Just a Heads up...… DO NOT let the stories of the forgotten affiliate marketer get you down. These stories are for encouragement to those who feel like they have been spammed numerous times by those affiliate marketers who are getting rich and leaving you behind and lost.
I started dabbling in make money online in the mid 80's when the internet was just starting to evolve. I joined platforms like 'Inbox Dollars' and survey sites thinking I would be able to make a lot of money and be able to stay home with my children and always be my own boss. That was a joke when a few weeks later while I had made a few pennies in the accounts, it wasn't enough to cash out and get the money in my hands.
So for years I went to some job while raising my kids (6 of them). I was a single mother so I was it. the only one to make a living for the family. Eventually I returned to school for more education. Not knowing what huge debt I was building. I had some jobs I liked and some I didn't but none of them was what I dreamed of doing. For years I did nothing, really didn't have the time, was too tired and too broke. After many years , I decided to return to the internet arena. I worked seasonally, went to school (for that expensive degree), and still raising the children (older now and a couple of grands).
In 2009, one of my daughters and I were at home so we decided to try again. This time was more interesting as my daughter was teaching me new things I didn't know and never came across. There were a lot of sites promising you can start a business with for FREE. We would sign up to learn that now they had every thing we needed but we also had to pay for hosting or you had to upgrade in order to earn commissions. So once again we were stuck. They said free but it wasn't. That's when we learned that we needed to spend money. So then we moved on to traffic sites. Now we needed to get others to sign up so we would have referrals, that's when we started listing out sites we found and would split the list and each would sign up for their sites and send the referral links to the other so we would have at least one referral on some sites. We then got into starting our own blogs and eventually building our own websites.
After about a year or so we had built up a list of sites for traffic and adding our blogs and websites to the traffic sites, we used google analytics and thought we would eventually start seeing referrals and visitors and make some money. That didn't happen either. but we continued on and I think it became more of a hobby then a business. During this time 'AB Affiliates Inc' (my daughters' company) and 'ParaDice Enterprises' (my company) was born. Even when our lives separated by my daughter moving out to be on her own we still continued to strive for growth and held on to our company's names and websites. Over the years we didn't let go but we weren't as active as early on. Work at a little while, still no results, give up and get back to life with the kids and the real world as most would say.
So in 2013, when I lost my job and couldn't find another one, I thought, "I'm going to give internet marketing another go. I promised myself that this time I would stick with it no matter what. And I did, even through one more job. So, I pulled out my old books with all my notes and lists of sites, and starting pulling up my websites and blogs to see where I left off and what I could salvage. I also started searching the web for work@home opportunities and new connections.
Now here I am 6 years later exactly ( it was August of 2013), after numerous connections and so many new things on the web, I'm still at it. One thing I have learned is that while you may be able to start for FREE, you will have to spend eventually, and sooner than later. So with that realization, When I returned to the business in 2013, I returned with the mindset that if I wanted to be successful I would have to spend some of my hard earned money on my business if I expected to make something from it. So I did just that. Don't ask me how much cause I have no idea. I do know that at least once a year I would invest a few hundred dollars in some sort of program that was supposed to get you going and start earning you money in as little as 24hrs. The only way that happens is if you got a lot of money to invest by upgrading and buying traffic. I haven't been able to find that audience I would like or build a following, I have, however, learned a lot and have built a small mailing list which is like a mini rollercoaster. Up one week then down the next. I also would promote other peoples' products for commissions, and sign up to platforms that would have you do micro task (which weren't so micro), and what has become my favorite is making money with my smartphone. After all, the smartphone is the way of the 21st century! I have numerous apps that pays me for small task, there are surveys, game playing, networking sites that pays you, and even some that just pay you for opening your phone. I even have a couple that pays you just for downloading and running on your phone. This has become my #1 passion for making a passive income. I think I probably have done some of everything.
*****This is a pic of one app I use and it just basically sits on my phone. It rewards me for each day it's on my phone and it also has a survey option. You choose if you want surveys or not and you get to chose how often. http://www.ultrafiles.net/AehCB
Now I have gotten back to surfing traffic sites on the web and have been a part of 'Click Track Profit '(CTP) since 2010 and after 10 yrs they have upgraded and done the whole system over and it is the best investment I have made in a while. I'm still on my smartphone (don't think I'll ever give that up), but CTP Has me engaged from the beginning as a FREE member and still as an upgraded member. CTP is not just another affiliate site, it has everything you need to start a business and you can start for FREE. You can stay FREE forever but once you see the value as a FREE member you will want to upgrade. And one thing I really like is that you don't have to be an upgraded member to earn money. You upgrade because you want more, not because you have to, at least I know that's why I did. As with anything, the more you pay the more you get and CTP over-delivers at every level.
I hope you enjoyed this post and I look forward to sharing more of my story with you!!