BCL Performance Marketing: Ethical Affiliate Marketing Australia: Why affiliate marketing is so hard

If you want to be successful as an affiliate, here are a few things to consider...

1. Who is telling you it is easy? One way to get rich has always been to sell a lot of hopefuls a book or scheme that promises to make them rich. On the internet, there is an enormous pool of hopefuls to exploit. First you draw them in by telling them that you can give them the secrets to earning riches on the internet. Then you either:
   
   1. sell them an "how-to" ebook but make sure that it also has an affiliate program. Why? Because they'll promote it positively to anyone they can in the hope of getting their money back.
   2. Set up a "how to be a successful affiliate" blog, telling them they can do it if only they keep coming back to your blog. Then put ppc ads on it. Enough readers will be tempted to click on those ads, earning the blog owner some commission every time.
   
   
   
   


2. What skills do you have? There may be no qualifications for working as an affiliate but that doesn't mean that there aren't some basic skills needed. Do you have any knowledge about the technology you are using, do you really understand what the statistics mean, do you have any marketing skills? If you want to succeed at affiliate marketing, you'll need to identify the skills you are missing and find out a way to acquire the skills or pay for someone to do the bits you can't.

So, should you give up? Not necessarily. Most people will give it a go and, provided they don't spend too much on worthless e-books or gamble their house away buying search engine traffic, it will be an interesting experience. A few people will find their way through, learning as they go and make some money. A very few will be successful enough to earn a living or build a business.

To succeed at affiliate marketing, especially ethical affiliate marketing, is far from easy. Who is to judge whether you will be one of the winners or losers? Not me - but I won't give you false hope either.