6 Huge Misconceptions about Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is an incredibly powerful tool that almost every SEO specialist has relied on at some point. Many companies turn to outsource SEO with affiliate marketing as one of their main goals, alongside other useful tasks like building backlinks.

However, this has also meant that many people are trying to capitalize on the sudden spike in the average demand for an SEO specialist with affiliate marketing experience. This popularity means that myths have started to spread – some of which are blatantly untrue and harmful to any new SEO specialist entering the industry.

It’s only for large companies

Affiliate marketing can be used by any business, even the smallest of independent local businesses. The only limitation is how much affiliate marketing you can afford and whether or not it is the right time to actually pursue affiliate marketing instead of improving your business at its core.

It takes no skill

A lot of people, especially ignorant managers, tend to think that affiliate marketing is a fire-and-forget technique. However, it takes a huge amount of skill to target affiliates in the right way, build up the correct kind of relationships, and maintain a consistent affiliate marketing strategy in the long term.

It’s about lying to customers

This myth comes from a handful of shady companies that spoiled everything for the entire industry. Affiliate marketing should be all about openness and honesty – but many influencers, companies, and Fiverr SEO scammers decided to try more underhanded tactics to promote products.
Proper affiliate marketing is all about spreading knowledge of products in a clear and open way, in accordance with the relevant laws and requirements about disclosing brand deals and promotions. Customers are not supposed to be lied to, just marketed towards.

It’s dead

Is affiliate marketing dead? Of course not – but many people like to claim so anyway. Whether they are just uninformed or actively trying to discourage new competitors from entering the industry, affiliate marketing is very much alive and is still a very desirable skill for a freelance SEO specialist or marketing expert.

It’s about volume

While having more affiliates is good, it is not the only way that you will earn money. Many people end up thinking that more affiliates means more money, but that is hardly the case at all – affiliates need to be good to actually turn you a profit, and that means selecting the right ones. Affiliate marketing involves spreading limited funds and resources to the right people at the right time.

It’s easy

Affiliate marketing can be tough, surprisingly tougher than you might first think. It is no more difficult than any other major type of marketing, but it also is not any easier – you still need to balance a lot of information, keep track of individual marketing strategies and make sure that everything comes together in a way that you planned.

Affiliate marketing can be a complex but rewarding field, and there are countless people who have turned it into their specialty. Whatever you are aiming for, it is important to remember that you can’t always believe the rumors you hear online, especially about a field that only a handful of people will ever completely master.

Also Read: 4 Things to Consider Before Choosing an Affiliate Marketing Program