Categories: Affiliate MarketingBusiness Practices

11 Affiliate Marketing Myths You Need to Kill Right Now

If you’re reading this post, you’ve probably heard about affiliate marketing. It has been quite the buzzword for the past few years.

But not everyone gets what affiliate marketing really is.

The truth is, the concept of affiliates today is riddled with misunderstandings that are far from the actual reality.

And we’re here to debunk some of the most absurd myths for you.

Why?

So you can see affiliate marketing for what it really is: A rewarding and continuously evolving type of marketing that can even turn into a full-time source of income for some!

Here are 11 common myths about affiliate marketing you should never fall for:

Myth #1: Affiliate Marketing is ‘Quick & Easy Money’

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Okay, first of all: Money does NOT come easy. Especially not with affiliate marketing.

Those ads that promise you riches overnight? Scam.

But that doesn’t mean affiliate marketing is not a lucrative business. If done right, it can even make you filthy rich!

Just like any other business, though, it requires hard work, commitment, and tons of patience.

Simply creating a website and uploading some content on it won’t get you any significant results. You need to have a long-term strategy in place.

Here are a few things you need to take care of before you can actually reap the rewards:

Choose the right affiliate product and niche
Build an email list
Acquire the necessary skills (SEO, WordPress, email marketing, analytics, etc.)
Build credibility and trust in your customers
Drive more traffic to your website
Create GREAT content

And finally, have patience and be consistent. You won’t start making money overnight, but your hard work will eventually start to pay off.

Myth #2: Affiliate Marketing is Too Complicated

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That’s right. While some people think affiliate marketing is an easy way to make money overnight, there are others under the impression that it’s simply too hard!

But is that true? Certainly not.

Affiliate marketing might seem scary at first to a newbie, but it’s not rocket science. There are thousands of affiliate marketers out there, and for good reason. It’s something you can learn over time. All you need to do is put your mind to it!

There are countless guides and resources available online to help you get started with your affiliate marketing plan.

But remember, nothing comes without passion and dedication. If you want to make it work, your heart needs to be in it!

Myth #3: Affiliate Marketing Doesn’t Make You Money

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Here’s a fun fact: By 2020, affiliate marketing spend in the U.S. alone is expected to reach $6.8 billion!

If you think affiliate marketing doesn’t have the potential to be as lucrative as a full-time job, you’re utterly and completely wrong.

In fact, if it doesn’t make you money, you’re probably giving up too early.

There’s no denying that you need to put in a lot of time and effort to actually make money out of affiliate marketing. But once you do, the rewards are often worth it.

Myth #4: Affiliate Marketing is a SCAM

Seriously, it’s not.

Yes, when you see those emails and ads about how affiliate marketing can make you rich overnight, it’s easy to believe the entire concept is bogus.

Moreover, there are tons of fake affiliate programs out that never pay you your hard-earned money. So, we don’t blame you for being careful.

But if you learn to differentiate between scam affiliate programs and authentic ones, you’ll find that affiliate marketing is really one of the most lucrative business on the internet.

Instead of signing up for shady affiliate programs for unknown brands and companies, try opting for popular and credible retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay.

Looking for more legit affiliate offers?

Myth #5: Affiliate Marketing Only Works in Popular Niches

A widespread belief is that you can only make money out of affiliate marketing if you’re working in one of top, highly saturated niches, like Fitness & Health, Sports or Fashion.

Good news: that’s not true!

There are tons of open niches out there, some inside the seemingly saturated markets, which you can tap into. In fact, finding an unexploited niche with little to no competition will just speed you up on your way to success.

The key is to pick a niche you’re not just passionate and knowledgeable about, but one that actually addresses specific problems.

Once you’ve chosen a niche, you should always create original, high quality and useful content from a unique angle to solve those problems effectively.

Myth #6: More Traffic = More Profit

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Most newbie affiliate marketers make the mistake of focusing solely on driving traffic to their website.

But is that going to make you any money? Not really.

Unless your website is actually converting the traffic into customers, you won’t be making any sales.

So, even though driving more traffic to your website is an essential step in becoming a successful affiliate, it is equally (if not more) important to increase the conversion on your website!

A great way to improve your conversion rates is to create genuinely useful content on your website. Once your potential customers land there, you need to win their trust by sincerely helping them out.

Only once they trust you will they value your recommendation and make a purchase.

Another way to increase your conversions is by creating a sales funnel instead of a traditional website. Leading the customer through a carefully optimized, step-by-step journey towards making a sale can help skyrocket your conversions.

Find out how we can help you build a streamlined sales funnel to convert the right traffic into profitable customers!

Myth #7: It’s Too Late to Become an Affiliate Marketer

Just because there are so many affiliate marketers already, doesn’t mean they’re all actively making money and there’s no space left for you.

Chances are, half of the affiliates out there aren’t even earning a dime.

Moreover, as more affiliates enter the business each day, there are also ones who drop out and choose another path.

Plus, it’s important to remember that affiliate marketing is a constantly evolving business.

Think about it. Do you think EVERY affiliate marketer is taking advantage of the new Facebook and Instagram algorithms? Of course not.

As the internet evolves, so do online businesses like affiliate marketing. Every change or development opens a new door for affiliate marketers to innovate and create unique strategies to sell their products.

In simple words, it’s not too late for you to catch the boat. Hop on!

Myth #8: Affiliate Marketing Makes You Look Spammy

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Contrary to popular belief, affiliate marketing is NOT all about sending out spam emails and bombarding your audience with links and ads.

A successful affiliate marketer works hard to build their brand, and creates content that offers genuine value to their customers. Creating spam content will just drive your readers away.

Of course, it is entirely possible to come across as spam if you practice spammy techniques. Avoid stuffing your blog with low-quality content and too many keywords, links, and ads at all costs.

Remember, you have to make your readers WANT to engage with your content and trust your word. For that, you need to be smart with placing ads, links, and recommendations on your blog/website.

Make sure you don’t overwhelm your readers by coming across as too sales-y. Customers hate spam, not honest advice!

Myth #9: You Need a Business Degree to be an Affiliate Marketer

Even though ‘affiliate marketer’ might sound like an intimidating title, you don’t really need any sort of professional qualification to become one.

All you need is brains; a successful affiliate marketer is creative, innovative, and knows how to gain their customers’ trust.

Fancy words and academic theories won’t help sell your products; your commitment, skills, and passion will!

Myth #10: You Need a Strong Network to Get Started

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We won’t lie to you. If you have an existing network and just the right connections, your content will be more likely to get noticed. And you’ll probably have access to a lot more opportunities.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t start from scratch!

As a new affiliate marketer, you can always build your own network over time.

For example, you can attend different marketing events to interact and build connections with industry leaders. Or even just to put your name out there so people know you exist.

Another great way to build a network is to reach out to relevant affiliate programs and get into a mutually beneficial partnership. This will not only help you spread your reach, it will also increase sales for both parties involved.

You can also reach out to popular social media influencers in your niche, such as on Instagram, and get featured in exchange for free products!

Hint: Try to look for influencers with loyal followers and high engagement rates, rather than just big numbers. That way, you’ll have more chances of building credibility and being taken seriously.

Myth #11: Google Wants to Kill Affiliate Marketing

Too many people are under the impression that search engines don’t like affiliate content, and are out to penalize or get rid of websites/blogs that post it.

Wrong.

Google doesn’t like SPAM and questionable techniques.

If you’re posting honest reviews and genuinely useful content, you’re actually going to be in Google’s good books.

Helpful content is great for SEO, and people are increasingly searching for credible reviews and affiliate content online.

The Truth about Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing can seem like a complicated business, or even a waste of time. Fortunately, none of that is true.

If you can separate fact from fiction and see affiliate marketing for what it truly is, you’ll find it to be an excellent way to make money right from the comfort of your home.

The key is to pick the right niche, create amazing content, and continuously work hard to build a brand your customers can rely on.

Have you been believing in any of these myths? Let us know if this article helped you! Feel free to leave your feedback and comments below!

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