How to become more successful affiliate

Are you in the poor affiliate category?

When I say "poor affiliate", I don't think that you don't have money to buy food. That means that your earnings from affiliate programs are enough only for a beer with friends.
There are affiliates who are working 26 hours at day and their earnings are very high, but they are still not rich. and life is lost here. Affiliate websites, promotions, PPC campaigns, statistic, research... For all this tasks, time is required. In this case, if you are not organized, everything is one big mess and valuable time is wasted on less important tasks.
I know that many experienced affiliates will agree with this.

However, there are answers for this problem. First is plan-focus-ACTION, second is automation and outsourcing.

Who are the poor affiliates

The Fact - 90% affiliates are doing nothing. They think that commission will fall from the sky. Take care, birds are flying there, and you could get from them something you will not like.

Why this above? You know why. After first earnings - dreams, dreams, laziness, friends and beers, nice blondes with attributes, hard to resist, isn't it? I know at least two affiliates who are now thinking that this above is about them. Yes, and not only about them...

Once, poor affiliate had a dream. New car. To attract friends and girls. Long story short, two years after, he bought that car from affiliate programs earnings. Then, he stopped with affiliate programs, because, he have a new car, new friends and girls...

I will not continue with this story above, the end is not something what will motivate you. You can see that new car is a good motivation factor, but it is not tool to earn more money, and his target (new car) was set too low.

If you are in poor affiliate category, that is because, on the first place, your target is probably set too low or too high. Or you started to build house from the roof and you give up, since advanced methods are not working for you?

What rich affiliates are doing

In many cases, others are working for them. That is why they are rich.

Since I like stories and examples, here is another one:

Exactly ten years ago, in 1999, in golden times of CPA affiliate programs (and real freebies), during searching for new offers, found the same program on two affiliate networks. Program was the same, and payment was very different. On larger network, it was $1 for Lead, on another $0.40. After checking, found that: Advertiser on smaller network is, in fact, affiliate of that merchant.

He was paying $0.40 to his affiliates on smaller network, while he was collecting $0.60 of clean profit per Lead doing practically nothing, except redirection from his website to merchant, and, sure, posting recorded leads to the smaller network.

Ten years ago, this was discovery for me, but, looking at this closer, you will see that many SuperAffiliates (companies or individuals) are doing the same todays. The best example are affiliate networks. They are simply affiliates of merchants. Another example are advertisers, collecting leads using one affiliate network and converting those leads with their affiliate links, often using the same network as affiliate. There are more combination, but common here is that they all have sub-affiliates delivering traffic.
One more example is new affiliate referral program. In this case, you are getting small percent of commission earned by referred affiliate...

Above examples are just a few examples how to use others to become rich affiliate. Pay for less sell for more. Who said arbitrage?

From poor affiliate to the rich affiliate?

Time is money, isn't it? Two keys are important to save time - "automation" and "outsourcing"

There are some guidelines on this website, what can save you a time. DIY, without source codes, since they are published to explain process only.

Automation is really timesaver. Automate everything what is possible, using specialized software, or make your own software or scripts.
For example, you can download statistic from affiliate network, analyze it offline using software, or use some worksheets to add stats and generate reports. Beside this, you can download lists of all offers from CPA networks, compile them in one searchable database, then you can easy find new offers and compare commissions. Same can be done with product links or some datafeeds.
Statistic automation will be theme of the next article in CPA affiliate networks section.

Outsourcing can be explained with an one simple example. Since Article Marketing is now popular, say that you need new and unique articles about niche what you know that is profitable, but you don't know nothing about that niche (say that is sewing). What now? Instead of researching that niche and writing articles, you can hire a content/article writer. In meantime, you will search and find profitable keywords and a few good products to promote. Where ever those articles are placed later (website or submitted to article directories) time is saved.

Next example is not connected with affiliate marketing, but many todays marketers or vendors are former affiliates and they now have their own product. When you are an affiliate, there are always some problems what can be solved with specialized software, scripts or valuable information.

Hiring programmer to write code for you, marketing now your own product to the other affiliates is the one more way to get your life easier. Examples are all over the ClickBank Marketplace. There are many products, ebooks or software, what are in fact work of some other people, and vendor is the person who is marketing repackaged work of those people.

So, you don't know to code web pages? Hire Web designer. Need some scripts. Hire programmer. Don't know how to promote new website? Hire SEO company... etc.

However, for beginners in affiliate marketing, without previous offline experience, it is not recommended to start on this way. For use outsourcing, you need to have a project, plan, target. Knowledge is required since you are investing your money. Many beginners spent fortune on AdWords without any return. Long way is from apprentice to CEO. Learn and test. Learn from tests.

Main reason for automation and outsourcing is to speedup projects and to save valuable time. If you don't have time for all tasks, that is the reason to automate some of them, and to invest some money in software and outsourcing, expecting that saved time will return that investments.

Although is mentioned that two important keys of success are automation and outsourcing, the main key is your ability to organize everything. That is the difference between poor affiliate and rich affiliate. If you are looking for some secret or miracle what will help you to get rich overnight, play lotto.

Stop dreaming!

I will add here something what could help someone. Take your dream and make a picture, or better write. Frame that, and place it near your working space. That, what is on picture/text is your strongest dream/wish? Be sure it is. Is it car, house, happy familly, any reason why you need to earn a more money, is not important, important is that your wish is strong. In fact, anything what will motivate you for work could be used, even something what you hate.

We all have our "dot/point" on the wall, when we are tired or work is boring. Place your motivation exactly on that part of the wall.
Write below something like "stop dreaming, back to work", or "stop dreaming or you will never get it" or something similar what will motivate you to continue with work.

One can place list of tasks planned for today. It is also effective. Picture of wife sometimes helps. At least, more coffee/beer/cookies will be delivered...

As you see, motivation is very important factor if you want to succeed, but first, remove all that junk (music, pics, movies, games) from your PC/laptop and start working.

However, dreaming alone will not bring you any money, only in case that you are reading dreams of other people - for money.
In an other words, forget "earn money doing nothing". First, you need to give, to get it back.

to top