This week, I've been doing a lot of tedious work related to the traffic projects I am concentrating on at the moment.

Much of this has involved setting up accounts, storing credentials, and posting the same banner and text ads over and over again.

I tell you, motivating myself to do it was tough. And I'm not yet done.

All of this got me thinking about a shocking statistic I read recently:

Anything between 75% and 95% of people who attempt affiliate marketing give up without ever coming close to their goals.

Which is really sad, because the surest way to fail is to give up.

I believe the saying goes: "You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take".

But why is this number so high?

Well, the trouble with the Make Money Online (MMO) niche is that so many come into it wanting to gain something for nothing. 

They think there must be some magic button which they can press and - lo and behold - cash will start printing from their computer.

And to make matters worse, there is no shortage of unscrupulous marketers peddling junk products to satisfy this illusion.

Indeed, the sad fact is that promising easy riches tends to sell, even though such promises can never live up to expectations.

But even when a reputable vendor sells a good product - one that you could follow to produce results - the majority of purchasers will do nothing with it.

So let's get one thing clear:

Affiliate marketing - and, for that matter, any venture in which you want to see significant success - requires sustained effort.

Yes, one day, your business will run pretty much on autopilot, so you can earn a passive income. But getting to that stage is not automatic.

If you were an aspiring pianist, you wouldn't emerge from your first lesson being able to play Beethoven's Appassionata. So why would anyone think that an hour in front of the computer is enough to earn affiliate commissions?

True enough, the occasional individual manages to make a million in their first month. But such lucky folk are more like lottery winners than serious role models for building a sustainable business.

The reality for most of us is that we have to put in a lot of work. There are ups and downs, victories and failures, and a huge amount that is just plain tedious.

But the only thing that will guarantee failure is giving up.

So even when things seem difficult, try to retain the spirit of perseverance. 

Because if you can achieve just that, you will already be ahead of 95% of everyone else. 

Until next week,

DW

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