Affiliate Flouting PPC brand bidding rules again and again
What is the point in trying to build up a good name for the industry to portray it in a professional light when some affiliates persistently flout the ppc rules over and over again.How many blog post will it take before something is done. We all know it happens, we all know who does this, so why are we still here discussing the same old boring time consuming rubbish.
Well I for one have had enough and if you are caught bidding on my client’s names when you have already been asked once by ourselves and told not to by the affiliate network, sorry all your commissions will be removed, and it starts today! Excuses like “I did not know…Oh its google’s fault…you people are all so thick you can’t possibly know what Im doing…ahh the network will just give me a slapped wrist and Ill be told not to do it again.”If kicking repeat offenders out of the program and removing commissions is the only way to stop what is effectively ruining our industry and providing fuel for doubting Thomas’s out there then taking such harsh measures maybe the only way forward. If you have not listened to the merchant or affiliate network when they have asked you nicely, politely to cease bidding on the merchants name, where there are clear terms and conditions, then so be it.
If you are one of these affiliates (and its not like we don’t know who you are ), you are really damaging our industry and has made this the focal point of every single merchant doing PPC with an affiliate program. Your short term financial gain has long term financial implications on all of us, hey it’s not just about YOU! Decisions are being made and have been made by merchants with regards to allowing affiliates to do PPC on their behalf. If you want a total outright ban on affiliates doing PPC in this industry, period… then keep going but… that means your revenue has just dried up too.
I want other networks who just like affiliatewindow.com and like POR to stand up and say, we are watching the repeat offenders and we are not afraid to kick them out, if other networks took tougher measures on persistent offenders, we can clean this whole thing up over night. Im serious too… just takes one cull on repeat offenders and the industry can move on another level.
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Comments
I agree … I have recently dealt with this issue is well. We have it clearly stated in our TOS, and there are no second-chances. If it happens once then commission is removed, and the second time they are booted from our program.
Of all the Networks I believe Share a Sale works the hardest on behalf of the merchants who have these issues
Kellie: Yeah I agree
Brian… cool beans, glad to hear that!
This came in from from DGM earlier
“dgmAffiliates policy on affiliates that we discover to be breaking terms and conditions is to automatically set their account to a zero commission level on each particular campaign. This allows sales to continue to be tracked whilst we investigate the problem further. We then contact the affiliate to elicit an explanation from them as to why t’s and c’s have been broken. Each case is treated on an individual basis with the client fully aware of the situation. Dependant on the explanation received from the affiliate and the wishes of the client, action will then be taken. Possible actions include warnings, removal from the campaign or removal from the entire network. Obviously we will make the client aware of previous violations of t’s and c’s and will work with them to come to the best conclusion for all parties.
I hope it would go without saying that we take this very seriously at dgmAffiliates, and feel that the legitimisation of the industry is something that needs to be encouraged more by all stakeholders within the affiliate marketing community. We still encounter a level of distrust for the channel from merchants but hope that our proactive, transparent and consultative approach goes some way to overcoming this.” Matt Bailey
Client Manager
dgmAffiliates
Thanks for the feedback much appreciated – Jess
I’ve handled it much the same way, with one exception. If an affiliate is bidding on my brand term, and sending the traffic directly to my site, I don’t give them a warning. They’re gone on the first offense.
I don’t see it as a very complex issue, as long as the Terms and Conditions are clear, then the process is simple, violate, terminate, no payment.
All merchants should ensure their PPC conditions are clear in their affiliate agreements.
Yeah I think I was of the previous opinion that dialogue should be encouraged and Im not so sure now. Re Pauls thread on greedymoose leaves me to think that dialogue should be first port of call and then action http://www.mooseontheloose.co.uk/category/affiliate-marketing/ I dont know the ins and outs of this case but its a clear reminder that some times all is not what it seems to be and case by case needs to be adopted. http://www.webaffiliate.co.uk/blog/seo/google/breaking-merchants-ppc-rules.html
And http://www.morleymouse.com/category/pay-per-click/
Yeah Chris…. I hear you 🙂
“I don’t see it as a very complex issue” sos after thought…
You are right it shouldn’t be but in reality it is… the research involved and hours just investigating is a problem in itself in terms of time. U can hardly accuse an affiliate of bidding on the name if this is not the case.
Problem we found is that as one affiliate is booted out there is another waiting to take their place and so the cycle begins all over again. Even with a registered trade mark. Google dont even stick to their own terms and conditions.
Jess you are correct when you say that the focus on affiliate marketing is dominated by this part of affiliate marketing. Where are the blogs about innovation and other affiliate marketing practices? Are affiliates just looking at paid search and nothing else?
Hi Jesse, yes it IS work, and work that a merchant needs to be paying you (any manager) to do for sure.
We build this into our agreements for clients with large brand names, then we audit all the click trails, as well as major search engines across a set range of key words and geo focused target regions. It is a lot of work, merchants should see this as a valuable service, not a freebie 🙂 It alerts them to not only affiliates but competitors bidding on their trade marks and can help them formulate a strategy to protect their TMs with affiliate assistance.
And as Anon mentioned, yes there is always someone waiting to fill the space… and likewise getting terminated and not getting paid. It is not like they are doing it “by accident” and can claim “oh we didn’t know”, no they know full well what they are doing, playing the odds and hoping not to get caught “Really officer the speed limit is 40 mph? I didn’t know!”, yea right 🙂
By the way Jess, love your blog, always good topics!
Chris: Good idea get PPC affs to apply first, good sound advice!
“By the way Jess, love your blog, always good topics!” Cheers thanks I some times wonder if I any one reads the posts or if they are mind numbingly boring. Feedback always welcomed.
Good for you! If TOS are being repeatedly violated, then action should be taken. The overall value of the affiliate marketing channel is under scrutiny right now. This type of thing certainly doesn’t help that all.