, leaving you totally disillusioned with the whole process. It’s also worth remembering that not all affiliate products will give you the financial return you expect.
Best advice here is to focus on one affiliate product, make all your mistakes at this stage and then if it is successful and only then, move on to your second product.
Another suggestion for newbies is to ensure the affiliate product you sign up to offers a good realistic commission. This will vary dependent upon the product you choose e.g. digital products on ClickBank offer very high commissions, 40% to 80% is quite common whereas physical products on Amazon may only offer 8%. Due diligence is required prior to signing up for any affiliate program.
Third Mistake: Not Being A Customer First.
This is really a classic; the number of wannabe affiliate marketers who just sign up and promote a product or service without actually trying the product or service is mind-boggling.
Now before we go any further it has to be said that it’s not possible or even practical to purchase and review all products and this would be correct. After all if you are promoting large products or expensive services such as “white goods” or insurance policies you could not purchase every item to evaluate and review it.
However you should at the minimum order and review any eBook or digital product that it is reasonable to do so and when it comes to large products then you should at least make an effort to physically examine the make and model in a local store.
Your sole purpose as an affiliate is to convince potential customers that what you are promoting has all of your trust and is totally credible. If you think about it, when you are in a store and the salesman provides information on a particular product that you are interested in, then you expect that salesperson to be totally knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the benefits and features of that product. In other words, the store will have ensured their sales staff are totally conversant with the products, otherwise they wouldn’t sell anything.
Most customers are pretty shrewd and can pick up on a genuine sales pitch and equally spot insincerity and indifference straight away.
You have been warned; ignore these common pitfalls at your peril.