Any affiliate marketing course will be loaded with useful tips on things you should do to improve your sales. The information is not always presented to show you what sort of things that hurt affiliate sales, though. You could be doing everything right by the book but still be struggling to make any revenue because you’re also doing some harmful things that affect clicks and sales. Here are some of common things that affiliate marketers do which end up hurting their chances to make money online, and tips on how to improve.
Focusing On The Sidebar
Ads are an insanely easy way to make money. Once they’re set up, they really require very little effort on your end to sell, but because of this it’s easy to go overboard and use a load of ads in all the wrong places. And one of those places is your sidebar.
Sidebar ads are perfectly fine to use, but you shouldn’t rely solely on placing them there. RSS subscribers who sign up to receive updates from you will miss these completely, simply getting access to the text of your blog updates. Additionally, it’s easy for people to tune out the familiar, and if someone goes to your site and the layout is consistent—as it should be—it’s easy to ignore what’s been seen before. Your ads could go unnoticed.
Make sure to sprinkle your ads into multiple places that are more focused around your content rather than an ads section. Put your banners into blog posts and newsletters to increase their chances of getting noticed, and be sure to track your links to measure the success of each one.
Not Collecting Email Addresses
Getting people to visit your site is one thing, but getting access to their inbox is another thing entirely. People who like your content and want to sign up for your newsletter have already shown sincere interest what you’re doing. They trust you and your recommendations and are more likely to make purchases based off of what you promote. Use this to your advantage and start building an email list.
Ask for sign-ups at the end of blog posts, include it on your “About Me” page, and remind your social media followers to add their emails to the list. Don’t worry if it grows slowly—basically all email lists do—but just make sure to send out an email once every two weeks or month to update everyone. Share recent blog posts you’ve done or a behind-the-scenes video. Conduct a survey or offer them a sneak preview of something. It acts as a way to stay in the mind of your audience and further build their trust.
Thinking Only About Yourself
It’s a common trap that many affiliate marketers fall into: they think that they represent their ideal client. This is hardly ever the case! Although you may be the same age or live in the same location as the majority of your audience, remember to put them at the forefront. Understanding their needs and struggles will direct you to the right products and services to promote. If you focus more on yourself, the message can get muddled.
Leaving It Up To The Audience
Even if your audience consists of highly educated pHd graduates, it doesn’t change the fact that sometimes people need a little nudge to know what to do next. After reading an amazing blog post or scrolling through your newsletter, make sure to inform your readers what to do next. Do you want them to check out a certain product or like your Facebook page? Whatever it is, make the message loud and clear.
This message has been dubbed a “call to action.” It is something that clearly tells the audience what they should do next. “Know someone who would like this email? Forward it!” “Make sure to like my Facebook page.” “If you’d like to receive weekly emails from me, sign up for my newsletter here.” These are straightforward messages that encourage your followers to get even more involved.
Updating Sporadically
It’s not that you need to be posting new content or updates daily, but you should follow some kind of schedule for the best results. Imagine if your favorite blogger updated his or her website once a week for a while, then updated four times in one week, and then went a month without any new posts. You’d likely be a little confused and could possibly lose interest.
Updating with some regularity will help keep you in the brains of your audience. Whether it’s a weekly newsletter, daily Facebook updates, or monthly YouTube videos, strive your hardest to make them happen. If you’re a regular presence in the life of your audience, they’ll be more inclined to click on your links and make purchases.
Never Changing
When it comes to links and ads, feel free to do a little trial and error. Don’t think that you have to do it one way and one way only, or that because you’ve been doing it a certain way for so long that it’s not possible to make a change. Remember: it’s your business. You can read all the do’s and don’ts and affiliate marketing tips in the world, but when it comes down to it, you call the shots with the way things are run.
If something doesn’t feel right or it’s simply not working for you, then make the change sooner rather than later. By adapting and altering the way your business works, you’ll find the best strategies for you and increase your chances for success.
