| Affiliate marketing is perhaps the easiest way to make | | | | affiliate marketing. You must remember that affiliate |
| some money for someone who just started out online, | | | | marketing takes time. Even if you are paying for quick |
| perhaps working part time. It can be a real opportunity | | | | traffic with Pay Per Click(PPC) advertising, you still |
| for you to finally "fire your boss" and work as and | | | | need to time to tweak your landing page, tweak your |
| when you like. But you need to avoid certain pitfalls or | | | | ads, find your keywords, etc. Rome wasn't built in a |
| mistakes that could potentially kill your dreams. | | | | day so don't expect your affiliate marketing business |
| Here are 7 mistakes that many affiliate marketers, | | | | to be profitable immediately. Give yourself reasonable |
| new or seasoned ones, make on a daily basis: | | | | time for your efforts to show. |
| 1) Still having the employee mindset | | | | 5) Not having a "Daily To Do List" |
| Affiliate marketing is a BUSINESS. When you become | | | | As an affiliate, you will be overwhelmed with work or |
| an affiliate, you are no longer an employee. You longer | | | | get information overload if you don't plan your day well. |
| have the luxury of paid sick leave, medical benefits, | | | | Every affiliate manager wants you to start promoting |
| travel allowances, fixed pay packet, etc. You are on | | | | their products. You have a ton of affiliate marketing |
| your own, so to speak. So it is time to have a change | | | | ebooks to read too. So what to do? Make a point to |
| of mindset. What do I mean by that? I mean you | | | | have a daily to do list. List down 6 items you must do |
| should start thinking like a entrepreneur or businessman | | | | for the next day. That way, you won't feel |
| and take some (calculated) risks. No risk, no rewards. | | | | overwhelmed and can go about your tasks with less |
| You've got to invest money and time on your own | | | | pressure. |
| website, domain, etc. Take some risks and you can be | | | | 6) Not knowing enough about the products you are |
| sure to make serious profits. | | | | promoting |
| 2) Selling too hard | | | | You need to be very knowledgeable about the |
| Remember that you are an affiliate, not a merchant. | | | | products you are promoting because your visitors can |
| Therefore, your website should pre-sell not hard sell | | | | tell if you are bluffing. Position yourself as an authority |
| visitors. Write a product review, not a sales page. | | | | figure they can look up to with your knowledge and |
| Gently recommend the product you are reviewing. | | | | competence and you can be sure to get many affiliate |
| Don't push hard for the sale because when your visitor | | | | sales. |
| lands on the merchant's page, he/she will face a sales | | | | 7) Not capturing visitors' email addresses on your |
| pitch. No one likes to be sold twice. Pre-sell by | | | | website |
| highlighting benefits rather than features. | | | | It is a known fact that people take anywhere between |
| 3) Not sourcing enough of your tasks | | | | 5-7 visits before they decide to buy anything online. By |
| You only have 2 hands and 24 hours each day. If you | | | | not capturing your visitor's email addresses and |
| try to do everything yourself, you will never be able to | | | | following up on them, you have no way of contacting |
| accomplish much at all because it will take too long. | | | | them after they click away. If you are paying for clicks, |
| Outsourcing tasks is your answer. Do the things you | | | | you must devise a way to get your visitors' emails |
| are most competent in and outsource the rest. There | | | | otherwise you are simply throwing money down the |
| will always be someone on Elance or other such | | | | drain. Offer them a free ebook, useful software, |
| outsource websites that can do a better or faster job | | | | whatever, in return for their email address. |
| than you - and for a reasonable price too. Remember | | | | The above list is by means exhaustive. But they |
| that time is you biggest asset and you have make full | | | | represent some common mistakes that affiliate |
| use of it. Think outsource all the time. | | | | marketer are making. If you are serious about making |
| 4) Giving up too early | | | | big bucks in affiliate marketing, then be sure to keep |
| This one is true for most business types, not just | | | | this list handy. |