“I Don’t Believe in Affiliate Programs”Written by Rosalind Gardner on July 12, 2007 · Comments (28) |
While trying to clear the fog from the darned red-eye flight that I took on the way down to Affiliate Summit in Miami, I spent a little time in my hotel room on Monday going back through through some of the older notes that we’d received on our NetProfitsToday.com support desk.
Having spent 4 hours on Sunday at the jam-packed Meet Market and having just come up from the Exhibit Hall, where throngs of people were ccrowding around merchant and affiliate network booths, the following letter struck me (for the second time) as completely ridiculous.
| Hi Rosalind,
In the ad about your book, you talk about your financial achievements online mainly between 1998 and 2002/2003. But, being an e-business professional myself, I am skeptical about one’s success potential nowadays through affiliate programs as the Internet has now become saturated with e-businesses and dominated by some major ones (like eBay.com. Amazon.com, and a few others). It’s now very difficult to have the kind of success that you had in the late 90s and early 2000s. I tried affiliate programs, myself, last year and was totally unsuccessful. I don’t believe in affiliate programs at all. For example, why would someone buy an airline ticket from my unknown travel site when everyone knows about Expedia.com or Travelocity.com? People prefer to go to the big names (which are considered more reliable and safer) than the unknown ones (which are often considered unreliable and potentially unsafe). Your success was possible when the Internet was relatively new and e-business/e-commerce was a big buzz-word, but that’s no longer the case. I wish you could prove me wrong but I don’t think you can! Regards, K. P.S. I hold a B.S. and a M.B.A. degrees in marketing and e-business/e-commerce. |
Well, here’s what I have to say about that!
SHEESH!
No one will ever convince the well-educated, yet extremely cynical ‘K’ wrong. He calls himself an e-business professional, however, his closed mind and bad attitude precludes any possibility of success in affiliate marketing - regardless of what anyone could say to him.
For the semi-skeptical out there, (which is a healthy approach to any new venture) I’ll talk about my recent experience at Affiliate Summit 2007 East to help alleviate some doubt.
OK, so if there’s no possibility of success in affiliate marketing now, why the heck does the show get bigger and bigger and bigger? Why would merchants and affiliate networks flock to drop big coin to exhibit at Affiliate Summit if there were no affiliates promoting their programs? Huh?
Affiliates of every stripe go to Affiliate Summit - from Super Duper affiliates (the big coupon site folks), to plain ole Super Affiliates like me, Jeremy Palmer and Scott Jangro; and newbie affiliate marketers just starting out.
Right up there with seeing old friends again, my favorite thing to do at the Summit is to meet other affiliates who have become successful and new affiliates who are bringing their well-thought-out plans and site strategies to the Summit for review and to meet potential merchants.
The first affiliate I ran into at the Summit was Ajay Kandala, an affiliate marketer and CJ Performer who introduced himself to me in the elevator. He told me he’d been in the business for just 3 years and had recently quit his job.
There were ‘kids’ who, like Anik Singal of AffiliateClassroom, never really had a ‘job’ other than the affiliate marketing business they created to help put themselves through college. Now they’re laughing their millions all the way to the bank.
I heard one story about a merchant and affiliate who connected on a more personal level to discuss how they’d started their now BIG businesses. They were shocked to learn that one had started from a basement bedroom while the other had worked from his bathroom.
I met people who, realizing that they loved affiliate marketing but learned they weren’t ready to start their own business, had become successful top-dollar affiliate managers for major merchants and networks in the last year or two.
I also met with a few merchants with whom I’d consulted as recently as 6 months ago - just as they were getting into using affiliate marketing to promote their business - and now they have successful, growing businesses that get exceptional press and affiliates lining up at their Affiliate Summit booths to join their programs.
So, what do all these people have in common?
Belief.
Contrary to K’s implied suggestion that a B.S. or an MBA is the best predictor of success potential, it’s obvious that won’t get him anywhere so long as he doesn’t believe in himself or the channel.
Sheesh again.
That’s all affiliate marketing is… an online sales channel in which merchants (stores) pay their affiliates (sales people) commissions based on performance.
So then, what’s not to believe?
Imagine what would have happened if Mel and Patricia Ziegler of Banana Replublic said ‘why would someone buy clothing from my unknown clothes store when everyone knows about Gap and Old Navy?’
There’d be no Banana Republic, right? But they believed in what they wanted to sell, and lo and behold, their empire grew so big that Gap actually bought the company in 1983.
Anyway, the whole notion that someone doesn’t believe in a marketing model based on existing competition strikes me as completely bizarre.
I see proof each and every day that this channel is still very much in its infancy, is growing by leaps and bounds and that existing competition within a niche means little or nothing to those who have a unique plan in which they believe.
Bottom line - Success has no room for cynicism.
By the way, the other thing that the successful affiliates, managers and merchants had in common, was that they’d ALL read the Super Affiliate Handbook - the industry’s standard training manual for affiliate marketers. Isn’t it time you got your copy of the Handbook?
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Comments
28 Responses to ““I Don’t Believe in Affiliate Programs””
CatherineL on July 12th, 2007 15:46 pm
Rosalind - this is so true. Negative people couldn’t make it in any business, never mind affiliate marketing. Yesterday I blogged about a uk affiliate who is floating on the stockmarket for a couple of billion. Surely that should tell the naysayers something. Incidently, I also recommended that they check out your wonderful book if they were in any doubts.
By the way - glad you had a good time at affiliate summit. Do they run any of these in the Winter? The last time I did Florida in July was six years ago, and never again - it is so humid.
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Akin Alabi on July 12th, 2007 17:35 pm
I reckon affiliate marketing is easier these days especially with the amount of information flying around. Techniques like using review pages, squeeze pages has made it possible for the little guy to make a “killing” with affiliate marketing.
It will be like that for a long time to come.
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Michael on July 12th, 2007 22:56 pm
I started affiliate marketing approximately 6 months ago, and the one thing I’ve learnt is to not give up.
The first few programs I tried didn’t work out too well, so I did some more research to find out why. Then I tried another program which worked, and I’ve been making money since then!
I firmly believe there is a lot more room for new affiliate marketers.
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James on July 13th, 2007 15:25 pm
Wow our Affiliate Program helped start our business. Actually for the *#$# that holds an MBA (haha) the older name is Partnership Marketing. On top of that it has a taste of Direct Marketing.
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Alex Yeo on July 14th, 2007 9:06 am
I know affiliate marketing works… so I have nothing much to comment on that.
I just want to comment on how Mr “ego” K stated that he has a degree or MBA with e-business. SO WHAT? He is just trying to show how-smart he is and if he can’t succeed, nobody will.
If he has that kind of belief and mentality, He will NEVER ever succeed in any Internet business. Period.
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Susan on July 14th, 2007 9:29 am
I purchased the Super Affiliate Handbook about three years ago and I am doing very well in my business because of it. It does work. The internet changes every day and that is why this is a full time job. One more thing I would like to comment on. Expedia is one of my affiliate programs.
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Paul on July 14th, 2007 9:39 am
What you never tell folks is this… yes it is important to have a positive attitude and a no-quit resolution… however most people show up at these events and the numbers are ever increasing because they are desperate!! and looking for an easy way to earn fast money that’s the current culture.. of course there will be a very few who succeed at affiliate marketing but what about all the thousands of positve never give up folks who don’t? and these few who do find a niche of success take advantage of this knowing that only a few will actually make a go of it …it’s the same old story ….profit comes before people …….
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Tom Brownsword on July 14th, 2007 9:47 am
Belief. Great summary, Rosalind!
And with more and more people coming online every day, the market expands, so opportunities will continue to exist for some time.
Another thought: how big a chunk of this huge industry do you really need to live well? Not much at all.
Thanks,
Tom
P.S. — Red Eye? Try a flight to Europe or Asia sometime… And if that guy that started out with a bathroom office has an ebook that shows how he set it all up, please let us know!
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Barry on July 14th, 2007 10:26 am
I credit the Super Affiliate Handbook for sharpening my focus. Like most newbies I’d try one thing for a few weeks, then the next system for a few weeks, etc, etc. But now after 18 months in the business I’ve received 3 months of growing affiliate checks. As the saying goes, “slow and steady” wins the race.
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Peter Koning on July 14th, 2007 10:47 am
Hey Ros - Good one! I almost thought that letter was a fake when I read it.
Performance marketing is just beginning. Based on traffic to my own site, and the enquiries I get from merchants, who have MBA’s :), it’s only going to get busier -> demand for affiliates WHO ADD VALUE is increasing.
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Holly Cotter on July 14th, 2007 12:21 pm
Rosalind, I love people like “K”… by taking themselves out of the game, they leave more profits on the table for the rest of us players.
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Speedy on July 14th, 2007 12:55 pm
The problem I have as an affiliate is getting ripped off by some of the merchants.
I’ve been doing affiliate marketing for over 6 years. During that time I’ve delivered hundreds of clicks to some of my merchants without getting a sale. Some of these merchants are large multi-national companies.
Unfortunately with some products there are very few merchants to choose from. So you’re only options are to stay with these rip off artists or display Google Adsense. I decided to go with Adsense.
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Kevin on July 14th, 2007 13:37 pm
Wow, I guess they’ll give BS’s and MBA’s to just about anybody these days, lol.
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Greg Hoffman on July 14th, 2007 14:41 pm
I was so worried when that headline came across in your email. I thought you were actually writing a post about not believing in affiliate marketing anymore. This isn’t the 11pm news, don’t scare us like that, Rosailind! You are one of the mentors in this industry, you always have to be a believer. But heck, it worked to get me to read the post.
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Olajide Lateef on July 14th, 2007 16:06 pm
Rosalind,
Honestly, I believe you are right. I think this is kind of global challenge. There are lots of people like ‘k’ everywhere. Many are always afraid of ‘change’ instead of finding a better way to make it work for them.
Olajide Lateef
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Karl on July 14th, 2007 16:38 pm
I have been in the game for a couple years without much luck……think its a focus and writing good copy issue. Any GOOD tips on where to advertise would be wonderful. Maybe I should just marry Rosalind
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Fred on July 14th, 2007 19:50 pm
I like Speedy have sent thousands of clicks I do get paid from the folks at freindfinder and after 18 months i finnaly got a check from hotelclub.com I sent alot of traffic to cj and didn’t get a thing and then they dropped me and never let me know.
I am now a bottom feeded taking the adsense becuase i get the money.
I tried to buy your book it will not except my money I assume becuase i am coming in with a US credit card from a Cambodia server address. your friend Luara from canada sent me to you 2 years ago
thanks
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Sandy on July 15th, 2007 1:07 am
I’d like to ask this guy - show me your traffic and it’s sources and your site/landing page.
This should be an answer tohis questions.
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Joe on July 15th, 2007 1:11 am
Hello
As a very newbie (as you call it) I believe that an Affiliate program can work. I joined one program that cost heaps and then there were programs that give you a site for nothing however they put there info on the site and i did not know what i was selling….i think that i still own the domain names.
Everyone tells on how to make money with what ever program (and one contradicts the other)so be it.
My question is…. “How do you learn the extremely very basics? Getting a site? How to make the site? how to up-load new info etc? What are the basic requirements of the PC needed? How to deal; with the TAX for Australia? etc
Everyone says “work from home” etc and then tells what program to follow BUT DOES NOT TELL all the bits in between.
Can Anyone help me work it out?
Joe
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David Kamau on July 15th, 2007 7:12 am
Reminds me of the guy who wrote a term paper about how the package delivery industry could be revolutionized. His professor was not impressed. Later that very idea created Fed Ex, a company that every one of the other package delivery companies loves to hate. The guy believed in his idea. And that, as Robert Frost would say, has made all the difference.
Ivory tower mentality never built a successful business. Entrepreneurship did. And will continue to.
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Rick on July 15th, 2007 7:56 am
Calvin Coolidge had a definition for people like K who are so highly educated_”There are plenty of educated derelicts in this world”
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Frank Eckdall on July 16th, 2007 17:17 pm
Dear Ros,
I understand and feel Mr Ks’ pain because I know and have known many friends with a MBA. I always ask them what they learned. Invariably they say not much but terminology, with the exception of how to use a spreadsheet. In my opinion Business is learned on the streets, or nowadays the internet, and watching very closely what others are doing and/or have done who are successfully making money. As such, my philosophy is to do as they do, not what they tell me to do. Incidentally, I know a guy right now who owes $75,000 for his Business degree and doesn’t even know what or how mail merge is done,not to mention what or how to use a mailing list autoresponder. My problems right now stem from the fact I run my own server and organized criminals are always trying to get in. I wear too many hats but ultimately I will never quit the internet because of its global reach and the fact that I speak two languages and new people are coming online everyday. A rising tide lifts all boats. I have been seriously working the internet for over 6 years and I am still learning new ways of doing this new paradigm called Internet Marketing. For all you newbies out there be very careful with your money. So far I only post comments with Rosalind Gardner because I know her to be honest.
Yours very sincerely and respectfully,
Frank F Eckdall
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Sandra on July 17th, 2007 11:04 am
Good response Ros. It’s great to hear there were people of all business levels at AS… wish I could have been there this year!
Here’s another answer to K’s question…
e-retailers spend millions on branding and advertising and affiliates benefit from that. The customer will already trust the company and be more likely to buy after reading the affiliate’s recommendation, rather than if the affiliate was promoting a no-name brand.
Affiliates also provide the retailers more market coverage, just like McDonald’s and Starbucks are on every corner, e-retailers can be on more ‘corners’ by partnering with good affiliates. It’s a win-win.
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Paul Guzman on July 23rd, 2007 11:29 am
SHEESH! Rosalind where would I be without your ebook? Probably still making the same mistakes over and over again. Many friends and family members are now noticing what I have accomplished with our website. I have no B.S. or M.B.A…in any field. I barely made it through high school. Yet my niche website is a success because of you and others in the affiliate marketing field.
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Rosalind Gardner on July 23rd, 2007 12:49 pm
Hey Paul,
Thanks SO very much for the lovely compliment. Just happy to be able to help.
You - and all the other affiliate marketers out there - who work their way to success should be very, very proud of yourselves!
Keep up the great work!
Cheers,
Ros
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Michael on July 23rd, 2007 17:34 pm
Affiliate marketing is the way forward, Rosalind thanks for your ever informative information.
Keep up the good work
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Michael on August 1st, 2007 0:26 am
Ros
I have enjoyed reading all the responses. They have inspired me to add my 2 cents worth:
Why is it that many people holding a couple of business related degrees seem to believe this will ensure their success in business?
Knowing the theory of doing business is all very well but there’s no substitute for experience (good and bad). How does that old saying go? “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach!”
Many of the most successful people in business today do not hold degrees of any kind and yet head-up some of the most successful businesses in the world.
For what it’s worth, I have made and lost a small fortune twice in my lifetime (I’m a “young” 60 year old) and I only just managed to graduate from school!
Today, I make a comfortable living as an entrepreneur, life coach and public speaker.
P.S. At the age of 39, as a part-time “mature” student I earned a BS in computer science. Then, just before I turned 45, again as a part-time “mature” student I earned an MBA. Neither of these has made me any better a businessman than I was before I earned them, but they do look impressive on my resume!
P.P.S. Having purchased (and read!) your great book, I’m ready to get started and I’m looking forward to becoming a successful affiliate - probably creating and or selling degree level courses in commonsense business practice.
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John Counsel on May 19th, 2008 11:38 am
It’s an old thread now (just discovered it), but I’d like to comment.
I stopped teaching in MBA and other post grad programs for precisely the attitude displayed by the original poster: I prefer dealing with entrepreneurs rather than careerists looking to climb the corporate food chain as employees.
There are two distinctly different type of people in the world of business:
1. People who are conditioned, by their upbringing, education, cultural and social backgrounds and work/life experience to be three things…
EMPLOYEES who are rewarded for ACTIVITY (not results) and know how to WORK hard (but not smart — although some mistake ‘cunning’ for ‘clever’).
CONSUMERS who know how to BUY and how to SHARE news of good deals.
IMITATORS who play the “safety-in-numbers” game and do what everyone else does because it’s less risky.
2. People who are naturally these three things:
ENTREPRENEURS who know how to be go-betweens who bring buyers and sellers together at the same time and place, and who know how to take carefully-calculated risks — and understand that there are NO rewards for activity, only for RESULTS.
MARKETERS who understand that people have constant needs and find solutions to satisfy those needs — and also understand that, no matter how much people NEED what you offer, until they WANT them, they won’t BUY them.
INNOVATORS who understand WHY cause-and-effect relationships work and learn to control the processes in order to control the RESULTS. (The imitators see the EFFECTS and think they’re the causes. *D’oh!*)
In other words, most of the MBAs I taught were the first group pretending to be the second group in order to further their careers in BIG business… where EVERYONE, form the Board level down, is an EMPLOYEE!
So fear of loss is the main driver for them — not the desire to sever all connection between their mediums of exchange… TIME and MONEY.
And that’s the #1 valid reason for becoming an entrepreneur in the first place, because it’s the ONLY reason that can’t be fulfilled in the right JOB.
John Counsel
CEO, The Profit Clinic
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