It's easy to get excited about something when you hear major success stories from so many people. Affiliate marketing is a topic you may have heard about first time entrepreneurs going from $0 to $10,000+ per month in just a few months time.
“Gosh if they can do it, so can I!” Or so you think…
Here i'm going to debunk some of the most common affiliate marketing myths lurking around on the internet. How do I know they're myths? Apart from my firsthand experience in the industry, I've also witnessed multiple examples that back up the truthful statements behind these fantastical myths.
Myths of Affiliate Marketing That Just Aren't True
Most of the myths of affiliate marketing are simply preconceived notions that keep people from starting. Many, if they knew the real truth to these myths, could be starting a 6 figure income business with potential to help millions if not billions of people! Among the affiliate marketing myths are:
- You need to know how to code to build an affiliate marketing website
- You need prior experience in the tech/web development industry
- Affiliate marketing is just another MLM (multi-level marketing) scam
- You can make a lot of money in a short amount of time with affiliate marketing
Yup, i'm sure you've heard one of those at some point, and if not, you probably will. That's not to say affiliate marketing has a bad reputation, cause it certainly doesn't. But there are those out there that claim to know what they are talking about when they make those kinds of statements, and usually they are the ones who tried it for just a week and gave up.
I don't call those kind of people “experienced” or “experts”, but rather “impatient quitters” (I say that with all the kindness of my heart).
You need to know how to code to build an affiliate marketing website
False! I have no foundation in coding, and have multiple websites up and running. The truth is, anyone with a computer and access to the internet can begin building an affiliate marketing website…period.
You know how those children's books that have little cardboard cutouts for the kids to fit into the right spots? Yup…its kinda like that. Pretty easy!
The truth: anyone with a computer and an internet connection, who knows how to navigate basic functions online can build a website. No need for prior experience or coding education.
⇒ How To Be Successful At Affiliate Marketing Online ⇐
You need prior experience in the tech industry/web development industry
Wrong again! In fact, you don't need any experience at all concerning technology or web development. You could be a former hair stylist or psychologist, or any prior experience for that matter, and build a wildly successful affiliate marketing website.
In fact, most likely you will create your business around your knowledge base and prior experience, regardless of what it is. You may just create the next big hair styling website that everyone looks to for the latest and greatest about styles and tricks!
Most website hosting services have built in website builders that either have pre-built web designs for you. All you have to do is create the content and upload any images. The rest is already designed!
Affiliate marketing is just another MLM (multi-level marketing) scam?
MLM (multi-level marketing) companies are companies that promote their products through the recruitment of new product or sales representatives, who each then get paid from products and services sold from their recruited “down line”. While some companies in MLM can be great way to make money, it's certainly not for everyone.
Affiliate marketing, on the other hand, is far different than an MLM company. When was the last time you went to try out a new restaurant in town for the first time? How did you hear about it? A high percentage of you will respond “a friend told me about it and said it was really good!”. There you go, that's how affiliate marketing works! The difference? You get paid for referring people to great restaurants (or hair styling companies).
You can make a lot of money quickly in affiliate marketing
This one is my favorite. I'm not saying you can't make a lot of money affiliate marketing, but what I am saying is that many claim to make a fortune in a few weeks time or shorter. The reality? Affiliate marketing takes a long time to build up. If you don't at least expect to write a lot of content daily for 6 – 12 months straight then you have wrong expectations of how affiliate marketing works.
The ones that persist, however, are the ones that seem to appear as an overnight success. Little do we know that they've been working consistently for years before their online presence actually took off. Now, they're making $30,000…monthly. I'm sure looking back they aren't mad they put in all that hard work!
Affiliate marketing takes at least 6-12 months to get going and see a little money coming in consistently. Why? Because your success is dependant upon your online presence and your website traffic (among many others, but those are the primary fundamentals).
Organic traffic takes time, and a few blog posts isn't going to cut it. You need to post consistent content and get some traction on social media before search engines will start to trust your website.
Over time, you will start seeing organic visitors, and a growing online presence that leads to that $30,000 monthly paycheck.
How To Be The Next Affiliate Marketing Success Story
Everyone has to start somewhere, and everyone at one point had no prior experience. The great part is, affiliate marketing is easy to learn and very lucrative when done right. There are even expert training courses available to anyone feeling a bit overwhelmed.
With the right help, you can build your affiliate marketing business to be a $10,000+ per month business (not uncommon to see btw). Not sure where to get started? Our Affiliate Marketing Guide is a great resource that will lay out the basics of making money online, and show you where to get started.
You can also take a look at one of the training's that I personally took when I got started in affiliate marketing.
Recommended Affiliate Marketing Training: How To Build A Thriving Affiliate Marketing Business
What other affiliate marketing myths or questions have you questioned the truth of? Post your comments below, we want to hear from you!
