Comments on: Affiliate Product Launches I Refuse To Promote

By: Joseph B.

Joseph B. — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:57:08 +0000

Well, Andy that pretty much sums it up doesn't it, or does it?

Some great material in thier for product owners to improve upon, not to mention affiliate pit falls to avoid. Great stuff!

Two things I would say...

1. If your affiliates are using sneaky tactics (you know what I mean, there are plenty and I won't go into them) don't be afraid to "let them know" sort of speak and...

2. Keep your radar open to what they are saying, they are "marketers" and will have a counter argument to this EVEN BEFORE you thought of it and will slide it into thier sales pitches.

3. O.K. I said two, but hey, I'm a marketer at heart! Ask your self BEFORE listening to the pitch "do I really need this?"

Nothing other than that.

Thank You Andy, Great Post

By: Joseph B.

Joseph B. — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:57:08 +0000

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:49:53 +0000

Thanks Andy really good read. I think that this is powerful stuff for us product owners too. We can learn how to keep our Affiliates happy… And keep them making money

By: Franck Silvestre

Franck Silvestre — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:48:51 +0000

Very good read. Those marketers who are new to affiliate marketing should find your article very useful. It’s important to promote what you like, besides if there is demand for these products too.

By: cures for insomnia

cures for insomnia — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:43:48 +0000

It’s good that you have some ethics like this. So many people just sell – doesn’t matter what it is as long as they get money from it. And that’s a good way to lose trust from followers and subscribers. A few people I bought things from have since promoted junk and now I don’t believe anything they say.

By: Max

Max — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:18:01 +0000

@ms danielle

Acai – good customer service? Not sure about that when a search for acai on complaintsboard.com shows almost 10,000 complaints (many of which have dozens of comments which are also complaints) and almost every CPA offer for Acai has pushed the weight loss angle of which there is no proof whatsoever. Although the complaints about the hidden negative option (recurring monthly billing of up to $100 monthly) FAR outnumber those about the product not being effective as a weight loss aid.

By: ms danielle

ms danielle — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:29:37 +0000

appreciate all the feedback. i hope product developers find this article, it really is a great list and wonderful food for thought.

By: Andy Beard

Andy Beard — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:08:04 +0000

I suppose with many “offers” from the CPA networks, you are being paid per lead, thus the advertisers profit from backend sales, even as affiliate promotions are factored into the price.

What you describe for lead stealing I would collectively group under skimming.

With Acai… hmm, a real tough call – I would be happy promoting it by PPC for keywords like “buy acai” – it isn’t an illegal substance.
The remainder is the gray zone – it depends on the sales page and health claims, though it isn’t something I have researched.

Real junk products are those that just don’t do what they say, or are significantly flawed to make them unusable for practical purposes.

By: ms danielle

ms danielle — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:46:06 +0000

re: stealing sales, it’s unfortunate that it’s easy for companies to steal leads, but can you ever know what %age are stolen? if there were an “assist” tracking (like ysm does) that would be ideal but not probable. cookies are over-written or max commission durations cut short. blah blah blah…
i’m working on creating a product which is why i tweeted this and bookmarked it. i agree junk products is #1 for a lot of affiliates as deal breakers. curious how you would rate a product like acai berry pills that has good customer service, aff service, tracking, and payout schedule?
i.e. would love to see your check list of “junk” products!

By: Parrot Cages Plus

Parrot Cages Plus — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:52:44 +0000

This is an awesome checklist. Choosing the wrong affiliate product to promote is the biggest mistake most new marketers make. Even if a product converts well sometimes the negatives will still outweigh the sales. Id rather make 6 sales and get paid on them on time then make 20 and never see a paycheck because of some bad program management. Thanks for the info and God bless!