The myths around Affiliate Marketing

Not everyone understands what affiliate marketing is about, and when you’ve got confusion and ignorance mixed into the equation, often incorrect information starts to surface. Here are some common affiliate marketing myths that require dispelling.

You Need Marketing Qualifications
Many people think that because the word marketing appears in affiliate marketing, you need to have qualifications in this subject in order to get involved. This isn’t true. You don’t need any prior marketing experience, and people from all walks of life engage in affiliate marketing.

You Can Earn Money Quickly
Stories do exist of affiliates who earn impressive figures from affiliate marketing, but it is by no means a get-rich-quick strategy. It can often take a long time to get established, and you need to put the effort in if you want to watch the cash come rolling in. Once you’re up and running, you need to constantly keep on top of your site and manage it effectively, adding fresh content and monitoring your promotions to keep the momentum going and the income flowing.

Affiliate Marketing is Dying and There’s no Money to be Made
Conversely, some people believe affiliate marketing is no longer profitable and has become oversaturated. This isn’t the case. Affiliate marketing is still showing an upwards growth trend, and if you choose your affiliate programme, product and merchant carefully, there is money to be earned.

The Most Profitable Niche Products are the Best to Promote
You may be tempted to promote those products that offer the best rates of commission, but you’ll only gain financial success if these are relevant to what you do, your knowledge or your target audience. It’s vital to choose a niche area that relates to your website or blog and that you are knowledgeable about, to attract the right audiences who will buy.

Affiliate Marketing Could Damage the Credibility of a Website
Many people might be put off engaging in affiliate marketing as they think it could hurt their website or blog. This can be the case, but only on websites that don’t use it effectively. Too many links or advert banners can be distracting, so use promotion techniques wisely and as naturally as possible. Make sure that the products you promote are relevant to your brand.

Concentrate on One Affiliate programme Only
A popular myth is that if you engage in affiliate marketing, you’re better to focus your efforts on one affiliate programme only for the best chances of success. This is incorrect. If you want to broaden your horizons and grow in this business, you would be better to get involved in a variety of affiliate programmes that complement each other. After all, consumers these days are used to doing comparison shopping, so giving them choice can work in your favour. Having said that, too much choice can be overwhelming and may have the opposite effect, so if you do work with more than one affiliate programme, carefully screen your partners and limit yourself to the most relevant programmes.