What innovation in affiliate marketing means to me
I opened a group on facebook called affiliate marketing innovation, its growing in numbers by the day, the demand for fresh new ideas has never been greater nor has technology ever been better. My job is not just advising, my job is to keep the world of affiliate marketing, in my small space, spinning.
Im not alone, there are thousands of us, all doing the same thing. Trying to bring some innovation into an industry that seems to be slowing down and we look to the affiliate networks for innovation and Im not too inspired by what I see. Seems that most networks are focussed on just grabbing merchants away from other affiliate networks, why? Is our space so small that you cant find your own merchants. Did you ever stop to think about the merchants best interests? What happens when you don’t advise or the merchant does not know how to implement a local cookie. Does the merchant need a second or third network? I would rather all this energy is invested in the simple things, like the tools to be able to contact your affiliates, ok it’s not innovation but it would be to you. All networks have such talented techs, where is the pushing of boundaries, making the impossible possible. This will not only keep lifting the profile of affiliate marketing, you stand to gain, new affiliates, new sales pitch to potential clients, press releases, blog posts, shock horror yes new business = more money
Here’s where we are at…To the outside world affiliate marketing and ppc seem to be the core focus and is starting to dominate blogs and forums. Im sick of it, I don’t want this to become the central focus, it’s just one aspect of an affiliate program that should be balanced with the rest.
Do content rich value ad affiliates still exist, by cricky do they ever and the reason why we don’t seem to hear from too many of them or about them from others is because, they operate so smoothly, silently, they don’t cause conflict, they are the merchants utopian dream come true, yet we appear to have ignored them because, they don’t cause conflict, because we don’t have watch their every move.
Remember when you were growing up and one of your brothers and sisters (could have been you) was the little scamp of the family, the one that always seemed to get into trouble, how much negative attention did he/she gain? By comparison, how much positive praise did that kid who really was no trouble at all get, I bet it was considerably less attention, perhaps even went ignored? I wont do the whole Rudolf Steiner thing, I left that behind years ago, but I merely want to reinforce that too much negative attention and not enough praise where praise is due can also have an adverse affect, if we use what’s happening re PPC by way of an example. Being innovative does not always mean you have to have new ideas for the world, but ideas that are new for you and your world. Innovation does not have to be about creating the next google or myspace or even a new robot that makes you coffee (oh please some one invent that), innovation can be about exsisting tools and ideas that will have a new impact in your own small space.I challenge you all to do one thing new today and blog about it.. either here or on your own blog or forum or come on over to facebook.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Jessica… not only is this a good post but inspiring and refreshing.
Just to add a comment about your youtube open letter, would you mind if I copied it and sent it to my local member of parliament?