[Steveinid]

I am wondering who controls affiliate marketing. I see AM's saying they want tighter control of affiliates, and I see more affiliates who say they are more discerning of the programs they join. Ulitmately, who is in control?

(tried to post this in the voting booth but the poll option didn't come up)

[jc101]

I have to update on this poll. First off I have to say it's both merchants and affiliates, I think there needs to be some control for both sides, like Affiliates are in control of which affiliate programs they want to partner with, and affiliate merchants shouldn't tell affiliates how to run there businesses unless they are infringing on something that is illegal or not fair to other affiliates. Like affiliate managers should have control on how they want affiliates to promote them(similar to the parasiteware issue) or hijacking and affiliate managers and affiliates should be in control of trademarks and copyright issues. However I also think there needs to be a better communication for merchants who terminate a affiliates relationship for no reason. (cj mainly) Affiliate managers are in control of any linking problems(dead images or links) anyone want to update on this thread?

[Heyder]

I am not in it to control anything I am in it for the opportunity to earn money.

[loxly]

I control who gets space on my sites, the merchants control whether I get in the program and stay in the program....

[Sam Bay]

Being affiliated means partnership. In partnerships, you don't try to control the other party, you work together for the benefit of both parties.

[DesignerWiz]

I agree with SamBay.

[Affiliate Ian]

You mean I am can't continue my dictatorship style of affiliate management? Better change my style hehe

[Leader]

What SamBay said.

[Chris - AMWSO]

In with Sambay too

[SandraR]

Shoot there was an opportunty to take control? Always a day late and a dollar short.

[Nova]

The PARASITE

Sorry I can't help it!

[Trust]

You should join the WhiteSmoke Affiliate Program....get off to a good start!

[SSanf]

The affiliates are in control. It doesn't matter what the merchants like or don't like, do or don't do. Ultimately, it comes down to the affiliate whether or not to promote a merchant. They can't MAKE us do anything. If we don't agree with a certain merchant, so what? There are dozens more needing affiliates.

My big earner from last year decided he didn't need affiliates any more and dropped his program altogether. Guess what. He's back! And, now he is asking for space at an additional 5% for me!

Sure a merchant can decide they don't want to be on a certain site. But, it is a supply and demand thing. What is an AMs biggest concern? How to get producing affiliates. There are many web sites with banners but producing affiliates are very rare and getting on their sites is pretty tough. Most working affiliates have merchants stacked up waiting so they aren't going to lose any sleep over one that is hard to get along with.

The only merchants who have any power at all are the merchants an affiliate already has on their site and who have already become part of the affiliate's income stream. Those, an affiliate is reluctant to lose. All others are only speculation and around 0 in importance to an affiliate who hasn't invested any work in them.

Sure the politically correct crowd wants to say we're "partners" and it is possible to, over time, develop that kind of relationship. But, that only happens after both parties have proven their worth. It happens after an affiliate has put up a merchant and the money starts coming in enough to stand out from the other merchants. Face it. Most merchants don't convert all that well and aren't worth a ton of additional effort after a trial run. When one does, you start to focus on that merchant. You may even get to know them and a "partner" relationship sometimes develops. In the same way, the merchant focuses on the affiliates who bring home the sales. But, every stray merchant who happens to get a space holding banner on my site is not a "partner" to me. Nor, do they have any control what-so-ever.

[This message was edited by SSanf on March 18, 2004 at 03:43 AM.]

[walleyewarrior]

Right now no one is in control
If anyone was able to control things we would all be happy campers and every scumbag toolbar and parasite wouldn't be an issue

The only thing closest to control has occured only by the merchants who have taken a proactive approach by being here and working with us together ethically and without any games being played behind outr backs..

[ecomcity]

So sad that so few realize who is in control. You can manipulate them with deceptive Ads or SERPs, spamm and Pop Ads on them till they puke, weasle their personal sellable info by phoney freebee offers/rewards/coupons, but the CONSUMER wiht the mouse controls all your butts and affiliate income. Step on his toes and bypass his trust like he's cannon fodder in the EyeBall Wars ...your toast.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TODAY TO PUT VALUE INTO A CLICK....from a shoppers viewpoint???

[Andy]

It's a complete circle. Merchants need affiliates and consumers, affiliates need merchants and consumers, and consumers need merchants and affiliates.

If any one section of the pie breaks down, it doesn't work very well. The important link is the affiliate, as they connect the consumer and the merchant. And it is one of the most cost-effective ways of doing business.

The parasites depend on the merchants, affiliates, consumers, and the networks turning a blind eye to their underhanded tactics of stealing commissions, and if any one piece is missing they don't make anything.

Andy

[Thomas A. Rice]

Just to be argumentative, I'll say that the search engines are in charge of affiliate marketing.

They don't like you, they just remove you from the listings. They decide to manipulate their algorithm, you disappear from their results.

They want to make more money, they increase their inclusion rates or PPC ( or both ) and they force you to go along - or disappear.

Doesn't matter if you have a great site or not, if it is not in the popular engines, you miss out on a vast majority of sales for that niche.

[jimbo2002]

Who controls any market?

There is no Microsoft or OPEC in affiliate marketing, so for now it is the market that controls itself through each piece.

I do think the consortium of the networks, their parasites, and the sleazy AMs in cahoots with them have gained an edge though.

[SSanf]

Affiliates in control = 1
Consumers in control = 1
Search Engines in control = 1
Sambay in control = 4
Parasites in control = 1
Merchants in control = 0

Sambay wins!

[etlt]

the Mafia...

[SandraR]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SSanf:
Affiliates in control = 1
Consumers in control = 1
Search Engines in control = 1
Sambay in control = 4
Parasites in control = 1
Merchants in control = 0

Sambay wins! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>



Sambay in control = 4

[happypoon]

Actually it's probably more like

1) Programs (Parasites, cookie washers, ad blockers, etc) - they rule the roost via bundled software, drive by downloads and uneducated consumers installing crap)
2) Consumers - they decide who they will deal with (search engines, sites, and applications to an extent that effects our ability to profit from our work). Wherever they go search engine wise is also where affiliates follow the most.
3) Search Engines - They decide via their own rules who will be able to most effectively compete in the results they provide to consumers.
4) Networks - they are in control over tracking and the reliability of our work being credited. Do they have allow phone tracking, do they silently manage and or contribute to the management of merchant programs, do they allow and push parasites onto merchants and in programs they manage, oversee or whatever else you want to call it. They also define the rules for affiliates "being paid" or allowing us to "get screwed" and dupped.
5) Merchants - they decide what levels of marketing they support or not and to what extent they will allow an affiliates work to be undermined via participation with parasites. Many are ill prepared to manage affiliate programs and many farm out management to the network supported managing firms.
6) At the bottom of the pack is Affiliates. Affiliates are affiliates own worst enemy - many are willing to cut each others throat for profit. "Nothing" can ever be agreed upon by such a diverse group that comprises spammers, parasites that use programs, ppc'ers, couponers, datafeed users and static based hand built sites. Any consensous or group based action such as was done in civil rights is simply not possible unless groups of affiliates are better organized into distict groups for more effective lobbying and I don't see that happening.

Sure, in some cases affiliates do have power over merchants but that is an isolated occorance where you are in the top results of their programs. To say an affiliate is in control over merchants because they choose who to partner with - does not give them any power at all IMO.

Children have more rights and are better protected from abuse than an adult affiliate does!

[Trust]

merchants

[jersey jean]

It's either some crazy parrot or Uncle Sam.

The government giveth and the government taketh away.

If the parrot flies away we are all doomed. Just think if that happened and Mike had the time he now spends cleaning the cage, going to the pet store to buy seeds, entertaining the rare visitor to his abode with the parrot, to post more rants about the end of the world as we know it....

Sorry Mike, I couldn't resist...

There was an interesting comment on the news last night...75% of all Americans are connected to the net.

[Vinny O'Hare]

the affiliate is only in control of the sites you run and how you want to run them. Join parasite free merchants and comunicate with the program manager and run to the bank.