I’ve been getting a strong impression lately that many eBiz Facts readers are jumping into affiliate marketing because they see me having increasing success with it.
Please keep in mind that a massive factor in that success has been my 8 years of experience working online BEFORE starting eBiz Facts.
I did freelance web design and project management for many years, created a couple of online courses, wrote and sold ebooks, tried productized services, sold advertising, did a ton of blogging and vlogging (albeit not very successfully), and a whole bunch of other random stuff to make money online.
If I’d tried to start something like eBiz Facts back when I quit my day job in 2010, I would have failed miserably. I simply didn’t have the skills or the experience to succeed.
That’s why I strongly recommend, if you’ve never made much money online before, to start the game on “easy mode” with freelancing or a remote job.
From what I’ve seen, the vast majority of successful online entrepreneurs start there.
The founder of ConvertKit, Nathan Barry, is a great example.
From the about page on his website:
My journey started with freelance web design, moved into selling iPhone apps, then growing my own audience and selling books on design.
When I learned that email marketing was the most reliable way to earn a living as a creator I started ConvertKit…
ConvertKit is now seen as a great success – almost at $2 million MRR – but even with all Nathan’s skill and experience going into that, it took him two full years to get the business to $5k/month.
Affiliate marketing isn’t as hard as SaaS, but it’s still hard.
If you’re starting an affiliate site from scratch, with no prior experience, I reckon the best-case scenario is to be earning $1000/month within 12 months.
And that’s if you work your ass off.
Much easier to start earning $1000/month via freelancing or a remote job.
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