Time Management 101 – Outsourcing
Remember the first site you’ve ever published? You know, that ugly template-ish thing you spent so much time putting together and which never converted (then again, you probably didn’t even know what conversions are back then)?
The beautiful thing about having money is that you will never ever have to go through something like that again. You have an idea, then pay a designer and a writer to make things happen: bam, there’s your site! There’s so much competition out there that freelancers are working for practically nothing these days.
Finding Freelancers Who Know What They’re Doing
It’s perfectly natural to want things on the cheap but seriously, don’t go too far. If you always chase after bargains, you’re going to end up working with people who don’t have a clue and that’s always bad for business.
Think about it: let’s assume that a decent designer (lots of positive testimonials, an impressive portfolio and so on) charges $100 for a fully coded landing page and that lots of beginners (no portfolio whatsoever and maybe a couple of testimonials) only charge $40. If you go with the person with a great track record, you’ll probably receive a landing page which converts (we can assume that based on the fact that the reputable designer in question has worked with a lot of affiliate marketers) but if you want to save a buck and choose to go with a beginner, it’s hit or miss.
Good Case Scenario, Bad Case Scenario
If the beginner does a great job, you’ve saved $60 but if not, you’ll probably lose a lot of money. Aside from the fact that you’ll have to pay for another landing page at the very least (if you continue to work with the beginner, you’ll probably have to order a handful of landing pages until he finally gets it right), you need to also take the money spent on traffic (probably a good chunk of change) into consideration.
Is it really worth it? Sure, you can save 60 bucks but you’ll probably lose hundreds of dollars as well as time by not working with people who know what they’re doing. Do yourself a favor and learn from the mistakes others have made. You’re better off hiring freelancers with a proven track record, far less variables involved. Given the fact that you probably have a lot on your mind as it is, the last thing you have time for is babysitting a beginner.
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Most people start out by thinking that being an affiliate marketer is a piece of cake: sitting in front of your computer for a while, checking your stats and… well, that would pretty much be it according to most folks.
In a way, they’re actually right. There are a handful of marketers out there who have decided that they no longer want to hustle, that they want to take it easy and limit themselves to simply keeping their current projects alive. Sure, that involves work as well but still, we could say that these people are “living the live”.
But Can You Do That?
Probably, but definitely not right from the beginning! The problem is that the affiliate marketers who have decided to take it easy are a minority and that getting there was anything but a walk in the park.
Most (probably all) of the people who are now “living the life” have started out as workaholics, there’s just no other way. Learning the ropes, banging your head against the wall, making mistakes: it’s all a part of the game! Some people quit, others keep on hustling. The world can sometimes be a painfully simple place, there are winners and there are losers.
Adapt or Give Up
Unfortunately, nobody really cares if you think that life’s hard. The world is what it is, the Web is what it is. There are lots of life-changing opportunities out there and it’s ultimately your responsibility to make things happen. Ask any successful (online or offline) business owner out there, you simply have to suck it up and hustle when you’re starting out.
After one of your businesses (maybe a site, maybe a campaign, maybe several campaigns) is pretty much on autopilot, then maybe (just maybe) you can afford to take it easy for a while and reap the rewards of your hard work. After the (short) celebration though, it’s back to hustling if you want to stay on top.
If making lots of money online were as easy as most people think it is, everyone would be doing it. Why work 9 to 5 if you can make 10x more money just like that? Here’s the thing: yes, there are countless “harder” careers out there but this doesn’t mean that anyone and his dog can make it as an affiliate marketer. In fact, most people fail miserably because they’re not willing to keep at it when things get tough. Adapt or give up, what will it be?
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Taking a Loss Again and Again… and Again?
It’s no secret that as an affiliate marketer, you need to risk money to make money. There’s just no other way. Test and see what sticks, that’s pretty much all there is to it concept-wise.
In theory, you could even sell used toothpicks if you spend lots of time and money in order to find people who would actually be willing to buy something like that. And since we’re looking at 10 figures when it comes to the number of Internet users, you’re bound to find at least one demographic that converts.
But Is Every Campaign Worth It?
Of course not! Yes, you could even sell used toothpicks if you were to test and test until you find people who are willing to buy them but we’re talking about so few potential customers and so much hassle that it just wouldn’t be worth it.
The time required to turn such a campaign into something profitable is always better spent working on campaigns with potential which can actually be scaled. But if you’re interested in becoming a professional time waster sure, go for it.
What If I’m Not Bill Gates?
Leaving campaigns which don’t have any potential whatsoever aside, there are lots which do have potential but are extremely “tricky”. In other words, campaigns which are definitely scalable but which practically devour a small budget just like that.
Just how much can you afford to pay for data? If you get carried away, there’s always the risk of being stuck with an “almost there” campaign and a depleted budget. You need to be realistic, painfully realistic. Your financial situation is what it is, end of story. Once you have more money to work with, you can afford to play the game on a different level but for now, focus on making the most out of your current situation.
Where Do You Draw the Line?
As an affiliate marketer, you need to know when to say no and move on. Analyze the data you have at your disposal and rationally determine if tweaking the campaign is worth it or not.
Let the numbers do all of the talking and based on your financial situation, decide what the best approach is. Don’t let your ego get the best of you and don’t take the “test, test and test some more ‘till something sticks” concept too far. Seriously, don’t!
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Modeling vs. Copying
It is extremely important to point out that you shouldn’t mistake “modeling” after your competition with “copying” your competition. The difference is huge, and most newbs find out the hard way. Not only is copying a competitor’s campaign looked down upon and straight up unethical, but it’s also absolutely retarded in the sense that you do not stand a chance. Your competitors already have an established CTR and account history which will make their CPC substantially lower than anything you could come close to starting off with.
With this being said, it would be very hard off the bat for your ad variation to be ranked higher than that of the person you are copying from and if they are listed above you, why would a user click on your ad variation as opposed to the competitor’s? They won’t and if they go to you AFTER they went to your competitor’s landing page, what exactly is it about yours that would make them buy from you? Moral of the story: DONT COPY!
Now “modeling” off your competition on the other hand is completely different. When you model after your competition, you are looking at HOW they are promoting their offer(s) and analyzing the best ways to promote that niche (ex: Review Page, Flogs, Direct Linking). Based on this, you develop your OWN landing page using similar tactics, but work to IMPROVE what you feel you can. This can be as simple as a better color scheme, better pictures, more attractive banners and so on.
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