This post is in response to the Uber Affiliate, Paul Bourque’s blog post titled “lessons.” This is pretty much just my random list of lessons I have learned throughout my short life of 18 years. If I covered some of the same points the Uber Affiliate covered, I apologize. It wasn’t intentional.
- Affiliate Marketing is real, it works, and it’s awesome.
- Just Do It! We all love cliché’s right? There is so much to learn just by doing it! If you have a question, ask it. If you have an idea, launch it! This point has been beat to death by most affiliate marketers, but it is the most important rule in affiliate marketing and life itself. If I have a question I usually blog about it, and during my time writing the blog post I usually find the answer on my own. It seems that the universe (or God) gives you what you’re looking for just for showing some effort. Sounds lame, but it’s true.
- Reading is the key to all knowledge. The most intelligent people read. On the contrary, the biggest idiots in the world don’t.
- Do NOT bid $5.00 + on google adwords keywords on your first campaign (not to mention your second, third, fourth, or 20th unless you know exactly what you’re doing). This is a sure way to lose several hundred dollars over night. Read my post describing my blooper.
- Read all of the affiliate marketing blogs you can get your eyes on. Then refer to bullet point #1. DO IT! Practice what you have been reading. You’ll fail, but you’ll learn a ton!
- Don’t go on a domain buying spree! Buying a domain is the easiest step in the process of creating a website. Building the content and designing the look of the site will take the most thought and time. The typical noob will buy a bunch of domains like acaiberryrocks.com, or ilostamillionpoundswithacaiberry.com or something lame like that. Don’t do it. Build the site first, then buy the domain if it turns out how you think it will. Chances are a domain like ilostamillionpoundswithacaiberry.com will still be available when you’re done building the site.
- Use a domain search tool like Instant Domain Search to quickly search domain names. Don’t go to godaddy.com each time you want to buy a domain. Godaddy sucks in my opinion and searching for a domain there sucks worse. Slow, sluggish, and there are too many advertisements around every corner.
- You’ll usually want to put an RSS feed of some sort on your site for spider food. Use this feed converter to easily insert an rss feed on your site.
- Give service. Share your information – even your secrets. 99% of the time your “secrets” really aren’t that secret and you will gain more out of helping a noob out then you would had you held your tongue.
- Network. Networking is invaluable. This is definitely an area that I need to focus and work on. The contacts I do have though have helped out immensely.
- Stay out of debt. Debt sucks and it will drain you emotionally, mentally, and in a million other ways. Debt is fun to get into, but getting out is definitely a beyatch. Not to mention, you won’t have much to invest back into affiliate marketing.
- Be honest. This is tough to say, especially when referring to affiliate marketing, but being honest is being safe. I used to think it was cool to download music from places like limewire and use “borrowed” programs from people. I have been “clean” as far as using digitally “borrowed” goods goes for quite a while now and it feels good. 99.9999% chance you won’t ever be caught, but it’s not worth it. Clear your damn conscience and quit illegally downloading stuff. I’ve persuaded most of my close associates to kick the “free digital goods” habit as well. You will be rewarded for supporting the artists (in the case of music) and the publishers (in the case of software) in some way or another. Yeah, paying up is expensive, but just do it (yeah, it feels weird buying music). I’d be willing to bet that you’re just as guilty as I was in this regard. Laugh at my post, then go uninstall bit-torrent and limewire.
- Don’t piss people off by taking up all of their time because you think you’re extra special and worthy of their complete and undivided attention. My rant about this.
- Failure is success in a different package. All failure is success if you learn what the failure was trying to teach you. Cute, eh? True.
- All knowledge is good knowledge. Don’t excuse yourself from learning because you’re ignorant.
- Being cynical only hurts yourself.
- Listen to music that makes you feel good. I personally listen to everything from Rock to rap to classical. Just make sure that what you’re listening to motivates you to succeed. You’ll know by that tingly feeling you get inside when listening to it. I’ve felt the “tingle” while listening to every kind of music – yes, even rap.
- Be positive. I suck at this because it’s so easy to complain and put blame on yourself and other people. Being negative doesn’t do anybody any good. At the same time though, unrealistic optimism is the root of pecimism. People that take pride in being happier than other people piss me off. It’s outrageous to say you will make water out of wine when your actions don’t reflect what you say you will do. Make your actions match your expectations and goals.
- Get out of your comfort zone. I hate this lesson, but it’s true. There is a lot to gain when you are put in uncomfortable situations.
- Never use the same password for all of your accounts. If someone is a lucky guess (and you can bet people have tried), you can say goodbye to your reputation.
- Listen to, watch, and absorb the news. Don’t excuse yourself from it by saying that “it’s too negative” – oldest excuse for being lazy in the book. Knowing what’s going on in the world will benefit you financially as well as in many other ways.
- Find several blogs in your area of interest and check them once, twice, or a million times a day. Or just sign up for their RSS feed, this is more convenient, but you don’t get the instant rush of euophria when you type in the web address. Nor do you get to practice your sweet typing skills.
- Learn how to type. You’re screwed in this world without typing at least 50 wpm.
- Be observant. There is always something to learn. Take life’s subtle lessons as they come and use them for what they’re worth. Simple things are usually the deepest.
- Don’t take anyone’s bullshit. You can be whatever and whoever you want. Nobody can tell you otherwise. The secret to life is knowing that you can be what you want to be.
- America is the greatest country on the face of the earth. God Bless It, the President (I don’t care which one), and the soldiers protecting it.
- Start a blog. Writing helps you think and there have been countless times I have gone back and read my own blog for information on a topic that I forgot about. (wordpress is the best blog software and it’s 100% free. let me know if you need help installing it.)
- Don’t impulse buy online. Check Slickdeals.net, Fatwallet.com or any other deal website for better deals. They’re out there. Or type in “buy.com coupon codes” into google before making any purchase (assuming you’re buying something at buy.com).
- Before buying any product, type “[product name] sucks” into google. This will bring up all of the bad, negative, and most likely the helpful stuff you want to read before buying. This will help you make a more informed decision before you buy. My post about this.
- Ebay blows. So does paypal. Unfortunately they are the best and we wouldn’t be where we are in the digital world without them. But for the love of all that is holy, somebody needs to compete!
- Don’t get taken to the cleaners by outsourcing work. If a “partnership” with a foreign client sounds too good to be true, it is!
- “Super Duper” is quite possibly the coolest combo of words that were ever put together.
- Start good habits when you’re young, and don’t start bad ones (i.e. bad language).
- Don’t give 25 minute long prayers. Nobody cares to hear them except you and God. Save the long winded ones for personal time.
- The Juicy Rom is the best and fastest for the Sprint Diamond.
- Don’t give up.
- Facebook is better than Myspace.
- Don’t screw with the law, it will catch up to you and it’s not fun when it does.
- Lawyers are the sharpest people on the planet.
- Believe in some higher power. Call it God, call it whatever you like. It will keep you humble and being humble is the only way to progress.
- Set goals. And always remember that the road to achieving a goal is always better than the realization that the goal was met. Earl Nightingale talked about this in his book Lead The Field – one of the best books in the world. Definitely worth your time reading. I’ve listened to it at least 10 times and I enjoy it the same or more every time.
Thanks for reading. I hope you gained some knowledge or insight. I know I did while writing it. Cheers to the Uber Affiliate for encouraging this post. Make sure you check out his blog if you’re an affiliate marketer.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Cowboy,
Good post. I’m glad to say I read it all.
Posted witg my Sprint Diamond.
Thanks, Hat.
Just try not to hold this post against me.
Hmmm.. I agree with 99% of that.. except for the bit about America.. I’d have to say Australia is a million times better.. lol
Then again, I live in Australia and *love* my country.. so we may have to agree to disagree on this one
- paul
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