When you tell people you work in affiliate marketing, you probably get one of two responses. Either “What’s that?” or “Must be nice to work in your pajamas all day.”
Many are misinformed about the industry or simply don’t understand what it’s all about. While many in the industry work at home, that does not mean that there isn’t a lot of work going on. Unfortunately, many people equate the casual nature of the business with an immature work ethic. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Working in affiliate marketing definitely has its advantages but like anything else, it’s a job. In reality, it’s actually a lot tougher and more work-intensive than most people think. In fact, there are a lot of common misconceptions about affiliate marketing which this article hopes to shoot down.
You work in your pajamas
Yes, many affiliates do home office. Or they work part-time at home. The advantages to this are helping to create a very flexible schedule. It also decreases overhead, if you don’t need to pay monthly rent for an office and all its necessities. But that does not mean every single person in the affiliate marketing industry works in their pajamas. In fact, that’d be more hazardous than helpful.
Working at home should be treated just like working at the office. Get dressed, start work on time and be as professional at home as you would in an office with your co-workers.
Affiliate Managers and agencies, on the other hand, are just like any other marketing firm. Unless there’s a special “casual Friday” that includes “PJs Day” nobody’s wearing pajamas to work.
You sleep late and leave early
If an affiliate or affiliate manager works at home, they can certainly adjust their own hours if their boss is flexible. But don’t for a minute think they’re working less hours than other jobs. Generally, it’s the exact opposite.
When you own your own online business, you end up working roughly 24 hours a day. You’re checking your site stats and your revenue at 11 p.m. You may be up until 2 a.m. posting deals or coupons. So whether you sleep late or leave early for dinner,it really doesn’t matter, since you’ll be putting in well more than 8 hours per day.
Those that work in an office are certainly showing up from 9 to 5, most likely staying even later. And chances are, they’re also tied to their email, checking it (and responding) on and off all evening.
You’re all a bunch of sharks and slimeballs
Sorry but there’s just no all-encompassing rule that every person in affiliate marketing is corrupt. Just like it’s not true for the music industry, Hollywood, real estate, etc.
This one stems from the fact that there are so many “fly by night” affiliate marketing companies promising to make you $2 million dollars in just your first month! Affiliate Marketing can make you rich, but there’s no magic pill. You need to work hard just like in any other industry.
Most of the folks in affiliate marketing are honest people working to help you improve your sales and increase your exposure. If you’re not happy with your affiliate managers, move along and try a different company.
It’s simple to make a fortune with very little work
Those shady folks promising you your first million by the end of the month are looking to get rich themselves simply by selling you a book or program. That’s really the key to them making so much money, pulling the wool over so many consumer eyes.
The affiliate marketing industry gets more competitive on a daily basis. Google and other search engines continually refine their tools to knock down anyone trying to scam their system and rank well in search results.
Your best bet is to produce the best possible work you can to create the best possible site. Slow and steady can win the race with the right determination. Avoid any shady shortcuts because they will end up hurting you more than helping you.
Affiliate Marketing is just another form of SPAM
That’s like saying “selling groceries” is just another form of rotten apples. It’s somewhat related but not really. Affiliate marketing is merely another form of marketing. Do you consider a magazine ad SPAM? How about a banner ad on a website? A TV or radio commercial?
If someone’s buying up email lists, they can certainly use their affiliate marketing campaign to SPAM your inbox. But they could also just SPAM you with a regular message. It’s not affiliate marketing itself that is SPAM, it’s just the corrupt way some shady individuals may choose to do business.