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The affiliate trap: Creating value for someone else and not for yourself
I have to get this off my chest before I explode!
If you’re an affiliate that feel like you switched your old day-job working for the man… for a new one (working for the affiliate manager who is working for the man) then this is for you.
Because you know what? You’re likely still working for the man! (but making a commission instead)
* Do you have an email list?
* Do you have a brand that your site visitors remember?
* Do you have registered users?
* Do you get repeat visits?
If you do that is great! But more than likely you don’t.
I spoke at length about value creation at the Affiliate Summit in Vegas. And I was surprised how many highly successful affiliates touched base afterwards regarding this particular topic.
Because here is the deal. Even if you’re making the big bucks today… if you don’t build an asset for yourself… then one day you might find that you made someone else rich and not yourself.
My best advice to you is… Get a piece of all that traffic you’re generating. Build a business. Something that can generate you passive income. Something that you can one day sell.
You know what? I gotta go back to work… 
Laters,
-Ola
P.S. For all the direct marketing buffs reading this. Yeah I know that “I have to get this off my chest”… is a classic opening for a sales letter. But that is exactly how I feel today. D.S.
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Ola… have you become me? Be careful, man. You’re preaching like I preach (and, for that matter, how David Lewis preaches) and that just doesn’t set right among .0003 % of the affiliates out there.
Well, at least you didn’t sell a list
(end sarcasm)
A business built soley for affiliation is a business built soley on quick sand.
Porter Quote for the Week.
Do you have a book out like Covey does? What was that one about a dog returning to its vomit? Oh wait, that’s not it, that was Joe Mantegna (I’m forever getting him confused with you). It was something about swimming in your own polluted waters…
Shhh..don’t be telling everyone, less competition in the future that way!
Good post Ola.
I have a more moderate view. As outsource AM’s we “work for the man” too!
I have a whack of affiliates that simply send traffic ans to paraphrase Wayne - they could be building their businesses on sand. however - there’s always a however
- the clever affiliates are building valuable sites with content that keeps the visitor coming back. They’re gathering data, drop shipping and getting innovative in a number of other ways. These are the affiliates that are going to dominate in the future, as they build their brands. Keep an eye on the M&A activity in the coming months - I’m betting there’s going to be a great deal of affiliate consolidation in the coming months.
Ola is back! Nice post, looking forward to more.
Excellent post!!
I think affiliates need to remember that the M in AM is marketing.
Good advice here -”Get a piece of all that traffic you’re generating. Build a business. Something that can generate you passive income. Something that you can one day sell.”
Why do anything for FREE for affiliate managers?
The thing about AM is you get to where three or more hats all at the same time - you can be a merchant, affiliate, media player and potential crook.
But no matter how you slice it, it’s all comes down to CPM
in versus CPM out…if out CPM is not greater than the in CPM - it’s not a profitable business.
And the business model you use is totally irrelevant to the way it all works.