Gold As a Newbie, What Stops You From Getting Started

[EJM Missouri]

Still got to do my homework. As I noted in my Introduction post, my first and so far only experience with affiliate marketing was when I recently earned how to create RSS feeds from Zazzle to Pinterest, and with some modest, (very modest) success. And having got a little taste, I decided I wanted more, but I realize I need a lot more how-to knowledge to really make it work. So I googled “affiliate marketing forums,” found this site, and joined. Now my plan is to read, read, read and educate myself in the basics of affiliate marketing. Yes it is a bit overwhelming, lots of info overload, but I have enough experience to know that is normal when stepping out into something new. But I also know that with continued reading and studying things will eventually start sorting themselves out. I have already read from beginning to end the “What is Affiliate Marketing (Start Here)” forum and now have a general overview of what is involved. Can’t say I understood everything, but enough to know that the type of marketing I have been doing with Zazzle and Pinterest has a name, and some vague idea of what I am and am not interested in doing.

I also know that there comes a time when a person must take the plunge and actually do what they have been studying. And I know that is when the REAL LEARNING begins. But first things first. I won’t be so anxious to start making the money that I rush things. I will work at my own pace, one step at a time.

 

[IM_Newbie]

Money. I live in venezuela and is really hard to to earn $ here to invest it on this and we also have a very estrict exchange policy which makes it nearly impossible to open an international bank account so i cannot make online purchases. Tried to find some virtual prepaid card provider that offer their service for latinamerica but thus far i havent found any.

 

[aayan]

hugely informative article!

 

[100kinvesting]

What I find to be the hardest is to promote what I have, and am doing. I think others, new(ish) have issues with is that we're trying to get ourselves going. We find something we want to market, and sincerely believe that what we're marketing will help others. We want to tell others about it, and we try multiple ways to do this, but it's treated as spam. Most times, we're not flooding forums, groups, etc. We're trying to make some money, to allow us to also be at home more for our families, which we think the affiliate stuff we're promoting will help us accomplish. Instead, our CL posts are flagged/ghosted; Twitter/FB auto-spams our posts; etc, etc. It gets frustrating and discouraging, when noobs are trying to promote, and everyone seems to just say we're spam, and cut us down, before we even start.

 

[IOVECT]

Thank you for your detailed information, but I'm still overwhelmed. I need time to digest.

 

[azgold]

What I find to be the hardest is to promote what I have, and am doing. I think others, new(ish) have issues with is that we're trying to get ourselves going. We find something we want to market, and sincerely believe that what we're marketing will help others. We want to tell others about it, and we try multiple ways to do this, but it's treated as spam. Most times, we're not flooding forums, groups, etc. We're trying to make some money, to allow us to also be at home more for our families, which we think the affiliate stuff we're promoting will help us accomplish. Instead, our CL posts are flagged/ghosted; Twitter/FB auto-spams our posts; etc, etc. It gets frustrating and discouraging, when noobs are trying to promote, and everyone seems to just say we're spam, and cut us down, before we even start.

Try sending your traffic to your landing page, don't use direct links.

Also, check out some of these to give you ideas: Guides, Case Studies and Tutorials

 

[Ndifrekeabasi Essien]

Thanks for your replies.

 

[Gbenga Johnson]

What are your biggest obstacles as a Newbie?
List them here, go to the last page and add your post about this question. Take a moment and list everything you feel is holding you back from getting started or holding you back from earning some money.

I have linked my posted responses for each of your posts to the members usernames below!!

Encourage other Newbies to come here and post as well.

This is all about constructive response to help you realize that most Newbies experience the same issues and hangups. Look for the common patterns in the Newbies statements and in my responses. All of us were Newbies a some point. We all go through the same stuff to get a foothold on our new careers when starting out. You are not alone, you are among marketers that have been through what you are experiencing and are here to help you get past these common hangups experiences that hold you back and to help you get on the road to your successes!

CLICK ON ANY USERNAME BELOW TO SEE ORIGINAL POST & MY RESPONSE

01. azgold - Feeling like I'm in over my head - info and technical overwhelm.

02. xyzabc - Feels a lack of information, confusion about where to start, has fear of loss, thinks the business has too much risk, doesn't like the learning curve

03. trinath ande - confusion about tracking

04. vzladxt - Lack of focus, information overload, lack of financial investment, trying to do everything instead of doing one thing at a time, feels its necessary to work too hard, feels many issues are in the way of novices.

05. mrbeginner - Shiny Object, need to learn to adjust & adapt, difficult separating good information from bad information, easily distracted, information overload, not following through, no real plan, no check lists

06. vellex - personal issues are interfering with progress, trying to make it perfect before taking action, self doubt, fear of failure

07. 500Days - slow progress, information overload, silver bullet syndrome, not taking action, lack of focus, needs a solid plan, no schedule for work

08. dddraj - information overload, downloading "magic bullets", lack of focus, trouble finding actionable information

09. generalrahman - feels lack of information, confused about where to start, fear of loss, too much risk, Doesn't like learning curve, no budget

10. xploit - No time and no money.

11. asknopt - confused, too much information, can't find answers, knows he needs a plan

12. auroretan - information overload, navagating through bad info to get to the good info, discovered the need to continue taking action, discovered the need to focus on continued education, learned the importance of building relationships in this industry, learned to love the moment and live in the moment and the money will follow! READ THIS POST!!!

13. winarrow - focus, too much to learn, not enough time to catch up, fear to ask for help, information overload, desire to succeed.

14. armour248 - lack of confidence, lack of knowledge, fear of loss, poor business posture

15. female_9999 fear of loss

16. minzet is trying to operate without a plan, hasn't determined a real starting point, is attempting to move into marketing without adequate training.

17. parikshit fear of loss, doesn't understand the need to invest in education to succeed, hasn't developed a plan to master initial skills required to earn.

18. mandyk similarities of others experiences with her own, the dilemmas of massive action, dealing with misguided actions & misinformation, fear of failure

19. ljsunshine not knowing where to begin, mountains of information to wade through, starting out with free resources, has a goal and is pushing forward

20. sanjaybanerje Needs to develop communication skills, to learn to articulate, isn't involved enough in forum threads and posts, doesn't appear to have a plan.

21. ryansterlingg ryan actually has a plan in the making, polish it up and keep going. Finish your plan and stick to it. You have an established budget, you need to select your field, your tracker, and your traffic source. Then take action, get involved with the folks in this forum in the field you chose. You'll be earning quick!

22. melisata Information overload, lack of persistence, jumping from course to course.

23. knightxking A work in progress and looking forward to updates on your progress.

24. aristotle Fear of losing money and time, shiny object syndrome, lack of focus, no follow through, easily distracted by daily onslaught of pitches from other marketers.

25. invincible Confusion about what a plan really is, needs to become more oriented with our industry, requires more commitment to resources like a VPS, doesn't have a starting point established.

26. tiego679 Taking action, but a little confused. Establishing direction.

27. michael962003 Confused, disoriented, no plan, no budget,

28. Ayman Feeling lost with no direction, knows that one can't create a plan without having to learn the basics first, feels circumstances and requirements for this business are holding him down, has perspective issues.

29. youngs18 Doesn't know where to start, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

30. yafee Has a firm understanding of the missteps and unnecessary thoughts that holds a Newbie back and is ready to push forward after having consumed this thread in its entirety. This is why we have this thread.

31. MikeT Having the same issues as most have outlined for themselves in these threads, has been stuck in purchased products with no return or formidable gain in knowledge, feels the sting when thinking of trying to compete with the big and successful marketers already on top, Thinks it takes years to earn. Has a lack of confidence, trust, and faith. Riddled with fear.

32. anupbro Has no money to begin, wants to start a business without funding it.

33. wrcato2 May be experiencing apprehensions due to having to learn new things, doesn't want to spend any money starting a new business, has a little confusion about how things work, knows he needs a plan, needs to acquire and learn the basic tools necessary, and came to the FIX to gt this all straightened out!

34. CoolSpot Information overload causing confusion, stuck on reading and not taking the first steps to get the ball rolling, needs to dive in and get a plan to execute.

35. Earl Coy (digitard93) Earl has read this entire thread and found his path. He has seen all of fears in the others post of this thread an has replaced them with confidence, a plan, and is ready to be an affiliate. Go get them Earl!

36. urbano Allowing indecision to control the moment.

37. Drakon Needs to become more familiar with using this forum, no real direction or plan.

38. Daniele Has absolutely no drive or commitment to make it happen. Claims to have no time to learn or implement. Claims information overload.

39. affiliate Looks to be lost in the land of opportunity, struggling with indecision, no there is something to all of this but isn't structuring the plan that will bring it all home. You can do this @affiliate !

40. Lindsey Hanley Isn't ready to do business IMO

41. Manhas Starting out by being negative, doesn't recognize the resources available, feels a lack of everything instead of seeing the abundance of everything, experiencing the result of negative thinking which is feeling as though things are stopping progress.

42. DeMiThA Isn't ready for prime time because DeMiThA has not researched, has not built a plan, has not designed a budget, has not read this entire thread, has not read the Wiki, etc. Is complaining about things that all of this would resolve!

43. zaki titou Living a self actualized failure. Not willing to take action, unwilling to be positive and push forward. Never follows through with projects.

44. ragnarkar unwilling to invest in business. Complains about investment or spending money to earn money. Has no grounding or understanding of business and is unwilling to accept taking a responsible role in business. Expects everyone else to the work without having to do it personally.

45. Exo Fear of loss, fear of failure, and fear of losing money. When operating from fear, you destined to lose. Sees all failures as a loss and allows failures to perpetuate fear of loss as if it were a self filling prophecy.

46. Ruann Feels the need to be a techie in order to be a marketer. This is not so at all. You will learn some techie stuff along the way, but you don't have to aspire to be a techie. Most marketers never reach a level of being called a techie. We hire techies!

47. Brixter02 Is letting small things felt in the way. Just pick the tools and get on with it. Pick a tracker and get a landing page builder. Plenty of options for this. Choose them and get on with it. Don't let the little things slow you down or stop you from moving forward.

48. raj14 Feels that figuring this out is a mystery to be solved. In some ways it is, but that's a good thing. This is true for all of us all of the time and this will never end. It's all about figuring out new formulas, always. Thinsk that there is too much information, this is never true. There is never too much information, not ever! Also, thinks,that couses for thousands may be the answer, sometimes they are helpful, but are not necessary to accomplish ones goals in this business. This community has all of the same information, one just needs to spend time studying and implementing to find the "gold in them thar hills"!

49. Mareslo Another fear of failing. Honestly, it never ceases to amaze me that people in any way allow this type of thought to enter their mind. Understand this, "YOU WILL HAVE FAILURES!" We all do, everyday! No one is 100% in all they do in this business. We do "trial and error" in all parts of our business everyday. Also, has the mindset that everything is complicated. Not so, but there is a lot that is comprehensive. This simply means there are a lot of moving parts, so to speak. It's a business, every business has lots of facets. Anyone that thinks this business has lots of facets, try going into Real Estate, or a Law Profession, or a Medical field, or the Restaurant biz. By comparison, this industry is like learning to use an Easy Bake oven!

50. Erroshay Not a problem solver, too much of a worry wart about the small things like getting a grip on landing pages, banners, and other creative stuff we use. Gave up here after only five posts. This business requires getting an education, setting a budget, and taking action. She started taking action, and then gave up. A total lack of commitment!

51. Annabella101

52. AarontheHumble

53. raynoldclare

54. eBoki

55. davidper

56. jakon

57. Red

58.

Look At The Patterns Everyone! You will see that everyone has many things in common here. More on this after we get a few more members posting in here. Be sure to read all of the responses.

THIS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU!

Mine is Money no adequate funds to start... I have no fear of loss because even if I loose money I would gain data, information and ultimately experience. If you failed a course in school isn't that loss so why are you afriad of loosing money

 

[adda_da]

I have the same fear before I start anything new: that I do not know enough, that I haven't gathered enough info so far. Otherwise, if you don't risk, you don't win.

 

[Ciaba]

Hello, i'm a newbie in affiliate marketing. I'm doing my homework to learn the more as i can, paying attention to avoid paralysis by analysis. I made a deadline, within two months by now i will surely start my journey.

I have no fear of loss and I have no particular matters of money to invest, but obviously i don't want to burn money in stupid ways. Surely I will do something, i will not accept the ordinary life with 9-5 job without trying anything to change my situation.

So, what i need now to begin taking action, is a detailed plan of what to do.
There are a lot of theories online about affiliate marketing: website is fundamental, you don't need any website, social media pages, no social networks at all, ppc, no ppc, etc...

I need a step-by-step guide, what to do and how to do. I'm ready to pay for a good guide, no problem.
I'm evaluating to join some forums (i don't know if it's allowed to write names of other forums) which costs from 50$ to 100$ per month, it's an investment i'm ready to make.
This is now my biggest obstacle: understanding which is the best way to do affiliate, the things to do and how to do it.

 

[T J Tutor]

Use this forum as a mentor. It's full of members at every level of experience which makes for many balanced perspectives for a Newbie to learn from. Take the time to read through the forums here and see for yourself that the Newbies achieving success have actually dedicated themselves to success in this industry and reaping the rewards by following the advice of fellow AffiliateFix members, being dedicated to success, putting the time in, and making the necessary investments. You cannot shortcut the learning curve. It goes slower for some and it goes faster for others. Everyone has their own intellectual absorption rates, skill development pace, commitment level, and budgets.

You are a FIX'er now and that means you have the world at your feet with IM. Here are a few suggestions:

Read and learn through extensive reading in this community. Select one vertical. one tracker, and one traffic source. Learn from your fellow members here to master each one of them (a couple of months). Then you can expand and replicate your successes.

As a Newbie, you need to read, study, invest, and implement. Perseverance, dedication, and taking action are the cornerstones of the success you will obtain.

Read
Read through the various areas of the forum to learn about the types of marketing available for your new business. Make a list of all the types of marketing and take some notes along the way. Then determine which area of marketing with which you will start your journey.

Do this to select an area of marketing to start, as well, do this to select a tracker, a traffic source, and to select a vertical.

Then read up on the affiliate networks and select two to begin with that will serve your needs and the types of offers you would like to promote. Put your application in and they will call you for an interview. Be professional and be prepared to answer some questions about how you will promote offers, do you have a website, are you a Newbie, etc. Please note, if you join the Dojo, we have a thread there that can offer assistance in getting accepted to some of the networks.

Study
Now that you have selected a basis to begin, read all of the threads in this forum that relate to your initial selections so that you have a rudimentary understanding of their features and benefits.

Invest
You will require some investment. A VPS server, domains, traffic, landing pages, etc. You will need a budget for daily, weekly, and monthly expenses. This will change over time and you will need to update it often so that you know exactly what your costs and earnings are.

Implement
This is where it all starts to earn. You must now begin to implement what you have established as your foundation for your business.

Here is some advice and guidance that will help you establish your initial goals:

Make sure you complete the following first.

Every business needs:

1. a plan
2. a schedule for research, learning, and execution
3. a budget.

Remember to read through our WIKI and get to know the basics as well as some of the buzz words in the industry.

I also recommend reading the following thread:

As a Newbie, What Stops You From Getting Started

Here is a set of immediate goals:

1. Get a VPS
2. Select a vertical
3. Select a tracker
4. Select a couple of networks and get your approval
5. Select a traffic source
6. Create a schedule for researching, learning (training), and working. This is a business, treat it as such!
7. Create a budget for every expense (daily, weekly, monthly)
8. Be very active in this forum by researching, asking questions, helping others when you are able.

You will also want to hook up with someone that can build your landing pages (always use landers).

Check out the new enhanced membership option here as it is full of great tools and features.

Remember This! : Nothing has to be perfect before you start. Read & study, but invest and implement at the same time. You cannot learn all of it from reading and studying. A great deal of your learning comes from implementing!

Good Luck!

T J

 

[spaully]

Information overload. Spent thousands in courses believing so many gurus and wasn't consistent. I became a jack of all trades and a master of none. Finally found good ole free forums and I focused and ready to work.

 

[Richard Nathaniel]

I find cpa very interesting, new to Affiliate marketing but the informations are confusing like how to promote an offer via email , Facebook ,etc . All that are confusing! Know i don't know where to start but i want to do it

 

[T J Tutor]

Information overload. Spent thousands in courses believing so many gurus and wasn't consistent. I became a jack of all trades and a master of none. Finally found good ole free forums and I focused and ready to work.

We've all gone through this and if you read through this thread you will see many responses I've written on this subject.

Here is the thing, every industry has it "initiation" experiences for newcomers. It's especially common among those that have some life experience. Most of us think we can figure it all out in no time. Truth is, there is such an abundance of directions one can take, we get confused and don't bother establishing a clear first year plan to master something, anything.

I have written the following many hundreds of times in this community and thousands of times around the net. "Pick one specific area of marketing, one specific sub niche in a single vertical, select one tracker, and select one traffic source. Then, stick with them until you master them, usually 3 to 6 months."

If you actually do this, then you will be prepared with the basic skill sets to successfully enter most any other areas of online marketing with a plan to succeed.

 

[T J Tutor]

I find cpa very interesting, new to Affiliate marketing but the informations are confusing like how to promote an offer via email , Facebook ,etc . All that are confusing! Know i don't know where to start but i want to do it

I think you have not read through this thread. I have addressed all of your apprehensions in this thread.

The first thing you need to do is get out a notebook and a pen, then start reading through the forums to learn about the various areas of marketing. After which, you will choose an area of marketing to begin your new business with. Once you have done that, then guess what?, you will start reading again and taking notes again.

This is a business, a HUGE business and a HUGE industry. There is nothing confusing about it. Follow the instructions above in post #332.

You determine the sub-niche in a single vertical to market to, you select a tracker, a traffic source appropriate for the type of marketing you will do, join a couple of networks and choose an offer (maybe 2) to promote, and hopefully you get an intelligence program to spy on the competitors so you can step right into promoting the types of campaigns that are currently successful.

That's just a summary, but if you follow my instructions and stick to your initial choices for 3 to 6 months, you will be masterful enough to successfully apply yourself to other areas and practices in our industry.

This is a business and it requires studying and research. This never stops, it is always a part of your business model in this industry. Establish your budget, determine your entry point, research and study, acquire the tools you need, and TAKE ACTION!

 

[Daceyank]

The fear of loss is my greatest obstacle in Affiliate marketing. Personal issues, confusions in tracking, lack of focus, lack of information, slow progress, lack of time and money are all pointers in the direction of lloss. Tips for overcoming the fear of the unknown would really help.

 

[T J Tutor]

The fear of loss is my greatest obstacle in Affiliate marketing. Personal issues, confusions in tracking, lack of focus, lack of information, slow progress, lack of time and money are all pointers in the direction of lloss. Tips for overcoming the fear of the unknown would really help.

I have written extensively, multiple times, in this thread about all of your issues and concerns.

Fear of loss, confusion with tracking, lack of focus, lack of progress, lack of time and money, etc. All related and yet all separate.

I highly suggest you take he time to read this thread as the answers you seek are within.

 

[Bogoy900]

Information overload. Spent thousands in courses believing so many gurus and wasn't consistent. I became a jack of all trades and a master of none. Finally found good ole free forums and I focused and ready to work.

This is a big problem for many of us. And many of those paid courses are actually unproven and maybe working for the one selling the course so there is no guarantee of success. In many times, the best information and guide can be free...

 

[MasterMric]

My only problem is the impatience and the lack of money.
I'm currently sparing and during this time, I try to manage my wish to get started asap...
Maybe will I encounter other difficulties in the future but I'm motivated to face them !

 

[unclestriko]

Generally I have the same problem as everybody - lack of patience. At this moment I do have some funds to spend on my campaign. I have a niche. I think I have a strategy. I know I won't get rich by the end of this month.

Last week I made 2 different banners, bought traffic and BAM straight to offer. Of course nothing happened, I've lost that money. Yesterday I've started reading this thread and now i'm all about tracking, making landing pages, thinking more about ads.
Only thing that stops me is the uncertainty how will my method end up, but hey... that's part where you learn something new.

I know I've gone slightly off topic(sorry about that) but this thread is probably the best thing on Internet about starting as an affiliate.

I hope that one day some of us can be as helpful as TJ.