I have been reading over my blog, and have been evaluating the last 3 years (and counting) of blogging. When I started my blog, I started it with the intention to make money blogging. I had joined a program that explained how to be come an online rebate processor. The point of my blog was to write each day and then just put a link at the bottom of each post to a great product that I would sell and offer a rebate for. I would "sell" this product for $15.00 and give back $5.00 to the seller. I was soon to find that this was not "easy" or "quick" as the program promised.
This program cost me $197.00 and was not what it advertised to be. This program could work, but the "rebate" would be a portion of the commission or affiliate earnings that I would earn on the sale of the product, and I could chose to it "give" back to the customer. This is tricky because first you have "sell' the product, get paid, and then send back money to your customer. Not impossible, but complicated.
Unfortunately, I was contacted by a sales person from a different part of this company, wanting to help me set up a "business" online. I have always been the type of person that reads the "fine print," but this offer seemed so good. (This also was my first real lesson in business, that if seems to good to be true, it usually is). The contact person assured me of how great the "investment" opportunity would be. I would invest $2000 and the company would invest $5000 into my new online business. I chose not to read the fine print and just agreed over the phone. What I actually paid for was internet marketing training, a website, web hosting, and other business education. I did not realize that company was not "investing" in me, but actually loaning my business $5000 with a high interest rate and a high payment each month.
Now I was not completely a novice when it came to business. I did have an A.A. in Accounting. My problem was that I wanted to get rich quickly and I believed that I could do it with no money, (I put the $2000 on a credit card), little work, and once I created a business name, put up a website, joined a few affiliate programs, posted in my blog once or twice a month and posted the links, wow- the money would just start coming in.This was so far from the truth. (This method produces very little sales and little income.)
Being an affiliate marketer you are an independent contractor. You are no longer an employee. You are setting up, maintaining, and running your own business. This means you set your own hours, choose what products to promote, create campaigns, track which products that are selling and products that are not, keep track of your commissions, do your own taxes (make sure you keep a percentage of each check so that you can pay your self employment tax when April comes-in the U.S.) and be your own boss.
Now, there is the potential for unlimited: income, products to sell, programs to join, freedom to set your own hours and is a great way to create residual income. It is an awesome business opportunity, especially because you do not have to stock, store or own any inventory. You are your own boss!
But---
It takes work. That was my biggest mistake. Thinking that I could make money by putting in little or no work. Or even inconsistent work. One day here, a few hours there. My second was only thinking about myself. The third was wanting to get rich (overnight with out even paying $10 for my own website or investing time in my business, and not being realistic about the time it takes to get rich. Not that it is impossible to be rich as an affiliate marketer. Depending on your definition of rich-internet marketers can make 1000's of $$ each month. Each has their brand of success-all of them work at their businesses). My fourth was not helping others or providing products that would do so.
My blog then became something which I hated. First, after my business failed and I filled for bankruptcy, I posted all of my personal trials on my blog. Then, stopped posting, or would post on any subject that seemed to interest me. Several times I have changed, deleted posts, updated the look of my blog. All with the hope of someday actually making money from it as I wanted when I first began.
I have actually grown a following, (small in internet terms but big to me!!), much to my surprise. My blog was viewed 609, times this month, more that at any month since 2009. I have tried several times to create a theme for my blog-but realize that it already has one.
Affiliate Marketing.
I am grateful for this journey. I am grateful for all I have learned about internet marketing, web design, business, accounting, affiliate marketing, blogging, writing, article marketing, perseverance, moods, humility, humanity, and so much more.
My mistakes are not failures, just teaching moments. The only regrets I have in affiliate marketing are all the times I did not act. All the times I was afraid to fail, so I did not take a chance. All the days I did not invest in my business, my blog or learning how to help others.
One of my favorite quotes is: "Evil wins when good men [and women] do nothing"
My only failures were the days I did NOTHING.
So what is the point to this whole long rant??
All will be revealed in the next post......
And for all of you who read to the end---
You ROCK!!!
Check out these awesome links-
How to reach your goals-
Continuation of how to reach your goals...
I will be posting the links for the videos 3 and 4 for in the next post....
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