I have spied a few wicked affiliate marketing mental blocks eating into many blogger’s profits.
Let’s dive into the post to tackle these issues.
1: Feeling Bad about Selling Affiliate Stuff
I see some travel bloggers all but get on their knees and beg for forgiveness as part of their affiliate disclosure. Usually said bloggers explain – and emphasize – the small amount of money earned if readers click on certain links and buy affiliate products.
Again, I see a massive emphasis on the idea of small. As if earning a big amount of amount through an affiliate sale would be a terrible thing, and as if earning a small amount of money makes it OK for bloggers to have the audacity of…..making money through their blogging efforts!
Shame!
Joking of course, but many bloggers have terrible mental blocks around earning affiliate commissions through their blogging efforts.
Just tell people that you will earn commissions based on the sales of products on your blog. Leave it at that. No apologies. No justifying. No explaining what you intend to do with the money. Just transparency.
2: Picking Non Aligned Products to Promote
Every affiliate opportunity I promote on my blog aligns with my blog and my brand.
No confusion.
All alignment.
But many bloggers promote anything under the sun and expect to see steadily increasing profits.
Nobody cares if you promote something not aligned with your niche. If you are a blogging tips blogger why would readers be interested in a personal development affiliate offering?
Promote what you know aligns perfectly with your reader expectations. Boost blogging affiliate sales. Align your affiliate offerings with your blogging niche.
3: No Follow Up
I made a terrible mistake for many years online; I only promoted my affiliate products or services once, at best, then left things at that. I left so much dough on the table because I refused to follow up with my readers, my list and my social media buddies. I feared annoying folks versus getting clear enough on my affiliate offering that I saw how the product or service met their needs.
Since following up freely and frequently on all of my offerings – both affiliate and Blogging From Paradise related – I made much more money online. People often need to be reminded of what you offer. We all live busy lives.
Follow up with repeated calls to action. Get past the common mental block of fearing that you will annoy your readers if you send a follow up email tomorrow or perhaps 2 days from now.
If what you sell aligns with your niche and also meets a pressing reader need you better follow up to remind folks about your solution.
Don’t apologize for making a sale either. Address mistake #1 from this post frequently because a dangerous meme seems to spread throughout the travel blogging niche in particular. Folks feel so bad about making a sale and even explain in detail how they plan to use the affiliate commissions, for funding their travels or whatever.
This is lunacy.
You have every right to earn money through affiliate sales or any blogging income stream.
Accept the money offered to you by people whose problems you helped solve through your affiliate products and services.
Video
Watch this video to see me discuss the weird mental block common among travel bloggers.
These folks all but ask their readers to whip them with a wet noodle just because they are earning peanuts on an affiliate sale of a product or service.
Stop deluding yourself guys about the alleged annoyance of your audience at you promoting affiliate opportunities.
I personally love if a favorite blogger of mine offers some premium personal or affiliate product that meets my needs and have no issues dropping dough on it.
Hey; it’s only money!
Click the play button and enjoy: