4 New Year’s Resolutions For The Affiliate Marketer

I’ve always loved New Years, but I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. Kind of a strange combination, don’t you think? What can I say; I’m a bit weird. To me, there are 365 days each and every year to make resolutions to change and be better.

However, it’s come to my attention that my readers and members of my training center have a collective need to “start fresh” from a certain day forward. What better day to start fresh than New Year’s Day?

To help them start the year off on a good foot (and remind myself of how to be more effective this year), I have put together four New Year’s Resolutions for the affiliate marketer. These resolutions apply mainly to those just starting out, but also serve as good reminders for those of us that have been in the business for quite some time.

In customary New Year’s Eve tradition, I will count down starting with number 4.

4. I Will Do At Least One Productive Thing To Improve My Affiliate Marketing Business Every Single Day.

Being your own boss sure has some wonderful perks, but it also can be way too easy to take a day (or 5) off whenever the mood strikes. It is very important to do at least one thing to help grow your business every day. Even if it only takes 5 minutes.

Checking and responding to email doesn’t count — that is business maintenance. Naturally, chatting on Facebook or checking out “pins” on Pinterest don’t count either.

Do at least one thing to improve your affiliate marketing efforts each day.

 3. I Will Only Buy Things That Increase My Knowledge Or Save Me Time.

This is a big trap for those new to affiliate marketing — buying up the “thing of the day” that promises great riches and takes you way off course from your current online efforts. Heck, I’m sure it plagues us veterans in affiliate marketing, as well. Good copy is good copy, and it is created to get you to click that Buy Now button.

Be sure what you buy is either a tool that saves time or training that increases your knowledge (which, in turn, will increase your results online).

2. I Will Keep My Nose Down And Take Constructive Action To Enhance My Current Campaigns And My Exposure Online So I Have More Free Time For My Family Or Personal Enjoyment.

While this is somewhat related to #3, this is more about what I call the “Shiny Thing Syndrome”. I can’t count how many times I’ve been working, only to take a break and pop in a forum or a random blog only to come away with some new “idea” that takes me totally off track and far away from what I was working on.

These “Shiny Things” are not always something for sale — it’s just information being shared… information that can cause me to go off on a tangent before I even know what happened.

These things are time-suckers. Hours will go by, and you’ll end up so far away from your original plans and goals with nothing accomplished.

Stick to your plan so you can work less this year with better results.

1. I Will Not Even Glance At Newly Discovered “Loopholes” Or “Schemes.”

Many times, these things have to do with Google. Ok, let’s be honest — most of the time these things have to do with Google.

Chasing “loopholes” or Google rankings is a tough and non-constructive way to work online. It’s like spending each day balancing on quicksand. I am very guilty of this because, quite simply, Google fascinates me. That very fascination with Google is what led to our “break-up.”

Yes, I broke up with Google. (Here is my blog post about our breakup and then my follow-up clarification post here. Both links open in a new window – and to be clear, that is my blog those posts are on, and they represent my own opinions and thoughts.)

I was one of those people that could easily spend 24 hours a day trying to analyze what Google had already done. Key phrase there is “what they had already done.” What was done was over, and every day Google will do something new. It was like chasing my tail.

It was silly for me to constantly be running behind Google when I could’ve spent more time leading my own business with better results and more time off.

Affiliate marketing is not about algorithms or black and white animals — it’s about people. Stick to that, and the rest will take care of itself.

Do something every day to increase your exposure to your market — i.e., the people, not the search engines. 2013 is the year we stop chasing our tails (and chasing Google), taking constructive, forward-moving action on our affiliate marketing campaigns.

How About You — Do You Have Any Affiliate Marketing New Years Resolutions? Please Share!

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and profitable 2013 for everyone!