Why Most People Quit Affiliate Marketing Too Soon

In this video and blog post, I want to talk about why most people quit affiliate marketing to soon and why you shouldn’t. Most people don’t fail at affiliate marketing because it “doesn’t work”. They fail because they stop too soon.

I was reading a short but powerful post from Kyle (co-owner of Wealthy Affiliate) that said: your past does not define your online future. The point is simple: it does not matter if you tried before and it didn’t work, if you procrastinated, or if you started and stopped. What matters is what you do next.

This blog post is a written version of my video on the same topic, and I hope it encourages you to take another run at building something online if you’ve previously given up.

Sign Up For A Free Wealthy Affiliate Account Here

Your Past Doesn’t Disqualify You

People often carry “online baggage” into a new attempt:

“I tried a few years ago and it didn’t work.”
“I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“I posted for a while and then stopped.”
“I wasted time chasing shortcuts.”

Here is the truth: the online world does not reward your intentions, your plans, or your regrets. It rewards consistent action.

Why Most People Quit Too Soon

In my experience, most people quit for predictable reasons:

They expect quick results. Affiliate marketing is not an instant-win model. It’s a long-term business.
They don’t build skills. They jump from idea to idea rather than learning one core skill properly.
They procrastinate. I understand this one. Many of us are guilty of it at times.
They start and stop. Momentum is created through consistency, not occasional bursts.
They work without structure. Without a clear path, it’s easy to lose direction.

If you’re new to the concept, you may find this helpful first:

Skills Are Learned, Confidence Is Built, Momentum Is Created

No one is born knowing how to build a website, create content, or generate traffic. Those are learned skills.

That is why I often encourage people to stop thinking in terms of “will I succeed?” and start thinking in terms of “what skill will I master next?”

A simple challenge that helps:

Choose one skill to focus on for the next 12 months (writing, SEO, YouTube, email marketing, etc.).
Commit to consistent action, even if it feels slow at first.
Track progress weekly rather than judging results day by day.

Why Structure Matters (And Why I Still Use Wealthy Affiliate)

One of the reasons people quit is because they are trying to build an online business without a clear structure.

Wealthy Affiliate is not perfect, but it is one of the most structured “start to scale” platforms I’ve used. You can join for free, go through the beginner training, and build a website without needing a credit card.

If you want to see my longer thoughts on the platform, here are a few posts to help:

The free starter level is a sensible way to test whether the training style suits you. If it does, you can upgrade later, but at least you’re making a decision based on experience rather than hype.

Affiliate Marketing Rewards Consistency

I still believe affiliate marketing is one of the best long-term ways to build an online income. It is proven, it is scalable, and it rewards people who keep showing up.

If you’d like to read about why I’m still committed to it (and what I added alongside it), here you go:

Final Encouragement

If you’ve failed before, you’re not alone. Most people have started something online and stopped. But that does not mean you can’t succeed.

Your past does not define your online future.

What matters is your next decision, your next action, and your willingness to keep learning long enough for momentum to kick in.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment, and if you want to test Wealthy Affiliate for free, start here:

Start a free Wealthy Affiliate account (and see how the platform works)