This is a guest contribution by Roo Wright, a long time gaming affiliate and serial entrepreneur. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.
Entrepreneur.com defines affiliate marketing as follows:
“A way for a company to sell its products by signing up individuals or companies (“affiliates”) who market the company’s products for a commission.”
There are two sides to every affiliate marketing deal:
• You can create an affiliate program, allowing others to sell your products and/or services for a commission.
• You can work as an affiliate marketer, receiving a commission for every lead or sale you make on behalf of the company.
For the sake of this article, we are going to focus on working as an affiliate marketer.
Here is something you need to remember: anybody can get started with affiliate marketing. Regardless of the industry in which you are most interested, chances are that you can find a few products or services to promote.
For example, the gaming industry is huge among affiliate marketers. With online casinos offering both revenue share and CPA offers, you are in position to earn big money with the right approach.
Buy or Build?
As you ponder the idea of becoming an affiliate, there is a big question to answer: should you build your business from the ground up or purchase an existing business? There are pros and cons for both strategies, so you need to carefully consider each option.
Benefits of Buying
Let’s start out by focusing on the benefits of buying an existing affiliate business:
1. Cash flow from the start. When you purchase a business that is already making money, there is no waiting period. Instead, you can cash in from day one. For many, this makes more sense than building from scratch, as they don’t want to wait in order to reap the rewards.
2. Much of the work is already done for you. There is no website to build. There is no content to write. Instead, purchasing an affiliate business means that you have a “ready made” solution that will generate income on day one.
Sure, there is work to be done in the future if you want your affiliate business to grow or remain stable, but most of the “busy work” is already complete.
3. No guesswork as to what you should and should not be doing. One of the top challenges of building an affiliate business, especially when you don’t have any experience, is guessing whether or not you are on the right track.
If you purchase an existing business, you can put all these thoughts behind you. Instead, you are in position to follow through with the strategy that is already generating results. You don’t have to guess if you are doing things right, as the business already has a track record of success.
Benefits of Building
Now that you understand the benefits of buying an affiliate business, let’s look at some of the reasons why you may want to build:
1. Full control from the start. When you buy a business, you are stuck with what has been achieved to that date. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but there are sure to be some things you don’t agree with.
When you build from scratch, when you are in charge from day one, you know that every move is the right move.
2. No concerns over the use of “tricks.” For example, many affiliates are skilled at tricking the search engines to reach the top of the rankings. While this is a strategy many people employ, it’s one that could soon backfire on you.
If you purchase an affiliate business, you never really know the steps that were taken during the growth phase. Did the previous owner do something that could cause you trouble down the road?
When you take on the process of building your business from the ground up, you can do everything the right way. No questions asked.
3. The thrill of watching your business grow. There is something special about watching an affiliate business grow from zero revenue to hundreds. And soon enough, from hundreds to thousands.
When you buy a business, you don’t get this same thrill. Sure, you are walking into a good situation in which you can earn money on day one. Even so, you don’t get the same joy of watching your business grow over time.
Questions to Answer
At this point, you have a clear idea of the benefits associated with buying and building an affiliate business. However, you may still be on the fence regarding which option is best for you.
Here are five questions that will help lead you to the right solution:
• Are you okay with the idea that it will take time to build an affiliate business from scratch?
• Are you most interested in earning money now, without any waiting period?
• Do you have the skills and knowledge necessary to build an affiliate business from scratch?
• Do you have the money needed to purchase an affiliate business?
• If you purchase an existing business, will you know how to keep it running?
Once you answer these questions, you will find yourself closer than ever to making a decision.
You can’t go Wrong
Here is the one thing you need to remember as you compare these two options: you can’t go wrong with either decision.
There are benefits of buying an affiliate business, just as there are advantages of building from scratch.
The best thing you can do is compare the pros and cons, make a list of what you want to accomplish, and then put all your resources into the appropriate strategy. Good luck in making a decision. Either way, you are joining an exciting industry that is sure to keep you on your toes!
Roo Wright is a long time gaming affiliate and serial entrepreneur. Roo has successfully started, sold and started again affiliate businesses in the iGaming space. His new site Hityah.com is set to be an industry juggernaut and is gaining traction in the Search Engine Results on a daily basis.
