A Decade+ as an Affiliate

Real Results

There are many people online that claim to make their money from affiliate marketing or have done in the past. Some of these people are telling the truth but I suspect many are lying about it.

Looking back on Companies House, I see that I ‘went limited', 10th July 2009. Any affiliate who lives in the UK and does not run a company is not making much. You can check on Companies House for directors' names and download limited accounts.

There are good reasons to keep things secret if you are making money from affiliate marketing. If you let people know your sites, they can clone them easily enough. Back in the day, you could also clone the SEO. It was a numbers game, get links and you will rank. Its all a lot more complicated nowadays so I am not too concerned about people copying.

One thing I do miss about the affiliate life are the conferences. This year (2023) was the first LAC (London Affiliate Conference or IGB London) I have missed in over a decade. The industry has changed. Its all PPC and super affiliates now. Very few one man band affiliates are around. You need a team of people to compete.

I have spoken to affiliate managers I still know and they confirm this. Look at the SERPs, 4 Ads with site links for most gambling terms. These PPC affiliates work on a high CPA and have years of experience in bidding. Its not something you would enter today as an affiliate, even if you have deep pockets. You would just be making Google rich.

LAC 2020

Why Hire a former affiliate

Hiring a former affiliate who made money from generating his own traffic can offer several advantages over a traditional marketing agency. In today's competitive digital landscape, the ability to generate organic traffic and convert it into revenue is highly valued. Here are some key reasons why you may want to consider hiring a successful affiliate marketer over a regular agency:

  1. Deep Understanding of Performance Marketing: A former affiliate has a comprehensive understanding of performance marketing, as they have likely experimented with various strategies and tactics to drive traffic and generate sales. This experience allows them to bring valuable insights and a results-driven approach to your business, which can translate into higher ROI for your marketing campaigns.
  2. Hands-on Expertise: A successful affiliate has acquired extensive practical knowledge in generating organic traffic, leveraging various marketing channels, and optimizing campaigns. This hands-on expertise can be advantageous for your business, as they are more likely to devise innovative and effective strategies to drive growth.
  3. Agility and Adaptability: Affiliate marketers are known for their agility and adaptability. They are constantly learning, testing, and refining their approaches to stay ahead of the competition. By hiring a former affiliate, you can tap into this mindset, allowing your marketing campaigns to evolve and adapt quickly to the ever-changing digital landscape.
  4. Cost-effectiveness: Working with an experienced affiliate marketer can be more cost-effective than hiring a regular agency. An affiliate's focus on performance-driven results and efficiency can help you achieve your marketing goals without incurring the high costs often associated with traditional agencies.
  5. Strong Analytical Skills: A successful affiliate marketer understands the importance of data analysis to optimize campaigns and maximize revenue. Their strong analytical skills can be a significant asset to your business, enabling you to make data-driven decisions and refine your marketing strategy based on key performance metrics.
  6. Entrepreneurial Spirit: A former affiliate who made money from generating their own traffic likely possesses an entrepreneurial spirit. This can be a valuable asset to your company, as they bring a proactive approach, are comfortable with taking calculated risks, and are driven to achieve growth and success.
  7. Niche Knowledge: Affiliates often specialize in specific niches, which means they have a deep understanding of the target audience and know what strategies work best within that niche. By hiring a former affiliate with experience in your industry, you can benefit from their niche-specific knowledge and insights to drive growth and conversions.

In conclusion, hiring a former affiliate who made money from generating their own traffic can be a strategic move for businesses seeking to optimize their digital marketing efforts. With their deep understanding of performance marketing, hands-on expertise, adaptability, and entrepreneurial mindset, successful affiliates can help your business achieve better results and maximize your marketing ROI.

Thanks ChatGPT for that.

Professional Photos

I found these all on the IGB Business Facebook, Flickr, etc. I don't have permission to use these, so if they are yours and want me to take down, please let me know.

My Difference

Having come from an affiliate background and being a one man band, means I think differently to other freelancers.

Everything is focused on generating revenue. Whether that's getting people to click on ads, increasing page views or collecting leads… I also spent a decade plus doing lead generation too but thats another story.

The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads. That sucks.

– Jeff Hammerbacher

It might suck but profitable if you have the traffic.