When I first got started in the affiliate marketing business, I was a network engineer and becoming an MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) was what everyone talked about. According to the TV & radio commercials, that’s where everyone was making money… and they were right for the most part. I saw the value in bringing this information to those who wanted to learn how to get in the business, so I set out on a mission to bring it to the people and get paid for it.
What you do for a living is likely something you have more knowledge about than the average person. This means you are could have some expert information to share with those seeking to learn more about your line of work. Assuming it does not create any conflict, one way to get started is to build an online community around your field of expertise. This could be a blog, a Facebook group, LinkedIn group, or a member site. As you begin to spearhead these efforts, you will be seen as the expert in your industry. Of course, your employer might respond with fear if they see what you are doing, so I don’t recommend talking it up at the office. On the other hand, you could also use this new community as a lead generation tool for your current job and look like a rock star.
I really didn’t know I was embarking on a lifelong career in affiliate marketing, so you could say that I fell into the business. In fact, I thought I was just building a website to sell products for another company and cashing in on a trend. I had no prior web or online marketing knowledge, so I actually got a book called Learn HTML in 24 Hours, pulled an all-nighter, and by morning I was in business.
Like many businesses, I was launched, but no one knew of my existence online. That’s when my journey of learning how to market websites began. And trust me, my journey was much more difficult than yours will be. I didn’t have blogs, WordPress, YouTube, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, or most of the tools that we have today; they had not yet been created. I built online community via email, forums, and my website (getting people to bookmark it.) Talk about OldSchool SEO!
Anyhow, before you get down in the dumps about being stuck in your dead end job, take the high road and learn how it can help you build a new income and possibly a new career.
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