This may come across as an odd idea, or one that has been tried many times in the past. As the realm of Affiliate Marketing becomes more competitive and the variety of Network (Shareasale, CJ, private networks and simple Affiliate Programs) options that are available continue to grow, would it interest an affiliate marketer if they can be a fundamental part of how a network (or in my case an Affiliate Program) was to develop.
I have a growing Affiliate Program that I am running, and it is in the debt (yes, I know ...debt) industry. But My affiliate program has been developed from a different perspective. Having had 5 years within the Debt world as a public speaker (giving educational seminars about credit, budgeting, etc.) and having run a non-profit debt management company I have had the experience of knowing many thousands of times over what individuals are looking for when they need debt services. As such my marketing message caters to that.
Where my experience faulters is in the realm of Affiliate Marketing, and Affiliate Recruitment... I want to try and provide a legitimate way for Affiliates that sign on to our program to openly communicate what they need to be successful, and to provide a method for them to guide how the program develops.
So my point (I swear I do have one!) is this. As an affiliate marketer does it simply boil down to the Payout... I know that overall that is the bottom line... but does having a vested interest in how a program develops and helping to establish protocols for communication (weekly updates, tiers, bonuses, contests, RSS feeds, etc.) carry any weight?
Wow, seems like I wrote a lot for such a simple question... anyway let me know your thoughts...
Sorry I missed this post yesterday. You raise some very good points.
I think especially in certain markets - like the Debt market, it must be really hard to differetiate yourself and your program benefits. Payouts always reign supreme but other things count too. The problem is how do you get your distinct program advantages out above all the noise.
Well forums like this are one way. This biz is about money but it is also about relationships. Markets like debt have a certain amount of mis-trust or some negative connotations due to other programs, so it's important to get out and get to know affiliates in some of the positive, pro-active affiliate forums.
One of the best things that can come from forums IF you can swing it, is when one of your affiliates starts talking about how great the program is, or when you can site some really good conversion rates or mention top affiliate earnings if they are over 10K a month especially.
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Thanks Linda... I think perception is always a key factor in whether people decide to work with you or not. And certain markets carry with them a sleezy perception and that is a shame, but not without good reason. In all the businesses that I have endeavored to do i have always tried to be both fair and involved. Perhaps that is because I have been in far too many dealings where the other party was both unfair, and completely uninvolved.
Getting to that point where I can tout the affiliate numbers being fantastic is going to be the hard journey. I have looked at a lot of competing offers, and from having been on multiple sides of the coin (or dice, I dont know if the coin is a good word... oh I am getting lost in my analogies) I can see that the numbers they are showing can't possibly be right. But as I said there is a reason for the skeptical perception of certain industries...
Debt can be a difficult and flooded market to work in and it takes talented affiliates to be able to generate quality and volume... the last thing that you would want to do is waste time and effort moving to a program that you dont know you can trust... and believe me, I understand the conundrum.
My goal is to meet and get to know people (through these forums and future networking events) and hope that my involvement and personality gets the door open... Hopefully they will see that I truly am in the business of building relationships...
On a semi related note, I have a very close friend with a technology company. It builds a diagnostic machine that sells for boatloads of money. He could reasonably pay affiliates $10-$12,000 in commision for EACH verified SALE. Here is the problem... It is a WAY limited market... only a few high end companies would even be able to buy the product and within the entire industry there is only about 200 sales a year... Would any affiliate ever consider picking up that offer? If you corner the market (almost no competition) you could really generate $$. Or it could be an absolute waste of time... Its like choosing $10 or $10 in lotto tickets...
Thanks for the reply Linda... Have a great weekend
So my point (I swear I do have one!) is this. As an affiliate marketer does it simply boil down to the Payout... I know that overall that is the bottom line... but does having a vested interest in how a program develops and helping to establish protocols for communication (weekly updates, tiers, bonuses, contests, RSS feeds, etc.) carry any weight?
I could answer for myself, but I know this is a very controversial issue.
For some people, that may be even the most impotant factor in choosing a program, some (the ones that make more $$) just treat it as a business and as such only the money making perspective is important.
So I guess if you market the compaign to the right group of people you can always find your best affiliates for your program
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me... I'm learning everyday, and it is important that I keep a broad perspective - I can make thousands of suppositions and assume plenty but when I have the perspective of the actual people doing the work, it is golden...
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