Affiliate Marketers BEWARE!
I believe, based on what I have personally experienced as well as what I have seen others encounter that there truly is big money to be made with Affiliate Marketing. Now before you run out and quit your job in hopes of becoming an online marketing success there are, indeed; a few critical things you should know. First, understand that there is a lot more to affiliate marketing than simply choosing the right offers.
When making the decision to pursue a career in affiliate marketing it is imperative that you take precautions not to get too caught up in the glitz and glamour or high-pressure sales pitches that you may encounter. Let me preface this by saying that this article is in no way meant to suggest that all affiliate marketing agencies are untrustworthy or unethical. Each agency should be evaluated on its own merit and performance by any individual who wishes to utilize their services. That being said, it is easy for those who are uninformed to fall prey to the lure of big profit potential with little investment. I have seen many unsuspecting affiliate newbies shell out large sums of cash to sign up with marketing agencies that all but promise them a substantial return. This can often be summed up in two words...“Buyer Beware”.
Achieving success at affiliate marketing requires time, patience and continuous learning. This is not to say that it can’t happen as a member of a marketing agency that provides coaching, however; the same knowledge can usually be acquired for either little to no cost by taking time to scour the search engines, online forums and YouTube videos. Granted taking this route may mean that it might take a little longer to accomplish your goal but the trade off is the fact that you will also obtain a much more detailed picture of this industry regarding not only what to market but also the best way to market it. Let’s not forget that this method is also far less expensive. I have interacted with many online marketers who decided to sign-up with an affiliate marketing coaching program and found it to be less than ideal. While I am sure that this is certainly not the case for all, based on the feedback that I have received here is a breakdown of what you are “supposed” to receive as an affiliate marketing coaching program member:
* Pay hundreds or sometimes even thousands of dollars to sign up for the program
* Receive an explanation of how affiliate marketing works
* Receive affiliate sites to market
* Access to a “coach” to help with questions
In actuality, what many members have found is that much of the coaching that was promised after their initial training is either insufficient or completely non-existent. Additionally, marketers find out that once they are released to begin their new marketing career they have little to no idea at all how to actually promote the sites they were given. They realize that learning the actual paid search marketing (PPC) side of things is an entirely new and foreign concept. One that was not included in their rather “expensive” training program.
Even an advertising platform as user-friendly as 7Search.com still requires time invested in learning how to properly navigate it in order to get the most from an ad campaign. Otherwise, it is like handing someone keys to a new car but never teaching them how to drive. They obviously won’t get very far without knowing how to use the vehicle responsible for driving their sales/conversions. By the way, I have also been advised that requesting a refund from some of these agencies is similar to pulling teeth that aren’t even loose. Not an easy task to say the least.
In short, it is my belief that when it comes to achieving success with affiliate marketing, there are no shortcuts. We must all spend time learning the ins and outs of this field just as we would any other new career choice. Although we live in a microwave society and we want everything at the speed of light, let’s not forget that sometimes things come out of the microwave hot on top and frozen in the middle. If you want a long-term, successful career in affiliate marketing don’t be afraid to take time, roll up your sleeves and do it the old-fashioned way; read, learn, listen and then do it yourself.