David Fiske A subtle blend of affiliate marketing and web development

Kieron's scouting for questions for super affiliates and Jason posed this one:

If you were starting out in affiliate marketing today from scratch do you think you’d be as successful as you have been and would you want to get involved in AM now as a newbie today?

Very eloquently put. It's the first part that intrigued me and whilst I'm not a super affiliate, I'd like to offer my 2p worth.
 
QUESTION 1) If you were starting out in affiliate marketing today from scratch do you think you’d be as successful as you have been?

My answer would be no - I reckon if super affiliates were to start over again from scratch today, they would not be as successful as they are. Here's why.

Portfolio Age

Firstly, their portfolios have aged nicely whilst they've been amassing their fortunes. They are deemed as good solid domains. A link from these to their startups would undoubtedly help boost PageRank and search engine listings.

Experience

The biggest barrier to entry is the learning curve. Those that are willing to learn have to find out what works for them. Those that are in a hurry ultimately have no intention on learning.

The size of knowledge amassed by super affiliates (I imagine) would be enormous. The problem with this though is that what they think of as common sense and easy may be difficult for newbies to understand, having not gone through the same experiences.

Lower Commissions

I imagine some super affiliates are reaping the rewards of ongoing remuneration as part of the early deals to attract affiliates. Today, some programs reward a whopping 0.5%. There are still some good deals around, but there are less of them with poorer returns.

PPC Costs

One of the biggest reasons super affiliates have so much cash is they used PPC sensibly whilst it was cheap. Now it's more competitive and costly but the upshot is that affiliates have amassed money and (hopefully) a sizeable email newsletter to fall back on.

Plus, profits from the early days can offset some losses nowadays in testing what works and what doesn't. Newbies are often on a tight budget and can't afford to invest large sums into PPC, even though the lure is there.

Search Engine Guidelines

The guidelines issued by the search engines have changed immensely. What was considered 'good' way back when is 'bad' now. I expect a lot of super affiliates to be abreast of these guidelines but starting from scratch can be tougher than before.

Relationships

It's not what you know but who you know. There's a group of affiliates that I know of that seem to be prominent in the industry. Need a link? Just ask your buddy. Between them all, there's a large range of sites all with good PageRank and traffic levels.

If super affiliates were starting over, these relationships wouldn't exist and I suspect it wouldn't be so rosey for some.

No More Brand Bidding

It can be argued that a lot of profit was made from brand bidding, something that is now being cracked down on.

QUESTION 2) Would you want to get involved in AM now as a newbie today?

I reckon so. It's a tough industry to crack, especially on a budget. But persistence, the will to learn and the desire to be a success amongst peers is enough to get started. Once you know the ins and outs, there's more to learn. I'm still learning every day.

UNASKED QUESTION 3) What are the golden rules for starting out afresh?

• Personally, I would say it's vital you focus on a handful of areas. Don't put all your eggs in one basket but on the other hand, don't split the egg shells, whites and yolk amongst the baskets. It can get messy.
• Look for innovative solutions to problems. Don't just follow the crowd. You need to be able to lead.
• Content is vital. Data feeds can help to a degree but invest time in creating good quality articles that people actually want to read.
• Be careful with PPC. It can be a fast way at either attracting hordes of visitors or burning cash.
• Never say never.
• Most importantly to me is develop relationships with account managers. Even if it's only the odd email here or there. You'll find some gems in the industry willing to bend over backwards for you.