Becoming an affiliate can be great. Huge earning potential, working from the comfort of your home, not having to invest too much money, etc.—the benefits are too many to count.
It’s easy to see why the affiliate industry is booming. However, a lot of affiliates jump in with ideas that are not entirely true. Having the wrong idea about affiliate marketing is an easy way to get disappointed and give up before you even start.
That’s why we’re going to tell you about 4 popular affiliate marketing misconceptions you should be aware of.
You’ll Get Rich Quickly
Don’t get us wrong, you can get rich as an affiliate. Heck, if you’re great at your job, you can get filthy rich.
The thing is, most people don’t. According to the data put together by HostingTribunal on their 101 Affiliate Marketing Stats and Facts graphical resource, it turns out the top 20% of affiliates make 80% of total affiliate sales.
Just so we’re clear, this doesn’t mean becoming an affiliate is a bad idea. It’s just to show affiliate marketing is not a get-rich-quick dream come true.
The fact of the matter is, a lot of affiliates give up too quickly. Having success as an affiliate takes time and effort. But if you’re ready to dedicate yourself, there’s no reason you can’t be in the top 20%.
You Should Focus on Sales
At first glance, this misconception sounds logical. Make a bunch of sales, and you earn a bunch of money. It makes sense.
While getting your audience to purchase items is how you earn your commission, it should not be your primary focus. While high earnings might be your goal, focusing all attention on them can get you in trouble.
If all you’re trying to do is sell a product, it translates into your content. Users can tell if you’re not being genuine. Aggressively pushing for sales is an awful long-term plan. Affiliate marketing is about the long game.
Instead, focus on building loyalty among your audience. If you create genuine and honest content, users believe you have their best interests at heart. Getting loyal followers is the best way to profit as an affiliate.
You Know Affiliate Marketing
You’ve read all the top guides, analyzed your competition, found out all the ins and outs, and now you have your marketing strategy all planned out. You know everything about affiliate marketing and now you can rest, right?
Well, yes, and no. Even if you know everything there is to know about affiliate marketing right now (and, let’s be honest, nobody knows that much), that doesn’t mean you’re done learning.
Take away any marketing genius’ internet. Chances are their strategy will be obsolete in less than a year.
The most important trait of an affiliate is adaptability. Even if you get to the top, you still have to improve yourself to stay there.
That’s our tip: never stop learning. Always find new ways to adapt to the market and improve your strategy. Keep an eye on the competition and make sure you don’t fall behind.
Conclusion
One final piece of advice: don’t be afraid of new things. Affiliate marketing is still a relatively new model and there is still a lot of room for exploration.
If you want to reach the top in the affiliate marketing world, you have a lot of trial and error ahead. It might sound scary, but it is a good thing. It helps you learn and, in time, it will make you a better marketer.
If you think affiliate marketing might be for you, the infographic below has some interesting data. It will help you prepare for your affiliate marketing debut.
