6 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Affiliate Commissions

6 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Affiliate Commissions

Some of you are going to start out by selling affiliate products since you might not have your own product ready yet. If you are using your email list to promote other businesses products then you’re probably making one of these mistakes. Imagine if you had a sure fire way of increasing your sales and increasing your income. Would you put it to use? Avoiding these mistakes is that sure fire way that you’re looking for. Eliminate these and you will increase your income. 

1. Promoting Products That You Have No Experience With

Don’t become a sheep that just does what everyone else is doing. In other words, don’t promote a product just because others are. You should know what you’re selling. If not, then you’re going to do a lousy job of promoting it. You don’t want to be one of those individuals who says “Buy this because thousands of others are buying it!” If you browse online for long enough, you will come across one of these ads. 

So you should buy the product yourself and at least try it out before promoting it. Spend some time actually using it. That will give you valuable insight when promoting it. Choose the top 3 advantages and highlight them in your sales copy. 

By taking the time to properly evaluate a product, you will also learn whether or not it’s something that you’re willing to stake your reputation on. If you recommend a crappy product then you’re going to lose the trust of your list. If you keep repeating this, you’ll have to start over from scratch since your list will never trust you again. It’s a lot easier to lose trust than it is to gain it.

2. Using Email Templates 

Hundreds of affiliate marketers copy and paste the same emails to send out to their lists. Do you really think that some of these lists don’t have the same people on them? So they are effectively sending the same message to the same people. The individual looks at these copy/paste messages as spam and is very likely to unsubscribe. If you follow this pattern then you’re going to be seen as just another internet cookie cutter. You will lose credibility. Even if the consumer is interested in the product, they are not going to click on your link. They will click on someone else’s – someone who cared enough to write a unique message. Give them an insider’s perspective and let them know what they should expect. 

By writing your own emails, you’re not falling into the huge herd of sheeple (slang term for people who blindly follow the crowd). You will gain an immediate advantage over a huge percentage of others promoting the same product. Your emails will get read and hopefully the consumer will click through and purchase the product. Showcasing your unique personality with a true belief in what you’re promoting will set you apart from others even if you have a much smaller list. 

3. Not Adding Value

Always add value to a product as this will make it seem even more valuable. One of the best ways to add value to an affiliate product is to include a product of your own as an incentive. You could even do a coaching call to anyone who makes a purchase. Maybe even give them access to a special member’s only website or blog that has behind the scenes information. Even starting a mastermind group can add value. 

Consider different ways that you can add value to a product. The possibilities are endless. Shooting a short 5 minute video that explains how to accomplish a specific task by using the product is a great tactic. However, don’t be afraid to be unique. Just be sure that what you’re offering is adding value.

4. Overselling

If you are looking to create the best experience for your email list, then you will need to send out mostly informative emails. Sprinkle in promotions here and there but the majority of your messages should provide something valuable to the subscriber. Most people hate to be sold to constantly but they do love to get insider information from a trusted source. Remember that if you earn their trust, they are more likely to click on your links when you send them. A rule of thumb is to ensure that you send promotions no more than one in every three emails. Autoresponders make this very easy... so you have no excuses.

5. Hard Selling Instead Of Pre-Selling

Your job is not to sell an affiliate product – a mistake made by most beginners. You are simply warming them up to the idea so that they want to learn more. The sales page’s job is to sell the product. The goal of your email is to do one of two important things: first and foremost it should entice the reader to click the link and secondly, it should inspire and motivate them to want to learn more when they click the link.

6. Not Making yourself Memorable 

We actually discussed this a little earlier but now it’s time to take it even further. When you establish a reputation for delivering value then your emails are going to convert at a much higher rate. As weird as it might sound, having great content is not enough. Alone, content is not going to make you stand apart from the rest of the crowd. That’s what a hook is for. A hook will make you memorable so that your readers know exactly who you are every time they get an email from you. As a result, they will open it to read more. 

On the other hand, if you are just like the rest of the marketers out there, then you’re never going to stand out. I don’t care how awesome your content is, it just won’t get read. Most beginners automatically assume that they are standing apart from others because we are all unique people, right? You cannot expect your subscribers to simple know this. Strive to be different. You can incorporate an awesome nickname or maybe even brand your company with a catchy slogan. Just strive to be different. 

If you currently working in another profession then you should consider using that as your hook. No matter how boring you may think your job is, you can use it to set yourself apart.