When Will I Make Money? A Personal Question!
So many affiliate marketing beginners ask this question when struggling with personal motivation. I understand the questions and doubts. It's so hard to be motivated when the road appears to have no end.
Is affiliate marketing a real business?
Of course it is! Major companies are now using affiliate marketing to greatly increase sales. Most put a "world of hurt" on their competitors who don't. Everyday affiliate marketing becomes more necessary for businesses of all sizes. So, don't think for a minute that affiliate marketing itself is a scam or there is no money in it!
Get closer to the end of your journey? Focus on being great!
You're on the right path with WA. But just like graduating from any school, generating acutal income is your responsibility. You're just learning the tools that will enable you to work intelligently within the industry.
WA talks about niches and working with your passions. Why? One day prospects will be looking at your site. Your conviction and presentation on a product are going to need to sell people you never met. They'll be trying to decide whether or not to buy, so you'd better be great!
WA and/or hard work are not necessarily the answer.
Neither, guarantee you'll earn money. Saying, 'I'm going to quit if I don't earn money soon' or 'I'll just keep working so hard, I'll success sooner or later" are both wrong thinking. They show a fundamental misunderstanding of the affiliate marketing business.
Practicing with "long-tail-keyword" sites
Making these sites is only a part of your affiliate marketing education. It's an educational platform to help you learn how to use the tools of the trade, like self-motivation, time-management, web site creation, writing keyword searching, social media marketing, video creation, pod-casts, and more.
Very likely, your first sites are not going to be a major part of your affiliate marketing career. What's the chances of a beginner pulling a niche idea out of the air and making a lot of money with it? Not very good!
Niche selection will become much easier in the future - too easy.
Moving forward on the career of an affiliate marketing, here is how it goes. Don't worry about finding niches. After awhile, one will lead to another and another.
Right now I have so many affiliate marketing niche ideas on my desk that I also need my good business sense and college business education just to narrow down the choices. Some are very big and unique opportunities. Without my past experience and education at WA, I don't think I'd be so good at picking good niches, and making a living at it today.
Ideas - Traffic - Content
Until you master all three, seeing the end of the road or goal of making good money working at home will remain fuzzy. You need a good idea (niche), get enough traffic, and have them convert to sales... it's that simple!
'I'll work so hard that I'm guaranteed success!'
Actually, I hate to hear this! No, your not! Customers seldom buy because you worked so hard. Here is successful thinking , "I'll work so hard and smart that my content will be irresistible!." Your clients will decide if you've worked hard enough.
Integrating friends and family relationships
Since they don't have the knowledge or understanding of even simple buzz words of our profession, don't blame them if they don't get excited about what your doing. Just because you're motivated, doesn't mean they are! Or, will ever be!
However, you need to realize, like any profession, affiliate marketing work takes time away from them and affects the family fortunes. So you have a duty to be successful, or you should get out of the business, for their sake. A lot of pressure... use it to your advantage.
How long should I wait to earn money?
Definitely more than weeks or months! After all you're learning a profession, not getting a Coke out of a vending machine. And, WA doesn't make money for you! You do! The proper question is how long is it going to take you!
How to make money-making sites.
You'll need to reach massive amounts of people within your niche to visit your site. If you have the money, you can always buy traffic. But, in any case, you'll need to learn how to present content compelling enough to motivate people to buy. Learn it or you'll never be successful!
Additionally, to be really, really, really successful you'll probably need to learn how to become a leader! You have to be everywhere on the net. Maybe in person too!
"How long should I wait for WA to make me successful?" is the wrong question. The right one is "How long should I wait before I learn to be successful." WA can only promises learning tools and a community, not your success. That's why the answer to the question is personal.
Recent Comments
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Your final point is a great one. Keep learning until you learn to get it right. When that happens then you have arrived.
Great post famous and one that I will pass onto some of my team who ask those questions from time to time even though I have pretty much told them what you've written. Also people who I see ask that same old question "When will I make some money at this" They need to read your article.
Definitely something to keep in mind!
I initially got into WA because I wanted to make money - and I wanted it now :) - but, I realized right away that it is a process and there's really no such thing as 'getting rich quick' AND having that source of income be sustainable...
If you're interested in coaching another WA student, I'd be more than eager to learn from you!
I love you for this. I've only been here a month and I already am getting frustrated people asking when they will make money. I made some before I got here in affiliate marketing, but I have a long way to go. I think I'm going to link them to this from now on
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Perfect post for beginners as myself. Well done.