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If you're looking into affiliate marketing, you've discovered it's not easy to figure out how to begin. You've probably done a lot of reading on the Internet about it, and if you're like I was when I started, it only left me more confused. I would find something that sounded authoritative and reasonable, become convinced that it was the way to go, and the next day I'd find another site or program that completely contradicted the first one, and it sounded reasonable too. It was frustrating.
I knew that all the information I needed to start an affiliate site was available for free on the web, but I also knew that I would have to carefully search and sift and compile all the good info while avoiding the bad. Many times I thought how nice it would be if there was just a set of step-by-step instructions that taught the basics—a solid foundation that every Internet marketer needs, regardless of the type of marketing they choose to do.
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I did find many sites and ebooks that gave out many of those basic principles and how-tos. But none of them were basic enough for me. The techniques were great, if I only knew how to execute them. Most of them skipped over the whole building-a-web-site part, assuming I already had one. (Well, I did have some site-building experience, but not in relation to affiliate marketing, which is a whole different animal.) How could I use good keyword anchor text in my backlinks, when I didn't even know what keywords, anchor text, or backlinks were?
Sound familiar? There are two main solutions to this: Spend a lot more time researching (a lot), or find a teacher or mentor you trust and learn from them. The first is free but extremely time-consuming. I spent nearly a year reading everything I could find about affiliate marketing before I could tell diamonds from dirt.
The second option is ideal, in my opinion. There's a relatively small cost up front, but you can hit the ground running and be making money much, much sooner. Unfortunately, there's probably no way I or anyone else trying to sell a course or book on affiliate marketing can completely convince a newbie that their information is the real deal until the newbie actually tries it and it works.
My recommendation is to combine the two solutions. Gather a short list of possible training programs or instructional sites as you do your research. Ask questions of people who have used that information. Contact the company directly and ask questions. Visit various Internet marketing forums and read the posts and archives to see what people are saying about the product you're considering.
Of course, I hope you'll put my affiliate marketing training course on your short list, but you're certainly not obligated to, and I'm aware that some may feel my suggestions are biased since I do have a product to sell. But I'm always interested in helping people avoid scams and find real, practical instruction even if it's not me who provides it in the end. Scammers have made skeptics out of most people, but skepticism in this field is a good thing. It's just too bad it's necessary.
You don't have to take a year to research like I did (I'm a little too cautious sometimes). Just take long enough to corroborate the authenticity of any institution that wants your money. Never buy without at least sleeping on it. And don't be pressured by marketers who say you have to have this product NOW because it will never be offered to the public again, blah, blah, blah. It will, or something exactly like it will. I fell for that a couple of times, thinking I'd miss out if I took more time to check it out. I'll never make that mistake again.
If somebody's sales page sounds too good to be true or just gives off a scammy vibe, don't think, Well, they have a money-back guarantee so what do I have to lose? Remember that a lot of Internet marketers lie. Sad, but true. Some will take your money and ignore your refund requests once you discover they're scams. So do your homework, and then you can be fairly confident that you are being taught solid, time-tested, and proven methods.
I LOVE my “job.” Affiliate marketing takes work, but it doesn’t feel like work.
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