Generally when people start with Affiliate Marketing, their only motive is to make easy money but when you consider all factors, you might be surprised that most of your actions lead to a failure in long run. With the personal experiences shared by some top Marketers and Affiliates, here we are able to list few common blunders that happen with new Affiliate Marketers all over the world. We will talk about each one of them in detail.
#1 – It’s more about “Selling” than “Understanding the Needs”:
Generally, when starting the Affiliation, people tend to fill the webpage with a lot of words and links screaming “BUY NOW!” They are least concerned about the reader and whether he is really interested in that product. Rather, their only intention is to make the visitor click the link which might end up generating a commission for them.
Yes, it’s true that the word “Marketing” is linked with “Affiliation” however; for most of the times, the job of an Affiliate is not selling the products or services; the sales pages linked through your content do the respective work. It’s a common tendency of an online buyer to know the candid feedbacks of the product he/she is willing to buy online. And the reviews from people who have already used the particular product or service, could be a lot helpful.
A recent survey says, 80% of customers of amazon, flipkart and eBay read user reviews before buying the product. If we talk more like an impartial critic rather than a stressed salesman, we will make more sales and people will come back to us for genuine advice on other products also.
#2 – My Product is the best in market:
One of the utmost strategies used by expert marketers is comparing their product with at least two similar products. When I am planning to buy something over the internet, I usually narrow down my options to only 2 or 3 and then make a choice of what could be best in all prospects.
If I have already done the comparison; this saves the time of my readers and help them while making a decision. On the other hand, I have THREE Affiliate Links on the same page instead of just one. Comparison webpages are not just popular and helpful for your readers, but they are also very beneficial for you.
Over the time, when you track all links on that page, you can realize which products interests most of the readers and will eventually move that to the top of the page for better CTR (Click Through Rate).
#3 – Multiple Affiliations can be handled easily:
Another big mistake that new breed makes when beginning the journey. They keep on joining any and every Affiliate Program they come across. It’s absolutely fine to cultivate multiple income options, especially when you work online most of the times however; it becomes unmanageable and too much to deal with at certain times.
It’s very important that you choose your Affiliate Program wisely and with a clear mindset. Affiliations that you are comfortable working for, are really a good way to earn good money however; signing every other Affiliate Agreement will only end up overloading yourself and nothing else.
#4 – False Claims can attract more Eyeballs:
We all have seen emails and webpages where people claim something like “I made Rs. 50,000 in a week using this”. The most hilarious situation are those when you read a post on some Forum where someone claims that he/she didn’t get even a single rupee for that promotion and you still find a similar Affiliate Link in their signature. Happened with me couple of times… really!
If you’re new to Online Marketing and willing to promote products in such “Make Money Online” domain, please avoid making false claims that you made money using it. In fact, it is better to talk more about the benefits of the Product or Training. You will ruin your credibility if you try to trick people, even if it sounds overwhelming to you.
#5 – All the Offers and Promotors are Trustworthy:
Nothing can break the trust of a reader more than when he is led to some promotion that fills his/her mailbox with everyday junk. Generally we avoid testing the offers ourselves and carelessly believe whatever the promotor says. It’s advisable to all newcomers to the industry to put yourself at least once in the shoes of a potential customer and opt in to test the vendors’ follow up sequence. This will eventually help you see what can happen to them if they follow your words.
#6 – Tracking my sales is the Merchant’s Job:
Affiliate Marketers usually do not keep track of which webpages are generating sales and which are not. One of the biggest slip-ups when you begin your Online Marketing Career, is not using the Tracking IDs for links on each page.
When you make a sale, you must know WHERE the sale came from. This will enable you to identify which pages are converting well and with the result, you can grow and scale that campaign. Creating a Unique Tracking ID for an Affiliate link is easy using the dedicated partner login at merchant website.
#7 – This is the ultimate chance for me!
The scariest downfall for any new Affiliate Marketer that causes really big problems for Veteran Marketers too. It is very common these days, while we are busy working on something and suddenly, a new SPRKLING idea comes into our mailbox or in a forum we visit frequently. And then, we go chasing that new option to make quick money.
Ignore these Shining Butterflies that will eventually fly by but by that time; you will be distracted from your campaign at hand. If you compare the numbers, you will be surprised to see that one single completed and profitable campaign is worth much more than 50 incomplete projects.
The Bottom Line:
Affiliate Marketing requires a lot of Focus and Self-Motivation. The fact is, most of us learn these skills only after we commit mistakes. Once you know what can cause the lack of profits and productivity in your business, you will be able to grow better and earn regular returns in long-term.
Off you run in every direction and keep trying almost everything, without any idea of the mistakes you are making; it is quite possible that you will be only reducing your chances at long term success. So, better keep in mind the points listed above and you can avoid non-favorable conditions in your Affiliate Marketing Profession.
