Affiliate marketing is totally legit, but it sometimes gets a bad rap.
I think this negative reputation comes from unscrupulous affiliate marketers who employ dodgy sales tactics to make a quick buck.
Let’s be honest – when most people think of an affiliate marketer they think of this guy…
Is this the kind of person you have to become if you want to do affiliate marketing?
No, not at all!
As with any other type of online business model: there’s a right and wrong way to go about it.
So let’s run through the characteristics that give affiliate marketers such a negative reputation, what ethical affiliate marketing actually looks like and how you can get started today.
Affiliate Marketing: What It Is and How It Works
In a nutshell, affiliate marketing is commission-based marketing where affiliates get paid every time they successfully generate a sale for an online store.
You can make money promoting big brand stores like Amazon, Apple and Etsy who have affiliate programs.
There are tens of thousands of affiliate programs out there. Join them for free and you’ll be able to promote any of the millions of products online.
Follow our Commission Academy training you’ll learn how to create an income-generating affiliate marketing website that attracts free and organic traffic from search engines so you get 1,000s of people clicking on your links, buying products and generating those commissions for you 24/ hours a day.
5 Reasons Affiliate Marketers Have A Bad Reputation
1. Dishonest Affiliates Say Whatever You Want To Hear
Have you ever walked into a used car dealership and instantly got the sense the salesmen were just telling you whatever you wanted to hear?
Some affiliates do this online and it’s one of the reasons affiliate marketing has a negative reputation.
We’ve all seen:
- Sales pages offering a quick and easy fix
- Over-exaggerated and unsubstantiated product claims
- Promo emails promising something they can never deliver
The solution?
Give people the respect they deserve. Be honest about what the product is and what it can do. Share both the pros and cons of the product and always keep it real.
Do this and you’ll be way more successful.
2. Selfish Affiliates Promote Low-Quality Products
I’ve seen affiliate marketers who don’t care if a product or service actually does what it says it will do. All they care about is making a quick buck.
This is short-sighted, foolish and ineffective. While you might make a few sales, you’ll leave a trail of angry customers in your wake and nobody will ever trust you again.
Why burn your reputation for a quick sale when you could build an affiliate marketing brand and reputation people trust and make 100x the commissions?
3. Lazy Affiliates Give Only Shallow Info
An affiliate’s job is to give people the information they’re looking for to make an informed buying decision. Unfortunately though, one of the complaints about affiliates is that they often only repeat what it already says on the product sales page or in Amazon reviews.
It’s not helpful and you’ll never get ranked because Google is wising up.
When you’re writing product reviews, buy the product and use it yourself. Include photos and videos of yourself demonstrating the product and how it works. Speak from first-hand experience and answer any possible questions somebody could have
4. Impatient Affiliates Are Too Pushy
It’s very easy to tell if someone is genuinely trying to help you solve a particular problem or answer a question or if they’re just seeing dollar signs and pushing you to buy. It’s like a sixth sense.
A far better way is to give your people a ton of upfront. Be as helpful as you possibly can be first and then (and only then) can you ask for the sale.
5. Dumb Affiliates Use Spammy Tactics
One of the main reasons why affiliate marketing has a negative reputation is that some affiliate marketers use spammy tactics to try and promote their products or services online.
Maybe they’re copying and pasting links in Facebook groups or spamming Youtube comment areas.
In the end, they’re only going to fail.
A much better long-term strategy is to build an affiliate marketing website that people love and trust.
Not only will you not have to constantly chase sales because people will come to you, but you’re building a sustainable income-producing asset that will provide for you and your family for many years to come.
Be A Different Kind Of Affiliate Marketer
Yes, affiliate marketing might have a negative reputation right now but together we can decide to do better and turn it around.
Affiliate marketing is not a scam, but there are affiliate marketing scams.
There are affiliates who sell products that are subpar.
There are affiliates who make misleading claims to bank sales.
And all this is a result of affiliates who are only thinking for themselves.
So decide right now to put your audience first.
Do that and all the good stuff (like commissions and sales) will follow.
And if you’re like, this all sounds great, but how do I get started?
Then check out the free Commission Academy course and we’ll walk you through how to launch and grow a thriving online business the right way.
You’ll be glad you did.
