Top 10 Reasons To Avoid Affiliate Marketing
As many of you know, I earn my living as an affiliate marketer. Just in case you don’t know what that is, let me sum up it up in one word, Referrals. I basically get paid to connect people that have expressed a need to the companies that meet that need. The company in turn pays & provides me with a free website & marketing material so that I can facilitate the introduction. Affiliates can get paid a number of ways. The one that everyone knows about is getting paid per sale. But I bet you didn’t know you can make money if someone just fills out an information form or clicks an ad on your site. This is known as pay per lead (aka CPA) and pay per click (Google Adsense). The best thing about this is it doesn’t involve the need of your referrals to spend a dime for you to get paid! Sweet, I know. Incidentally that’s how I’ve earned a 6 figure income and why my wife can stay at home raising the kids (Me & My Princess). So don’t believe the hype that in order to make decent affiliate income you should only focus on pay per sale. Unfortunately most people aren’t even aware of these other areas of affiliate marketing. So they end up missing out on this career because they think they need to sell to make money. Now you know better!
So Why Did I Change My Stance?
I haven’t. I’m still a huge proponent of this career because ultimately it’s the only one I know of where you can actually earn what you’re worth. I’m happy to say that I’ve introduced many of my loyal subscribers to this career. Some of you have already embarked on your training or have had some success with this opportunity. So why in the world would I write an article about why you shouldn’t get into affiliate marketing? Truth be told, it’s because it’s not for everyone. Sure I can make tons of money lying to you and convincing every one of you to become an affiliate. But my momma raised me better than that and it wouldn’t be right. Because ultimately many of you would be destined to fail because you were mislead by me. That’s not what I’m about. I wish could say the same about all those rebate processing, data entry, typing and Google money system scams. But I digress. My ultimate goal is to give you all various work at home options that you’ve never considered but are aligned with your own comfort level, needs and skill set. So with that said, I’ve been able to identify certain personal characteristics that aren’t conducive to affiliate marketing. It doesn’t mean that folks who exhibit them are bad or stupid. In fact I think it’s just the opposite. It takes a tremendous sense of character when one can look at themselves in the mirror and acknowledge their weaknesses and strengths. God has different paths for all of us. So we need to be honest with ourselves and go with the correct one. Now with that in mind, here are the Top 10 Reasons To Avoid Affiliate Marketing.
The List:
1. You’re afraid of failure & see obstacles as a road block instead of a challenge.
2. You rather scan through information than read it. (Are you doing it now?)
3. You’re terrified of learning new things. (How did you learn your current job?)
4. You can’t follow directions. (When an employer says not to call in a job description, you’re the wild boy and calls anyway.)
5. You have a fear of computers or technology. (How did you get online today?)
6. You’re desperate for quick money and aren’t able to pay your bills at the moment.
7. Working to make a company rich for the next 20 years & getting a pat on the back and/or a gold watch at the end sounds like a good way to spend the rest of your life.
8. You have the utmost confidence that a company will always pay you what your worth & don’t mind that they dictate when you can actually spend time with your family.
9. You’re fixated on a date or time frame for success.
10. You have a negative mindset and use the words "can’t", "maybe" or "try" a lot.
So there you have it, my Top 10 list of why you shouldn’t become an affiliate marketer. Now with that said, even if you possess a few of these qualities, a career in affiliate marketing may still be an option for you. After all I had a few of them as well (Fear of failure, negative mindset & looking for quick money). However with some time and effort I was able to shake them all off. But if you possess more than half of the items on this list, it’s best to focus on traditional work at home jobs. There’s nothing wrong with this.
Judgement Day…
Please understand I’m not judging you. This is merely an exercise to help you make the right decision. Ever since I’ve written my personal story with affiliate marketing a few months ago, people have been open like a token (NYC Subway reference). I’ve seen people go and venture off on their own trying to master this career. Quite frankly that’s like trying to become a brain surgeon after reading an article. It might work, but chances are it won’t and you’ll end up killing someone. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Recognizing what those are will ultimately lead to your happiness because you’ll end up doing what’s best for your particular situation.
What Should You Do?
Well depending on where you stand with that list above, you should do one of the following:
1. Continue to search & apply for traditional work at home jobs.
2. Get training & start on your affiliate marketing career with a company like Wealthy Affiliate.
3. Or do a little of both to cover all your bases.
What Did I Do?
Well the path I chose was a bit different than the options above. One, I wasn’t as smart as many of you and I went this alone. It was a dumb move that cost me unnecessary additional years of my life working for "THE MAN" and lost potential affiliate income. However a smart thing that I did do was having a stable source of income. Because I had money coming in with a traditional offline job, it allowed me to pursue my affiliate marketing career without the worry of having to pay my bills. Having a job also helped me invest in more learning material. In my opinion, you can’t really effectively learn affiliate marketing if you’re worrying about putting food on the table. You’ll end up rushing through your training and forcing deadlines to make money with this career. This can be disastrous because you could be one step away from success. But because your mind is so consumed with trying to keep a roof over your head, you’ll be more inclined to give up at the first sign of an obstacle. Whereas someone that already has a job (at home or not) will plug away because their bills are being covered. The learning experience is more enjoyable and can happen at the right pace.
So Why Bother?
This begs the question, then why pursue an affiliate career at all? Well ultimately people that pursue an affiliate marketing career want to be able to do more for their families than what a job will allow. People that pursue an affiliate marketing career want true personal & financial freedom so they have more time with their families. They also want to earn the money that they actually feel their worth. A job will never allow for this. So I hope this gives you a clearer perspective about this career. Yes, it’s great and can make you a lot of money. But you need to be real with yourself and determine if you’re cut out for it. Hopefully this article has helped with this process. We all have to find our paths. For some of you it will be affiliate marketing, for others it will be a job. At the end of the day if you’re happy then that’s all that counts. Either way, I’ll be here to help you along either path. What did you guys think of this article, Is there some truth to what I’m saying or am I totally off base? Has it moved you towards or away from affiliate marketing? Are there things on the list that resonate with you? Let me know below…
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Eddy I just came upon your website and have found it very enlightening. I am having to look for at home employment due to having an elderly parent that I am having to take care at home. I have heard a lot of success in ppc and ppl fields and have done some research into it. My question is that I have been advised to become adword certified, then use a program like wealthy affiliate or ppc-coach is that advisable and I have not seen much listed about wealthy affiliate and ppc-coach or their ease of use. Do you have any experience with the latter and please offer any advice that you can on the direction that you would take.
ReplyEddy,
thank you for your honesty. these questions were particularly helpful
2. You rather scan through information than read it. (I.e. Are you doing it now?)
3. You’re terrified of learning new things. (How did you learn your current job?
This is priceless:
1. You’re afraid of failure & see obstacles as a road block instead of a challenge
thank you for your honesty.
5. You have a fear of computers or technology. (How did you get online today?)
ReplyHi Nancy,
You’re welcome. The more I talked to people about this career, the more I realized that an article like this was necessary to guide people in the right direction. I have to agree with you about 1 & 5 being priceless. Number 1 is key because you’re guaranteed to run into obstacles. How you deal with it is what will set you apart from everyone else in this career and in life for that matter. Thanks for chiming in. If you don’t mind me asking, where has this article left you?
ReplyAs a former firefighter/emt, challenges are something I faced everyday and I accept them as something fun and not to be feared. Thank you so much for this website it has to be one of the most informative if no the most informative period. Its convinced me that with some hard work some ingenuity and perseverance, I can be successful at work at home career. Thank you most of all for being a role model here but an insperation as well.Keep it up we need more like you times like this.
ReplyHi Felix,
I’m glad you’ve found my site useful. It’s very commendable that you are looking for home based income so you can take care of your parent. They have obviously done a great job in raising a responsible son. In regards to your question, I’ve had some limited success with PPC and never became Adwords Certified. I think that’s more important when you running a PPC company. But I could be wrong. I’ve taken a lot of PPC courses and being Adwords certified was never a requirement or mentioned as an advantage.
Now in respects to acquiring marketing training, yes its EXTREMELY important especially when it comes to PPC. Or you’ll lose tons of money very quickly. I’m a very experienced marketer and I still prefer using other techniques taught by companies like http://www.GoWealthyAffiliate.com than PPC. PPC has so many nuisances that can screw you over, especially when it comes to Google Adwords. It’s not a matter of just slapping up ads and paying money as so many of these Google Money nonsense products will have you believe. I think for newbies it’s better to focus on the less complicated penny pinching techniques that WA teaches you such as article marketing, seo, etc. I’ve earned a 6 figure income primarily focusing on SEO and pay per lead. So that’s another misconception out there. You don’t need PPC to make big money. It’s a great skill to have and has become more like SEO but I still find that the “free” techniques are easier to implement for a newbie than PPC.
In terms of PPC Coach, I recently joined and there is a wealth of information listed there. But it’s definitely not meant for new marketers. Its actually very overwhelming. But like WA they have a very active forum and the owner seems willing to help you along the way. I’m looking forward to the later months to see some of the other techniques they teach. But I wasn’t a fan of the 1st month technique taught. So if you’re new to PPC or haven’t had much success with it, you’re better off getting the fundamentals from WA or Perry Marshall. Although I found Perry to be too verbose for my liking. lol Wealthy Affiliate’s PPC section was the first time everything made total sense to me and was explained in a quick and easy to follow way. But that was my experience.
At the end of the day you’re on the right path by looking into training. That is the key thing. You’ll avoid a lot of mistakes this way. So I applaud you for heading in that direction. Just keep the points I listed in the article above in mind. You should also do your research on any company you may consider for your affiliate training needs by following the simple steps in our scam video:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams
Good luck.
ReplyMy hats go off to you Felix!!! Anyone that walks into a burning building willing instead of running away like my scared ass would, is someone that can face any adversity! Since that is one of the biggest reasons people fail you’re probably more equipped than I was for this career. So you’re absolutely correct, you can achieve a work at home career! It’s just a matter of possessing the right qualities, training and putting in the work. I’m glad I can serve as a role model to you but people like you are the true role models. So thanks for giving me the opportunity to help you out. I really do feel we all deserve more in life and for some it can be achieved by affiliate marketing. So good luck and thanks again for your kind words.
ReplyGreat read, Eddy! Yep, I probably fit into a couple, but after four years and still looking … no way have I given up. I’m still going to find something that will begin paying me this year! I’m the one with SBI and I’m still trying to figure out which training to go with, theirs or WA. I was on a writing site a few hours ago and the owner is with both. I can’t afford both, at least not now.
You said in one of your previous messages that you thought SBI was “limited.” What did you mean by that? Limited how?
See ya,
ReplyAna
I am AP when it comes to BS: AP = Acronym Phobic; BS = Business Speak (now don’t get into the gutter;) ). You and Felix were tossing around a few acronyms that weren’t defined. PPC? SEO? CPA? NYC? Ok, the last I think I’ve heard of…
BTW (err, By The Way), A friend of mine was told to check out WorldVentures as a way to make money online. At first when she was describing it, I thought it sounded like affiliate marketing, where you basically get paid to get people to sign up for vacation packages. We watched a video on the web-site and afterward, I was skeptical that I had assessed their scheme correctly at the beginning. Have you heard of this company? Is it a scam? A different marketing approach? Worth the cost (for the marketing package) or leave this alone?
ReplyGreat read, Eddy!
I’m still trying to figure out which training to go with, SBI or WA. You mentioned that you thought SBI was “limited.” In which ways do you see it as “limited”? Just an opinion, I know.
Ana
ReplyLarry you’re funny. lol
They are affiliate marketing terms. SEO = Search Engine Optimization, PPC = PAY PER CLICK, CPA = COST PER ACTION. Here’s a tip whenever you can’t figure out an acronym just head to Google. They really have everything if you’re willing to search for it and know how. In terms of World Venture, Google can help you there as well. Just enter their name with the word scam and you’ll know if they’re trustworthy in seconds. We have a video that explains how to go through this process and figure this stuff out here:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams and there is a wealth of other scams listed there that you should read if you want to succeed in this industry and avoid all the nonsense out there.
Personally I would stay from those vacation package schemes. But that’s just my opinion. At the end of the day if you’re going to be successful in any online business it should be in an industry that you’re passionate about not just one that everyone says makes money. You’re more inclined to stay with something if you already had a passion for it. That’s one of the keys to success that a lot of marketers seem to ignore. Good luck.
ReplyHi again Ana,
At the time I didn’t like their website building interface. It had the right components in terms of SEO but I just thought creating your site outside of SBI with something like wordpress was more ideal. But their marketing principles are sound though. Either way I don’t think you can go wrong unless SBI has changed for the worst in the last couple of years. You just need to weight out the strengths of both companies and see which are more important to you. Search for reviews on google comparing the two companies as well. I’m sure someone has highlighted their differences. Hope this helps.
Replyfelix Hi my name is tami and I also come to this site often today I saw your post about careing for you elderly parent and thought you might find this useful I live in MA so I don’t know if it will benifit you but I also care for my eldery grandmother and I have her on a program that pays me to care for her in my home called caregiver homes http://www.caregiverhomes.com/info or 866-797-2333 if you do not live in MA well maybe they can connect you with a program in your area just thought it would help it helps me @Felix:
ReplyHi Eddy,
Replyto respond to where your article has left me, I am going to try the GoWealthy Affiliates website. I am also going to read not scan!
thanks
Hi Nancy,
Glad to hear it. Just remember I’ll be an email away while you go through the WA training. By the way I’m happy, you didn’t get offended when I called you out on scanning the article. But trust me when I say it’s an important skill that can make you a lot of money or at the very least help you from losing it.
Congrats!
ReplyHi Eddy,
ReplyI did not get offended, I feel that constructive criticism is crucial since we cannot see ourselves as others see us. The delivery is also important and your criticism was done in such a way as to not offend. thanks
Sounds good Nancy. Just wanted to make sure. Your words are full of wisdom. Constructive criticism and self realization can be a wonderful recipe for self growth.
ReplyThanks a mil, Eddy. Once again you come through! I’m so glad I found this site. As for SBI vs. WA, I will give it the good old Google run to see what I can find. I want to make this decision soon.
It seems SBI specializes more in SEO topics and marketing your site. They do focus almost exclusively on what they call “theme-based content sites.” That means you build a site based on your expertise and make sure it’s in something that’s salable. They do emphasize that no matter what your passion is, if it’s not marketable, it won’t sell. It must rank highly.
Wealthy Affiliates, from what I’ve read so far in the site, focuses on affiliate marketing. They give you some templates to build sites (I believe 3). I don’t know what they look like. They do have to make sure these templates don’t look like “cookie-cutter” sites that look like a thousand others. And do they help with ranking it highly in Google?
Thanks,
ReplyAna
Thank you so much for the information Tami, I found similar resources here in Arizona, plus of wealth of inforamation more. And like Nancy I to am going to Go Wealthy Affiliates and read and double read all the information provided.
ReplyNo problem Ana. In terms of your question WA actually focuses on SEO, PPC & various other ways to market an affiliate site or your site if you decide to build one. They even provide a tool that is included for free with your membership. Their web authoring tool actually comes with tons of templates to choose from. So whatever niche you decide to get into, they have a template for it or allow you to create your own. All the templates can be changed in anyway you want. So I would dare to say that it covers everything that SBI does but more which can be a blessing or a curse because it can be overwhelming. But you’ll never leave that site thinking you weren’t provided every possible tool and resource to help you succeed as an affiliate marketer. And yes since they’re teaching you SEO that is by definition a method used to rank high in Google and other search engines. Every known and legitimate internet marketing strategy is covered.
Hope this information helps you. At the end of the day getting training is key either way. SBI is a good company and so is WA. So you’re in good hands either way.
Eddy
ReplyWhoa Eddy,
ReplyYou had me going there for a fraction of a second. I thought WA blew up or something. Nice touch. I’m very close to becoming a member and look forward to a career in Affiliate Marketing. Your article was right on. Sometimes I get just a tad impatient with seeing results but your article is a good reminder to be patient. I truly appreciate the fact that you are sincere and take everyone’s personal needs into consideration. If there’s one thing I hate is when someone says that you’re “perfect” for business xyz, some mlm thing. Yeah, right, I’m perfect because it will mean more ca ching in their wallet. Once again, two thumbs up. Thanks.
LOL. Hey it got you to read the article didn’t it?
But seriously I’m glad you can appreciate my honesty. The more I spoke to folks about affiliate marketing the more I realized that “real talk” was needed about the industry, regardless if it meant that I may be losing possible referral income. There are so many different ways to make money from home and I just wanted to make sure people that were going into this career understood what they were really getting into.
But I hear you about those people that will push you into any home business opportunity just so they can make their money. I hope the money makes them sleep well at night. The one thing I’ve noticed in my affiliate career is the more real you are with people the more money you actually make. People see through BS. They can smell it all over your site. Marketing aside from the technical aspect isn’t as complicated as these gurus will have you believe. Treat people the way you want to be treated and you’ll do great assuming you apply some of the technical things that you need to learn.
In any event, glad the article could help you out. Patience is definitely a virtue and it’s extremely important in this career. I don’t have it in many other areas of my life, but when it comes to making money I have boat loads of it. LOL Because I know the wait can lead to great things for my family, friends and my visitors. So keep trucking along!
ReplyHi Eddy ,have visited your site a few times and have joined Hit$4pay and am making a few cents there ,which I know is all part of the dream! Multi streams of pay. I am however looking into this affiliate Marketing ! I am allready in a full time job driving taxis so would be doing Affiliate part time ! Gradualy getting it to the stage that it is earning me some decent extra income ! I dont expect 1000s of dollars overnight but is it possible to get it to the stage that it could earn me a few hundred a week? However I would like to know what is involved money wise to get set up in this area and would I have to pay for hosting web sites or is there a way around that? I live in Australia , and from what i have read that should not be a problem. Please get back to me as soon as you can. Thankyou
ReplyWell I haven’t been online for a written in a few days but I would like to say that I have thoroughly looked at and researched WA is not only not a scam but is a great affiliate learning program especially for newbies like me who dont know html for a hotel. The only cons that I have seen to the program is that there can be an overload of information at times and sometimes its a bit difficult to talk with a mentor. All minor problems in my book for the wealth of information and resources that you get for the money. I said forget the $1 tryout and sign me up. If any of you want to inspect the research and reference sources that I used to base my opinion feel free to reach me by email. Again thank you Eddy for this website that I hope people see as a true and honest reference on how to make a living by working at home. I firmly believe that what you are doing here is going to change the way that people view work at home opportunities and in doing so change a few lives for the better. To all of you out there I hope that you all find your niche and get to earning the money that you are all truely worth and deserve, good luck and Godspeed.
ReplyHey Felix,
Thanks for taking time out your day to chime in with your feedback. I really appreciate it. I’m happy you’re able to see the value I see in WA. I totally agree with you about the wealth of information and how it can be overwhelming. Just know that you can private message the owners at any time, there is tons of people on the forum that can help you and I’m always an email away. So be sure to take advantage of any of these resources or all of them. I’ve actually been taking to Kyle throwing some ideas at him to improve the organization of the information so people aren’t so overwhelmed. I commend them for over delivering because too often you pay for a product and they give you the bare minimum. But these guys have gone a little crazy with all the stuff they provide you. lol
In either case Kyle was very receptive to my feedback which threw me off. A lot of the internet gurus think they know it all and you’re a peasant. But he welcomed the feedback and encouraged more of it. So I’ve been throwing it all at him. Apparently there are some huge improvements coming this summer that’s going to really help the WA members even more. So I’m looking forward to it.
Again thanks for sharing your opinion. I know WA isn’t perfect but its damn close. lol I look forward to working with you to get your career started.
ReplyHi Eddy,
I believe your “You’re afraid of failure & see obstacles as a road block instead of a challenge.” is the reason for procrastination as well. Have faith and trust yourself and your abilities. Rome wasn’t build in a day. To be truely successfull, you need a positive mindset, dedication and be prepared to do the work.
ReplyAgreed Mags. Because if you don’t believe in yourself, trust me most of the people around you won’t and that’s including family, friends and your loved ones. It’s nothing against the people that will doubt you but most people feel well if I couldn’t do it or know others that could, why will you be able to do it? For me that was like fuel to the fire I already had. lol But mags is absolutely correct you need to believe in yourself especially in the face of obstacles and failures you will experience during building this. Good luck.
Reply@Larry:
ReplyLarry,
I ran across the WorldVentures opportunity a while back, I thought it sounded interesting, so did a little checking. What I gleaned from the information I could find was that you can do a fair amount of traveling and get some great deal/rewards on travel. However, you will make very little actual money. You would need to do it for the purpose of travel opportunities, not support.
Hi again Eddy!! =) I read it and to be completely honest none fit me….and no I’m not in denial lol. i’m very optimistic and an aggressive learner. I worked as a travel agent for the past ten years, and even though it’s not the same thing it still requires lots of marketing, sales and referring clients. Your probably wondering why I’m not doing that then, well due to the economy people aren’t traveling as much and if they are, its through cheap ticket sites online. Sooo with that said, I know it wont be easy like the scams say but I plan to work hard at it.
OH and P.S. I wasn’t slamming surveys lol, just said it wasn’t for me. I’m sure it works well for others. Thanks
ReplyI’ve joined Wealthy Affiliate. I will keep you all posted on my progress. Thanks for all the great advice Eddy!
ReplyHey Eddy! just checkin in lol i’m still bustin my hump trying to learn as much as i can, it’s so much info my brain is gonna burst lmao! I love to read and in this case I think it will come in handy ha ha ha, at least now I know the meaning of PPC, ROI and a few other tidbits. I’ve already completely gone through 10 sections in the learning center…. I’ts great!!!! =)
ReplyMonica,
Thanks goodness you love reading. lol I’ve learned the people that do or force themselves to do end up making the most money in this industry. It also helps you avoid a lot of pitfalls. But glad you’re absorbing the info. Keep it up and take your time.
ReplyEddy,
Well, both me and my wife have been doing our research on Wealthy Affiliate and we are going to sign up. Why? As I wrote to you earlier. I “retired” 4.5 years ago, and our income was ok. Then came the crash. Then I tried getting a real IT job (I have been programming computers for nearly 20 years) and have failed (No fancy BS in computer science and no certifications). Well, we are doing ok with the income we have (my wife is retired from the government and I still have some money in our investments that do pay $$$). So, we can pursue the WA training with no pressure.
Anyway, I want to have more income coming in and not have to leave my house (hey gas is $2.50 around here). So, what the heck, I’ll try WA and see what me and my wife can do. My wife is an expert technical writer (can you see her writing ad copy? YES!) and is a lot calmer that I. We are ready to do this. Thanks Eddy, I got the lead for Wealthy Affiliate from you!! Thanks.
Ed Cohen
P.S. Pox on the IT industry that says I am not qualified!!
Reply@monica ramirez:
Monica,
My wife (Anita) and I have been researching Wealthy Affiliate. It seems to be the real deal. I understand that you have just joined WA. How is it going and what do you think? We are going to join WA soon.
Ed Cohen
ReplyHi Ed! Yes I joined on sunday. Unlike you and your wife, I have no experience with computers nor writing lol but the program is great. WA is packed with information and resources all in one easy to understand place. I have just started so I cant say I’ve done anything remarkable…..Yet ha ha ha, but I would strongly recomend WA to anyone who is interested in becoming an affiliate marketer. It is best to read and study all the material and let me just say there is alot but it will be worth it and since you have free time it will go alot faster. I am a homemaker so im on every chance i get. I hope to see you and your wife very soon. We’ll do our learning together lol. I hope this info helps. If you need anything else or would like more info just let me know, I’ll be happy to help. Best of luck!
ReplyNice to hear from you again Ed. I’m glad you’ve considered some of the reasons I stated for avoiding affiliate marketing. Some of the big ones aren’t a factor for you and your wife so that’s great. You guys bring some skills to the table that may prove as a great asset in your career. So I’m looking forward to see how this dyamic duo will play out.
I’ve tried to get my wife into affiliate marketing and she wants nothing to do with it or work at home opportunities. LOL According to her that’s my passion so she’ll let me run with it and just be my support system and person to bounce ideas off of. lol
In any event, the best way to get back at the industry and Corporate America is to succeed without them. But knowing them they’ll try to figure out a way to make us take an affiliate marketing test or get some type of certification so they can make more money off us. lol
Reply@Eddy Salomon:
Thanks for the encouragement. Now, being older and way out of touch here. What does lol mean or stand for? Thanks
Ed Cohen
ReplyYou’re welcome Ed.
LOL means laugh out loud. It’s sort of like HA HA and a way to express when someone is joking around or actually laughing.
LMAO means laughing my ass off.
Hope this helps.
ReplyHey Eddy
ReplyFreddie again, thanks for the reply. I must say the gift of gab is a gift not a vice. I, to oft, am at a loss for words. As for your top 10 list, I would say #6 is the only one I’m really guilty of. Both my Mother and Father where entrepreneurs and working for the man has never set right with me. I went out on my own when I was 23 and done fairly well for myself in the construction trade. I seemed to have lost ambition when I got a divorce, let things go down hill as I crawled inside a bottle and drowned in self pity. But I’m over that. That was a life time ago. I have two beautiful little girls that keep me well grounded and inspired to become a good provider. I think you have mastered this internet marketing as have countless others. I think I can too. Watching your videos gave me a little clue to some of your techniques. I Think I’ll try the Turk thing and start signing up as an affiliate at every turn. Not know the marketing strategies or having a team or the tools behind me like they provide at WA will make it slow going at first. But I know that’s the direction I want to head. Sure I’ll have to work the offline jobs to just “get by” but I feel this path will lead to success. I know first hand how having someone to show you the ropes make the job so much easier. I was fortune to have uncles that where concrete finishers and carpenters my grandfather was a roofer I worked with them at an early age and by the time I was 18, I had knowledge of the trades way beyond my years. My only gripe is I wish they had been electronic geeks or IT. lol ok, this rambling may qualify as psycho babble. In any case I’ll post it. and go for now the girls are hounding me to go ride their bikes. thanks again
Hey Freddie!
I guess yammering on can be a gift. My wife doesn’t think so when I do it to her. lol It’s funny I have a similar background as you. Except it was my grandparents that were both entrepreneurs in Haiti. My grandmother had like a general store and grandpa was sort of like Farmer/Florist. I always admired them because they never worked for the Man. And here I was in the land of the free slaving away for the man. But I guess it was in my blood because eventually it lead me to my affiliate marketing career.
But I guess we all go through set backs. However its what you do with those set backs that will shape your destiny. It’s apparent you understand this concept. So applaud you for taking control of your life and destiny again! You’re absolutely right, if I can master this then anyone can. Sure it’s not easy but it’s sure worth it at the end when you can tell the man to stick it. lol But we gotta do what we gotta do to get to that point. So I think your game plan is spot on!
Your experience has already proven with the proper guidance you can become a master at any thing. So this may be the same scenario. But thanks for sharing some of your personal story with me and please me posted on your work at home efforts. Just continue to push forward and be patient. Enjoy your family time. You’ll have more of it in the near future.
ReplyEddy i thank you, I also have problems with money That are pretty serious “only make 50 dollars a week to live on” Somehow i get through, But i just try to not put that in the way of rushing an affiliate career, I will do my reading and hopefully become a great affiliate. Thanks once again, Tom.
ReplyNow that’s the attitude!!!
ReplyWhat’s up Eddy
ReplyI would like to thank you for your candor in this article Top 10 Reasons To Avoid Affiliate Marketing (Which I read thoroughly LOL!!!) and would have to admit that as a mere mortal I may be guilty of one or two of these reasons myself. However I do realize that the journey of a lifetime always starts with the 1st step and my resolve is only strengthened by that fact. I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset since I was young.( Shoveled a few driveways, mowed some lawns, sold candy bars etc…) I believe that living life is not about slaving away on some corporate latter year after year spending the majority of your time making the executives rich, missing your family and friends working for the weekend you get a raise here a promotion there all to one day be told hey its costing us to much money to keep you around so with our regrets you gotta go gotta go! So with that said I’m not expecting to make millions overnight or to put in the minimum effort for the maximum reward here you usually get outta life what you put into it a wise man once told me (My father) and if your gonna do something do it right don’t half ass it or you’ll be right back where you started. (Pop’s keeps it real LOL!) Anyhow I know I starting to yammer on (I tend to do that at times) I just want to thank you for all the advice and support you have offered to me once again and I will do my absolute best to take heed and persevere! See ya at the top!!!
What up Ron!
Glad to hear you appreciate the truth I was relying in this article. it’s very important for me that people don’t jump into this type of career without knowing the pitfalls they will face. I think its normal to be guilty of many of the things listed above. But as I said many of them you can work through if the motivation is there. I’m a perfect example of this.
Apparently my very motivation is your as well. You don’t know how angry I get when I watch the news and I hear that people are getting laid off. But the executives and CEOs get to keep their bonuses and ridiculous salary. It just reaffirms my resolve for being my own boss and freeing as many people as I can from this nonsense.
Sounds like you had great home training. Pops was a wise man indeed. lol I am sure I will see you at the top. You seem to have the same motivation and spirit that makes many entrepreneurs successful. It’s just a matter of staying the course. It’s never easy but Lord is it worth it!
P.S. I’m on vacation right now in Turks & Caicos. Yes I party hard but look at me, I’m still online answering emails and comments. I’m dedicated to this because it’s my livelihood and more importantly I love what I do. How many folks can say that about their jobs? I just don’t think it’s fair that you spend most of your day at a place you hate. Just my two cents for what it’s worth.
ReplyEddy,
Well, I finally joined Wealthy Affiliate today. My wife and I have a lot of reading and research to do. By the way, the only way I could pay for this was through PayPal. Why? Because my credit union does not allow any transactions outside the U.S. for their VISA customers. Yikes!
Anyway, we are in. As for motivation, I wrote to you earlier that despite having almost 20 years software development experience, I cannot get a job. Why? No fancy BS in CS (Make of those abbreviations what you will) and I am not industry certified. These days the IT industry has cooked up all these “certifications” (Java, MySQL, MS SQL and whatever) just to torture people (my opinion). And have you ever seen these tests? First of all, they are, drum roll please . . ., computer driven! You are given so many minutes to answer each question. If you fail to answer in time – pow! You fail!! That is industry’s answer to get better programmers!! Here endeth the lesson.
So, I am determined to succeed at WA. In the end, I want the money and since programming is not paying, well, affiliate marketing will do. I will succeed in this. Others with far less work experience have succeeded, and I will too. Thanks Eddy for the referral to WA.
Ed Cohen
ReplyHey Ed,
Glad to hear that you and your wife have gone ahead and joined. As I said in the past I’m looking forward to hearing about how the dynamic duo will do. lol I don’t think WA is limited to paypal. They do have another method to process payments.You just need to email them about I believe. I don’t understand why a credit union would limit where their customers can spend their money. After all it’s your money. Jeez. lol
I can’t say I’m surprised about the certifications and tests. It’s just another way for big corporations to make money. It sort of reminds me of the SATs. Some people are awful test takers but are probably overall smarter than others. But because you can’t measure that with a standard test you’re labeled inferior to the people that are great at test taking or memorization. That’s just a problem with our society as a whole. I remember when I first entered corporate america. I came from a city college education (Hunter College part of CUNY) My counterparts came from Ivy League schools. Since I didn’t go to their schools there was an assumption made about me. But fortunately I had a boss that saw through fancy degrees and schools. So I ended up being the manager of many of my counterparts. Obviously I eventually left and did my own thing as an affiliate. But tests can’t measure someone’s heart and potential. A lot of companies are ignoring diamonds in the rough. But I guess that’s good because it causes these people to find their own paths like you and your wife have done. Ultimately you will have the last laugh.
You have a great attitude and work ethic so i know you’ll be able to make this work. So welcome to a new start!
P.S. Email me privately when you get a chance. I want to email you something that will help you along your way with WA.
Reply@Eddy Salomon:
Eddy,
I totally agree with you on “standardized tests”. I am one of those people that freeze up when I took tests in school. Now, I do have a 4 year degree, in Biblical Studies. Oh, did I tell you that I aced it and got a 4.0 average? I also have a 2 year degree in Electronics Technology. I used to fix equipment before I switched to “shifting bytes” for a living. So, if the IT world things I cannot do the job – fine. I’ll do something else and this time, make money.
Ed Cohen
ReplyHi Eddy, I found your site yesterday lunch time and didn’t get off it unitl 2.30 this morning and I’m back on it again. I am disabled and have to work AT home. I have been looking for quite some time for legitimate work and there’s not many out there. I really appreciate your site and the information it provides. I think I’ve hit nearly every link you have and my head hurts! LOL. I obviously have access to the internet but I am limited as to how long I can stay in one position (sitting, standing etc). I am not trying to get rich (not that I’d complain), I am trying to find something I can do that will help not only make some money to pay bills but also to give me something to do, so I don’t feel quite so useless. I was used to being active and working 45 hrs a week and loved the job, not so much the pay. The problem I have is that everything requires money, which I do not have since I can’t work. How much does the WA program cost in total to get completely set up and running. Of all the other programs you have on your website, which ones are the most profitable as far as filling out surveys etc and are there any that my son could do who is 17 and needs extra income.
ReplyThanks again
Damn Jo, you were really doing some reading! LOL I appreciate that. Most people just skim through.
Have you had a chance to look at my work at home guide? http://www.workathomenoscams.com/2009/02/25/workathomeguide I have a section there dedicated to hard working disable folks like yourself that can help you find work at home: http://www.workathomenoscams.com/2008/01/23/work-at-home-for-disabled I would give that a shot.
You may also want to try working for amazon:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/2008/07/29/work-at-home-with-amazoncom/
I have tons of recommendations of free programs you can try here:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/recommendations It’s where I’ve listed some of the best ones. I don’t know if your son will qualify because usually all these programs require you to be 18 and above.
So you do have options outside of affiliate marketing if you can’t afford the training at the moment. I think the recommendations page should get you started in the right direction. Hope this helps.
ReplyLarry, I read some things on WorldVentures. What I read about their program is that you can earn some free travel, but probably not much more.
ReplyEddy, That was a great article also. Question for you though. Have you ever heard or Swap Clix with Patrick Creek? I was looking into an affiliate program that provides the website for you so I wouldn’t need to foot the bill and keep up with domain registration and the other junk. Any suggestions you have would be great.
ReplyHi again Bo,
I can’t say I have heard of Swap Clix or Patrick Creek. But as always, just follow the steps in our scam video:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams and you’ll know everything I would know.
By the way all companies with affliate programs provide you with your own clone of their website so that’s not a unique feature. Be sure you read my article on affiliate marketing so you understand how this works:
Replyhttp://www.workathomenoscams.com/affiliatemarketing Eventually you do want to get your own website. You don’t want one controlled by anyone else but you. Because when another company “foots the bill of your website” they can cancel
it or change their policy anytime on you. That’s why I have my own domain name and hosting for both my websites. This isn’t an area where you want to pinch pennies. As someone that has done that in the past, trust me it costs you more in the long run. So for now I would worry about getting your own site until you can gather up the money to do it correctly. But definitely don’t put in all the work and effort into putting the content on a site that you don’t really own. Just my two cents.
@Eddy Salomon:
Eddy/Bo Shirley,
Here is a Ripoff report review of Swap Clix.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/swapclix-com/BBB-Better-Business/swapclix-com-SCAM-Completel-Q829A.htm
Also, EWealth considers it a waste of money and calls it click scam.
ReplyHope this helps.
Eddy,
ReplyThanks for all the info. its hard to get a straight answer out there with so much BS going around.
I have a great???? idea for an ebook based on my 35+years in business, would it make sense to join WA now and would it help on ideas on where to go for help for the ebook [ ghost writer for book and web site?etc] Thanks’
Ed
Hello fellow Ed.
lol, It’s great that you’re thinking of selling an ebook. Here’s what I do before venturing into such a task. Determine if there is a demand for your book. There may very well be but are they buying ebooks? The best way to determine this is to become an affiliate of companies that are offering a similar product. Train to be a competent affiliate with a company like WA or any other legitimate company of your choosing. Then put that training to use by promoting the ebook of another company that is in your industry. If you can make some decent sales then you know your ebook can sell too using the same techniques. The other benefit of doing this is that you get to see what the competition is doing. You’ll be able to identify their weaknesses and fill in the gaps to make your product even better.
Unfortunately WA doesn’t really teach you about creating products. They teach you how to get traffic to any site and promote other products or your own if you have one already. There are other courses out there for product creation. None that come to mind at the moment though. lol I hope this helps you.
Take care Ed. (Feels weird saying that. lol)
ReplyEddy,
I have been working on promoting a couple of products (those available on clickbank) for a month now. I know, I know, it takes time. Great. But, I received this email from Mr. Dave Bock of the 4 Day Marketing Method, which I have gotten a lot out of:
“Before I get to the real subject of this email I just wanted to let you all know I have a lawyer looking into the FTC’s recent announcement on promoting products and how you can protect yourself from the new laws that will go in affect on Dec 1st. ”
Ok, Eddy, have you heard of this? What does it mean and who are they aiming at? The one thing I don’t want to do is mess with the FTC!!!
Ed Cohen
ReplyHi Ed,
Its a great question. They’re going after anyone. It’s not just affiliates or bloggers. Anyone promoting a product and is getting paid to do so needs to be upfront about it and they also need to be honest about their claims. It’s basically what you’ve been seeing me do here for months. It’s called being honest. lol Some folks are in uproar about it because they haven’t really been doing that. So it boils down to transparency. I honestly think they’re doing this more to crack down on those shady products that claim you make a gazillion dollars after signing up for their program. In that situation maybe one person was able to do that who purchased the product but most of the people didn’t. That’s the type of stuff that the FTC wants you to say or just don’t mention the fact that one person made a gazillion dollars from your product.
In terms of a blogger, if you’re getting paid to write a review or have some type of relationship with a given company you’re writing an article about, just be sure to include that in the article. It’s like in my wa review where I said hey I may not be getting a lot of comissions because of this review but…..
So it’s just about being transparent. I think over the next couple of months they’ll be a lot more clear about what’s acceptable or not. There are literally millions of affiliate marketers, bloggers, advertisers, etc. So they don’t have the man power to go after everyone. Folks will probably get warnings at first where they’re more clear about what’s acceptable or not. That being said, I’m not an expert on the FTC. I’m monitoring the situation closely as well more so just because I want to know if I’m doing the right thing not so much of fear of getting smacked down by them. I already make it clear I’m an affiliate marketer on this site over and over again and which programs I’m an affiliate of via my reviews and videos. If I need to do more, I’ll just do that. As long as you’re truly being honest and trying to help people, revealing you’re getting paid for these affiliate suggestions shouldn’t be an issue.
ReplyEddy,
Thanks for the reply. If I understand what you wrote, do you think it would be advisable for me to say on my web site (in this case it is a squidoo lens) that I am an affiliate of so and so? By the way, I have emailed my lawyer about this one.
Ed Cohen
ReplyYou’re welcome Ed.
ReplySure you should. You have nothing to hide. But i’m glad you’re consulting a professional regarding this.
Hi Eddy!
How would I do that through you? Also, I know I will sign up, I am just debating whether I should do it now, or in a couple of weeks, I will be leaving town in less then two weeks and don’t know how much I could learn in that time before I go out of town. Well, I guess I am doing some of that babbling on, So I just want to thank you again for your thorough information.
ReplyI stumbled onto WA about a week ago, and have read there whole website, word for word! More then once!! No skimm’n here, lol everything looked really good, almost to good to be true, I have been looking for along time for something I can do at home to help bring in some money, I am on my computer anyway, I might as well make some money while I am on it. I have made my own website the hard way, and I do odd jobs for people in writing and such. I absolutely refuse to get a J.O.B. why should I bust my kester for someone else! I am a hard worker and put my ALL into everything I do. I also have been scammed on one to many times, so maybe I’m being a little to overly cautious. I couldn’t find a phone number anywhere on the WA web site, I tend to like to talk with people to get a feel for them, it makes since what you said about that. I don’t think it was by chance that I stumbled onto your web site though, I was looking for anything negative on WA, I CAN”T find a THING!! I liked your ten reasons, I can say I only fit in one of them and that is, I want to make money yesterday!! But I can put that into perspective, and slow it down. I have tried so many things in my lifetime, but the problem I always have is that there are missing pieces, or the support isn’t there, it sounds to me like WA has both. So here I go Eddy, after sitting here ALL day reading your whole website word for word. lol I have been convinced to give WA a try, why not, what do I have to loose? I had a person years ago tell me you fail forward, you get knocked down, you wipe your knees off, get up and try again. Nobody was ever successful by giving up, and I won’t ever give up! One of these days it will pay off. I thank you for your website information, I could tell it was honest and straight forward. I read that people get paid to bring people into WA and I read that you would help people when they sign onto WA, is that through you? I would like it if I had the opportunity to have someone I could shoot an email over to on an issue if I needed it, you know that mentoring thing
Hi Rhonda,
Obviously I can totally relate and understand your need to work for yourself. I’m one of the biggest advocates of this! So I applaud you. You do have a right to be cautious of scams. Unfortunately this industry is filled with them so you can never be too cautious. But I find it’s very easy to avoid these scams with the application of offline common sense and doing your research. We teach you how to research most scams with our simple scam video:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams If you follow it, you’ll pretty much avoid most of the garbage out there and scams will be the last of your concerns.
In terms of WA and the phone number thing, I’ve already discussed this as a weakness for some folks in my WA review:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/wareview I know it may be a deal breaker for some. But every company has some weaknesses. If the phone thing is big enough one for you then you should definitely pass on WA. As I said WA has its weaknesses, you may not find a lot of folks discussing them because they want you to sign up under them. But my review pretty much highlights many of the weaknesses. So I encourage you to read it completely and you’ll have a better idea of what to expect for better or worst when it comes to WA.
Let me make my offer clear about WA, it’s not mentoring. I don’t have the time to actually do that. What I will do is answer an occasional question you may have assuming you’ve exhausted using the resources on WA such as the lessons, Kyle, Carson and other members of the forum. I’m not a replacement for WA. Since you’re paying for it, I expect that you actually take full advantage of it before emailing me questions that may already be addressed at the site. So hopefully that’s clear. I’ll also email you a little WA guide I whipped up. Just email when you’ve signed up and I’ll get it to you. You can use the contact form on my contact me page on this site.
In terms of when you should sign up, just do it whenever you’re ready. There is no rush because ultimately this is a long process anyway. So whether you start this week or in two weeks will make little difference in speeding up the learning and making money process. There is no scarcity tactic here. WA will be around whenever you’re ready.
In any event, I hope this helps you. Sounds like you have the right attitude about this business. As long as you keep in mind that this is a marathon and not a race where results will happen relatively quickly you will eventually achieve success. It’s exactly what you said: “you get knocked down, you wipe your knees off, get up and try again. Nobody was ever successful by giving up”. So if you truly believe this you can succeed. But it’s still up to you. WA will give you the tools and information. However they can’t make you use it and apply it correctly. Hope this helps. Be sure you read the review and watch all the videos listed there just to be sure this is right for you.
Good luck.
Reply@Eddy Salomon:
ReplyThanks Eddy! I again want to say I am sorry, I think I wasn’t paying attention, so anxious in getting an answer! I didn’t mean to step on any toes, great info! I will use you as a last resort if you don’t mind? And again I want to thank you for ALL you have put into your website, I am a visual person, and you have a lot of visual clips on your site, and it has been very helpful, you actually helped me make up my mind!!
Have a Great Evening!
Rhonda Jager
You’re welcome Rhonda.
No worries. Like I said I’ll be happy to chime in when you need a little extra help and all else has failed. lol
P.S. Please keep in mind the weakness I mentioned about WA and their lack of a lot video content. I’m a visual learner too and that annoys me about WA. But I’m also very focused so obviously I worked around it. But again, I just want to give full disclosure here. lol
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