Imagine this for a second, you’ve just found this new affiliate program and decided to sign up. They have some fantastic products, some great sales pages, free training, banners and ad copy for you to use and the earning potential from promotions is above average. This could be the best opportunity available. All that’s needed is a couple of banner ads and maybe some other copy and bingo, you’re on the path to glory and riches. Is that it? Is that all affiliate marketers have to do to make money online?

Well, not exactly…

The fact is, 3 out of 4 people who start out with affiliate marketing and use the scenario mentioned above often come away disappointed. So, before you start making any big plans for retirement, take a look at these simple mistakes that new affiliate marketers generally make.

What’s all the excitement about?

What I meant to say was, what’s all the BS or hype. Almost every affiliate program is going to brag about their product or service, whether it’s good or bad. Unfortunately, many programs are simply built on hype, not necessarily false, but more about overstated projections. And the key term is projections, such things as what could be or what might happen. Generating hype is a strategy, an art, and one thing is for sure, it works! You need to enter this with more of a long-term vision or process and not with the attitude that making money will happen overnight. Trust in yourself, your abilities, your skills, and work through the process to make your dreams a reality. Listen to the hype and learn what NOT to do.

I can get everything I need with very little work

Sure, GOOD LUCK with that! Think for a minute, if that were true, don’t you think there would be more people jumping on the bandwagon? It doesn’t matter what you’ve been told before, what you’ve heard, what you’ve read, or what you’ve seen, the fact is, you can count on doing some work for your online business. And, this won’t be a weekend hobby, as you can expect many tasks that will need to be done each and every day. Your affiliate marketing business may be online, but it’s no different than an offline business. Sure, there are some differences and virtual exceptions, but it’s still a business. What will you do to make things work? What will you do to attract and bring in customers? How will you convince customers to come back to your site? How will you get paid?

I want to make money

Well who doesn’t? But it’s going to require a lot more than just a thought or an idea, you’ll need a system and some sort of plan and some clear-cut goals. Truthfully speaking, choosing something like affiliate marketing could possibly be the simplest form and easier way to begin with a business online, but it does take a little more. How does the saying go, there’s an easy way and there’s the right way? People signup with affiliate programs daily with hopes of making money. Yet, there’s no plan or goal that will help them get it, there’s only an idea, a want, and maybe a little hope [or a lot]. Of course, as previously mentioned, some sort of plan will be required which outlines a number of specific steps you will need to follow and the exact order for certain things that need to get done. You’ll need a process and a system for this and a plan for setting and achieving sets of realistic goals.

How will you promote affiliate products?

If you don’t know how to promote your affiliate links or products, how in the world do you expect to generate revenue for your business? There’s no doubt that almost every affiliate is different, but almost every affiliate will share the same inspirations, dreams, and thoughts of making money online. You need to differentiate yourself from the pack. You need to think outside the box, especially when it comes to promoting affiliate links.

Giving up

While new affiliate marketers join the ranks each and every day, just as many will end up quitting. Many people who start with affiliate marketing often give up within the first 6 months. Why? Most of it has to do with results, which are frequently disappointing. If you’re feeling discouraged and wondering that all of your efforts are wasting away, don’t just give up. Take a good look at what you’re trying to do and figure out what’s missing. You could have easily forgot and even jumped a step or two. Maybe you implemented a strategy in the wrong way. Maybe you need to learn more. Just remember, nobody reaches the top by giving up.