Excitement washed over me after I was accepted to become a member of an affiliate company. By the way, I did pay a certain amount for this position. I had prior knowledge of affiliating even though I avoided marketing subjects or topics like it was a plague.
I was eager to see what kind of products they offered because it wasn't stated when I followed the sign up link. All they stated was; "This is your pathway to financial freedom." I was scared at first that it was just another scam and told my friend about it but she said something that dusted the negative thoughts off my head; "to make it in life, take risks."
She didn't just stop by motivating me but she was ready to venture into affiliate marketing with me. My heart throbbed as we both signed up for it. Curious to know the kind of products I'd be marketing, I prayed it was going to be something I could copy-write on without exaggerating or sounding cliche. I don't fit well when it comes to marketing tech products so I was a little worried.
After the sign up, I was taken to my dashboard and gladly, I saw products that fit my preference; beauty and skin care products, clothings, accessories, etc. My friend and I were delighted because we had seen products that fit our preference, not things like - Crypto, Courses, tech, etc as those are kind of the new trend.
Moving forward, I was excited about the whole business thing. I researched on how to successfully market my products. After reading some articles, I got my links, product images and set to work. I was over zealous as I shared them on all my social media accounts waiting eagerly for my first sale on the first day. LoL.
That day passed and I didn't make any sale but I was still very excited. I was up the next day at 1Am, writing posts to get people to buy my product. I had no sleep after publishing all the articles as I stayed up waiting for messages indicating that someone has shown interest in my product. I published on Medium, Facebook, Instagram and Quora but till nightfall, not a single message or comment even though I got some impressive views.
When I woke up on the third day, reality smiled in my face. My anticipation was high, yet the silence was deafening. Negative thoughts began crawling in, "what if the year ends and you don't make a single sale?" Tears welled up in my eyes. The tears of a novice who wanted to make quick money. I ran to my friend and communicated my feelings, she said she felt the same way but that we should see it like we just planted seeds in fertile soil, while we anxiously wait for the first signs of growth.
Her words soothed me. I don't have such thinking ability when angst hits me. All I ever want to do in that situation is cry and blame myself but I'm glad I had someone who thought deeper and a lot better in raging storms.
I've come to a conclusion that this is a test of patience. It's almost a week now I started but the waters are eerily calm. No bites, no movements. It's a test of patience, one I have to cultivate. I've likened my experience to that of the fisherman I once saw at the river, waiting for fish to discover the bait hidden beneath the surface. No one gave me any financial advice before now, I could only lip; "it's not all rosy out there," I never had an experience first hand until now. Experience indeed, is the best teacher.
To crown it all, this business is a fragile flower, freshly planted. I can't help but wonder if it'll blossom but I believe that with consistency, it'll not only blossom, it'll bloom. After all, the mighty Rome wasn't built in a day, and successful businesses aren't established overnight.