What Do You Need To Be a Successful Affiliate? The Ten Traits

Personally I don't like the term "super-affiliate" as it some how conveys the notion that if you're not earning over £20k or so a month then you're not successful or allowed in some sort of Illuminati-like clique.

To me an affiliate is successful if they've got the lifestyle they want. This obviously includes earnings but goes so much deeper. To me affiliate marketing is a route to a lifestyle, not just a job. So what traits do you need to become a successful affiliate?

1) Have a thick skin
"When all those around you are loosing their head" and all that. If you're convinced that a project will work but it's going tits-up because the search engines are falling out with you and merchants are taking the piss its important to keep going. I'm somewhat like a number of footballers, I'm a confidence-player. When things are going well then I work my bollocks off. When they're going bad then I slack off with affiliate stuff and work on other projects. What I've learned is to think about all the people that are less fortunate as myself and ignore all the crap. It's important to realise that affiliate marketing is like the stock markets - it'll have its up's and downs, but as long as the general trend is upwards then keep going.

2) Have balls of steel.
Some times you'll find yourselves in bidding wars. If you've got the budget and have done your calculations correctly then keep going. Find ways to make the budget go further rather than pull out of the battle all-together.

The same goes with SEO. If you're capable of beating your competition in your chosen sector but they're just out ranking you at the moment, work out how you can achieve the rankings you want. Don't just jump in and out of industries as you'll always be chasing the competition.

3) Be Focused
You could also call this "don't be greedy". Its something I've fallen down on. I've created something like 70 blogs about a wide range of topics, Its a nightmare to keep them all going event thought the majority I don't intend to pay off for a good five years or so.

I'd recommend any affiliate to choose one or two industries and stick to them. I've refined my strategy to mainly focus on gadgets and sports sites.

4) Be Unique
Don't follow the crowd. Don't do a site because you see other "super-affiliates" do something similar. Its a much better idea to find a niche that the bigger players aren't in and do it better than they ever could because of your unique knowledge.

5) Be Good at Listening
I remember going through the face thinking I was the mutts-nutts. It did me no good. I stopped listening and missed out on opportunities and wasn't aware of certain strategies.

Take a look at the blogs of people that comment here as well as look through my list of blogs I read. And if you're new to affiliate marketing and want to find out what are the best ways to start an affiliate website then read this post.

6) Be Inquisitive
If you root through your logs or analytics software you'll find some gems of information. If you do ppc you'll find great words to add as negatives which could save you a bucketful of cash. You'll also find words that you should add to your seo campaigns.

Another reason to be inquisitive is to find out who refers traffic to your site. This allows you to build positive relationships with them so they can deliver event more traffic. But also it's a good way to find out what people are saying about you. If it's negative then you can work towards changing their views for your benefit.

7) Give more than you take
There are some very selfish affiliates out there that are incredibly short-sighted. They don't understand about networking, supporting others or adding value to the industry.

We're all competitors but we're all part of a community, we're all neighbours one way or another. Its important therefore, to help others for the benefit of the industry as whole. And this is what great people like Jess, Fraser, Jimbo, Clarke and do.

8) Think outside of the box
There are so many clever ways to make money online, it's not just ppc and seo. Think communities, think email. Take risks with new technology and look at how people are using the internet.

9) Be forward thinking
Look at future events and get sites ready for them years ahead of when they could be profitable. I start my Euro 2012 site earlier this year. And have domains ready for sites relating to events well into the 2010's and even the 2020's. These days its so important to grad the land before other affiliates and businesses get in there.

10) Have the right personality
Who wants to do business with a grumpy git? Take the punches with a smile on your face and don't be afraid to take the piss out of yourself. The industry is about building up productive relationships.

Another good personality trait is to be honest. When you've dropped a bollock, and the merchant, network or agency has pulled you up on it - be honest and say sorry. Don't try and squirm out of it as your ego won't allow you to say you're wrong.

Also learn to keep a secret. I'm always being told stuff in confidence and it would be stupid to post it here or tell others. So if you're told stuff that others shouuldn't know then keep it under your hat.

So these are my top 10 traits of successful affiliates. They're probably not complete, and I 'd welcome some additions. However, if you're an affiliate starting out then take a look at these points and see what you're lacking. But the key to having the lifestyle you want is to listen to others that are where you want to be but synthesis those views and come up with your own strategy.