In our previous articles, we got to know that our choice in the affiliate programs we join mark the difference between success and failure in our efforts to make a living through affiliate marketing. We also stressed that though some programs paid well, they simply weren't in good demand.

It was also noted that the key to enormous success in affiliate marketing lay in choosing the right programs.

Now, let us examine a situation whereby an affiliate joins a wrong program. Any of the following is possible;

1 Irrespective of the efforts the affiliate may put into promoting the product or service, people simply wouldn't join.

2 People the affiliate referred may join briefly, then quit! Which defeats the original aim which is to earn residual income for a long time.

3 People will join, yet the affiliate wouldn't be rewarded adequately because the company has a poor compensation plan.

4 The company may collapse or go out of business; in either case, the affiliate loses out on all income at that time.

Among others;

As an affiliate, for your aim to be accomplished, you need to find affiliate programs that pay wee and that people will join and likely stick to. Also, it is important that the company is well managed so that it doesn't in the twinkle of an eye go out of business and leaves you stranded.

One can't possibly be too careful in these things. You should carefully analyze each program before opting to join.

This is because, it is so easy to lose out completely due to one reason or the other like the ones mentioned above. This is especially true because personally, I have lost severally in the past either because the company goes under or some other reason.

As an example, there was this particular program that I was a part of. For some time, they paid well, at least compared to many others out there. But then, the company ran into a problem and they had to completely scrap their affiliate program until further notice; and a while later, it went under. At the time, I was earning a steady $700 per month from that very program.

So you see, in the twinkle of an eye, I lost $8,400 in annual income and that's for me. How about those who were earning much more? Imagine affiliates who were earning as much as $3,000 monthly from this program? (which by the way was very possible), such affiliates would have suddenly lost out on $36,000 in yearly income! And what if they had no other programs that they can fall back upon to offset this loss? What is going to happen?

This actually brings us to the topic of our next discussion which is; what is the right number of affiliate programs to join at a time to prevent financial disasters of this kind?

Until next time.