It’s tempting, isn’t it? If you’re just getting into affiliate marketing, or you’re a seasoned marketer looking for some quick cash, this seems like an easy and lucrative route to take.
There’s a seemingly endless market of people out there who will buy the lies…
The software that promises money will come flying out of your hard drive with the push of a button…The forex robots that promise earnings on par with winning the lottery…. The diet pills that promise you’ll wake up tomorrow with Jennifer Lopez’s body without doing one ounce of exercise…The blind offers that promise mansions and Lamborghinis and private jets when you do just this one thing that we’re not going to tell you about until you spend $47…but don’t worry, it doesn’t involve work!
It’s not that this kind of business can’t be justified; it can. “Customers can get a refund if they don’t like it.” “I’m not holding a gun to their head and telling them to buy it; they’re buying it on their own free will.” “I’m just giving the market what it wants.” Etc…
You can find plenty of justifications, if this is the type of business you decide to pursue. The problem is with the inherent limits this kind of business places on you. Selling crap in a box puts you and your business in a tiny box with a lot of competition.
A tiny box because you can never build something truly great when you play at this level. You can’t think big when your business is built on roman candles where, when you stop lighting them, your business burns out and turns into a pile of ashes. Plus, it’s hard to think big when the FTC might shut your business down at any moment.
And a lot of competition because there are a ton of marketers playing at this level. It’s not that hard to prey on the desperate and there’s a lot of money in it, so it attracts a big crowd.
Creating a quality product or service, on the other hand, takes a significant investment of time and the money isn’t quick. Because you’re not selling snake oil, and you’re selling to a more discerning market, you’ve got to spend time building your reputation, getting known in the market, and earning trust.
The flip side, of course, is that you’re building a sustainable business that will be around long after the roman candles have burned out, and you won’t be on a constant desperate search to find more (often illegal and almost always unethical) roman candles. Another benefit? There’s a lot less competition at this level since most people aren’t willing to put in the time and effort to get there. Moreover, you won’t be sleeping with one eye open, wondering if tomorrow’s the day when the Grim FTC Reaper will come knocking on your office door.
But the best part about saying ‘no’ to the quick buck, and investing your time and money in building quality? You don’t have to sell a piece of your soul with every purchase.
If you’re looking to build a successful AND sustainable affiliate marketing business, you can get our how-to course here: http://affiliateattractionformula.com/