Five Common Mistakes Made By New Affiliate Marketers

You’ve just signed up for this fantastic new affiliate program. They have great products, free referral websites, training, pre-made ads for you to copy and the best compensation plan on the internet. This is the best affiliate program on the internet! Right? 

I mean, all you need to do is put a few ads out there, bang around on facebook or other social media sites, and viola! You are two sales away from being the next internet millionaire. Right?

That is the assumed picture. Before that metallic grey Range Rover and Condo with a Beach Front in Nyali becomes a reality, let me share with you a few mistakes many new affiliate marketers make that you’ll want to avoid.

Mistake One: Believing the Hype

No, no, no! This is not the hype sold to you by zealous internet marketers. You can see the language of marketers, what it will do to you, and how to avoid scams in article here.

This is hype sold to you by your own program; yes, the one’s meant to protect you are the ones who dupe you the best. Income projections come with every program on the planet, and they are just that; projections. It is possible for you to make as much as they say. It is NOT GUARANTEED that you will make as much as they say you will. 


Will you make that $900 ‘within the first week’ that they promote? My guess is really a very good one — probably not. Always go into affiliate marketing as a long term income plan, not a short term plan to pay the rent this month. If you need rent money, start at freelance work. In affiliate marketing, like any marketing, believe in yourself, build your strategy, but for goodness sake, do not bank on the hype.  

Mistake Two - Expecting Instant Results With Little Effort

Go into affiliate marketing with an intention to work your business. Work your business daily and it will work for you. I like to say, people opening a brick and mortar store expect to wake up in the morning and go open the shop, right? Why do they expect that an online store will open itself, clean its shelves, and just somehow bring the customers? If you do not do it offline, do not do it online. 

Mistake Three — Lack of a Plan and Specific Goals

Yeah! I am like you too, do not worry. I hate all those things called, goals, plans, outcomes, results, and all those little words that sound like I need to work. But I gotta tell you my friend, this is earth and on this here plane, we kinda have to put a strategy in place for things to turn out fine. 

You need to have a specific plan and in that plan put in clear and measurable goals. Many people join affiliate programs with the vague goal of wanting to make money and occasionally I hear ‘to make a lot of money’. Short version; the clearer you are about your goals the easier it will be to know how much effort you need to put in to make that happen.  

Mistake Four — Plastering Your Raw Affiliate Link all Over the Net

I beg your pardon! Isn’t that what my affiliate link is for? Let me tell you a little story. Yeah! Paula likes to tell stories. In 2009 I bought a Marketing Program and it shaped everything I know today about marketing. From word of mouth to internet marketing, the Give to Get Marketing Program is holistic like an MBA and it was a complete game changer for me. 

This is what that author says, with data and statistics you will not believe. The average buyer needs to see your offer at least eight times before they make a move towards a purchase. My brakes screeched to a loud halt! EIGHT times? Are you freaking kidding me?
Here’s the deal. Marketing is not a game of tell-em-n-sell-em. Marketing is a scientific approach to get people to take money out of their pocket and give it to you. No one, and I mean no one, is waiting at the bus stop wondering when you will come around so that they can hand you money. Seriously, even criminals know that. 

Develop a working sales channel and make it work. Sales channel? Yes, the path that moves a buyer from an observer to a buyer. Not sure what that is, read more on Coaching program here… 

Mistake Five — Quitting Before the Mining is Over

I prepare you for this one all the time. If you want rent money, do not go into affiliate marketing full time just yet. Do a bit of freelancing first or get a job. Meanwhile, build an income generating blog on the side until it puts food and disposable income on the table.
If you come in with unrealistic expectations, such as millionaire in a month, you will only have enough steam to work it for 2, 3, maybe even 4 months and the pressure of your bills will force you to cave in and give up. 

Meanwhile, if you can work affiliate marketing with diligence, again, the mistake will still be to give up citing that affiliate marketing is not working. When discouragement hits, send me an email, give me a call, take a walk, go to church, go get very drunk, anything, but do not give up. Not just yet! 

The story goes a miner worked for ages. Three feet to the gold, he threw in the towel. NEVER say it’s over until you are really sure it’s over. Give it one more campaign, one more article, one more facebook post, one more call, and that one could very well be your best thing ever! 

Never give up!