Online Marketing Success: Why Setbacks Are the Key to Growth
Let’s clear something up right away. Too many new online marketers believe in the myth that one big breakthrough will instantly turn them from broke to six figures. The truth is, 95% of the time, it doesn’t work like that. Your online income won’t grow “automatically,” “on autopilot,” or “without effort or investment.”
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Two steps forward, one step back.” That’s how nearly every business grows — and online marketing is no exception.
Building an online business isn’t like hitting the jackpot. It’s not a movie moment where you get struck by luck and stumble into a fortune. It’s more like this: you run an affiliate promotion, spend $500 on ads, and make $400 in commissions.
That’s where many people give up.
“See? Online marketing doesn’t work!”
Wrong.
You did make $400 — and, more importantly, you learned something valuable.
You apply that lesson to your next promotion, spend $500 again, and this time you earn $900. You keep refining your approach, and before long, you’re doing well — all because you didn’t quit after that first $100 loss.
Then, feeling confident, you decide to grow your list with a $300 solo ad — but you only make $50 back.
Frustrating, right?
But now your list is larger. You nurture those subscribers, build trust, and over the next few months, that same list earns you $2,000.
Nice!
Later, you invest $700 to have a product created. It’s great — but nobody buys it.
Ouch.
Still, you repurpose the content into smaller posts, free guides, and social media material. Those attract new followers and boost affiliate sales. Soon, you’re earning $300 a week just from that setup, while your list keeps growing.
Amazing.
But of course, there are more expenses — a better website, new tools, upgraded software — and the cycle continues.
See how this works?
Two steps forward, one step back.
The key is to keep moving forward, no matter how many steps you take backward.
If you were to graph your business growth, it wouldn’t be a straight line up. It would rise, dip, rise again, dip again — but as long as the overall trend points upward, those dips don’t matter.
When you expect setbacks, you’re better prepared to handle them. You won’t panic when things don’t go perfectly, because you’ll know it’s all part of the process.
You’ll also feel more confident, realizing it’s normal to experience ups and downs. Fear fades when you understand that progress isn’t about avoiding failure — it’s about continuing despite it.
Almost every successful online marketer has a mix of small wins and small losses. They come together, and that’s okay. Just make sure your wins outweigh your losses — in number or in size — and keep moving forward.
In the end, that might really the only “secret” to online marketing.
