The Power of Affiliate Marketing

173 followers

3 years ago

Hey Wealthy Affiliates!

It has been a minute since I have made a blog post, but I have been busy behind the scenes.

2020 was an absolute nightmare for small businesses, and 2021 is shaping up to present its own unique challenges for sure.

Lockdowns and regulations are putting the squeeze on small business owners everywhere.

There has never been a better time than right now to LEARN how to operate an online business.

The internet is the great equalizer. In business specifically, it has leveled the playing field.

Anyone with a computer and an internet connection has the ability to build a business that can operate from anywhere with seemingly unlimited growth potential.

With the right offers, and a little know-how, even a fairly computer illiterate individual can follow a well laid plan to get established in their own little corner of the internet.

This brings me to my next point...

Growth Strategies

When operating online, it is fairly common for individuals to take an attitude of either wanting everything to be done for them, or wanting to make traction without building relationships.

I'm not sure why this attitude is so replete throughout the online culture, because that is not the way things work in any other avenue of business.

You have an introduction. That person, if they have an interest in you will potentially become a prospect. As you get to know them and find out what makes them tick, you may discover that they have a problem for which they are seeking a solution. If you can help them solve this problem, they potentially become a customer.

This is how I have always understood the relationship growth cycle in small business.

You build the relationship and the business follows.

So why is it that there are so many "silver bullet" type mentalities out there?

Why is it that we invest our time and energy into people who are so quick to become disenfranchised and write anything off as a scam that they have to put sweat equity into?

I didn't understand this until I read a book that was given to me by a friend. Then everything became clear.

The Entrepreneurial Myth

Most of us who have set out to become Entrepreneurs have experienced our own crucible moments. Whether it be a lay-off, or just feeling unappreciated, we had a seemingly "ah ha" moment when we decided that we were good at what we did and we could do it for ourselves rather than doing it for someone else.

Once an idea like this takes hold of our psyche, the thought of independence follows us everywhere.

The idea of being our own boss, setting our own schedule, doing our own thing... It became our constant companion. We couldn't shake it... We had to start our own business! But for a lot of people, in making this life changing decision, they fell victim to the most disasterous assumption that anyone can make about going into business for themselves.

It is an assumption that can completely redirect the course of our lives.

We assume that because we are skilled at what we do technically, we can apply our technical skills and the business will eventually take off. We assume that if we have a product or a service, it will only be a matter of time before we catch our big break, and we will be the next Amazon with our Shopify Cart.

I think the thought has crossed all of our minds at one point or another. There are so many people out there promising "one transaction away from autopilot" that I think online business has seen some tarnish on its name.

Everyone hears about the next new opportunity and the first word that comes to mind is "SCAM' in big, bold, red, neon letters. Imprinted in their conscience.

What comes next? Fear. Quickly followed by paralysis. And then they settle back into their 9 to 5 grind, and watch their life slip through the cracks of their cubicle.

And it's because the technical work of running a business and working for a business that does technical work are two very different things.

We have all seen it.

The hairdresser that opens a beauty salon, and the mechanic that starts his own shop both think that they are going to be a success. But over 80% of small businesses fail in their first 5 years of operation. And out of those that make it through the first 5 years, 80% will fail in their second 5 years.

It's the nature of the beast.

Especially online!

We all get into it with high hopes, believing that we are one sale away from the hammock on the beach and a passive income stream that will generate time freedom for our families, not realizing that this world of online business is just like brick & mortar, with a new set of challenges and skills to master.

"Hey Ian, why are you such a pessimist?"

No, I'm a realist!

There Is No Easy Button!

If the technician doesn't know how to work the technical aspects of the business, he has to learn how to get it done. If he doesn't the business will fail.

In today's culture and society, so much of our commerce is e-commerce anyway!

If a business doesn't have a website, a Google listing, and a Facebook Page, nobody knows who they are!

If a business DOES have a website, a Google listing, and a Facebook page, nobody knows who they are!

So it would seem that business owners and Entrepreneurs are left with 2 options if they are going to have an online presence.

Option 1) Pay someone to do all of your online technical work and pay that individual or firm every time that you have to create content, advertise, or make a change.

In the days of brick & mortar, when businesses were seeing massive influx of face-to-face business, this seemed like the best option. Leave the technical stuff to the techy people and do what you do best. But how long until this option dies out entirely?

We saw tens of thousands of businesses close in 2020, and many of these were major companies! What is there going to be for people in 2025 who haven't learned how to do anything online?

Option 2) Get busy and learn a new set of skills to make sure that you stay in business!

Everyone who sets out on their own believes that they are going to be able to make it work for themselves. EVERYONE!...

I have to say that the only reason that I am still in business after going on 6 years now is because of the skills that I learned here at WA which I was then able to apply to my own business.

I haven't kept a log of the hours that I ahve poured into the technical aspects of running my business. The content creation. The paperwork. The marketing. The planning. The networking. But if I had, it would have easily equaled 50-80 or even 100hrs a week on average in some cases.

The business becomes your baby. It's in the incubator and if you leave its side for one minute, it will die. You are the life support. You are the life blood that pumps through its veins.

And while online business is not as time and labor intensive as brick & mortar, the same principles apply.

The Power of Affiliate Marketing

At the click of a mouse, you can reach an audience that is practically boundless...

So many of us get into the mindset of trading hours for dollars.

That is not what online business is about. Building online gives you the opportunity to make things happen without an "OPEN" sign. Building online gives you the opportunity to expand your network to wherever there is internet. But there is a caviat. Building an online business takes work on the front-end. You have to get it there. You have to create the content. You have to learn the skills. You have to make the connections. You have to build the relationships. You have to learn how to make sure that you are creating content that is going to reach and engage people on a consistent basis, or you will be throwing darts at the wall until you run out of money. Which is VERY easy to do online. Anyone who tries to tell you differently is selling something.

So why do it?

If this is not that easy and most people will inevitably fail anyway, why even try?

Because YOU KNOW that it's going to be difficult.

You know that it is going to take consistent effort and tenacity.

You know that building an online business is about compounded results. That front-end work and the hours of sweat equity will yeild results if you dig deep and stick with it.

You know that if you weren't serious about building a business that was going to work, you wouldn't have made the investment to be on WA.

And you KNOW the juice is worth the squeeze!

So put your investment to good use.

We have the best network, the best resources, the best training, and the best community in the world.

Right here at WA.

We have everything that we need to make this vehicle move. But in order to take that trip, there has to be fuel in the tank. And if that fuel is going to ignite, there has to be a spark.

YOU are that spark my friends!

And your beautiful, genuine content is the fuel that will get you over the finish line.

"Drastic change creates an estrangement from the self, and generates a need for a new birth of a new identity. And it perhaps depends on the way this need is satisfied whether the process of change runs smoothly or is attended with convulsions and explosions."

- Eric Hoffer

The Temper of Our Time