Knocking The Mythology Out of Affiliate Network Marketing
by Isaiah Hull

If you have worked as an Internet marketer for any amount of time, you have probably heard repeatedly that affiliatenetwork marketing opportunities are the most lucrative,cleanest, quickest way to make an income on the Internet.And if you have actually tried affiliate network marketingfor any amount of time, you more than likely ended up brokeor never achieved more than modest, fluctuating success. ..like almost everyone else who goes into the field.

So what prevents you and 97% of all other affiliatemarketers from succeeding while 3% continually rakes in 70%of the profits? Are they smarter than you are? Do they work harder and longer than you do? Do they know a bunch ofobscure secrets that you do not?--No, but they do have atotally different mindset.

In order to become successful in affiliate network marketing, you must destroy the mythological mindsetthat most people bring to the business. You muststay firmly grounded in reality if you ever want to succeed.

How many times have you heard about some little old ladythat only spends 3 hours a week on her computer and somehowearns $50,000 a month? And how many times have you read anad that tells you how you can make $10,000 in one monthfrom now if you sign up right away?

We have all seen these ads and we have all responded tothem at one time or another. Chances are, if you're in an affiliate program now, you were hooked by a line likethat. But what separates the "gurus" from the people who make little or no money is that the gurus understand what this really is: mythology. These stories,while they might be true, promote mythological thinkingthat tricks people into trying every opportunity that looksgood at the moment, rather than focusing on a single opportunity.

These "opportunities" not only prevent you from succeeding,but they have an even nastier byproduct: they promote themythology that you either succeed on the Internet in 15 minutes or you will never succeed at all.

This is simply not true, yet it is the reason why almostno one succeeds with affiliate marketing: they can neverstay with one opportunity more than a couple months. If they do not have instant success, they give up and moveon--restarting the same building process they abandoned.They never reap the profit of cumulative efforts. Theybuild a foundation, they leave before starting the actualbuilding--and then they move to another company, start thefoundation, and then leave once again.

Without exception, every successful Internet marketer has spent an enormous amount of time both researching and experimenting with online business. Most have failed miserably a number of times and most have spent a significant amount of time working their way to the top and achieving profit. It really is pretty hard toearn an income on the Internet, but it is entirely doable if you are following a proven plan and if you arewilling to abandon lofty mythology for a plan rootedin reality.

Affiliate marketing is one of the best places to start making a profit online. In fact, almost every successful Internet marketer I know started her career sellingaffiliate products. Many of them still do. What made themsuccessful is that they found a legitimate opportunity to make money (whether or not it was the best one available),they found replicable processes that got them visitors andprofit, and then they repeated those processes andreinvested those profits until they got to where they arenow.

Most people cannot accept that making money with affiliateprograms is this simple. I have found that mostaffiliate marketers who do not earn an income online eithera) do not want to do actual work or b) have developed a mythological mindset from reading affiliate programadvertisements--and can only think in terms of makingmoney on the Internet through magic, rather than results-oriented action.

In closing, I will summarize and then dispel all of thepopular Internet affiliate marketing myths, so you can skipthe learning curve and start building your empire today:

Myth #1: There is an affiliate program out there thatwill do all of the work for you and make you rich withoutrequiring effort on your part.

Truth: You have a much better chance of earning an incomeon the Internet if you work on the affiliate program you are in currently in (as long as it is a legitimateopportunity) than if you search the entire Internet for a better opportunity. There is definitely a lotto be said for having a responsive, successful upline, butultimately, your success will depend on your actions.You can sell anything on the Internet; you just have tospend enough time in the building and learning process.

Myth #2: You must spend an exorbitant amount of money onadvertising to make money on the Internet.

Truth: Every single successful Internet marketer puts heavy testing, good design, and reliable follow-up over heavy spending. They minimize costs and they makesure what they are actually spending produces empirically-acceptable results.

If you ignore this you will fail. A lot of real lifecorporations spend thousands of dollars monthly on PPC campaigns and end up making no money at all becausethey don't start small and test their results. They justthrow money at the problem and hope for sales. You don't have thousands of dollars to throw away,so don't do this.

Myth #3: You will succeed or fail on the Internet or on anyInternet money-making venture within month.

Truth: Most Internet marketers have spent time buildingan enormous empire with big mailing lists and regularwebsite visitors. They worked to become successful. Youmust also.

If you want to find an affiliate program that makes you rich instantly without putting in any work, then continuespending money. Send me an email when you find it becauseI have personally looked at hundreds--and while some arebetter than others--none offer success without action.

The Internet is riddled with mythology. If you want to succeed, you must reject this mythology and look for clear,work-for-results solutions. You must create plans andput them into action immediately. You must build and cultivate a base of subscribers and visitors. And aboveall, you must accept that you can only achieve profitthrough sweat, not luck.

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Isaiah Hull is the CEO of an internet business, a publisherof two business newsletters, PTL of several affiliate programs, and a business trainer for his affiliates.On 11/10/04, he released a brand-new free internet income course to address the major changes in internet marketing:Work At Home Right Now

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