Not everyone is motivated by money and when I got involved in affiliate marketing I wanted flexibility and a life on my own terms. You can choose your own hours, work from anywhere (from a laptop) and work in many different ways too. “Digital creators” sell products and services through their online presence. This can be done in many different ways and affiliates can do all kinds of activities to earn a living online. They can run advertising, build email lists, use social media or create content, such as this blog post. I fell into blogging because it was a low cost method of generating content online and I had plenty of time, but little in terms of funds for a marketing budget.
With blogging, you create written content on a website. Over time, as your content grows and grows, you will start seeing organic traffic coming to your website. This is what I wanted. I wanted traffic for free. Plus, I enjoyed the process of blogging. It felt cathartic. Initially with my blogging I struggled. I would write a few posts, share them and sit back waiting for something to happen. Nothing did!
It wasn’t until blogging had become a habit for me that things began to materialise.
A Life On Your Own Terms
Blogging is a slow method of generating online traffic, unlike paid marketing which can turn on traffic immediately. However, once you hit a certain point with blogging, organic traffic starts coming automatically. So when you start selling affiliate products, your commission is 100% profit because you’re not spending money on advertising. It may come a little slower with content creation, but if you have the aptitude for it, blogging can work wonders.
A single blog post won’t accomplish much however. This is the problem in the beginning. You want results quickly but it doesn’t work like that. So, many bloggers or content creators give up too easily. You need to make content creation a habit. Over time, your habit starts paying you.
Initially this is quite frustrating, at least that’s how I found it to be. I kept looking for the results, even only after a small amount of work. I would go through sporadic spirts of action and then quit. Then, a month later, a sale would drop in! “It works”! The sales would then give me confidence in blogging again and I would craft some new content with my new found belief!
Only after months of inactivity I had missed the opportunity to build months worth of content, which would have accelerated the sales.
A Life On Your Own Terms – Belief
It’s belief which drives action and this is particularly true when approaching an online business. The problem is we want results so we can prove that “it works” before we actually do any work. I spotted my own cynicism and realised the obvious conflict here. If I doubted that my online business worked before it proved itself to me, how much action and activity would I really put in. And would my doubt be (subconsciously) sprinkled throughout my content anyway, therefore putting off potential buyers!?
Certainly this was true and in the midst of recording a video some time ago I realised my own doubt was coming across. In a video recording there’s a lot of information. Someone’s tone and their pitch can all convey their own doubt. So what’s conveyed in a script for example is only what the marketer wants you to hear. A lot more is conveyed unconsciously if they are afraid or full of doubt, for example (which I was). Only when I realised that this was the equivalent of my driving with my breaks on (in marketing terms).
I realised the importance of belief, and in particular self belief when it comes to conveying an idea online, or selling a product.
A Life On Your Own Terms – How To Work On Beliefs
Beliefs can hold you back in life, not just in business. So if you say to yourself it can’t be done, or you’re not worthy somehow, your subconscious mind is listening.
Working on your beliefs is the “unseen” work which needs to be done if you’re holding yourself back in any way. How will you take the appropriate action if you don’t believe it will reap the rewards you desire?
As Henry Ford is quoted: “Whether a man believes he can or he can’t, he’s right”
I’ve written a post on the best mindsets for affiliate marketers. You can also access my ebook on money mindset too. In it you’ll learn some important ideas and steps you can take to reprogram your subconscious mind for greater success.
Summary
A life on your own terms, flexible working, geographical and/or financial freedom are all possible reasons people build online businesses. For me, it was a life on my own terms, at least financially. When you have an income source which gives you financial independence, there’s a lot of don’t have to’s which come with it:
- Don’t have to have a boss ever again!
- Don’t have to commute!
- Never need a job again!
- No more crappy jobs!
If you’re interested in learning affiliate marketing for greater control and freedom in your life, checkout my ebook Affiliate Marketing For Beginners Here. You’ll also access a free video series which set me on the right path for success online after a lot of struggle and hardship in my early years as an affiliate.