SPI 292: The Dark Side of Affiliate Marketing (and How to Do It Right!)

Everything has a sort of yin and yang, dark and white, and affiliate marketing is no different. It’s important to understand the light and the darkness, so let’s go a level deeper on our affiliate marketing journey; let’s talk about the dark side of affiliate marketing.

I don’t want you to be scared of going down the affiliate marketing path; that’s not the purpose of today’s episode. I want to equip you so you know what to look out for, because affiliate marketing can be abused if you take an income-first—rather than a serve-first—approach. For a long time it had a very negative connotation, but affiliate marketing can be done in a legit way that’s a big win for everyone, so I want to change that perception.

Personally, I’ve earned over $2.5 million with affiliate marketing and have had wonderful experiences doing so. I feel that it’s my personal responsibility to teach you how to do affiliate marketing right, but also how not to do it. Take a deep breath; we’re about to venture over to the dark side. Pay close attention, because when it comes to affiliate marketing, understanding what not to do can be just as important as what you should do.

If you want to go even deeper, check out my brand-new course, 1•2•3 Affiliate Marketing, which I will be pre-selling starting Cyber Monday and closing at midnight on November 30, 2017!

And if you want to check out a free (yes, free!) affiliate marketing resource in the meantime, Affiliate Marketing the Smart Way will walk you through the more foundational affiliate marketing strategies you should use.

And hey, if you’re not following me on YouTube already, check out YouTube.com/smartpassiveincome. A lot of the gameplan for next year is very video-centric. My team and I are devoting a lot of time and energy into YouTube next year (don’t worry though, the podcast and blog aren’t going anywhere). I built out a top-of-the-line, 900 square foot studio space this year, so I’m excited to use it to share some exciting SPI videos with you soon!

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You’ll Learn

• Why it’s important to understand the dark side of affiliate marketing.
• The #1 biggest mistake that people make when they start affiliate marketing.
• How and why companies reach out to affiliates, and how this informs your decision-making.
• How the affiliate marketing decisions you make now can bubble up again in your future.
• How to stay active with your long-term affiliate relationships and your audience.
• A negative experience I had purchasing an affiliate product from a friend and what it taught me.
• Why it’s critical to be honest about what an affiliate product can and can’t do.
• My 8 Mile rule (talking about Eminem here) and how it applies to online business.
• How the law of reciprocity can boost your affiliate sales.
• Why all your income shouldn’t come from affiliate marketing.
• Why, despite the dark side, affiliate marketing is amazing and worthwhile.

Resources

Note: Some of the resources below may be affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you use that link to make a purchase.

• Affiliate Marketing – The Ultimate Step by Step Guide
• Affiliate Marketing the Smart Way
• 1•2•3 Affiliate Marketing
• Bluehost
• ConvertKit
• CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction)
• Smart Passive Income Podcast Episode 009: Make the Web a More Wonderful Place with Nicole Dean
• Smart Passive Income on YouTube

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