Affiliate Marketing Tips #7: Should You Work Harder or Smarter

It takes effort to build and operate an online business, while some marketers will spend nearly all their working hours focused on building their business, others will be looking at ways to run their business more effectively. The question is whether it’s possible to reduce the number of hours you’re working on your business AND increase profits at the same time?

work harder or smarter

This is a continuing series of “Affiliate Marketing Tips” posts to share marketing and promotion strategies for affiliate marketers. If you’re new to the series, you might like to check out the first in the series “The Industry and Getting Accepted

In a recent post, Brandon Adcock (AKA MajorBTA) wrote about how he’s reduced the number of hours he’s worked on his business and yet increase his income.

Some of the ways he’s achieved this:

  • Shift his traffic generation to less time intensive methods – specifically to media buying, from search engine optimization before. Media buying is more macro in scope, compared to the resources that SEO typically requires
  • Consolidation to focus on 1-2 verticals vs 4-6 before
  • More focus on his own campaign, compared to a broad “knowing what everyone else is running” approach to competitive intelligence

While it’s worked for Brandon, will it work for you?

Likely if you’re at his level, although for newer affiliates, you might do better with this approach.

  • Understand the fundamentals

It’s surprising how many affiliates spend time, money and effort on their business without having read the FAQs/guidelines/free webinars/training videos provided by Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft/Bing and instead spend their time buying products, attending workshops, reading blogs/forums and getting the information secondhand.

If you want to be good, you can develop your own strategy and optimize it. If you want to be great, you can learn the basics from the service providers/platforms you’re marketing on, develop your own strategy and improve on it.

  • Paying your dues

Face up to the fact that you’ll be investing time in the beginning learning the ropes. The “best” experience you’ll get is when you fail at something. If you’ve lost a chunk of your capital working on a failed PPC campaign, you’re more likely to remember the lesson, especially some of the key reasons why you failed.

If you’re consistently launching new campaigns, massively outspending whatever you’re earning and not understanding what’s happening, you should probably take a step back and understand what and why your campaigns are failing. (Maybe bidding on “Payday loans” at $20 a click wasn’t such a good idea…).

  • Log your thoughts / share your experience

The art of keeping a diary is probably an alien thought in the internet age. Many successful day traders and stock investors keep logs of trades they enter into, their reasons for entering the transaction, and post-trade, they log the outcome of whether the trade turned a profit or dipped into the red and why.

Online marketers have access to tracking and analytics software, but few will go back to look at their most profitable traffic sources and tweak their campaigns to turn up the tap on that source, or to find similar sources.

While you will be working hard at the beginning, it doesn’t mean you can’t work smart too.

For a list of my preferred affiliate networks, you can check out the Affiliate Network Review.

192 thoughts on “Affiliate Marketing Tips #7: Should You Work Harder or Smarter

  1. Pingback: Marketing Newz » Blog Archive » Tweaking Your Marketing Campaign To Your Most Profitable Sources

  2. Order and Chaos 2 Redemption Hack and Runes Cheats

    Fantastic website you have here but I was curious if you
    knew of any user discussion forums that cover the same topics discussed
    here? I’d really lke to be a part of community where I
    can get comments from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest.
    If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
    Thanks!

  3. Broadband DSL Internet

    Hello! Quick question that’s entirepy off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly?
    My website looks weird when viewing from my iphone4. I’m
    trying to find a theme or plugin that might bbe able to fix
    this problem. If you have any suggestions,
    please share. Many thanks!

  4. optimal cleanse supplement

    Greetings from Los angeles! I’m bored at work so I decided to
    check out your website on my iphone during lunch break.
    I love the knowledge you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get
    home. I’m surprised at how quick your blog loaded on my phone ..
    I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, superb site!

  5. Geraldo

    A través de la confección de letras de cuerpo (asimismo llamadas letras cajón) de acrílico,
    conseguimos iluminar todo el cuerpo de la letra. – Diodos led – luces
    de neon – mantenimiento costa rica – impresión digital C.
    – Rótulos giratorios – creación de banners – lonas C.
    – letras corpóreas Da servicio de rotulos luminicos a una poblacion de 54
    y quinientos treinta y uno vicentinos.), servicios de escaparatismo (rotulación en vinilo adhesivo, láminas de protección solar, carteles,
    displays, pantallas electrónicas, Etcétera), decoración interior (señalética, cartelería, lonas
    fotográficas, cajas de luz, Tenemos la opción de dar a los vinilos un acabado
    brillo mate al igual que la opción de protegerlos con laminados
    asimismo brillo mate.

  6. board.upyourlife.org

    This is really fascinating, You are a very skilled blogger.

    I have joined your feed and look forward to in quest of extra of
    your magnificent post. Additionally, I’ve shared your web site in my
    social networks

  7. aiigame.blogspot.com

    She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Archer School for Girls.

    You may not get a 11, but you might find out your highest score ever and
    some rules of the online 11 game. You actually check her hand to see that yes, she does appear single.

  8. Watch The Peanuts Movie

    Highsnobiety has steadily built a sturdy brand in the on-line style and life style world.
    Today the weblog and print magazine sit among the most visited
    worldwide sources for inspiration in the areas of
    style, sneakers, music, art and life-style culture.

  9. old dial up internet services

    Have you ever thought about writing an e-book or guest authoring on other sites?
    I have a blog centered on the same subjects you discuss and
    would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my
    readers would appreciate your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to
    shoot me an e mail.

  10. point Home

    What i do not realize is in fact how you are no longer actually a lot more smartly-favored
    than you may be right now. You’re so intelligent. You recognize thus considerably in relation to this matter, made
    me in my opinion consider it from so many varied angles.
    Its like men and women don’t seem to be interested except it is something to accomplish with Girl gaga!
    Your individual stuffs outstanding. All the time handle it up!

  11. mefertech.com

    Awesome blog you have here but I was curious if you knew of any community forums that cover the same topics talked about here?
    I’d really like to be a part of community where I can get comments from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest.
    If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Kudos!

  12. Cables applies

    I leave a response when I like a post on a site or
    I have something to add to the discussion. Usually it
    is triggered by the fire communicated in the article I looked at.
    And on this article Affiliate Marketing Tips #7: Should You Work Harder or Smarter | Andrew Wee
    | Blogging | Affiliate Marketing | Social Traffic Generation | Internet Marketing.
    I was actually excited enough to post a commenta response 🙂 I do have a couple of questions for you if it’s allright.
    Is it just me or do a few of the responses come across as if they are written by
    brain dead people? 😛 And, if you are writing at additional social sites, I would like to keep up with anything fresh you have to post.
    Could you list all of your communal sites like your linkedin profile,
    Facebook page or twitter feed?

  13. Adsl Wireless Router

    Hola! I’ve been reading your site for a while now and finally
    got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Kingwood Tx!
    Just wanted to mention keep up the fantastic work!

  14. electronic surveillance

    I don’t even know how I finished up right here, but I believed this
    post was once great. I do not recognize who you might be but definitely you’re going
    to a famous blogger when you aren’t already. Cheers!

  15. can ho masteri thao dien

    You actually make it appear really easy along with your presentation but I in finding
    this matter to be actually one thing that I believe I’d never understand.
    It seems too complicated and very wide for me. I am having a look
    forward for your next publish, I will attempt to get
    the dangle of it!

  16. Test adsl ookla

    I feel that is one of the most significant information for me.
    And i am satisfied reading your article. However should statement
    on some general issues, The website taste is wonderful,
    the articles is really great : D. Good task, cheers

  17. hoteles en benidorm baratos en levante

    Por fortuna, hay ciertas argucias que te permiten localizar billetes económicos
    en internet. Tree House , ubicado en el Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo de Busca vuelos
    directos, evita horas de salida tempranas prueba nuestro filtro Mejor
    calidad/precio, que se basa en coste, hora y comodidad.

  18. Lucile

    Writing a blog– advertise your business.
    Many business currently use blogging pages as a casual means of getting in touch with their
    clients. For the smaller sized, or brand-new business owners, it’s
    a superb method to advertise their products without pricey advertising expenses.
    Simply by posting a routine blog writing column, small firms can frequently attract more business compared to by the much
    more typical techniques.
    Those who are working full time may not think that they have the time to have one of these procedures, but in many cases people can be back
    to work in just a few days. However, as long as recovery instructions are
    followed most women do not experience anything other than the expected
    discomfort from surgery. The fat cells in the target area are melted away without damaging the
    surrounding tissues.

  19. marketing messages

    In his blog (), Richard Edelman shares some of his daily activities.

    Increasing your vocabulary by even a couple hundred of the right words can make a huge difference.
    Below are common mistakes committed by entrepreneurs and ways to rectify them:.

    Basic membership is free and only allows you to network on the site without
    generating commissions. Awareness that this type
    of thinking is going on, and then that it is not helpful to
    you achieve your goal. One of today’s popular Twitter Marketing Strategies is a piece of software developed by Shelly Ryan, entitled Turbo Cash Generator
    (Google result: 404,000). Whatever a person’s interests might be there will
    almost certainly be a dropship company that will be more than willing and able to supply that demand, maybe I can use an example that just came to mind (I personally have no interest in this particular niche).

    Business plan template is the ideal alternative when you are into business for you can use it for free and many sites a set of templates that individuals can use or even download it.
    These programmes are made up of a number of counter surveillance practices, tailored to suit the particular situation. Much of what people are looking
    for is simply a legitimate business from which they can work hard
    in order to make enough to survive. Agents will be the core of your business so choosing
    them accordingly is vital. Another good thing
    about putting up a webpage is customers have access to your items all the time.
    These advertising techniques include creating brochures, leaflets, flyers
    and pamphlets. Mats may also impact a business’s bottom
    line by using custom logos, slogans, and color schemes to reinforce a brand image with consumers and further drive sales.
    Keeping your site fresh and new and constantly updated, will cost you a lot of hours, but they
    are hours well spent. Maori believe that their where
    two worlds; Te Kauwae Raro – the seen world, where we live in and Te Kauwae Runga the
    unseen world, where our ancestors, and the gods live in. Make
    sure the review is independent of the company. – Limited fiscal resources and
    an underdeveloped financial sector. When starting out, you must fight the urge to believe these empty promises.
    The reality is that we’re all looking for that for our own teams.

  20. Broadband internet Providers

    I’ve been browsing online more than 3 hours lately, but I never discovered any fascinating article
    like yours. It is pretty value enough for me. In my view,
    if all web owners and bloggers made excellent content material as
    you probably did, the internet might be a lot more helpful than ever before.

  21. sports

    I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your site. Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility issues?
    A number of my blog audience have complained
    about my blog not operating correctly in Explorer but
    looks great in Chrome. Do you have any tips to help fix this issue?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *