I think anyone who gets into affiliate marketing has a dream of making it big. They’ve heard how much money can be made and can’t wait to live a life of doing little work for a big reward.
But there is a difference between having a dream and actually making things happen. And this comes down to your priorities.
If you are like most people that start out with affiliate marketing, you’ll no doubt be still working your 9-5 job while you get the hang of things and start to scale your business. You may enjoy having the security of that regular pay check, or you may have the luxury of being able to live with your parents with basically no expenses to worry about.
If you are still in your 9 to 5, don’t worry. You still have potential to be a super affiliate, but it will depend on what kind of person you are and how much effort you put into your business.
Are you a dreamer? Or are you a mover and shaker? Not sure which one? Let’s take a look at the difference between the two.
A dreamer
If you are a dreamer, then you are likely to do the following things while working your day job:
- You tell people about all the nice things you are going to have ‘one day’.
- You get home from work every day and need to relax. You spend time watching TV, having a nap, and taking time out for yourself before even thinking about affiliate marketing.
- You might spend some time reading blogs about affiliate marketing from time to time.
- You likely spend an hour a day maximum setting up affiliate marketing campaigns and working on your strategies. The weekend is no different, even though you have more time than you normally would on a week day. Friday night is all about letting loose and celebrating that you made it to the end of the week.
- You like to spend hours on social media and organising your social life.
A mover and a shaker
You can be described as a mover and a shaker if you have the following traits:
- Even though you have a 9-5 which you devote yourself to, you are able to access your campaigns through your phone so you can keep track of what’s going on.
- There’s no time to rest when 5pm hits. You are out the door, eat a quick snack and then jump on your laptop to see how your campaigns are doing.
- You don’t even bother getting changed when you get home from work. The next 4-5 hours will be dedicated to working on your affiliate marketing as much as you can.
- You often don’t get to bed until well after midnight – you are just simply too excited about making things happen. Waiting for ad approvals, working on your blog and setting up new campaigns is far more beneficial than sleep… right?
- You don’t make plans for the weekend – that’s another two whole days that you can spend working on your affiliate career. Who needs a social life anyway?
Which one are you?
And which type of person do you think has the best shot of making it as a super affiliate?
If you guessed the mover and shaker, then of course you are right.
Now you may feel that you are a bit of both. And while that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the only way you are going to be able to become a super affiliate is if you have an all or nothing approach.
Only movers and shakers can be super affiliates
The thing about movers and shakers is that they make things happen.
When it comes to affiliate marketing, most people will tell you that the right way to go about things is to keep working on your day job while you learn all that you can and start making money. They’ll tell you that you should only quit your day job when you are making an almost equivalent amount to your salary on a steady basis.
But what is different about movers and shakers is that they are able to do whatever it takes to reach their goals. I know one guy who quit his job with only enough living expenses to last him a couple of months, but he basically worked 24/7 to make things happen. He forgot about his social life, he just focussed on learning all that he could and putting in the hard work.
A mover and shaker is the kind of person that would feel totally ok with spending their last $50 on an ad campaign, rather than going to the grocery store to buy the food they need. They may even resort to digging in their own trash or visiting their parents a lot more just to be able to physically survive. As long as they are progressing in their affiliate marketing business, then that’s all that matters.
Do you have what it takes?
If you currently recognise yourself as a dreamer, then I’m sorry to say that it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to reach super affiliate level – ever.
But if you are really committed to following your dreams of having financial independence with only having to work just a few hours a day, then putting in the hard work now is not going to be seen as a hindrance, just something you have to do to get where you want to be.