Affiliate phobia and getting rid of it

Affiliate phobia and getting rid of it. We all have irrational fears that we give into and this is one of them. We tell you how to change

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

What is a Phobia

A phobia is an uncontrollable, irrational, and lasting fear of a certain object, situation, or activity. This fear can be so overwhelming that a person may go to great lengths to avoid the source of this fear. One response can be a panic attack.

Hopkins Medicine

What's more about 19 million Americans suffer from some sort of Phobia so it is pretty mainstream.

I use and promote Affiliate marketing and have done for some time. When talking among friends and family it is often like admitting to guilt of some kind.

Comments like that is a spammy thing where no one makes any money or even why would anyone buy through you? Or even that is Pyramid selling and it's illegal

This is where any rational conversation usually stops as the curtains have come down and no further conversation will be had.

I am Ok with that as there are enough people with an open mind that will listen to rational discussions and make a decision based on facts.

Affiliate marketing goes back a long way

The only thing new about this is the name, commission salespeople have carried the market for a hundred or more years building the industry on results-oriented marketing.

Classic examples of this were the door-to-door Encyclopedia salespeople selling a subscription for monthly volumes of a high-priced article. The other was the Hoover Vacuum tribe that threw dirt onto the floor and used a wonderful machine to clean it up. They got paid on the sale.

Affiliate marketing is a system that pays on performance

Affiliate phobia and getting rid of it

This is a pretty simple model, you market a product for someone else and get paid for the sale.

When businesses operated in a local market reaching customers was relatively easy so all the basic methods were employed, and still are in many cases.
However, as the market became global the marketing reach needed a lot more action.
Thus employing others to support your own efforts became the Norm and the Affiliates become a positive part of the plan.

Amazon moved the market

You may remember when Amazon launched as a bookseller way back in 1994. Most of us thought it would never last and that includes the major book shop groups. Most of which have now gone.

Amazon initially employed an affiliate model to drive sales and deliveries worldwide.
They gradually branched out into a massive range of products and became the biggest supply warehouse in the world. With a bulk of the sales coming from affiliates.

However, when you own a market you tighten the screws on your partners by dropping commission rates and diverting sales to house sales. That is not to say marketing for Amazon is not a good idea. In fact, in many ways, it is a good starting point for new entrants.

When I say Amazon I also include Walmart, eBay, and Linktech in China.

Affiliate phobia and getting rid of it with product reviews

Providing product reviews for cash

Affiliate phobia and getting rid of it

This has been very popular over the past decade as a way to market a product. You write a nice review have a Link to the manufacturer and get a commission on the sale. Sometimes you may compare two or more products and have links to them all, let the reader choose.

We all research products before buying them so this is a massive market. Readers don't know you but believe you and will often act on your advice. That is still affiliate marketing.

Start a business with no stock, no billing, no deliveries, and no customer service

The above statement looks like a gift from above however it is how Affiliate marketing runs.
Commissions can be either one time or over a subscription period of months or years.

I am a fan of recurring payments because you can build a permanent income around growing sales.
One sale may net you $20 but when you have 500 paying you every month your return will be $10,000 a month. This is where earning money while you sleep comes from. It is just a part of affiliate marketing.
As a referring agent, you get paid when a sale is made and your obligations end there.

Affiliate phobia and getting rid of it by expanding your ideas

Affiliate sales are made for real and virtual products

The Amazon example is based on flogging real products and getting paid a commission for your effort.
However, services like Web hosting and Data storage are virtual products that still generate an income.

Then there are training courses, sales courses, eBooks and so many more that reside in the ether but are considered saleable items.

The affiliate market will refer to just about anything you can think of and someone is making money from it.

Do you need to be experienced to become an affiliate

No experience is needed in many cases however to improve your chance of success it always helps to know what you are doing. Riding a Pushbike requires no experience but try it for the first time and see what happens.

Some companies will want proof that you are capable of selling enough products to be considered as a partner.
Amazon however takes you on day one and sacks you on day 90 if you don't perform.
Everyone has their own rules so you need to understand this when you start out.

Affiliate phobia and getting rid of it with great products

Where do I find the best products to sell as an affiliate

Companies can be found in many places.
first of all, there are groups that run the affiliate operation for others. They may be agents for hundreds of retail outlets and run the whole program

  • Share-a-sale
  • Clickbank
  • CJ affiliates
  • Awin
  • Commission factory
  • JV Zoo
  • Rakuten

You can also go directly to places like;

Or you can simply search on google by naming a product and saying affiliate and a list will come up

All the above represent just a sample of the market when it is actually many-fold larger than that.

Are there good and bad affiliate opportunities

Affiliate phobia and getting rid of it

There are generally good and better depending on the market, you want to enter. Companies want good affiliates because that is where the sales come from so you will be looked after.

However, there are many traps to be aware of.

Pixel date is important

When you send a visitor to a site and they make a purchase you get paid. However many companies only respect that link for a short time. If the buyer returns directly to the site you miss out. In the case of Amazon, it can be just hours.
Many buyers will look at a few opportunities before making a selection therefore you will often be cut out of the negotiation even though you started it.

The best companies allow a reasonable time through to a lifetime of honoring your customer.

The reward you receive matters

When you make 2% on a $30 product it is $0.60 a sale, you will never get rich. Even 2% on a $500 sale is still only $10 so you need to move a mountain of product.

The answer is to select products with a good return value and a chance of some amount of volume. The effort is the same for all of them so be sure you can get a return for effort that makes it worthwhile.

The cancellation clause

This is particularly apparent in the cheaper end of the market and with vendors like Jv Zoo WarriorPlus and virtual market products. These are in-your-face sales that often fall over because they don't deliver on what is promised or they have high upsells to follow the initial purchase.
Most of these companies will advertise the return rate so it is good to be prepared early.

The upsell method of extracting more money

Again this is common with parts of the market. You start with a $19 purchase however to get the full value another $49 is needed. Then the required tools are $99 and the real McCoy training $499 a month for evermore. This can go through to tens of thousands of dollars for gullible travelers seeking instant riches

No experience, instant Income for just 10 minutes a day

Here we are getting into the spam market. The promise of instant wealth is only for the most gullible and it is just unrealistic.
Buy our new bike and win the Tour de France without training. Hey, I can't ride yet but imagine me in the Yellowjacket next week, it must be a winner. Unfortunately, life is not like that. Unless you know what you are doing and apply yourself over time you simply won't make it. Sorry, but true.



Conclusion

Affiliate marketing is a legitimate form of business that will suit those that want to pursue a career or gain an income from selling products for others.

There is no limitation imposed on you and you are paid for performance and mostly paid quite well.

There are rules and risks and a need for training however the entry is unlimited and applies equally to everyone.

No bosses breathing down your neck, not a time clock to be seen and done from anywhere at any time.

You can build a business that generates income among the top earners because the sky is the limit

Affiliate phobia and getting rid of it by Peter Hanley

Peter Hanley About

Peter Hanley

I have been in business for many years and the internet to find ways to grow your business faster

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