My Home Biz Journal

Copyright (c) Ying Hong 2007
http://www.homebizonlinethatworks.com/

What does it take to become a successful affiliate marketer? Many say that everybody can do it? Is it true? Well, yes, up to a point. Based on my personal observations, everybody with the following 5 acquirable qualities have a greater chance than others of success in affiliate marketing.

1. Ability and willingness to read.
Any new affiliate marketer will agree that starting out means dealing with information overload. There is a lot of information to digest. You need to learn how each affiliate program works. This includes, but not limited to, going through the training programs, understanding the compensation plans, making use of the marketing aids, checking out the help resources, as well as continuous research on or off line on related topics. The reading is instructional and usually reader friendly. If you read at all and are motivated enough to learn the material, you should have no problem. If you love reading and read efficiently, then you are at an advantage.

2. Ability to take actions.
Reading is important, but actions are paramount. There will be a lot of tips, secrets, and success recipes offered on the market. You do not have to read all of them to be successful. In fact, the average set of tips or secret strategies will probably work wonders if you just act upon them. One step taken is one step closer to your goal. If you do anything and get anything done in your daily routine, as an average person does, you have it in you to take actions.

3. Ability and willingness to maintain a budget.
Many people want an Internet business for free, which, I hate to break it to you, is not realistic, nor the wisest. Although there are a lot of free resources that you can tap into (and you should definitely tap into them), relying solely on them will greatly limit the potential of the business opportunity you pursue. Setting a budget (and sticking to it, of course), as in any business venture, is necessary; it can enable you to make progress a lot faster. A well considered budget will save you both time and money in the long run. Serious affiliate marketers will eventually get a domain name, a web site and a good hosting service. If you can save $1 a day, which is easy to achieve, you can get all of the aforementioned, plus some amount of advertising, for a year.

4. Ability to see the big picture
The big picture consists of the building of steps upon steps with the final composite translated into financial reward. The consistent accumulation of the effort is what works, not any particular action or any miracle turnkey system. Many people fail because they give up before they build the whole picture, which they probably didn't see in the first place. If you can see the big picture (and you should because you are reading this article), you have an advantage over them as you will know to focus your energy on building the picture instead of being distracted by unrealistic expectations.

5. Ability to realize that success is a habit
Advertisements of affiliate marketing opportunities have made them sound like successes overnight. The truth is, with so many steps to build upon each other, success can hardly happen overnight; there is just not enough time. Success is a habit, in affiliate marketing, in any ventures, and in life. Follow the discipline recommended in your training consistently. Those who persevere will be rewarded of their effort. If you choose to get in the habit, success will come knock on your door. You certainly have the ability to choose.

In conclusion, the above mentioned 5 qualities are major tenets in the work ethics of a successful affiliate marketer. These qualities are not privileges of a few but can be acquired by anyone with a willing mind. Get the right mindset and focus on cultivating the habit of success, you may be pleasantly surprised sooner than you expect.

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