Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 5810 Location: by the beach, Australia
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 10:33 pm Post subject:
Charlie wrote:
At the end of the day, aren't most of us here to learn to make more money, rather than become more efficient at providing other people with the best information available out of the kindness of our hearts?
That's for the sure!
However, is it possible make good money, provide good information, have fun, and feel good about what you're doing, all at the same time.
That's what I try to do.
As affiliates we walk a tight-rope between self-interest and the interest of our customers. It's so easy for newcomers to get sucked into the swampy, get-rich-quich areas, choosing products purely on the basis of how much commission they pay instead of whether the product is any good.
One of the best ways to increase your chances of making a good income from affiliate programs is to research them carefully and promote only the best products that will genuinely help your customers, long-term. If we do that, we earn a good reputation and should attract repeat customers for years.
If you look at AssociatePrograms.com's Alexa rating and compare it the ratings of my dozens of competitors, you can see that this policy is working successfully for me.
Here are the facts - as I see it - that I looked at when deciding whether or not to promote KSB.
KSB is designed to appeal to lazy affiliates, and lazy affiliates aren't likely to rewrite articles. It makes it easy for them to create pages that will end up being one of many duplicate pages spread throughout the Net, and linked to other sites that contain duplicate pages, differing only in the keywords chosen.
While that generates incomes in the short term, it looks a very risky strategy to me.
I'd hate to think that I'd persuaded hundreds of affiliates to build sites that sank without trace in Google, which is what I think is likely to happen to most KSB-built sites eventually.
In total contrast, we've extensively tested Site Build It! for 18 months and we've built one successful affiliate site after another with it.
I just checked our stats. One of those affiliate sites - Rupert's cheap computers site - has now generated more $255,000 in sales (not commissions, sales) for TigerDirect.
So I feel good about promoting that Site Built It! I know it works beautifully.
Re disguised affiliate links etc...
I used to work for daily newspapers. As a journalist, I used to argue with management when it tried to blur the lines between advertising and editorial. Any decent journalist's creed insists that the two must be clearly separate.
Some journalists had the job of writing "advertorials", blurb promoting products and companies to go around ads. The journalists' union insisted that such advertorials had to be clearly labeled "Advertising Feature" and there were bitter complaints to the union head office and prompt union intervention if this wasn't done.
What a switch. Now I earn my living writing advertorials which gently lure the reader towards clicking on one particular link - my Most Wanted Response, as Ken Evoy calls it.
Let's face it. That's what we do. Just like in any other career, we can choose to do it responsibly and take pride in doing a good job, or not.
If the problem of blurred lines between editorial and advertising bothers you, you don't need to use affiliate links on content pages these days.
With the right topic - using valuable keywords - you could provide totally impartial content and just use AdSense ads, if you wanted to. One of our content sites built with Site Build It! generated $2300 from AdSense last month.
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2003 12:16 am Post subject: We're watching you!!
Quote:
Maybe I did ought to inform the taxman what I'm up to, I've spent out far more than I've earned, so I might be in for a nice rebate.
REBATE Rebate!!!!! This is Her Majesty Government you are talking about we only take your money, we are not in the habit of giving any back.
No need to inform us, we know everything. We will be watching you even more carefully Mr Chamberlain, we do not like these kind of remarks, if you start putting ideas like that around then everyone will be trying to claim money back.
You just make sure you declare all those affiliate commissions, then we will not have to personally drop in at Albert Rd. "Rebate" Ha!
At the end of the day, aren't most of us here to learn to make more money, rather than become more efficient at providing other people with the best information available out of the kindness of our hearts?
That's for the sure!
However, is it possible make good money, provide good information, have fun, and feel good about what you're doing, all at the same time.
That's what I try to do.
If you ask me, you not only try but you actually succeed in getting the balance right a lot better than most. (That's the reason I am posting in this forum in the first place, but that's another story...)
AllanGardyne wrote:
As affiliates we walk a tight-rope between self-interest and the interest of our customers. It's so easy for newcomers to get sucked into the swampy, get-rich-quich areas, choosing products purely on the basis of how much commission they pay instead of whether the product is any good.
One of the best ways to increase your chances of making a good income from affiliate programs is to research them carefully and promote only the best products that will genuinely help your customers, long-term. If we do that, we earn a good reputation and should attract repeat customers for years.
I just wonder how much research and long term thinking the average affiliate is really prepared to do.
AllanGardyne wrote:
Re disguised affiliate links etc...
I used to work for daily newspapers. As a journalist, I used to argue with management when it tried to blur the lines between advertising and editorial. Any decent journalist's creed insists that the two must be clearly separate.
...
What a switch. Now I earn my living writing advertorials which gently lure the reader towards clicking on one particular link - my Most Wanted Response, as Ken Evoy calls it.
Let's face it. That's what we do.
I'm glad you picked up on this, as you're ideally qualified to comment. Yes, it does seem acceptable online (at least to the publishers), but I dare say a lot of "paper" journalists still grimace at the state of things!
Nevertheless, for better or worse "advertorials" are here to stay. I realise we all have to play by the new rules.
AllanGardyne wrote:
If the problem of blurred lines between editorial and advertising bothers you, you don't need to use affiliate links on content pages these days.
With the right topic - using valuable keywords - you could provide totally impartial content and just use AdSense ads, if you wanted to.
I suppose deep down, I do feel slightly uneasy about any commission-based payment model. But that's a bit of idealism on my part. From a practical point of view, I know I am happy with the way I publish my affiliate links.
I think the point about Adsense is an excellent one, by the way. This answers any theoretical concerns I might have, perfectly!
Just to make things absolutely clear, my "moral crusade" has nothing to do with KSB. I wanted to make the point that I think it's up to everyone to decide what "marketing ethics" means to them, without being censored (deliberately or otherwise) by others. I picked these somewhat prickly examples to try and make this point by shaking people out of their comfort zone, but did not intend to tread on anyone's toes, either.
Sorry if this sounds pompous or patronising, but I can't help but think that some people are a bit "narrow minded" when it comes to defining what is "the right way" to publish. The freedom to do things my own way (governed by my value system, not somebody else's) is central to my particular "internet dream", and something I feel extremelely strongly about. Maybe other people do, too.
Sorry, also,for any perceived slur on all those tax legitimate part-timers out there, Larry, but tax and the black economy is one particular "debate" I'd rather not take any further!
All the best,
Charlie. _________________ "Before I speak, I have something important to say."
- Groucho Marx
Maybe I did ought to inform the taxman what I'm up to, I've spent out far more than I've earned, so I might be in for a nice rebate.
REBATE Rebate!!!!! This is Her Majesty Government you are talking about we only take your money, we are not in the habit of giving any back.
No need to inform us, we know everything. We will be watching you even more carefully Mr Chamberlain, we do not like these kind of remarks, if you start putting ideas like that around then everyone will be trying to claim money back.
You just make sure you declare all those affiliate commissions, then we will not have to personally drop in at Albert Rd. "Rebate" Ha!
HM Inland Revenue
Ha Ha Ha Ha, nice one! Well as you will see my ex missus has beaten you to it mate. The only thing of value I have is this Fisher Price 'puter, and if you take that I wont be able to earn all that commission for you to tax to the hilt in the years to come.
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