Affiliate Marketing Done the right way

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money by promoting products and earning a commission for each sale that you generate. It can be an especially effective strategy for those who have a website or blog with a large audience. In this blog post, we will outline five steps to help you get started with affiliate marketing, including tips on how to use SEO to boost your affiliate marketing efforts.

 

  • Find a niche with an affiliate marketing program

    The first step in making money with affiliate marketing is to find a niche that you are passionate about and that has a large potential audience. This could be anything fraffiliate marketingom cooking and recipe websites to fashion and beauty blogs. You need to research products and services that would be a good fit for your audience. Do this by looking at popular products or services and identifying gaps in the market, or by identifying a target audience and their needs. Once identified, it’s important to research the competition and see what types of products or services are already being offered. This helps to determine if there is a demand for the niche, and if there is room for competition.

    Additionally, new affiliate marketers need to also research the potential profitability of the niche and look for affiliate programs that align with their niche and audience. It’s also important to build a website or a blog to promote the affiliate products, and create content that is engaging and informative for the target audience. (There are several ways to do this that cost you nothing, so don’t let this stop you.)

 

  • Sign up for an affiliate marketing program

    Once you have found a niche, the next step is to sign up for an affiliate program that offers products or services that are related to your niche. With so many different affiliate programs to choose from, take the time to research and find one that is a good fit for your needs. Some popular affiliate networks include Amazon Associates, Commission Junction, ClickBank, ShareASale, AWIN, JVZoo, or Warrior.  You can Google affiliate marketing programs and find so many it may take you days to decide on a product.

 

affiliate marketing

  • Create high-quality content to market

    One of the most important aspects of making money with affiliate marketing is to create high-quality content that promotes the products or services you are promoting. This could include blog posts, product reviews, and video reviews. Make sure that your content is engaging, informative, and provides value to your audience.  It should educate and inform the reader while also promoting the affiliate products or services. To write good content, new affiliate marketers must first understand their target audience and their needs.

    You need to research the market and identify the demographics and interests of the target audience. Then your content will address the needs and interests of that audience. You need well-researched, well-written, and easy to understand information. Additionally, it needs  optimization for search engines by using keywords and phrases that the target audience is already searching for. Make it visually appealing and easy to read, with images and other multimedia elements used to break up the text and make it more engaging. Finally, update regularly to keep the readers engaged.

 

  • Use SEO to boost the affiliate marketing efforts

    SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your website or blog to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is important because it helps your content to appear before more people, thus increasing your potential for sales. Some tips for optimizing your content for SEO include using relevant keywords, creating high-quality backlinks, and publishing regularly.  There is so much information on the web about this subject that we will not go into it further here.  There are videos, articles, blog posts, and even courses available to learn this very important step.  Please take the time to learn the basics of SEO if you want to make any money at all.  Here is a great starting point in learning SEO.

affiliate marketing

 

 

 

  • Market your affiliate products

    The last step is to promote your affiliate products to your audience. This could include including affiliate links in your content, creating banner ads, and sharing your affiliate products on social media. Make sure to track your progress and adjust your strategy as needed. Promoting a product correctly as a new marketer involves finding the right audience and using the right channels to reach them.

    One effective way to do this is through content marketing, which involves creating valuable and informative content that educates the audience about the product or service, and positions it as a solution to their needs. Another way is through social media marketing, where the marketer can use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to connect with the target audience and promote the product or service. Additionally, email marketing can also be effective, where the marketer can send personalized emails to a targeted list of subscribers.

    It’s also important to follow the guidelines and terms of service of any platform you use for promotions, as well as to not be too aggressive in the promotions, not to use false claims and be respectful of the audience time and inbox. To avoid spamming, marketers should avoid sending unsolicited messages or emails, and should always include an opt-out option for the recipient. Additionally, marketers should be transparent about the nature of their message and should always include accurate and relevant information about the product or service they are promoting.

    Warning!

    There is a fine line between being an affiliate marketer and being a spammer on the web.  To market, you provide information and value to your audience before you ask them to click the link.  To spam, you just ask them to click the link without first beginning any type of relationship with the audience.  Don’t spam; it gets you banned from both your product and the platforms you spam on.

 

affiliate marketing

In conclusion, affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money online. By following these five steps, you can start making money with affiliate marketing today. Additionally, by incorporating SEO tactics, you will be able to give your marketing efforts a further boost, which can increase your audience and ultimately your earning potential. Do some research, and start promoting products or services you believe in and that fit with your niche. This will help ensure that your audience trusts your recommendations and will be more likely to make a purchase through your affiliate links.

There are other articles on this topic on this blog and you can find them here and here.

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Affiliate Marketing: Does It Work?

Affiliate marketing has been around for quite some time and if you search YouTube videos, you will find many good and not-so-good videos on this subject.  This type of marketing is just word of mouth marketing.  What that means is that you tell someone about a product and they check it out and they buy it.  When they do that, you get money if you are an affiliate for the product.  You will see this in just about any blog post or any article on the internet.

affiliate marketing
Make money online

It is no different than when you go see a movie and it is spectacular, so you tell all your friends about this movie and they go see it too.  The only difference is that you don’t get paid for telling them unless they buy you popcorn or something. If you see a good sale on something you know your friend has been needing, don’t you tell that friend about the sale?  In this example again, you don’t get paid money but your friend really appreciates your help.  It is really no different with affiliate marketing.

Getting Started

Affiliate marketing is relatively easy to do and relatively easy to get started doing.  It does require work on your part and you do have to do your research.  You don’t want to be referring your friends and family members to something that is rotten or unsafe.  But other than that, it is much easier than any other type of side hustle.

Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money by promoting products and earning a commission for each sale that you generate. It can be an especially effective strategy for those who have a website or blog with a large audience. In this blog post, we will outline steps to help you get started with affiliate marketing, including tips on how to use SEO to boost your affiliate marketing efforts.

Find your niche

The first step in making money with affiliate marketing is to find a niche that you are passionate about and that has a large potential audience. While this sounds easy, it may take you a bit of time to accomplish this step.  As I said earlier, you need to do your due diligence; you need to check out the product, the company that makes it, the reviews and the rules to sell it.  You could choose anything from cooking and recipe websites to survival type blogs.  You are not restricted in your choice of niche. Once you have identified a niche, you can begin to research products and services that would be a good fit for your audience.

Sign up for an affiliate program

affiliate marketing
Find your niche

Again, this sounds like a no brainer but there are some programs that require quite a bit from the affiliate.  There are programs that are very difficult to get approved to sell.  Th

ere are programs that take quite a long time to allow you to become an affiliate for them.  But once you have found a niche, you need to sign up for an affiliate program that offers products or services that are related to your niche. There are many different affiliate programs to choose from, so take the time to research and find one that will be a good fit for your needs. Some popular affiliate networks include Amazon Associates, Commission Junction, and ClickBank.  The issue is to check out is the rate of pay and how often you can get paid.

Create high-quality content

affiliate marketing
Create quality content

Some people are under the assumption that all you have to do is post your link somewhere and you make money.  Not so.  Affiliate marketing requires you to develop good and honest content about the product.  You cannot just go around posting your link everywhere and expect to make money.  That is spamming and will get you removed from the program you signed up for and may even get you booted from most platforms. One of the most important aspects of making money with affiliate marketing is to create high-quality content that promotes your

products or services. This could include blog posts, product reviews, and video reviews. Make sure that your content is engaging, informative, and provides value to your audience.

Use SEO to boost your affiliate marketing efforts

Affiliate marketing requires eyes on to make money, therefore you need to make sure you are getting views. No one wants to think about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), but if you want anyone to find your offer it is a MUST.  This is the process of optimizing your website or blog to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Itis important because it will help your content to be seen by more people, thus increasing your potential for sales. Some tips for optimizing your content for SEO include using relevant keywords, creating high-quality backlinks, and publishing regularly. Again, there are many videos available that will give you the information you need to do this right and that will help you make money.

Promote your affiliate products

The next step in your affiliate marketing is to promote your products to your audience. This could include placing affiliate links in your content, creating banner ads, and sharing your affiliate products on social media. If you choose social media, be sure to read the rules on the platform about affiliate links.  Many of these platforms do not allow affiliate links, so you either have your post removed or get banned.  If that happens, you will have to start all over on the platform with a new account which is not what you want to do.

Track your progress

Make sure to track your affiliate marketing progress and adjust your strategy as needed.  You need to know which post worked and made you money, you need to know which type of platform is the best for your product.  You also need to keep track of the money you make for taxes.  A simple spread sheet works fine.  You don’t need anything extra fancy to keep track of all this.

affiliate marketing
Track your progress

In conclusion, affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money online. By following these steps, you can start making money quickly. Additionally, by incorporating SEO tactics, you will be able to give your marketing efforts a further boost, which can increase your audience and ultimately your earning potential. Do some research, and start promoting products or services you believe in and that fit with your niche. This will help ensure that your audience trusts your recommendations and will be more likely to make a purchase through your affiliate links.

Here is an example of a landing page that promotes an affiliate product.  These are easy to set up and will help you stay away from trouble on the various platforms.

 

Here you will find another post about how to use Pinterest for affiliate marketing.

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Affiliate Marketing: How to’s

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate’s own marketing efforts. If you are looking to make money online and have a passion for promoting products, then affiliate marketing could be a great way for you to earn some extra income. In this article, we will take a closer look at affiliate marketing and how you can get started.

affiliate marketing
work from home

What is Affiliate Marketing?

As mentioned above, affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards affiliates for each visitor or customer they bring to the business through their own marketing efforts. In other words, affiliates earn a commission for promoting a company’s products or services.

There are two main parties involved in affiliate marketing: the advertiser (also known as the merchant or retailer) and the affiliate (also known as the publisher). The advertiser is the business that is selling the products or services, and the affiliate is the individual or website promoting the products or services on behalf of the advertiser.

The process of affiliate marketing can be broken down into three simple steps:

The affiliate signs up for an affiliate program with an advertiser. This is typically done through an affiliate network, which connects affiliates with advertisers. The affiliate will then receive a unique affiliate link, which they can use to promote the advertiser’s products or services.

The affiliate promotes the products or services to potential customers through their own marketing efforts, such as through their website, social media, email marketing, or other channels. When a potential customer clicks on the affiliate’s unique link, they will be redirected to the advertiser’s website.

If the potential customer makes a purchase or takes a specific action (such as filling out a form or signing up for a newsletter), the affiliate will earn a commission. The amount of the commission will vary depending on the terms of the affiliate program.

affiliate marketing
The sign

How Do You Get Started with Affiliate Marketing?

If you are interested in getting started with affiliate marketing, there are a few steps you can take to get started:

  • Choose a niche:

    The first step in getting started with affiliate marketing is to choose a niche or topic that you are interested in and have knowledge about. This could be a specific product or service, or it could be a broader topic such as personal finance or health and wellness.

  • Build a website or blog:

    In order to promote products or services as an affiliate, you will need to have a platform where you can share your unique links and content. This could be a website or blog. There are many platforms available for building a website or blog, such as WordPress or Squarespace.

  • Join an affiliate program:

    Once you have a website or blog set up, the next step is to join an affiliate program. There are many affiliate programs available, and you can find them through affiliate networks such as Commission Junction or ShareASale. When joining an affiliate program, be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully and choose a program that aligns with your niche and target audience.

  • Promote products or services:

    Once you have joined an affiliate program and have your unique links, you can start promoting the products or services to your audience. This can be done through your website, social media, email marketing, or other channels.

  • Track your results:

    It is important to track your results as an affiliate to see what is working and what is not. This can be done through tools such as Google Analytics.

Affiliate marketing has many moving parts, but is the easiest way for anyone to make money online.  If you follow these steps, you have a really good chance of making extra money from affiliate marketing.  However, you may not make a lot of money initially but don’t let that discourage you.  Just keep going and keep putting your affiliate marketing links out on the net.  There are many ways to post your links without spamming, so be sure you learn how to do it correctly.  You don’t want to be banned from sites.  There are several videos on YouTube that can help you find places to post your links.  I would recommend you start here, as this man will walk you through everything you really need to know about this subject.  Here is a video you might want to watch:

 

 

There is another post on my blog that explains how to use Pinterest for affiliate marketing and you can find that here.

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Successful Goal Setting and Achievement

Goal setting helps us determine our priorities, get organized, make big decisions, and realize our dreams. The act of merely setting a goal brings about positive change for many people. When you set a goal you are creating an exciting challenge for yourself. Almost all motivational experts incorporate goal setting as an important part of their programs. The effectiveness of goal setting can be seen in the incredible accomplishments of people such as: Henry Ford who wanted to make cars affordable for everyone, Bill Gates whose goal was to have a computer in every household, and John F. Kennedy who set out to put a man on the moon within a decade.

There is a famous story about Jim Carrey who, while struggling as an actor in 1987, drove his car up on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood hills to think about the future. While sitting there overlooking the city of Los Angeles he wrote a check made out to himself for “acting services rendered” in the amount of $10 million. He dated the check for Thanksgiving of 1995. Jim’s Goal turned out to be conservative because by the time 1995 rolled around he was making $20 million a movie.

The goal setting process entails the following requirements:

Well formed Goal Statements
Breaking goals down into manageable Steps
Motivation and Commitment
Reminders and Keeping on track
Frequent Review and Re-assessment

Goal Setting
Goal Setting requires thought

1. Well formed Goal Statements

A goal statement forms the basis for the entire process so careful attention should be placed on formulating a clear and accurate goal statement. A good way to remember how a goal statement should be defined is the S.M.A.R.T. acronym used by many experts in goal setting. SMART stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Action-Oriented
Realistic
Tangible

Goal Setting
Write down your goals and set an action plan.

The goal should be specific enough so that we know exactly what we are striving for, measurable so we know exactly what is to be accomplished and when it has been reached, action-oriented with positive activity that will produce results, realistic in that it is practical and can be achieved given the limited availability of resources, and tangible meaning concrete and not vague. The goal statement Increase sales 25% by the end of the fiscal year without increasing advertising spending is an example that follows these rules.

2. Breaking down Goals into manageable Steps

Once we have a well-formed statement we need some direction to follow to achieve this goal.  The creation of  steps gives us an “Action Plan” that when completed will lead toachievement. Steps also allow for tracking of progress towards the goal.  steps should be positive and not used to list obstacles that must be overcome which focuses on the negative. Negativity can kill motivation but there is power in positive thinking.

3. Motivation and Commitment

Goal Setting
Sharing with others can be beneficial and help you reach those goals.

Motivation and commitment are what make us strive to achievement. They give us the push, desire, and resolve to complete all of the other steps in the goal process. This motivation can be obtained by developing a personal statement that creates a high level of emotion and energy that guarantees achievement. One self help expert said that as a child he was kicked out of his local country club pool because he was not a member, in response he later made a goal that he would one day have a pool that is one foot bigger than that country club’s pool. The motivation of being asked to leave the pool provided the necessary fuel for him to achieve this goal.

Commitment creates more accountability and is what sets us on direct course to reach our goals. It may create costly negative consequences upon failure to attain a goal. Making a commitment might be something like having invested your savings in your new business which you will lose if it fails. Motivation and commitment are specific to your situation and life and only you can form statements that will ensure you reach your goal the quickest. The more personal you make your motivation and commitment statements for each goal, the more motivated you will be to accomplish your goal.

4. Reminders and Keeping on Track

Reaching our goals requires persistence and regular attention. We need some sort of system to keep us reminded and accountable. You need to use a combination of things like reminder emails, calendars, and reports to keep you organized and on track. Sharing goals with others who can give you help and support is a highly effective way to increase your chances for success. If some accountability system is not used then we are likely to lose sight and fail.

5. Goals require Frequent Review and Re-assessment

When we first sit down and start to define goals it can seem like a difficult and daunting task but over time it begins to get much easier. Patience is required. Goal setting is definitely an ongoing process that is accomplished over time.

If you define your goals and then ignore them and you will fail. All goals due in the next year should be reviewed at least once a week and daily if possible. The great thing about frequent review is that this forces us to make big decisions and determine priorities in our life. We should keep watch for goals that are not being achieved on time or for goals on which we keep extending the deadline.

 

This is the fourth part in this series, so if you missed the others, you can find them here, and here, and here.  You can also get a free worksheet to use in determining your SMART goals here.  Or you can get a book to use for all your goals here.

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What Are SMART Goals?

SMART goals are the way to get things done. Goal setting is equal parts art and science. You real

SMART goals
setting SMART goals

ly have to think and focus onto the things that you need to improve or the things you really want to accomplish when setting these goals.  Setting goals is not a passive activity and requires much thought to actually get this right.

Many people create goals that simply don’t work, but if you’re in business, you don’t have the luxury of creating goals that don’t work. You need to work effectively and you need goals you help you do it.

Here is a great way to create SMART goals that work that keep you on track.

They’re called SMART goals and the acronym SMART will help you to remember the things that each goal needs to be:

 Specific:

Your SMART goal needs to be stated in a way that is clearly defined. Saying, I should work more, is not a goal that will be kept. However, saying, I am going to work a total of 8 hours each day, is a goal that is much clearer and specific.

SMART goals
What are SMART goals?

Measurable:

This is closely related to the above attribute except that it also includes a way to make sure you are on track. A SMART goal that says, I want to make more money, isn’t measurable. However, a goal that says, I want to earn $3000/month, is a far more measurable goal. Its easy to see, at the end of the month, whether or not you achieved it.

Actionable:

This means that your SMART goal should be something that you need to do yourself in order to accomplish it. If you want to increase your income this year, its not realistic to say, I’m going to win the lottery this year, because you have no control over whether you will win the lottery or not. However you might say, I’m going to increase my sales efforts by cold calling 10 people each day, which is something you can take action on yourself.

Realistic:

SMART goal worksheet
SMART goal worksheet

SMART Goals that are actually achievable are much better and far more motivating. You’ll feel better about yourself when you do hit goals than if you constantly shoot for them and fall short. Realistic goals should not be so easy that you hit them every single time but should not be so hard that you never reach them at all.

Time-oriented:

Similar to the measurable attribute, your SMART goal should have a timeframe for you to accomplish it in. Deadlines help people achieve their goals. If you anchor your goal to a time, you’ll be able to watch your progress.

 

You can remember this with the acronym, SMART, so that when you’re creating goals, you can create better goals for yourself. This is a popular goal-setting acronym in business, although occasionally the words are changed slightly to reflect the needs of the business.

This worksheet above can be downloaded by clicking the link beneath it.  Using such a template can really help you understand SMART goal setting and help you stay focused on making them correctly.

If you missed the previous posts in this series, you can get them here and here.

 

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Did You Set Goals Just For Yourself?

Most of us know that we have goals but get lost in the achievement of them sometimes.  Distractions come in all forms and colors, they interfere with the plans you make to achieve your goals.  Sometimes, however, it is the goal itself that sets us up for frustration.  If the goals are not right, no amount of effort will bring them into reality.  Today, let’s look at how to actually set goals for ourself.

set goals
Do you have your goals set?

There is a lot more to goal setting than just picking a goal and moving forward. While that is important, it’s also important to ensure that you are setting the right goals at the right time so that you can truly be successful. In order to ensure that you are setting the right goals for yourself, answer the following questions:

 

Are You Setting Specific and Realistic Goals?

 

It takes a little research to set a goal that is realistic. If you’re not sure if something is actually achievable then you’ve not done enough research. Once you’ve set a goal that is indeed realistic, then you need to be specific enough in your description of it so that it’s also easy to take the goal, and work backwards to create a schedule of actions needed to succeed.

set goals
Are these applied to your goals?

 

Are Your Goals Multifaceted?

 

Focusing on only one part of your life is a bad idea. People live multifaceted lives and need to set goals for all areas of their lives in order to feel successful. If you have a wonderful business and career but your personal life suffers, then no matter how successful you are, you will not feel successful. Something will always feel as if it’s missing from your life if your goals aren’t inclusive. Therefore, set goals to include something from each aspect of your life.

 

Is Your Scheduling Representative of Real Need?

 

Once you create the schedule for yourself to reach each set goal , you need to truly consider how representative it is of reality. Say your goal is to be healthy and reduce your cholesterol by 10 percent in six months. But, you haven’t set aside the time needed to exercise and eat right. If you don’t schedule in the time needed, you won’t succeed because something will always be in your way taking time away from you. It will be very frustrating to practice your schedule because it doesn’t represent reality.

For instance, if you are going to exercise 30 minutes per day, setting aside only 30 minutes isn’t going to be realistic. You’ll probably need to set aside an hour to account for getting ready as well as cooling down or getting cleaned up to go back to work.

 

Are You Learning from Failure?

 

Many times when we set goals and schedules, instead of learning from failure, people give up. Using the example above, once you implement your schedule to reach the goals that you have set, when you notice there are things you’ve forgotten to take into account, don’t give up. Learn from the failure and change the schedule to be more realistic.

set goals
This is the path to reach goals.

You might find that in practice you have to rewrite all your goals and your schedule, but this is perfectly acceptable. Many people believe failure is something negative, but the truth is, if you don’t fail sometimes you’re not going to learn much and it’s likely your goals are too easy.

 

Do Your Goals Represent Your Needs and Wants or Someone Else’s?

 

A lot of people set goals that represent what someone else wants instead of what they want. This can really cause a lot of bad feelings and resentment which can derail the best laid plans. As you set goals for your life, ask yourself if they’re really what you want for yourself or what someone else wants for you. Ask yourself if you’re okay with any goal you make being for someone else before you embark on your journey.

It’s okay to do things because of someone else, but it’s important that you are honest about that and make some goals for yourself too that don’t involve anyone else’s needs or wants.

 

Are You Checking in Often to Stay on Track?

 

Schedules are very important to the success of reaching any goal in life. To do lists pale in comparison to a well laid out calendar of tasks and activities that get you from point “A” to point “B”. Ensure that you look at your schedule every morning and every night and note when you succeed on sticking to your schedule and where you don’t. Noticing a pattern of activity can be helpful in fixing a poorly written schedule as well as staying realistic about whether or not you’re sticking to the plan.

 

Are Your Goals Focused Positively?

When writing a goal it’s important to write them in a positive way, or at least a way that feels positive to you. In the quest to improve your life, try writing down a goal and then changing the words to sound more positive to see if it isn’t more motivating. For instance, “losing weight” seems like a good goal, but for some people it might signify deprivation. So instead, the person might frame the goal as “improving my BMI by 10 points” or “improving my cholesterol by 10 percent.”

set goals
Are you on the way to meet your goals?

Just as setting too few goals can be a problem, so can setting too many. Everyone has a personal life and a career life and points in between. If you have set goals in too many areas of life at once, you might tire yourself out and get overwhelmed. Instead pick one personal goal, and one other type of goal to focus on until you reach them, and then you can add more goals as time goes on. You don’t need to do everything today. Slow and steady wins the race is a good motto to hang on to.

To set goals for yourself takes some thought and consideration. Don’t try to set all your goals in one day – instead, set some goals in different stages and in different areas of your life and give a lot of thought to why you’re making the goal in the first place.

So next we work on making our goals SMART.  Then we break them down into manageable steps.  And if you are interested, here is a workbook to help you on your goals.

 

In case you missed it,  here is the first part of this journey to satisfaction with your life.

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Disorganization from Distractions

Disorganization from distractions happen to all of us.  We have never been so productive, so busy and at the same time so distracted. Throughout history there have always been issues that have prevented us from doing what we set out to do.  But, it’s never been as hard as it is today to try staying organized in this age of distractions. Technology has its benefits but also its drawbacks.

disorganization from distractions
Is this what you are looking at?

The very fact that we have so many choices in terms of technology can also cause problems. Having instant access to family, friends, work and the rest of the noise can be very distracting. Email, smartphones, mobile devices, laptops and other “screens” can get in the way of staying organized, even though the technology was originally created to make you more productive and organized.

Identify Areas of Disorganization

The very first thing to do is take an honest look at your life. Look at your home, work, extra activities and more. Make a list of the areas where you see a lack of organization and then start to tackle them.  There are different types of disorganization from distractions to deal with.  You can learn to capture what you need to do, break it down into logical steps, prioritize those steps, figure out what’s next and then get to work doing what needs to be done − without feeling distracted, overworked, stressed out, and out of control. You just need to have a plan of action and an understanding of why you need to do things in a certain way. Then you’ll finally really be organized.  Here’s a short article on ways to get organized.

Technology

The technology can actually cause you to feel pressure to do even more. No matter how amazing you are, you start feeling inadequate that you cannot do more. The technology ends up becoming more of a distraction rather than a useful helper. Take heart, though; you can learn how to wrangle the technology and make it work for you. You can become more organized even if it doesn’t come naturally. You can give yourself permission to do things differently.

disorganization from distractions
Does this keep you from getting organized?

Life Event

– Circumstances can happen that interrupt your normal way of life, such as a death, a wedding, a birth, or other once-in-a-blue-moon event. This can also happen if you have a special deadline at work or other situation. These things can cause you to lose track of what you planned to do for a short period of time, although usually you can get back on track. Simple things like your family dropping in unexpectedly to visit when you have a full day scheduled, or you get a call from a friend who needs your help when you are working on a big project with an upcoming deadline.  All of us have been there.  These issues lead to disorganization from distractions while preventing our ability to remain focused on our goals.

Bad Habits

– Many people just develop bad habits over time that get out of hand. For example, you start stacking your mail on the corner of your desk without a plan of action and then before you know it, you have no idea where to find the phone bill and you end up paying it late. Or when you come home, you simply throw your coat on the couch and take off your shoes right then. Unfortunately, they may end up staying there and creating disorganization and distraction for you.  Maybe, over time, you have started to stack dirty dishes on the counter in the kitchen and simply forget them until much, much later.  Not only is this a health issue (bugs anyone?) but it creates a very disorganized kitchen.

disorganization from distractions
Is this you? Constantly scrolling for something to watch?

Your Upbring

– Disorganization from distractions can manifest in various ways. It can be because of the way you were raised , or the opposite of your upbringing. Some of this depends on your personality and how rebellious you might be.  Not everyone lives and grows up in a picture perfect home and not everyone was raised by a family who had the time to teach correct behaviors.  Today, most parents have to work just to feed everyone, so children end up spending time raising themselves.

Your Social Network

– These days, we are all encouraged to have a lot of things and do a lot of things, and the people who you hang out with seem to determine what kind disorganization you have in your life.  If you hang with the partying crowd, you will not put much emphasis on being organized because having fun is such a distraction.  Who wants to become organized when you could be out having fun?  While these distractions are temporarily fun, if you live your whole life with this mind set you will find that you may spin out of control.  What works for teens and very young adults does not always translate to being productive for the older adult.

disorganization from distractions
Are these your social connections?

Habitual

– If your home or workspace or both are piled high with disorder, there is a possibility that you have a situation called “chronic disorganization” which is a real condition that can require professional help to overcome. There are many people who love to organized and will help you straighten out your environment to help you become a more productive and happier person.

Regardless of your personal situation, the best thing that you can do is to try some of the tips, suggestions, and ideas that will follow.  You can prevent disorganization from distractions if you know what to do.  Next we will look at goal setting and how that can help with organization.

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5 Tips for Getting Out of a Creative Slump

When you find that you suddenly have run out of ideas, lost your inspiration to try something new, or don’t feel creative t all in life or work, you are facing a creative slump. This is like writers’ block, but not just in writing. It can affect nearly every area of your life, and even halt your work progress.

Luckily, it is possible to get out of a creative slump, with just a few different exercises.

Switch Up Your Routine

One of the best things you can do when you are in a creative slump is to get out of the routine you are in, and switch it up. We aren’t talking about a completely different lifestyle, but just changing minor things. If you typically get up at 8 in the morning and make coffee, why not get up an hour earlier and do some yoga or go for a walk? Find small things in your routine that will make it just a little different.

Stop Forcing the Creative Spark

 The more you try to force yourself to be creative and come up with new ideas, the harder it is going to be. This tends to lead to more frustration and stress, which is only going to push you even further from being creative.

When you don’t feel inspired, just put that side and find something else to do. Look for new activities, or just don’t worry about being creative at this moment.

Try Something New

 

 Put aside all the activities you used to turn to, and try something brand new. It can be a creative activity, but it doesn’t have to be. It might be a new workout you haven’t tried, going to a local coffees hop you have always wanted to check out, or reading a new book you picked up from the library.

Spend Time with Friends

Get out of your comfort zone and spend time with friends or family. This is another great way of switching up your routine and being in a different environment. Call up a friend to see if they can meet you for lunch, plan a game night at home with a group of friends, or make Sunday dinner with your family.

Get Outside in Nature

 Nature provides wonderful healing and stress-relieving properties that just might be what you need to find your creative spark aga

in. If the weather permits, go for a walk or hike, sit and watch the waves if you are on the coast, or sit by the lake with a book and a picnic if you live in the mountains.

Every little change you can make will open up that creative spark.

 

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Make money by pinning for affiliate marketing

This post is about learning how to use pinning for affiliate marketing.  I hope this will be interesting and useful to my fellow retirees who may need to add some extra cash to their income. Since I retired, I have had to learn how to live on a much smaller income and getting paid once a month.  It was a difficult change, but I think I have finally gotten used to it.

I am constantly researching ways to make extra cash to help my income go farther.  One of the ways I stumbled upon was affiliate marketing.  It sounds so easy but as I am learning, it is not.  There are many things to learn and put in place before you start making any money, but now that I have gotten all that behind me I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Now, I watch those video about making a ridiculous amount of money without any effort and in a short amount of time, but that’s just ridiculous and I hope no one really falls for that way of thinking.  Any type of income producing activity will, by default require some time and effort on your part and comes with no guarantee that you will ever make a penny.

  • Introduction to Affiliate Marketing 

Affiliate marketing has been around for a very long time.  Basically, what it is is “word of mouth” marketing.  You find a product you like and use and you tell your friends about it.  They try it out and you get paid a small amount for sending them to the product.  That’s it in a nutshell.  There are many videos and blog posts on the internet that explain affiliate marketing better, so I will just leave it at this.

  • How do you reach people to tell them about your product?

One of the ways that I have been exploring lately is the use of social media to attract people to my offers.  Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Pinterest all have built in traffic that you can use to your advantage if you know how to do so.  I have read countless blogs and watched innumerable videos on this topic and I have to tell you that there is a definite learning curve, but the end result is that using social media is an easy way to get started.

Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok have introduced stores that you can use to sell your products, but I have not yet tried this method.

Pinterest is a great place to get started with affiliate marketing. With over 300 million active users, there’s definitely a market for your products. You can promote your products through Pinterest by creating pins that focus on promoting your product and by creating boards that focus on a specific topic.

Simply Pin It
Here’s an example of a pin that is for affiliate marketing

You can also connect with other Pinterest users who are also interested in your product.

Most people already have a Pinterest account, but if not, just go to Pinterest.com and sign up for yours (it’s free!).  You need to decide if you want your account to be for personal use or if you want to make it a business account.  You can decide this later, so for our purpose just get a personal account.  Once that is completed, you are good to go!

  • Introduction to Pinterest 

Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to “pin” images and videos onto a board for later viewing. The site also offers users the ability to share boards with other users. One of the main benefits of pinning for affiliate marketing is that it allows you to share affiliate links with your followers. This means that you can earn commissions on any products that you recommend to your followers.

Another advantage of pinning for affiliate marketing is that it can help you to connect with a wider audience. This is because Pinterest is popular with people who are interested in a wide range of topics. Pinterest is actually a search engine much like Google, but you have to admit it is much prettier than Google.  In the search bar you enter the subject of your pin and see if there are boards you can join or follow so when you make your pin, you will automatically get some attention.

  • How Pinterest works as an affiliate marketing platform

When a user pins an image, Pinterest adds a link to the image that can be shared with others. Pinterest also allows users to follow other users and receive updates when they pin or share content.  When a user follows a pin, Pinterest sends an automated message to the user’s followers informing them about the pin and providing a link to the pin. If the user clicks on the link, the user is taken to the page where the pin was pinned.

 

Affiliate Marketing for Simply Pin It"!
This is what you get with this product

In pinning for affiliate marketing you use images and links to products or services and can be an effective way to promote your business and make sales.  There are, however, some basic guidelines you need to follow.  Pinterest is about “pretty” so first and foremost your pin needs to be visually attractive.  You must make sure that your pin is truthful.  If it is an affiliate link, say so.  You need to set up “boards” on your account to pin your images to.  Then when someone follows your board, they will see your pins.  The more people who see your pins, the more chances you have to make money.

  • The different types of pins that can be used for affiliate marketing

There are different ways of pinning for affiliate marketing. Some pins are designed to attract attention, while others are meant to help affiliates promote their products. Some pins are designed to be colorful and eye-catching, while others are more subtle. There are pins for affiliate marketing that feature logos, images, and text.

It’s important for affiliates to choose the right pin for their marketing campaigns.

  • Tips for creating successful Pinterest affiliate marketing campaigns

There are a few tips to keep in mind when creating successful pinning for affiliate marketing links.

1. Pin interesting, relevant pins that will help promote your product.

Pinning relevant pins to your product can help increase awareness and encourage buyers to explore your product further.

2. Use keywords in your pins to help promote your products to Pinterest users who are interested in that topic.

By including relevant keywords in your pins, you can help people find and follow your content more easily. Additionally, using keywords can help you rank higher in search results, which can help potential customers find your content more quickly.

3. Use a variety of pins to increase your chances of being found by Pinterest users.

A variety of pins can help you stand out from the crowd and ensure that you’re easily found when you need to be.

4. Make sure your pins are high quality, and that they accurately reflect your product.

Pin quality and accuracy is important if you want to build trust with your audience.

5. Make sure your pins are updated frequently, so that they remain relevant to Pinterest users.

6. Be sure to include a link to your product in your pins.

7. Promote your pins on other social media platforms, as well.

8. Use analytics to track the success of your pins.

9. Keep a positive attitude, and enjoy the process of creating successful Pinterest affiliate links.

  • Conclusion

Find yourself one product that you think you would like to tell others about, then sign up with that vendor to be an affiliate of their product.  Once you are approved, make a beautiful pin using whatever editor you want (I use Canva, it’s free) and when you are satisfied, pin it on one of your boards.  Even better, join a Pinterest Group Board that is about affiliate marketing or about your product and pin there.  Talk about built for you traffic!

I hope you try this out and make yourself some extra cash to spend in your retirement.  Follow this link to get the information you need!

 

 

 

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Are you ready for Christmas?

All my adult life, I worked on holidays.  That is just what you do when you are a nurse.  It never bothered me because I just don’t get holidays.  Who decided that a specific day should be a holiday anyway?  Christmas is one holiday that I stopped participating in long ago.  When it became all about gifts and money and outdoing the neighbors with decorations, I said enough.  So I always volunteered to work Christmas so others with small children could be home with them.

Since retiring, I find that I am more understanding of the need for holidays, but I still choose not to participate in them.  This year, and every year, my sole hat tip to Christmas has been to send cards that are handmade by me.  I enjoy the process and love to send them to my friends and family.  Sending cards at Christmas gives me joy, even though it is a lot of work, it is well worth it. This year is no exception.  I finally found a video on YouTube that described a new type of card.  So I took my inspiration from Ellen Crimi-Trent’s video and went all out.  I made a total of 13 cards using metallic watercolor on black paper.  I have to say they were beautiful and so different.  I forgot to take pictures of them, so I can’t show them here.  I’m sorry.

Since it was such fun, I have decided to make a card-a-day to prepare for next year.  I found another video that gave me ideas, so I am currently making several cards alike.  Below is a picture of the two I have completed and the beginnings of several others.  I do plan to stick to a card-a-day, but since the background has to dry naturally, I made those up ahead of time.

What are you doing to get ready for Christmas this year?  Are you doing anything special?  Do you send Christmas cards out still?  I’d love to hear what you have to say on this subject so please leave me a comment here.

 

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