3 Surprising Reasons Affiliate Marketing Feels So Confusing

Affiliate Marketing Looks Pretty Simple at First

Image of a confused affiliate marketer not knowing what to do.

Affiliate Marketing Beginner Series

Part 1: 3 Surprising Reasons Affiliate Marketing Feels So Confusing

Part 2: Affiliate Marketing: 3 Smart Ways to Be Focused

Part 3: 3 Wins for Better Affiliate Marketing Almost Daily

At first glance, it seems pretty straightforward.

Then you start learning about it, and before long you have nine tabs open, three videos playing, and no clue what you were trying to do in the first place.

Funny how that happens, isn’t it?

And here’s the strange part.

The thing making affiliate marketing feel so hard may not be the thing you think it is.

It may not be a lack of skill.

It may not be a lack of tools.

It may not even be a lack of time.

The real problem may be that you have too much stuff coming at you all at once.

It Starts Out Simple

When most people first hear about affiliate marketing, the idea makes sense.

You find a product or service.

You tell people about it.

You use your special affiliate link.

If somebody buys through your link, you may earn a payment for helping make the sale. That payment is called a commission.

Well, shoot.

That doesn’t sound too bad.

Then you start looking around online.

That’s when things can get messy.

Now people are talking about funnels, email lists, landing pages, paid ads, free traffic, SEO, autoresponders, lead magnets, and copywriting.

And probably 20 other things I forgot to mention.

If you don’t know what half of those words mean, that’s okay. That’s the point. It’s a lot.

At some point, you start thinking:

“Do I really need to learn all this before I can do anything?”

Good news.

No.

You don’t.

The Internet Gives You Too Many Choices

A marketer is stuck, because there are so many choices on the internet

One thing the internet is never short on is advice.

Everybody has a method.

Everybody has a tool.

Everybody has a video you “must watch.”

One person says traffic is everything. Another says email is the most important part. Somebody says you need to build a brand. Somebody else says blogging is dead. Five minutes later, another person says blogging is the best thing since sliced bread.

Now your head hurts.

It’s like walking into a diner where the waitress hands you a menu with 2,000 meals on it.

You think, “Wow, look at all these choices.”

Twenty minutes later, you’re still trying to decide between meatloaf, tacos, pancakes, and something you can’t pronounce.

More choices don’t always make life easier.

Sometimes they just make it harder to choose.

Affiliate marketing can feel the same way.

So what do most beginners do?

They keep reading.

You Can Learn All Day and Still Go Nowhere

You may even feel like you’re working. You’re watching videos, reading posts, saving links, and taking notes.

But there’s a little trap hiding in there.

Learning can feel like doing.

It’s not always the same thing.

You can watch ten videos about traffic.

But if you never send anyone to your page, you still have no traffic.

You can study writing for a month.

But if you never write a post, nobody can read it.

You can learn how funnels work. (A funnel is just a set of pages that walks a person from one step to the next.)

But if you never get your own system ready, that knowledge just sits there.

It’s kind of like reading a book about fishing every day but never putting a hook in the water.

You might know a whole lot about fish.

But supper may still be peanut butter.

Affiliate marketing works the same way.

At some point, you have to stop reading and start doing.

You Don’t Need to Learn All of Affiliate Marketing Right Now

This may be the most useful thing I can tell you.

You don’t need to learn all of affiliate marketing at once.

You only need to learn what you need for the step you’re on.

If you’re setting up your system, work on setup.

If you’re learning how affiliate marketing works, learn the basic process.

If your setup is done and you need visitors, focus on traffic.

If you’re writing content, work on writing better content.

You can learn the next thing when you get to it.

That takes a lot of weight off your shoulders.

You don’t have to figure out the whole business today.

You just need to handle the next step.

Ask a Better Question

Feeling great, just finished my first task, in my Affiliate Marketing project.

A lot of beginners ask:

“What should I be doing?”

That question is too big.

There are a hundred answers.

Try this instead:

“What is the one thing I need to finish next?”

That’s a much better question.

Maybe you need to finish your setup.

Maybe you need to write one blog post.

Maybe you need to check your affiliate link.

Maybe you need to learn one traffic method.

Maybe you need to follow up with someone who already showed interest.

Your answer may be different from mine.

That’s fine.

The key word is one.

Not seven.

Not twelve.

One.

One finished job beats five half-done jobs every time.

You Don’t Need the Perfect Plan

Another thing that slows people down is trying to get everything just right.

They want the perfect website.

The perfect traffic method.

The perfect logo.

The perfect blog post.

The perfect plan.

You can spend a lot of time getting ready to get ready.

I’ve done that myself more times than I care to admit.

Sooner or later, though, you have to quit polishing the shovel and start digging.

Your first blog post may not be great.

Your first ad may not be great.

Your first week may feel clumsy.

That’s normal.

You learn by doing the work.

You get better because you did the first one.

Then the second.

Then the third.

Try This Today If Affiliate Marketing Feels Confusing

Grab a piece of paper.

Write down everything you think you need to do.

Get it all out of your head.

Then look at the list.

Circle the one task that would help you move forward the most today.

Do that task first.

Before another video.

Before another tool.

Before another “secret method.”

Finish the one thing.

Then pick the next thing.

That sounds almost too simple.

Maybe it is.

But simple gets done.

And done beats confused every day of the week.

Want the First Steps Laid Out for You?

If too many choices are what’s slowing you down, here’s another way to look at it. Some programs lay the first steps out for you.

The program I use comes with free training, a ready-made sign-up page, follow-up emails that are already written, and a calendar with 30 days of content ideas. It isn’t the only way to start, and it may not be right for everyone.

I put together a no-hype review of it. I share what I believe it does well and what you should know before joining.

Affiliate disclosure: My review contains affiliate links. If you join through one of those links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. For more information, see the FTC’s guidance on affiliate disclosures.

Read my honest CB Profit Club review.

In Part 2, I’m going to show you another sneaky problem that trips up a lot of new affiliate marketing beginners:

Why jumping from one strategy to another can keep you stuck, even when you feel like you’re working hard.

Read Part 2 of 3 here.

If you have a question, concern, or topic you’d like me to cover, please leave a comment below. I read and answer the comments myself, and I make every effort to respond within two business days.

Until next time—stay steady, ignore the hype, and keep moving forward one step at a time.

Bill “One Simple Plan” Marks

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