I was watching the video yesterday for Over and Over (Nelly and Tim McGraw) and it occurred to me that the song is something of a metaphor for affiliate marketing.
In the video, you see a split screen with Nelly (rapper) and Tim McGraw (country singer) sharing the common bond of a broken heart.
That they are polar opposites makes the video interesting. The come from different worlds, but they have this common experience.
That’s where affiliate marketing comes in. Anybody in the space knows the blank look – that look when you try to explain affiliate marketing to your friends and family.
I cheat nowadays in my description. No longer do I go with the drawn out, deep explanation of things. I just give them the elevator pitch.
What do I say? Well basically, it’s the online equivalent to the Avon ladies that used to canvas neighborhoods. People earn money based on their performance in selling products or services.
So that is our common bond. We are a bunch of characters from different backgrounds, but we are all affiliate marketers and nobody gets us.
The one place for us to get together and discuss this stuff (besides conferences) is in the communities on the Internet.
But the affiliate populace has not found what it’s looking for, it seems. There are lots of affiliate forums out there, yet more than 90% of affiliate marketers in a recent poll seem to think there is a need for something fresh and different.
The teeming affiliate masses want a new venue to discuss their shared experiences. They need one. Who will carry the torch?