Affiliate Marketing Journey: 3 Honest Lessons This Week

My affiliate marketing journey has no new sales or subscribers to report today. The numbers are exactly where they were when I last updated the blog.

The work, however, has continued. I have been improving my YouTube content, preparing a short version and exchanging messages with a subscriber. I have also discovered, once again, that my idea of how much I can finish in a day is rather optimistic.

On Monday, I said I wanted to finish my YouTube video and create shorter videos to share across different platforms.

Did I get all of that finished on Monday?

No, I did not.

Anyone who has followed me for a while probably saw that answer coming. I tend to plan my day as if every task will go smoothly and nothing will need a second attempt.

If you missed the previous update, you can read about the two affiliate sales and new subscriber I reported on Monday.

So far, I’ve earned just over $1,500 in affiliate commissions through ClickBank Profit Club. It’s the exact system I’m using and sharing updates about here on the blog. Take a look at the system I’m using. 

1. A subscriber conversation matters, even when the list stays the same

One of the nicest parts of the last few days was hearing from a subscriber and having a conversation.

That does not happen very often yet, which makes it especially enjoyable when it does. I like exchanging experiences with someone else who is working on their own online business.

Writing blog posts, sending emails and sharing content can sometimes feel like talking without knowing much about the people reading. A reply changes that. There is a person on the other side with their own plans, questions and experiences.

My email list has not grown since the last update, but I still enjoyed that interaction. It gave me something a subscriber count cannot show.

I would like more of those conversations as this affiliate marketing journey continues. If you are following along, you are welcome to leave a comment and tell me what you are working on.

2. My YouTube deadline needed to be more realistic

The main video has now been published, but finishing the whole assignment has taken longer than I expected. There is also the short version to prepare and share across different platforms.

Tomorrow, Thursday, I have my next coaching call. That gives me a very definite deadline for getting the remaining work ready.

The course has been very educational so far. After tomorrow’s session, I will have three meetings left, and I want to make good use of them.

The most useful part has been getting feedback on work I have actually made. It is much easier to understand a problem with a caption, a scene or a thumbnail when someone points it out in your own video.

I wrote more about that process in my earlier post on the YouTube lessons I was learning before publishing.

My practical lesson this week is to leave time for reviewing and correcting the work. Creating the first version is only part of the job. Next time, I need to include those extra steps in the schedule before promising myself an early finish.

3. Repurposing content still takes work

Turning a longer video into a short sounds straightforward. Choose a few moments, shorten them and export a vertical version.

In practice, I have had to think about what viewers can see and understand in that smaller frame. Is the equipment still visible? Does the opening make the point quickly? Are the captions clear? Is there a useful next step at the end?

For this video, showing a room crowded with workout equipment makes the space problem clearer than starting with a close-up of one dumbbell. That is the kind of decision I am learning to make.

The research and material can be reused, but the shorter video still needs its own editing. I underestimated that part.

Once this blog post is published, the usual social media sharing is waiting too. I want to give each post a relevant introduction when I share it, rather than simply dropping the same link everywhere and moving on.

What I am building beyond this week’s update

YouTube and Amazon affiliate products are one part of what I am learning. My wider interest is still affiliate marketing, email marketing and eventually building assets and products of my own.

ClickBank Profit Club is connected with my first affiliate income. The next stage I am exploring is how to build a more complete business around what I learn, with guidance from the Super Affiliate – John Thornhill.

If you are interested in that side of the journey, you can explore Coaching Profit System here.

For today, though, the priority is quite practical: publish this update, share it and get the remaining YouTube homework ready for tomorrow.

There are no new earnings to add to the report. I would certainly welcome some, but I also want this blog to include the days when the numbers stay still and the work takes longer than planned.

That is part of my affiliate marketing journey too.

Do you also underestimate how long content takes to finish, or have you found a planning method that works for you?

Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.