At its core, affiliate marketing is one of the simplest online business opportunities.
As an affiliate, you can promote an existing product, earning a commission for each sale. But you don’t have to hassle with product ownership, development or ongoing customer support costs.
Plus, if you have your own blog or website, your overhead should be minimal, making it a low risk venture. With potentially lucrative returns!
Instead of worrying about the details as the product or business owner, you can focus on generating new customers for someone’s business and pocketing your own commission in the meantime.
Of course, there are some drawbacks to this approach, so it won’t suit every type of entrepreneur. However, some objections are unfounded and are based on recurring myths people have about affiliate marketing.
Don’t let negative hype stop you from starting your own affiliate marketing. Here are 7 affiliate marketing myths you should ignore!
1. There Is Too Much Competition
There are huge numbers of active affiliates promoting products online. This popularity might give the illusion that there will be too many marketers operating in the same space.
In reality, though, there are so many different niches and products that you can always find opportunities. Plus, many affiliates will give up when they encounter a significant roadblock, while those who are willing to persevere can find a way to become profitable.
Thinking there isn’t space for you to make money is a baseless affiliate marketing myth! You may need to invest some time and work, but you can reap big benefits with your own affiliate marketing.
If you haven’t yet started your own site, check out this Complete Guide to Launching a New Website in 2019 for help!
2. You Are Giving All Your Leads away to Vendors
Some people are reluctant to try affiliate marketing as they think they are working as an employee for a product vendor. That they are just putting money in someone else’s pocket. But, a paying customer is a valuable commodity to a business, taking time and money to secure each sale.
As an affiliate marketer, you are able to make money with a relatively small effort, and relatively little stress vs. if you were the owner of the product itself.
Plus, sophisticated affiliate campaigns can still help you build an email list, giving the chance to promote multiple products over a period of time. People are looking for product reviews and information and may appreciate your recommendations.
And with many programs, the affiliate commission you make can be high.
3. You Have to Use Dishonest Techniques
Affiliate marketing can have a negative reputation due to the actions of some marketers. Various controversial tactics have been used over the years, often trying to trick consumers into clicking over to a sales page.
In most cases, though, changes to affiliate networks, search engines, and other platforms have led to more focus on providing value to consumers, with authenticity and transparency being a positive for an affiliate campaign.
You are in control of your own campaign and can make sure to stay honest! The best way to make affiliate marketing successful is to be clear, honest and direct with your readers.
4. Only Super Affiliates Make Money
Due to the fact that affiliate marketing has low barriers to entry, many people are willing to give it a try.
Unfortunately, though, most people will not commit to the process, failing to make any kind of consistent income. The large number of affiliates not making money suggests only the super affiliates are profiting.
However, among the huge numbers of affiliates, there are plenty of marketers making excellent incomes. The people operating within the middle tiers are creating additional streams of income or able to focus on affiliate marketing as their main career.
5. You Need Technical Knowledge
Affiliate campaigns can require the creation of different landing pages, ad tracking, and email marketing.
This might appear to require a great deal of technical knowledge, with both front end and back end factors playing important roles. There are, however, many high-quality tools that can simplify these processes.
Landing page builders, ad trackers and other products can be used to help you quickly and easily get campaigns online. Plus starting your own website has never been simpler!
Here is a great step-by-step guide on affiliate marketing to check out!
6. You Need a Big Budget
There are some affiliates operating with large advertising budgets. These affiliates invest heavily in campaigns, promoting across numerous platforms in different countries.
The ability to scale up campaigns can be one of the key factors providing high levels of income. It is possible, though, to start off with a very small budget, scaling up as you start to make some money.
You can focus on the free methods of social media and blogging to begin. You could also invest a small amount each day on Facebook ads, making sure to control your expenditure but still giving yourself the chance to boost your affiliate links or your website.
7. The Affiliate Marketing Trend is Dying
Many years ago, affiliate marketing was a different experience. Platforms like Google were more open to affiliates, with the option of sending ad clicks directly to a sales page.
Many of the rules were tightened up in the interest of offering a better user experience. Just because there is a greater perceived control, though, it doesn’t mean affiliate marketing is dying.
Word-of-mouth has always been and always will be a strong human motivator. This means affiliate marketing is here to stay!
There are so many different affiliate programs and methods for promoting, with more possibilities than ever. As long as you offer value to the consumer and are upfront about being an affiliate, there is plenty of chance to thrive!
Affiliate Marketing Myths: Conclusion
When you are aware of the common affiliate marketing myths, making a decision about the approach becomes clearer.
You may decide that becoming an affiliate is not worth your time, particularly if you want to develop your own brand and range of products.
Or you might feel that affiliate marketing suits your business. Affiliate marketing can be extremely lucrative, so it is worth investigating further if you are looking to earn regular income online!
Learn 5 Design Tips to Help you Build a Profitable Affiliate Website!
