Is affiliate marketing legit? This is the question many people have asked. In this article, we will reveal both the truth and lie about affiliate marketing.
You will learn to spot affiliate marketing scams and how to avoid them.
Affiliate marketing is a legitimate way to make money. But, like most legitimate things, it takes a lot of work.
When done properly and with the right affiliate network, though, you can earn money through affiliate marketing by simply referring people to products or services!
It really is as easy as that. What is not so easy is choosing the right products and being an effective marketer for them.
So let us get into what affiliate marketing is and how you can get started with it today!
Affiliate Marketing Is Legit
It is a legitimate way to make money online. It is also a legitimate way to make money online for beginners.
If you are new to affiliate marketing and want to get started but you are too nervous about the whole idea of making money online, then we have got good news for you: affiliate marketing isn’t as scary as it sounds.
Affiliate marketing can be super lucrative if done right.
You Can Make Money As An Affiliate Marketer
Affiliate marketing is a legitimate way to make money. You can make money as an affiliate marketer, you can make a lot of money as an affiliate marketer, and you can also make a good living as an affiliate marketer.
The best part about this job is that it is flexible—you can work whenever and wherever it works for you!
Making A Living With Affiliate Marketing Requires A Lot Of Hard Work
Making a living through affiliate marketing is a lot of work, and it is not easy. It is not a get-rich-quick scheme, and it won’t happen overnight.
You will have to put in a lot of effort to make your business successful, but if you are willing to do the work then you can make it happen!
Affiliate Programs Can Be Free To Join Or Come With A Price Tag
This is one of the main reasons people are asking “is affiliate marketing legit?” Affiliate marketing can be free or paid. Some affiliate marketing networking requires a fee before you become their affiliate.
An example is Expertnaire, a Nigeria-based affiliate marketing company.
Free affiliate programs are usually more popular because they don’t charge any fees for joining, but this does not mean that all free affiliate programs are high quality.
Some of them are scams designed to take your money and run (we will tell you how to avoid those later).
If a company offers a pay-to-play model for its program, it might be a good idea to look into their reputation before joining the program.
Some reputable companies offer limited-time trials of their service so that you don’t have to spend any money upfront.
These trials may also limit how much money you can make through their platform until after your trial period ends.
However, this shouldn’t discourage you from trying out different platforms because there are many legitimate ones out there with no restrictions on earnings potential!
Only Trustworthy Affiliate Networks Should Be Considered For Referral Programs
Affiliate networks are a good place to start. They are a great tool for finding affiliate programs and information about affiliate marketing, but they can also be used to find out if an affiliate program is legitimate or fraudulent.
A Good Product And Solid Reputation Can Make The Difference Between A Successful Affiliate Program And A Losing One
If you are going to be promoting a product, make sure it is a good one. It doesn’t make sense if you are trying to sell something that people don’t want or don’t need, chances are your marketing efforts will fail.
If someone lands on your website looking for information about the latest smartphone and all they see is an ad for a shoddy knockoff case made in China, they will probably move on pretty quickly.
On the other hand, if you are an affiliate with top-of-the-line products that are already selling well on their own (Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX tablets come to mind), then offering them as part of an affiliate program can help grow sales even more quickly and easily.
Make Sure You Are Familiar With Affiliate Law Requirements In Your Country Of Residence
Make sure you are familiar with your country’s laws and regulations. The laws of the country where the products you are promoting are made also matter, so it is important to do your research there too.
Some examples of affiliate marketing law requirements worth researching include:
- How much money affiliate marketers can make in a given year;
- If there is a cap on how much an affiliate network can pay out each month or year;
- The legal age requirement for signing up as an affiliate (usually 18 years old).
Yes, But It Is Not Easy!
Affiliate marketing is very much alive and well, but it has become a lot more difficult in recent years. This is because of the increased competition out there.
Even though affiliate marketing can be a real business model that you can build yourself up with and even quit your day job, it is not easy!
You have to do your research on what products are selling well or new ones coming out and then find affiliate programs for those products that allow people like you (affiliates) to promote them through their websites or social media accounts.
Once you have found an offer that works for you, create a website around it, build an email list so people can sign up for free reports about this product/service and then start promoting these offers on your site as well as on Facebook groups where there may be interested users who want what is being offered by this particular affiliate marketer.
Then comes the hard part… patience! You need to be patient because most people won’t buy anything from an affiliate link immediately upon seeing it; they will need convincing first so make sure you are providing value through content (i.e., blog posts) or videos explaining why someone should purchase from this company instead of Amazon, etcetera).
We hope this article has convinced you that affiliate marketing is a legitimate way to make money. If you keep working hard and find the right partners, there is no limit to what you can achieve!
Remember that your reputation is important in this business. Be honest with your affiliate marketing promotion.
Do not lie over hype or lie about a product so that they can buy from you, and above all, promote or recommend worthwhile products.
When you do those things, no one will question the legitimacy of your work and ask if affiliate marketing is legit or not.
Remember we said, we will let you know how to spot and avoid affiliate marketing scams. The next part of this article will be talking about affiliate marketing scams and how to avoid them.
Affiliate Marketing Scams: How To Avoid Them
Affiliate marketing scams come in many shapes and sizes. Some are easy to spot, and some are not.
- Affiliate marketing scams can be hard to spot.
- Affiliate marketing scams can be easy to spot.
- Affiliate marketing scams can be hard to avoid.
- Affiliate marketing scams can be easy to avoid.
The First Sign Of An Affiliate Marketing Scam Is A Promise Of Commissions That Are Too Good To Be True
If you see a company offering you the moon and stars, don’t believe it! You should also ask yourself whether or not the company can back up their claims with evidence.
For example, if they say they will pay you $200 for every person who signs up for their program, dig deeper into what this means and how this works out in practice.
Is there any chance that people will sign up without being referred by other people? What is the average payout rate? Can you trust them?
When You Join An Affiliate Program, You Want To Be Sure They Have The Products And Services You Can Believe In
Here are some questions to ask when choosing an affiliate program:
- Does the company have a good reputation? You want to know that if there is ever a problem with anything related to the product or service, you can get help from them. Look for reviews online about their customer service and return policies. And if there is no customer service email address listed on their website, call them up!
- What kind of products do they offer? This is important because you should choose an affiliate program based on what interests you. If it doesn’t fit with your interests and passions then it won’t work out well in terms of promotion and earning potential either.
Do Your Due Diligence And Research The Company Before Embracing Them
There are many resources to find information about an affiliate program. Check out the company’s website and social media profiles. Look for red flags in their branding or marketing materials. If they are making promises that seem too good to be true (or just don’t sound right), it could be a sign that they are not legit.
Search for reviews about them via Google and other search engines. Look through forums on sites like Reddit where people talk about what they have had good experiences with or bad ones with specific brands/companies.
Check out their Facebook fan page or community page. It doesn’t matter how long the list gets; as long as you know where each source comes from then it is still an additional piece of information you can use when making decisions about where to spend your time and money online.
Another Sign Of A Possible Affiliate Marketing Scam Is If They Don’t Offer Real Customer Support
One of the most important things to consider when looking for an affiliate marketing opportunity is customer support. If you can’t get in touch with someone, it is probably a scam.
If you contact an affiliate program and they make excuses about being too busy or not having enough staff to handle your questions, this could be a sign that they are not legitimate. If you email them and ask for basic information—like how much commission they pay or what kind of products they have available, and they don’t respond, steer clear!
An Affiliate Marketing Scam Will Often Use Fake Testimonials
Be sceptical of any site that publishes lots of glowing testimonials, especially if those testimonials don’t seem genuine or have no last name attached.
When you are looking for a new way to make money, it is important to be savvy about any affiliate marketing scam that may come your way.
One of the easiest ways to spot an affiliate marketing scam is by looking at testimonials from other customers. If there are lots of glowing testimonials, ask yourself if they seem genuine or whether they have no last name attached.
Also, look at how long ago these testimonials were placed on the website. If it is been years since anybody left a positive review for the product, chances are good that the person didn’t really use it and has no experience with it whatsoever!
It is also possible that certain companies will pay people to write fake reviews in exchange for money or other benefits like free products and discounts on future purchases (which means their reviews aren’t necessarily trustworthy).
You can tell if someone was paid off by reading through the text carefully; often times these people include phrases like “I received this product free” or “I was given this product at no charge.”
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Trust your gut on this one, but also make sure there is solid evidence to back up those claims before pulling out your energy to join and promote their products. If an affiliate program or product looks too good to be true, it probably is.
It is important to trust your gut on this one, but also make sure there is solid evidence to back up those claims before pulling out your time and resources. If you are not sure, do some research of your own and ask a friend—it could save you some major headaches down the road!
You Can Avoid Affiliate Marketing Scams By Being Vigilant
It can be very tempting to sign up for an affiliate marketing program that promises you the world. You will make so much money! You will have a lot of fun! You will get free stuff!
But, as with any job or business, it is important to be wary of any program that makes unrealistic claims about what you are going to get out of it. If they say they have got the secret formula for success, don’t believe them.
Similarly, if they claim their product is better than all other products on the market and will sell like hotcakes—and then after six months in business your phone has still not rung once, no WhatsApp enquiry, no click on the affiliate link —it’s time to look elsewhere.
Another way to stay safe from affiliate marketing scams is by doing research into how long a company has been around and what kind of track record they have.
If there aren’t many reviews online but there are thousands of complaints being lodged against them by dissatisfied customers on Twitter or Facebook (or whatever social media platform exists where people complain about things), those are red flags that something might be off-kilter here.
Also, watch out for companies that won’t provide references or contact information for previous clients who speak positively about their experiences working with this particular company; again: red flags galore!
Not only does this mean there aren’t enough satisfied customers publicly sharing their experiences (which means there probably aren’t many at all), but also that no one wants anyone else knowing anything about them either—which could lead us back toward shady territory again.
For the rest part of this article, we will be looking at popular misconceptions (myths), truth and lies about affiliate marketing.
Affiliate Marketing Is Easy Money
Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn passive income. However, it can be difficult and time-consuming. You have to build up an audience first, usually via a blog or social media channel.
Then you need to promote your content and find products that are relevant to your audience. If you succeed in these things, it is still hard to get good returns because you are competing against larger companies and affiliates with deeper pockets who can afford the best tools and people.
There is no such thing as easy money in affiliate marketing; you will have to work hard for every dollar of revenue you earn.
You Won’t Get Paid
“I am interested in promoting these amazing products, but I am not sure that anyone is going to pay me for them!”
You can relax now. Although there are rogue affiliate programs out there, most reputable companies have solid tracking systems in place. (If you are still worried, check out the merchant’s reputation first by looking around the web).
ShareAsale has a great reputation among affiliates and they are known to be honest and reliable. Other reputable affiliate networks where you can find honest merchants to promote their products are Impact radius and Systeme.io.
You Don’t Need Traffic
When you think about it, there is really no “you.” There is only traffic. Traffic means people who will click on your affiliate links, and people who will buy the products that you are promoting.
Traffic means people who will be reading your blog posts and articles. So if you think of it that way, traffic is not just a concept but a very important part of affiliate marketing as well.
You Don’t Need A Website To Start Making Money In Affiliate Marketing
A website is not required to start earning affiliate commissions. After all, if you are only looking to generate a little bit of extra income from promoting affiliate links on your social media accounts, it is not necessary.
However, if you are aiming for a more full-time income from affiliate marketing and you are serious about growing your online presence, then having your own highly-trafficked website is an absolute must.
It is the most effective and reliable way to earn money in this industry and a major factor in whether or not you will be successful.
That being said, there are other ways to generate sales without a website — but they all require sending your traffic to the merchant site via redirects or using tracking pixels on things like landing pages or email marketing campaigns. (These practices can also be used alongside referrals generated by your site.)
Note: Some affiliate networks will require that you have a website or blog before you can join their affiliate program.
It Doesn’t Matter Who The Merchant Is
When you are first getting started, it is tempting to promote things you know are popular because it makes sense that people will want to buy them.
However, as affiliate marketing develops, your reputation as a knowledgeable and thoughtful marketer will be bolstered if you are promoting products that are relevant to your audience.
In general, it is okay to make recommendations even if they are for a product or brand that doesn’t have an affiliate program (yet).
In fact, you can start listing those items on your affiliate marketing site so your readers know about them and might want to purchase them when they visit the merchant site.
You never can tell if they might want to buy anyway and giving them that extra nudge may just click with them.
Creating Useful Content Is More Important Than Promoting Offers, Even If You Are An Affiliate Marketer
While affiliate marketing can produce significant income for you, it is only possible when you have a good audience.
In fact, if you are interested in affiliate marketing then the first thing that you should do is to ensure that your audience finds value in what you have to offer. Even if this means that you have to create useful content on a daily basis without focusing on promoting offers.
Your readers might not be interested in your referral links, but they might still click on them because they appreciate the content that you provide. Imagine visiting a website which constantly promotes products and services without any useful information or resources. Would you like to visit such websites?
In order to get more traffic and increase your income with affiliate marketing, it is essential that your content ranks high in search engines.
This will ensure that more people land on your website thereby increasing the chances of getting clicks on your affiliate links. You can use SEO tools such as Google Trends, Google Keyword Planner, etc to help optimize your content so that it performs well in search engines.
Knowing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Isn’t Necessary For Affiliate Marketing
Some believe you don’t need to know SEO to be an affiliate marketer. This is a myth. The main thing that search engine optimization(SEO) helps with is increasing the traffic of your website.
If people can’t find your website, they won’t visit it, and if they don’t visit it, they won’t buy anything from it.
Here are some tips on using SEO to drive traffic:
- Make sure the content of your website contains keywords frequently used in search engines.
- Make sure your websites have titles and descriptions that contain keywords used in search engines
- Have other legitimate sites link back to you (this tells Google that your site is credible)
You Have No Control Over Your Links And/Or Sales Page When Promoting Through An Affiliate Network
As an affiliate, you have complete control over your links and/or sales page. You want to link directly to the vendor website through the affiliate link so that sales are properly tracked. But as an affiliate, you can also choose to cloak (hide) your affiliate link using your own domain name.
For example, you want to promote a product with the URL of https://vendor.com/. You can just place this URL on your website and recommend that visitors go there. Or, if they are on mobile devices you can even make it clickable so that when they tap on it, it will take them straight to the purchase page of the product in question.
However, if you also have yourdomainname.com and would prefer for people to click on a link like https://yourdomainname.com/go/vendor-url-here/, then this is possible as well!
If you are unsure which method is best suited for promoting a particular item in question please feel free to contact us at any time via email and we will be happy to point out all options available based on our experience working with different platforms since 2019!
Click Fraud Is A Major Concern For Affiliates
Click fraud is a real concern for affiliates, but it is not as common as most people think. Working with a reputable affiliate network can help ensure that you don’t get ripped off by click fraudsters.
There are also many actions you can take to prevent click fraud on your own. For example, always check your referral logs to make sure that all clicks are legitimate clicks from site visitors who are actually interested in the products and services being advertised.
If you notice any unusual activity or suspicious IP addresses, block those addresses and contact your affiliate managers.
Affiliate Marketing = Ponzi, Not A Business Model
Many people new to Internet marketing consider affiliate marketing as gambling. They think that it is a get-rich-quick scheme and that success can be achieved overnight.
Unfortunately, this is a misconception. To become successful in an online business, you need to have your own brand, develop your reputation and gain experience over time.
It is important to understand that the majority of your profits will come from the long tail of traffic if you choose to promote low-competition products. This means that it takes time for your website or blog to rank well enough in search engines for relevant keywords so you can start making sales.
For example, if you want to sell a popular product like “iPhone” on Amazon as an affiliate, there are thousands of other affiliates who also promote this product on their websites which makes it very hard for your website/blog to rank well in Google for these types of keywords.
In order to make sales with this type of product, you need hundreds or even thousands of visitors coming from Google every day. Since starting an online business requires a long-term commitment and is not suitable if you are looking for easy money without investing either time or money (or both) into building your business, we suggest finding another way to make money online instead.
Affiliate marketing can be a great way to earn revenue but it is not always as easy as it seems to be successful at it. This is a fairly self-explanatory point.
However, many people that want to get started with affiliate marketing still seem to think that all they need to do is put some ads on their website and the money will start rolling in.
It is not quite as easy as that. There are a lot of steps you will need to take including choosing the right products, optimizing your landing pages, improving your conversion rates and more.
You can’t just slap up some ads and expect people to buy stuff from them. You will have to create compelling and relevant content around those ads in order for you to generate any real sales.
For example; if you created a blog post about the top 10 cat toys of 2023, then it would make sense for you to promote cat toys in that post using affiliate links leading directly to those products.
This makes it clear what the product is, how much it costs, where they can buy it etc.
With this explanatory article, you should be able to conclude that affiliate marketing is legit.
All you need is an honest mentor or a tutor to guide you on how to kick-start your affiliate marketing journey.
Affiliate marketing is not recruiting. If you must recruit other affiliate marketers before you can make money, then it is no more affiliate marketing but network marketing.
If you have further questions, you can drop your comments or send a message using the contact page.
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