The Wild West May Be Gone, But the Affiliate Business Blazes On…
So I just finished reading How the Affiliate Marketing Industry Killed Itself on the DM Confidential site, and I got to say I’m a bit annoyed. Maybe this article was just written to get some links, and if that’s the case, congrats to the author David Rodnotzky, you got one. But seriously, if links were your goal you could just write an article called Why Puppies Should Be Refined and Used as an Alternative Energy Source. That would get you way more links.
[Note to self: write article titled “Why Puppies Should Be Refined and Used as an Alternative Energy Source” tonight for personal blog…I need more links.]
The thing about the article that gets me going isn’t the assumption that affiliate marketing is going the way of the Dodo, it’s that the article is based off the premise that affiliate marketing is all about the “wild west” days of affiliate marketing, and without the wildness, affiliate marketing doesn’t exist.
I totally disagree with David on this. In fact, I’d say that affiliate marketing is evolving into more mainstream and legitimate form of marketing. Yes, there will be a shake out of affiliates who don’t have the skills to survive or the will to adapt. But affiliates will thrive by evolving into highly skilled, legitimate marketing businesses that just happen to get paid on a CPA basis. And guess what David, the best affiliate marketers are already running their businesses like they are businesses - they don’t treat them like one time score at Tombstone Bank.
Every industry evolves. It's inevitable, like sunrises and Brittney Spears. We don’t say that the airline business disappeared because they switched from prop planes to jets. It’s still the airline business; it’s just faster, bigger and more efficient…once you get off the ground anyway…and if you don’t check your luggage.
Aw crud. You get the point.
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Comments
Direct quote from Google: "There is no problem in being an affiliate as long as you create some added value for your users and produce valuable content that gives a user a reason to visit your site. For example, you could create product reviews, ratings, and product comparisons." (http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=66361)
The same principles for obtaining offline business success apply for obtaining online business success. Those affiliates who create value for the user will have a much better chance of obtaining long term success while the affiliate who is just looking to "get rich quick" by any means necessary will most likely be faced with long term failure.
Posted by: Joel | November 16, 2007 09:43 AM
Well put Joel - and thanks for the Google quote!
Posted by: James Omdahl | November 16, 2007 09:47 AM
Maybe the author is just trying to reduce competition.
There is no money in insurance or affiliate marketing everybody! Go get another job and leave the traffic to me.
(Uh... LOL)
Posted by: QuoteUS | November 16, 2007 10:45 AM
With all respect, it doesn't seem that you really disapprove of anything that Mr Rodnotzky actually wrote in his blog post. He isn't saying "this also applies to affiliates that really add value". Also, he isn't saying "affiliate marketing is a really bad idea". He's just saying that he believes the overall affiliate business is taking a hit, and he gives good reasons why.
From my point of view, everything he's saying is true. I did many of these things, and I got really wounded. If you didn't, good for you. It still doesn't make him wrong.
Posted by: Magnus Wester | November 19, 2007 11:24 AM
Hey Magnus - good to hear from you. I hope when you say "I did many of these things" you're not talking about the whole spyware/stealing cookies thing ;) Kidding.
I hear what you are saying, and I agree with you to a point. I do think Mr. Rodnotzky was going more for shock value than anything with a headline like that...and I certainly fell for the trap. I guess I wouldn't have bothered to write my post if he had said the industry was evolving, not being "killed."
Hope things aren't getting too cold where you're at Magnus. Again, good to hear from you.
Posted by: James Omdahl | November 19, 2007 02:27 PM