Do People Do This?

[walker22]

Hi Everyone,

I am as new to this as you can get. Been reading a ton of materials all over the Internet and finding more fluff than real answers but I know that's part of the process.

Here's my question for the experienced affiliates.

If I want to purchase a product online, is there any reason why I couldn't become an affiliate first, post my GoogleAd for that product, go to Google and click on my own ad and get a commission for my own purchase?

Is this something most people do or is this unaccepted behavior? It just seems lile such an obvious way to accomplish several things in one transaction:

1. Buy a product you know you want
2. Earn a commission on your own purchases
3. Test your own GoogleAd
4. Defray the cost of something you knew you were going to purchase anyway.

Maybe there's something I'm missing or is this something everyone does but no one talks about online? I've yet to see it mentioned anywhere but I certainly can't be the only one to think of using my own purchases to help my own affiliates/business.

Again, I'm new so if this seems really stupid for some obvious reason I'm overlooking, please explain why it isn't, can't or shouldn't be done.

Thanks in advance.

Michael

[Rosalind Gardner]

Hello Michael,

A couple of things....

You don't need to start an Adwords campaign to accomplish that task. All you have to do is join the program and buy the product through your own affiliate link... if the program allows you to do that, and many don't.

Please remember though, if you are introduced to the product by another affiliate, that you'll generate better karma buying through their link than cheating them out of their deserved commissions.

What goes around always comes around.

Cheers,
Ros

[walker22]

<<Please remember though, if you are introduced to the product by another affiliate, that you'll generate better karma buying through their link than cheating them out of their deserved commissions. >>

Thanks for the personal reply, Rosalind.

No, I wasn't referring to cheating someone out of a commission. I'd never do that. I just am having a tough time understanding some of this, especially if I find a product I like and would want to be an affiliate for, it almost seems like everyone would benefit from purchasing through me except me. Why would I have to go seek out someone else to buy from when I'm an affiliate of that very product?

I guess a better example would be Amazon.com. Since I buy a ton of books every year, my thinking is: I should become an affiliate and continue making the same purchases I normally make but instead of going directly to amazon (not through an affiliate--I've been going directly to amazon.com years before I ever even heard the term affiliate) why couldn't I purchase through my own affiliate link? It'd be like being a Pontiac car salesman and not being able to buy from the dealership you work at. Same goes for any product I normally buy on a regular basis right now. No one gets a commission on my Omaha Steaks purchases because I simply call them on the phone. Since they're a great product I'll continue buying, why not become an affiliate for them and purchase through my own link as well as trying to drive tons of business to them?

Is there a reason this wouldn't be ethical and acceptable? Every other business I've ever worked in has let employees purchase their own products at significant discounts. Why wouldn't you do the same with an affiliate relationship? It's standard procedure in any brick and mortar store. I'm really not understanding this at all.

Again, thanks for your patience with a newbie.

Michael

[A Posse Ad Esse]

Hi Michael,

As Ros says, many programs don't allow you to make purchases through your own affiliate link.

You're right, employee discounts are the norm in a high street business but the web is such a huge high street, many stores can't afford to allow affiliates to purchase through their own link.

Affiliates are a worldwide commission-based sales force that can number in the hundreds of thousands.

Staff discounts start becoming somewhat of a burden if anyone in the world can get one.

I appreciate your reasoning, and some affiliate programs do allow it, but it certainly ain't the norm as far as I'm aware...

Also:

[walker22]

<<Affiliates are a worldwide commission-based sales force that can number in the hundreds of thousands. Staff discounts start becoming somewhat of a burden if anyone in the world can get one. >>

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the response. What you posted makes perfect sense now. I hadn't considered how many people could possibly be involved in being an affiliate for any given company. In a brick & mortar store, they're dealing with a set number of employees or salespeople, not a continually growing number of people who'd be looking to utilize the discount.

Thanks for clearing that up for me!

Best regards,

Michael

[A Posse Ad Esse]

Glad to help mate,

I wrote that at 4.30 am having just come in from a night out. Relieved it made sense at all lol.

[Will]

[richerbrat]

Your method sounds a bit complicated - doing adwords is an awful lot of trouble to through just to get a cheaper product. And don't click on your own adsense ads on your site, or you could get booted. Amazon don't let you do it unfortunately - buy through your own affiliate link. But some do, and some actually encourage it.

If I see a product, say when I am searching clickbank or something, I will get the affiliate link then buy it from myself. But, if I first hear about a product through someone elses affiliate link, I would buy it there, as they deserve their commission.

[walker22]