Affiliate Marketing: Why People Fail And How You Can Succeed

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First of all, I would like to start by stating that THIS IS NOT A GET RICH QUICK SCHEME! A lot of people have been presenting affiliate marketing as a way to just wake up one day and start swimming in money, with little to no effort put in. That cannot be further from the truth! Affiliate marketing is a viable method of earning money and you can earn a lot of money from it. However, you need to put in a lot of conscious effort to earn a good living from it. That said, one can become extremely wealthy as an affiliate marketer particularly if they find a product or service that pays a good commission on the same. In this article I will be discussing affiliate marketing, what it takes, who fails and whether it is a good fit for you or not.

Who cannot be an affiliate marketer?

1. Lazy people.

If you are not willing to put in the work, this is not for you. Affiliate marketing can seem like a lucrative and easy way to make money online. After all, who wouldn't want to earn a commission for simply promoting someone else's product or service? However, affiliate marketing is not a good fit for lazy people. In fact, it can be a recipe for failure both for the affiliate and the company they represent. One of the key aspects of successful affiliate marketing is building trust with your audience. This means creating valuable content, being transparent about your affiliations, and providing honest reviews of the products you promote. Lazy people may be tempted to take shortcuts and promote products without putting in the necessary effort to build trust with their audience. This can lead to a lack of sales and a damaged reputation, both of which can harm the company's brand.

Another crucial aspect of successful affiliate marketing is staying up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the industry. This means constantly researching new products, analyzing data, and adapting your marketing strategies accordingly. Lazy people may not have the motivation or discipline to stay on top of industry changes, leading to a lack of growth and success. Affiliate marketing also requires a lot of time and patience. It takes time to build an audience, establish trust, and generate consistent sales. Lazy people may become frustrated and give up too quickly, without giving their efforts a chance to bear fruit. This can be detrimental to both the affiliate and the company they represent.

Therefore, affiliate marketing is not a good fit for lazy people. It requires hard work, dedication, and a willingness to constantly learn and adapt. Lazy people may be tempted by the idea of making easy money, but they will ultimately be doing themselves and the company they represent a disservice by not putting in the necessary effort. If you're considering becoming an affiliate marketer, be prepared to put in the work and commit to the long-term success of your business.

2. Daydreamers.

Good things come to those who work hard to get them. If all you do is fantasize about change and put no effort into your dreams, then guess what, this is not for you either. Affiliate marketing is a business that requires a lot of effort, patience, and dedication. It's not a get-rich-quick scheme, and it's not for those who merely daydream about success. If you're someone who only fantasizes about change and doesn't put in the effort to achieve your dreams, then affiliate marketing is not the right fit for you. Successful affiliate marketers are individuals who are driven, motivated, and willing to put in the hard work necessary to get results. They don't just sit around dreaming of success, hoping that it will come to them. Instead, they take action, put in the effort, and make things happen. They're constantly working to improve their strategies, build relationships, and connect with their target audience.

Affiliate marketing is a highly competitive industry. To stand out, you need to have a strong brand, an engaging website, and a unique value proposition. You need to be able to communicate the value of the products or services you're promoting, and you need to be able to convince people to buy them. This takes time and effort, and it requires a lot of trial and error. Moreover, affiliate marketing is constantly evolving, and you need to be able to adapt to changes in the industry. For instance, Google algorithms change regularly, which means that you need to stay up-to-date with SEO best practices to ensure that your website ranks high in search engine results pages. This requires staying on top of industry news and trends, testing different approaches, and being willing to learn from your mistakes. In short, affiliate marketing is not for pipe dreamers.

3. Those who are not willing to invest in their business.

Like any other business, affiliate marketing requires investment. You'll need to invest in your website, marketing tools, and advertising campaigns. If you're not willing to invest in your business, you may find it difficult to achieve the level of success you're hoping for. Website creation and maintenance: To succeed in affiliate marketing, you need to have a website that looks professional and is optimized for user experience and search engines. This means you may need to invest in website creation tools, website design, website hosting, and website maintenance. A good website is an essential component of your affiliate marketing business, and it's worth investing in it. To promote the products or services you're promoting, you may need to invest in marketing tools and software such as email marketing platforms, social media management tools, keyword research tools, and ad campaign management tools. These tools can help you reach your target audience, increase your visibility, and drive more traffic to your website.

Another essential component of affiliate marketing is advertising. Paid advertising can help you get your products or services in front of your target audience quickly and effectively. However, advertising campaigns can be costly, and you need to invest in them to get results. Time is a valuable resource, and you need to invest a significant amount of time into your affiliate marketing business to make it successful. This includes creating content, building relationships with your audience, promoting your products or services, and analyzing your results. Moreover, Affiliate marketing is constantly evolving, and you need to keep up with the latest trends and strategies to remain competitive. Investing in training and education can help you stay up-to-date with industry best practices and improve your skills.

4. Those who lack marketing skills.

While you don't need to be a marketing expert to succeed in affiliate marketing, having some basic marketing skills is essential. You'll need to be able to create compelling content, develop effective marketing strategies, and build relationships with your audience. If you lack these skills, you may struggle to attract and convert customers. As an affiliate marketer, your success largely depends on your ability to create and distribute high-quality content that engages and converts your audience. However, even if you don't have the skill, you can always learn from online tutorials and other people doing affiliate marketing. In general, affiliate marketing requires some basic marketing skills, including:

  • Copywriting: Copywriting is the art of writing persuasive and compelling content that motivates readers to take action, such as clicking on your affiliate links or making a purchase. Effective copywriting requires a deep understanding of your audience's needs, desires, and pain points, as well as an understanding of how to use language and psychology to persuade and influence.
  • Content creation: Content creation is the process of creating valuable, informative, and engaging content that resonates with your target audience. This includes creating blog posts, social media updates, videos, and other types of content that can attract and engage your audience.
  • Search engine optimization (SEO): SEO is the process of optimizing your website and content for search engines like Google. By optimizing your content for specific keywords and phrases, you can improve your website's visibility in search results and attract more traffic to your site.
  • Social media marketing: Social media marketing involves using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote your content and engage with your audience. This can help you build a loyal following and increase your brand's visibility.
  • Email marketing: Email marketing involves using email to promote your products or services and nurture relationships with your audience. This can help you build trust with your subscribers and encourage them to make purchases.


If you lack these marketing skills, it can be challenging to create content that resonates with your audience and motivates them to take action. You may struggle to attract and convert customers, which can limit your earning potential as an affiliate marketer. However, the good news is that you can learn and improve these skills over time with practice and education. There are many resources available online that can help you develop your marketing skills and become a more effective affiliate marketer.

5. Those who don't have a genuine interest in the products or services they're promoting.

Affiliate marketing is all about promoting products or services that you believe in and are genuinely interested in. If you're not passionate about the products or services you're promoting, it will be difficult to create compelling content and convince your audience to buy them. One of the keys to success in affiliate marketing is having a genuine interest in the products or services that you're promoting. Here are a few reasons why:

  • Passion is contagious: When you're passionate about something, it shows. Your enthusiasm and excitement will be evident in your content, and your audience will be more likely to be engaged and interested in what you're promoting. Conversely, if you're not genuinely interested in the products or services you're promoting, it can be challenging to create content that resonates with your audience.
  • Authenticity is key: As an affiliate marketer, your audience trusts you to provide honest and unbiased information about the products and services you're promoting. If you're not genuinely interested in these products or services, it can be challenging to provide an authentic and honest review that your audience can trust.
  • Building relationships: Affiliate marketing is all about building relationships with your audience. If you're promoting products or services that you're not genuinely interested in, it can be challenging to build a strong connection with your audience and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
  • Earning potential: Finally, if you're not genuinely interested in the products or services you're promoting, it can be challenging to earn a significant income as an affiliate marketer. Your audience can sense when you're not passionate about what you're promoting, and this can make them less likely to click on your affiliate links and make a purchase.

In short, having a genuine interest in the products or services you're promoting is essential to success in affiliate marketing. If you're not genuinely interested in what you're promoting, you'll likely struggle to create compelling content, build relationships with your audience, and earn a significant income as an affiliate marketer.

How You Can Succeed as an Affiliate Marketer

  1. Set realistic expectations: It's essential to understand that affiliate marketing takes time and effort to be successful. It's not a get-rich-quick scheme, and you're not going to make thousands of dollars overnight. Be patient, persistent, and set realistic goals that are achievable over the long term.
  2. Develop marketing skills: While you don't need to be a marketing expert to succeed in affiliate marketing, having some basic marketing skills is essential. Invest time and resources into learning copywriting, content creation, SEO, social media marketing, and email marketing. There are many resources available online, such as courses, books, and blogs, that can help you develop these skills.
  3. Choose products you're passionate about. When selecting products or services to promote, choose ones that you're genuinely interested in and passionate about. This will make it easier to create compelling content, build relationships with your audience, and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
  4. Be willing to invest: Affiliate marketing requires an investment of time, money, and effort. Be willing to invest in your business by purchasing quality tools and resources, such as a website, hosting, and email marketing software. Additionally, be willing to invest time into building relationships with your audience and creating high-quality content that resonates with them.
  5. Take action: Finally, the most crucial step to success in affiliate marketing is taking action. Don't let fear or self-doubt hold you back from pursuing your goals. Instead, take consistent action towards building your business, creating content, and promoting your products or services. The more action you take, the more likely you are to achieve success as an affiliate marketer.

By following these tips, you can avoid the challenges that can prevent you from being successful in affiliate marketing and build a thriving business that generates passive income over the long term.

In conclusion, affiliate marketing can be an excellent opportunity to build a successful business and generate passive income, but it's not for everyone. Lazy people, pipe dreamers, those not willing to invest in affiliate marketing as a business, those lacking marketing skills, and those who are not interested in the products or services they're promoting are all likely to struggle in this field. However, with realistic expectations, a willingness to invest time, money, and effort, a genuine interest in the products or services being promoted, and some basic marketing skills, anyone can become a successful affiliate marketer. It's essential to set achievable goals, develop your marketing skills, choose products that you're passionate about, invest in your business, and take consistent action to build your business and promote your products. As such, affiliate marketing is a viable option for anyone willing to put in the effort, learn the necessary skills, and commit to building a long-term business. With the right mindset and approach, you can create a profitable affiliate marketing business that generates passive income and helps you achieve your financial goals.

On that note, SimpleSell Bulk SMS is a product of Simple Sellable Solution. We are looking for affiliate marketers to promote the product and increase reach. Our affiliates receive a 10% commission on sales. Our bulk SMS coverage includes Kenya, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. However, we welcome affiliates from any region provided they understand the product and a willingness to promote it to the relevant clientele. You can learn more about affiliate marketing through this article or this other one here.

If you are interested in becoming an affiliate with us you can contact us at affiliate@simplesellable.com or info@simplesellable.com.

 

 

By Christine Njoki - Published 31st May 2023, 09:00am


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