Reader Advisory: This article uses the word “whore.” A lot. I realize that’s not exactly refined. But I left it that way because the bluntness suited my point. Those who have delicate semantic sensibilities might want to move on to something more touchy-feely.
Part of the series Ethics of Web Adversiting
- Ethics of Monetization for Web Publishers
- Are All Affiliate Marketers Sellouts?
And being more personal to be succesful, affiliate marketing makes whoring more tempting for some. Affiliate marketing whoring is not, however, inevitable! The difference between keeping your integrity intact and leaving it on the front step is not that hard to figure: [2]
- Would you draw the same conclusion if no cash was on the table? The article I wrote about doing your business cards on the cheap describes the process of using iPrint.com. I love their service and have used (and recommended) them for years. After I wrote the article, I discovered they were part of an affiliate network I already belonged to. So I changed the straight links to affiliate links and added some banner ads to the mix–specifically the ones that offered discounts to business card orders–back to my “win-win/advertising as a service” mantra. Does that impact my credibility? Sure. Even an optimist like me has to vote “yes.” But you know, my hands were clean. The ONLY thing I changed in the article when I affiliate-linked it was removing the sentence “I’m not affiliated with iPrint.com.”
- Do you personally promote products or services as desirable that you have no personal experience with? I’m not saying you have to buy every product you link to–but do you say “This is fabulous!” about stuff you’ve never tried? That’s like giving a job recommendation for a stranger who hands you twenty bucks. Maybe it will work out, but you’re pinning your credibility on an unknown. Personal recommendations require discrimination. Whores put out to anybody who hands over a $20 bill. Draw your own conclusions.
- Would you say the same to people you are connected to in real life? The more connected you are to your readers, the better affiliate marketing works. For years now, I’ve made my living off of giving advice–a consulting business, with over 90% of income from word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business. My reputation IS my paycheck, thank-you-very-much, and at least for online marketers, your rep is going to impact your bottom line as well. Whoring is short-sighted.
- Do you lie, exaggerate, selectively hide facts or misinform? Then you are an affiliate marketing whore. Spin is spin is spin.
- Do you have a line that you won’t cross? I’m not asking you what it is. Linkbait and redirect to your heart’s content for all I care. Game the system to kingdom come; you decide what’s fair game, friends. I’m just saying, if you don’t have a line that you won’t cross for a payout, then you’re a whore (however you make your living). And even if you do have a line–well, that’s a case-by-case call, I suppose.
You don’t have to be an affiliate marketer to be a whore, y’kno. Plenty of folks sell their souls to promote their own (or an employer’s) products, right? How is that different? Maybe affiliate marketing bottom-feeders are just more noticeable because the bar to entry is lower–you don’t have to get someone to hire you or create a product yourself to be an affiliate. [3]
Fact is, I don’t have issue with affiliate marketing, and I don’t feel the need to announce affiliate links out of some nebulous urge for “transparency.” I’m the Good Karma Goddess–I know my integrity cannot be bought on commission. If somebody can’t grok that, a honkin’ big flashing arrow labeling every affiliate link isn’t going to convince them otherwise. I make the choice of what I choose to promote and how based on the underlying principal that doing right by people pays off–the only sustainable business model is win-win.
Thing is–the most successful affiliate marketers provide a service. It’s not just lazy linking. The people that do well are the ones that provide value. Real, useful information (which may include who’d want to avoid a product as well as who would want it). They may include tutorials, demonstrations or examples of how to better use a product, or whatever. They give you something of use!
I work damn hard on my websites, and others do, too. And if I provide value and someone ends up clicking links I provided, I see no reason why I don’t deserve sales credit–especially since it doesn’t cost a dang thing extra to the visitor. And if someone doesn’t want to support my work that way, no problem, baby. There is always Google.
Part of the series Ethics of Web Adversiting
- Ethics of Monetization for Web Publishers
- Are All Affiliate Marketers Sellouts?
- I’m not talking about “thin affiliate sites” or splogs here. More average Joe Blogger. [↑]
- I’m not sure I’d pick the same points if I was one of them-there Internet marketing rockstars. Maybe I’ll find out one day. Har! [↑]
- Not that I’m implying there aren’t highly skilled, extremely smart affiliate marketers. Hats off to y’all who know your business and are good at it. I try to learn from you every chance I get. [↑]
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Posted on May 6, 2009 at 8:00 am in: Marketing
