Why Is Affiliate Marketing Not Working for Me?

One of the frustrations that many affiliate marketers face is why they struggle to make money yet affiliate marketing is said to be one of the easiest ways to make money online. If you are struggling with affiliate marketing, even with the best affiliate program, you’re not alone. However, before you give up, you should first understand why your strategies are not paying off. 

You’re Promoting the Wrong Products

Affiliate programs give marketers the freedom to market the products as they deem fit. The reason for this is affiliate marketers target different audiences, so you should market products that most appeal to your audience. 

Most affiliate marketers understandably go for high-ticket products because they’ll earn more from each sale. However, promoting high-ticket products to an audience that cannot afford them will not earn you any money. 

When making your choice of products to promote, you should ask yourself which ones are likely to have a higher conversion rate. It is always best to promote products with different rice tags as you study audience engagement and their response to the different prices. 

Failure to Market Product Discounts

Consumers love discounts, but many affiliate marketers overlook the power of highlighting this benefit when promoting products. Affiliate programs use different strategies when offering discounts. For example, some stagger discounts at different times and for specific products. Many consumers miss out on these offers, or they rely on affiliate marketers to highlight them.

Affiliate marketing may not be working for you because you are not taking advantage of discounted products. If there are products on sale, you should highlight these, especially if it is for a limited period. 

You’re Targeting the Wrong Audience

One of your first responsibilities as an affiliate marketer is to determine your market. Are you targeting men, women, or both? Are you promoting products to parents with young kids or those with teenagers? What of the age group? Do you prefer promoting products to people of a specific age group?

There are several indicators that you’re targeting the wrong audience.

• You have a low conversion rate: Even if you have high traffic or many clicks to your affiliate link, if they don’t convert into sales, they are not worth much. There may be several reasons why you have low conversions, including the fact that you’re marketing to the wrong audience.
• Most of those in your email list are unsubscribing: Depending on the means you used to get your mailing list, you should be concerned when you have too many people unsubscribing to your newsletters. Chances are, they are doing it because they are not interested in what you’re selling. 
• The sales cycle is too long: If you are taking too long to make sales, despite your efforts and multiple marketing channels, you’re working with the wrong audience. This is especially true if the affiliate program has a low payout threshold. 

Although it is easy to assume that you can target everyone, this is not always the case. Of course, there are some exceptions. For example, the Amazon affiliate program and Luca’s Gift offer a range of products for people of all ages and interests. 

You probably won’t have to worry much about the audience if you join the best affiliate program. However, you also have the freedom to narrow your products or audience if you wish to be more specific.

Failure to Mention the Benefits of Using Affiliate Links

Most brands, including those with the best affiliate programs, try to support their affiliate marketers in multiple ways. For example, Luca's Gift affiliate program offers a 20% discount on affiliate links. This is information that your audience needs to know. 

By neglecting to mention this, you’re assuming that your audience is aware or that they have the time or are willing to find out the benefits by themselves. You lose nothing by telling your audience that they will make a saving when they use your affiliate link. 

You should also disclose to your audience that you stand to earn a commission when they use the affiliate link. Most people are ready to support you, especially if they are grateful for the information they receive from you. They also understand that this is your business.

When you write content, you should disclose the affiliate link:

• Using clear and concise language: At a glance, your audience should immediately be made aware that you’ll be making money when they make a purchase using the affiliate link.
• In a prominent location: You should find the best location for the affiliate link in your blog post, gift guides, or other resources, such as on your YouTube description box. 

You should also personalize the affiliate link disclosure using a tone that best connects with your audience. 

The Affiliate Program Is Too Saturated

Affiliate marketing is highly competitive, especially affiliate programs that have been here for ages. For example, the Amazon Associates program was launched in 1996, and it has more than 900,000 active affiliates. If you join the affiliate program, you’ll be competing with all these affiliates. 

You may have a harder time standing out in such an affiliate program. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t make it. You just have to be creative and maybe patient. You could also specialize in new but marketable products that are yet to attract the attention of many affiliates.

Alternatively, you should join an affiliate program that is still fairly new, and that gives you greater flexibility to promote a range of products to a large audience. 

Your Content Is Not Relatable

Posting content is one way to get audience engagement which often results in higher conversion. However, the quality of the content matters. This is what will help you stand out from other affiliate marketers. You’re probably struggling because your content is not relatable or appealing enough.

You can do the following to improve the quality of your content.

• Offer solutions: Most people respond to content that gives them answers to some of the questions that they have. The information should be related to the products you’re promoting. 
• Identify missing content: Undoubtedly, one of the hardest things about affiliate marketing is creating unique content. With millions of affiliate marketers doing the same thing, it is a little difficult to be a little different, but you can do it. Your audience may be your source of inspiration. 
• Give regular updates: If there is any new information regarding the products you promote, ensure you update your audience. For example, if there are new products or discounts, let your audience know. 
• Tell personal stories: Don’t sound so detached from the products you promote. Your audience naturally assumes that you use the products and are aware of the quality, pros, and cons. Share your stories in a way that will connect with your audience. 

Poor Marketing Techniques

Some marketers assume that once they join the best affiliate program, their work is done. Thinking this way will set you up for failure. As an affiliate marketer, you should determine which marketing strategy you intend to use. It may be blogs, videos, social media, and social media pages. 

Evaluate the response of each technique, and if it is not working, tweak it until you see a change in engagement and conversion. You should also ensure that your website is optimized because it will be easier for your content to be visible and boost traffic to your affiliate marketing site. 

You’re Not Using Affiliate Marketing Tools

There are so many affiliate marketing tools that are designed to make your work easier. You will also have accurate information on the effectiveness of the marketing campaign you use and the conversion. If you are not using these tools, you are working blind. You’ll be making guesses regarding the marketing techniques, your audience, and their response to the products you promote. 

There are several marketing tools available, but you have to choose those that suit your needs and budget. The tools include:

• Affiliate tracking software: These will help you get insights into consumer behavior and marketing trends. You can also use these tools to keep track of your earnings, visit old campaigns, and create marketing strategies. Examples include Affise and Voluum.  
• Web analytics: Get real-time data on what is happening with your website. Google Analytics will show your reach, bounce rate, and engagement. 
• Writing assistant: You can improve the quality of your content using Grammarly, and Hemmingway Editor.   
• Scheduling tools: You can improve your productivity by scheduling your blog posts and editorial processes using Google Calendar and  Coschedule.  

The affiliate marketing tools offer a range of features and benefits, but if you don’t have a budget for them, you can start with the free tools first. As you grow, you can invest in alternative tools that will take your affiliate marketing journey to the next level. 

Patience is a virtue that you should practice in affiliate marketing. It takes time for a business to take off, and affiliate marketing is not any different. However, you will have an easier time if you set the right foundation, by choosing the best affiliate program, building an audience, and using the right marketing tools. Over time, your efforts will pay off.