How To Become A Master Affiliate Marketer – Think Tools And Mindset
To become a Master Affiliate Marketer you need the right tools and the right mindset. Without these things you will barely be an affiliate marketer, let alone a Master Affiliate Marketer. In this post I am going to talk to you about your tools and your mindset so you can become a successful Affiliate Marketer.
If You are a scanner and not a reader, here are my top tips:
Become a student of Affiliate Marketing
Think and act like a business owner
Invest In yourself and your business
Be consistent
Only promote products you believe in
Now back to the reading part!
If You Are An Affiliate Marketer, You NEED These Tools
There is a saying that goes, “A bad workman always blames his tools.” Why? is actually anyone’s guess… but if you ask me sometimes the tools may well be to blame BUT it was the workman who chose them ! Tools are crucial for both the cantankerous workman and all SUCCESSFUL affiliate marketers. So choose them wisely.
Have you ever read about any super affiliate who uses free hosting and free autoresponders? No? Don’t worry… no one else has either.
Many of us, when just starting out will try to skimp on costs and make the horrible mistake of using free alternatives rather than paid services. Any saved costs is then squandered on some get rich quick system that never delivers on its promises.
As an affiliate marketer, it is important that you understand that this is a business you own. All businesses have fixed and/or variable costs. There is no getting away from this. You will always need to spend some money in order to make much more.
To be a successful affiliate marketer, there are 3 crucial tools you need to invest in. In fact, you could say that these are the cornerstones of your business. Without them, it is almost certain that you will fail.
The first tool you will need is your own domain name
The operative words here are “your own” You really should not build your business on someone else’s web property.
Okay, you may have to spend a few dollars buying a domain name, but at least you will know that you have control over it.
You will always be subjected to the whims and fancies of some other person/s decisions if you don’t own your own domain name. Your content may be deleted, you pages may have ads for Viagra. Yes really ! There is always a price to pay for free domains. Many free domains do not even allow affiliate marketing.
The second tool you will need is hosting
Web hosting is very affordable. Companies such as Hostgator, Bluehost and many more provide plans that most beginner marketers can afford. There really is no excuse to not get paid hosting. You can read my review of Your Hosting Options by clicking here.
Sure… you could opt for free hosting but just like choosing a free domain, you will, once again have no control over your business. Free web hosting usually comes with a ton of unrelated ads that will appear on your site. Here comes those Viagra ads again!
The third tool you will need is an autoresponder
You may have heard the saying, “The money is in the list”. I’ve written it a million times… slight exaggeration… but you get my point.
Despite this many beginners try to save money by not getting one. Somewhat understandable, since an autoresponder is an ongoing cost. However, there are some free options up to a certain number of subscribers which may serve you well. You can read my review of the Best autoresponders by clicking here.
Please be aware that the Paid options are going to be the ones you want in the long run and it will be a pain to transfer your email addresses and all of your scheduled emails over. I know that many people have lost a huge number of emails somewhere in the transferring process.
Initially, an autoresponder may be costing you more than it makes. However, as you build your list and your subscribers go from hundreds to thousands, the list will pay for itself. You will be able to develop a strong relationship with many people through email marketing.
You start by providing them with free, useful content so they will start to trust you. The rewards come when you promote something they will find helpful. You will get sales and earn commissions that far exceed the cost of your autoresponder.
If you are serious about affiliate marketing and want to Master this incredible business opportunity, be sure to grab a domain, hosting plan, and an autoresponder. They will make your business easier to run and increase its chances of success.
Mindset Matters
No matter how great the tools you are using are, remember, it is you that is using them and you need to use them well. The three main tools mentioned above will not work for you on their own. It is down to you to create a website that showcases both yourself and the products you promote. It is down to you to build your email list and service them well.
All of this will require a lot of learning and application of that learning. The internet is full of uneducated spammers. Don’t be this kind of Affiliate Marketer.
My advice is to enroll in some kind of structured learning for Affiliate Marketers. If you stick this in Google the results will be mind boggling and confusing. My advice is to try out Wealthy Affiliate for free (no credit card required) You will get 20 lessons for free and 2 free websites. If you do the training and apply it, even if you already own your own website or blog, you will learn a lot and know whether it’s for you or not.
You need to remember Affiliate Marketing is a business and should be treated as such. You are the entrepreneur who started this business. Start thinking like a business owner now. Be consistent with your efforts. Don’t write a new post every day for a week and then post nothing for a month.
You are trying to please search engines and your readers or followers. Both like to know what to expect from you and if you are consistent you will be rewarded by both of them.
The Master affiliate marketers, truly believe in the products they are promoting. Choose products or services that your readers and followers will like or find useful. Be niche specific. Don’t try selling hosting plans if your website is aimed at dog owners!
Do your research. Buy and use the Products or Services. That way you can give an honest and informed opinion of them to your readers and more importantly your email list. Yes this will cost you some money but you will be investing in your own business.
Okay I am done here. Remember my 5 top tips to becoming a Master Affiliate Marketer.
Become a student of Affiliate Marketing
Think and act like a business owner
Invest In yourself and your business
Be consistent
Only promote products you believe in
As always be sure to share this post if you have found it useful and if you have any questions or want to comment on my thoughts leave them below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
With Grace and Gratitude
Karen
I guess you already know, but this post may contain affiliate links which means if you click on one and make a purchase, I will make a commission but it will not cost you any more.
Excellent tips here. Nothing is free in this world, and that’s what i think about these tools for affiliate Marketers. I’ve also hated,having to pay for these I’m the past but over time I’ve learned that it’s all a capital investment in this business, much like any other brick and mortar business. In fact, it’s thousands times cheaper versus starting a business on the street! Just wondering about your tip on only recommending products that we buy and trust. Is it possible if we don’t buy the product but instead rely only on reviews by other people on forum, blog etc?
In answer to your question, yes you can rely on other people’s reviews but I don’t believe that you become a master Affiliate Marketer, that way. If you review a bad product based on other people’s reviews in order to promote an alternative that you have used and recommend then I know most affiliate marketers do this. No one really wants to buy a bad product but it is not the way I like to work. Upfront and honesty are the best approach.
isaac
atExcellent tips here. Nothing is free in this world, and that’s what i think about these tools for affiliate Marketers. I’ve also hated,having to pay for these I’m the past but over time I’ve learned that it’s all a capital investment in this business, much like any other brick and mortar business. In fact, it’s thousands times cheaper versus starting a business on the street! Just wondering about your tip on only recommending products that we buy and trust. Is it possible if we don’t buy the product but instead rely only on reviews by other people on forum, blog etc?
Karen Noone
atHi Issac and thanks for reading,
In answer to your question, yes you can rely on other people’s reviews but I don’t believe that you become a master Affiliate Marketer, that way. If you review a bad product based on other people’s reviews in order to promote an alternative that you have used and recommend then I know most affiliate marketers do this. No one really wants to buy a bad product but it is not the way I like to work. Upfront and honesty are the best approach.
With Grace and Gratitude
Karen