Who are you and what are you currently working on?
My name is Meg Marrs, and I have about eight years experience in the digital marketing space. Previously I worked as a content specialist for various local start-ups, building out their blog content and helping to rank articles in Google. Now I work on my own private set of projects, including a dog care resource site and a senior care website.
How did you get started in affiliate marketing? What keeps you excited about it?
I got started in affiliate marketing after watching a really spammy webinar! If you’ve been in online marketing for any amount of time you know the internet is filled with terrible fake gurus trying to make a buck by promoting their mediocre online courses. Well, I watched a webinar promoting such a course and was introduced to the concept of affiliate marketing. I didn’t buy that course, but I did go on to research more about affiliate marketing and started my first website combining my existing SEO and content skills with what I had learned about affiliate marketing.
I find digital marketing just an incredibly exciting area to be in. Being a successful marketer combines so many fields I love – psychology, writing, design, etc. Digital and affiliate marketing can be taken in so many different directions, depending on what aspects resonate with you.
What is one piece of advice you would give a newbie affiliate marketer? What is one piece of advice they should ignore?
I would say don’t get into affiliate marketing if you’re looking to try to make a quick and easy buck. It doesn’t exist! Affiliate marketing is like any other kind of marketing – to do it well takes time and effort. It’s incredibly fun work, but it’s not a magic button. The internet does not need more scammy funnel pages. If you want to succeed at affiliate marketing, you’ll need to produce fantastic content that’s better than your competitors’.
What has been your favorite mistake? A mistake in retrospect led to a great lesson and progress in your affiliate marketing?
I’ve definitely spent way too much effort trying to promote sub-par affiliate offers just because they had an attractive commission cut (like a 50% payout). Promoting quality products – even if they have a lower commission payout – is sure to earn more sales as well as build your reputation as a trusted source.
What is one piece of software or web service (besides Geniuslink) that allows you to be more effective as an affiliate marketer?
I absolutely love MailShake – it’s a great tool for email outreach. You can include custom fields, track opens and clicks, set up auto follow-ups, etc.
How do you continue to educate yourself as an affiliate marketer? What are some of your favorite resources for learning?
I do my best to keep up with what’s new in digital marketing by subscribing to some great podcasts. The Authority Hacker podcast is my favorite- they are a great community.
If people wanted to connect with you, where should we point them to?
They can check me out on Twitter (@marrsipan) or my new website.