Don’t Be a Quitter! My Take on $75 in 8 Months & The Real Affiliate Mistakes That’ll Sink You
Alright folks, is affiliate marketing still worth it? Bob here. I just stumbled upon a Reddit post that hit me right in the gut. A good newbie poured 8 months into an affiliate site only to make a measly $75 and then threw in the towel.
Sound familiar? We’ve all been there, or at least seen it happen. But here’s the kicker: their mistakes are painfully common, and if you’re serious about this game, you need to hear about ’em. Let’s dig in, shall we?
The Story: $75 in 8 Months
So, the user, ‘murkomarko’ over on r/Affiliatemarketing, laid out their journey with a home coffee brewing site. They ended up pulling the plug after only $75 in revenue over 8 months. Now, they were honest enough to list their blunders, and man, are they insightful.
You can check out the full story here: My first affiliate site made $75 in 8 months then I quit. Here’s all my mistakes
My Take on Their Four Big Mistakes:
- Obsessed with keywords, leading to robotic and impersonal writing: This is a classic rookie error. You try to stuff every keyword variation in there, and suddenly your writing sounds like a bot wrote it. Guess what? Google’s smarter than that now, and more importantly, people are. Nobody wants to read stiff, unnatural text. You’re trying to build a connection, not win a keyword density contest.
- ‘Post and pray’ traffic strategy with no promotion outside of SEO: Oh, the ‘build it and they will come’ fantasy! SEO is crucial, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not a silver bullet. Relying solely on organic search is like having a fantastic shop but never telling anyone it exists. You need to actively promote your content, spread it far and wide. Otherwise, you’re just whispering into the void.
- Promoted products they hadn’t used, making their reviews inauthentic: This one drives me absolutely nuts! How can you genuinely recommend something you’ve never touched? You can’t talk about the little quirks, the real benefits, or the slight drawbacks. People aren’t stupid; they can smell a fake review a mile away. Trust is the currency of affiliate marketing, and if you lose that, you’ve lost everything.
- Quit too early, just as traffic was starting to tick up: This is the heartbreaker. Eight months might feel like a long time when you’re making pennies, but in this game, it’s barely a warm-up. Affiliate marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency and patience are your best friends. Often, the breakthrough is just around the corner, and quitting then means all that effort was for nothing.
Let’s Simplify Things: Imagine a Coffee Maker
Alright, if all that jargon flew over your head, let me simplify things. Imagine you’re trying to help your friend pick out a new coffee maker.
- Don’t talk like a robot: You wouldn’t say, “This coffee maker optimally brews coffee at maximal temperatures for superior beverage consumption.” You’d say, “This little machine makes a killer cup of Joe, and it’s super easy to clean.” Write like you talk to a friend.
- Don’t just whisper, shout a little: Once you’ve written that great review, don’t just leave it on your website hoping someone stumbles upon it. Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, post it on a coffee-lovers forum (if allowed and relevant). Tell people your great advice exists!
- Only recommend stuff you actually know and love: If your friend asks about a coffee maker, you’d only tell them about one you’ve used yourself or heard amazing things about from someone you trust. You wouldn’t just make something up. The same goes for your affiliate site. Buy it, try it, love it (or hate it, and explain why). Your honesty builds trust.
- Patience, grasshopper, patience: Building something worthwhile takes time. You wouldn’t expect a garden to grow overnight, right? You plant the seeds, water them, wait. It’s the same with an affiliate site. Keep working, keep learning, and eventually, things will start to bloom.
Turn Mistakes into Wins: Build an Email List!
Now, let’s talk about turning these mistakes into wins. The ‘post and pray’ strategy is a killer, and it comes down to not having a direct line to your audience. That’s why I always recommend building an email list from day one. It’s hands down one of the most powerful assets you’ll ever have.
Think about it: you write a fantastic review, you publish it, and then what? If you have an email list, you can immediately notify your subscribers, driving instant traffic back to your content.
This isn’t just about traffic; it’s about building a direct relationship. You can share tips, offer exclusive deals, and continue to provide value, establishing yourself as an authority.
Plus, an email list is an asset you own – no algorithm changes can take it away from you.
Tools like System.io or Aweber are fantastic for beginners and growing marketers. They make it easy to set up opt-in forms on your site, segment your audience, and send out engaging newsletters. Start collecting those emails now; you’ll thank me later.
