No doubt affiliates are seething.
“What’s this case AGAINST affiliate marketing nonsense?”
Hey, like it or lump it, affiliate marketing can be extremely profitable, but in most cases it PALES in comparison to selling your own products.
Some reasons why include:
1. List building
You get a short term sale/commission, but the publisher gets all the long term benefits of having another buyer (not just a lead) on their list.
Goodie for the publisher.
Not so goodie for you…
2. Less money
You can make a 50% (or whatever) commission selling someone else’s product, or 100% commission selling your own. Yes, I know some publishers pay 100% commissions, but see reason #1 again.
3. Cookies
Think about this:
Someone gets your email on their smart phone or iPad and opts in. Unless they buy from that same device (and correct me if I’m wrong…) you won’t get the credit for the sale.
This happens a lot.
People opt in with phone/tablet, buy on computer.
Phooey.
4. No guarantee of getting paid
Publishers are notorious for not paying. Of course, this is is not a problem with clickbank, etc. But something to consider…
5. Sales tax nexus
I’m no tax guru.
But all the nexus laws here in the US of Bureaucrats is making it less attractive for publishers to let affiliates sell their products at all. At this rate, we may even see affiliate marketing go the way of neon text and tracking “hits” as a measure of online success.
So might as well sell your own stuff, too.
Anyway, let’s face it.
You and I both know hardcore affiliate marketers reading this email are rolling their eyes and think I’m nutzo.
But it’s all about good, better, best.
With selling affiliate offers being good.
And your own offers being best.
So at the very LEAST sharpen your email fangs to a gleaming sharp edge. In the next “Email Players” issue I give some tips on emails and affiliate marketing.
Including plenty of email examples.
And, a real life “case study” of a recent affiliate campaign.
(One where I blew away all the gurus competing against me — despite my less known brand, smaller list, and “unorthodox” email techniques.)
Hey, a merry time was had by all.
And it’s all ‘splained in the October issue.
Subscribe in time to get it here:
Ben Settle
