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[Shiny Object Syndrome Cured] Affiliate Marketing vs Dropshipping

Marketing, social media, advertising

mattsteinman

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May 13, 2019
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Affiliate marketing vs Dropshipping...

...these are two very different business models that both take a skillset that needs to be learned and applied.

If you are a complete newbie coming into this online space, you first need to take a step back and discover your WHY.

WHY are you getting into either affiliate marketing or dropshipping?

STOP and answer that question before moving on...

If your WHY is not strong enough, and you don't have a deep burning desire to succeed, your efforts will fall short, and the game will be over before you even start.

Is this a scare tactic?

NO.

It's my honest opinion after chasing many shiny objects over the past couple of years, including wasted affiliate marketing programs and dropshipping.

Now, let's get into the differences and what to expect with affiliate marketing vs. dropshipping.

Affiliate Marketing
Most people are familiar with affiliate marketing, so I'm not going to get into the definition of it right now.

Why has my 15-year marketing journey taken me to affiliate marketing?

Because of this principle that Jay Abraham teaches. Affiliate marketing checks off all three.

Jay Abraham - The 3 Product Activators to a Successful Online Business


What you need to know before you start your affiliate marketing business:
  1. It is NOT a get rich quick business model
  2. You will be required to put in long hours upfront
  3. Prepare for many struggles along the way
  4. Find a company that provides, low-ticket, mid-ticket, and high-ticket products and services that are premium
  5. The top skills in affiliate marketing are lead generation, copywriting, and sales and presenting
The biggest tip I can give you right now is to NOT compares yourself to others. What those 'others' don't show you is all the struggles, the negative balance in their bank account, and the sales funnels that had a 1% conversion rate.

You MUST study what the masters in this space are doing and apply that consistently.

Learn from the mentors who are the most authentic and trustworthy.

Dropshipping
Yes, I've tried the dropshipping model in 2018 and found that it was not very rewarding. A majority of the products on Aliexpress and other dropshipping sites are of low quality.

Now you are dealing with returns, chargebacks, and negative reviews online that will destroy your business, in a heartbeat.

Are people successful with Dropshipping?

Absolutely.

It wasn't in my heart to know the products I'm shipping people are most likely garbage. That's the main reason why I couldn't carry on with dropshipping.

Conclusion
Depending on your skillset and future desires, I would give a leg up on affiliate marketing. The industry is just getting started, and I believe more and more internet marketers will be jumping onboard very soon.

Remember to treat both of these endeavors as real businesses. Your bank account will not explode overnight.

Be patient and keep your WHY with you at all times.
 
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Process

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Both methods are good for practice the way an entry level sales gig is. But they leave you with little leverage since you only partially control branding, marketing and distribution.

Any dumbo can rip your ads and find the exact same offer. The owner of the offer can reduce your commissions or end them altogether.

Nothing wrong with using affilate commissionsns as a supplement. But, unless you’re too big to lose for the offer owner, you’re expendable. You also better be able to outspend and outmaneuver your competitors if you wanna be a full time dropshipper/affiliate. And have a big active list too.

I’ve seen many bigshots go from 5 figures to 3 figures or less very quick.
 

mattsteinman

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Don't work for an MLM, start an MLM

I can see both sides of this argument and completely agree with creating your own MLM.

But, the barrier of entry into affiliate programs is very low, obviously depending on your experience. So if you can find a company to work with that has the same values you share, it's a good place to learn not only how to run a business (as you should treat your affiliate marketing as a business) but to learn about your target audience.

As for people ripping your ads off...I wouldn't be concerned with what my competition is doing. If you have created your own brand and have a 'voice' online (and are likable), you will win over customers.

Both are a long-term game and should be treated as such.

I agree with both arguments above but it's a matter of what your level of "comfort".
 
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drpeppehr

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Even if something isn't exactly classified as 'fastlane', that doesn't mean you should avoid it. MJ never said "don't do anything unless it's fastlane!!"... A lot of this forum seems to think that way and it's a huge misconception. "This violates the rule of entry!" or "this depends on amazon so you're not independent!"

Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money. Simple as that. Check out the subreddit r/JustStart and you'll see tons of case studies showing that it works if you put in the time.

Here's an example of a successful, authentic Affiliate marketing site. 12 Best Vacuums Cleaners 2019: Real Vacuum Reviews | Modern Castle

They make excellent content and they know their shit on what Google wants. You can't convince me that because it's "not fastlane" that it's not worth creating something like this.
 

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