The following is what Greg Mareski of CPAffiliates.com had to say in response the the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved?
The biggest problem that my colleague Brian Appel and I face as Affiliate Managers at CPAffiliates is getting past all the background noise of the great multitude of programs out there.
Too many programs offer the promise of a quick buck for the affiliate without genuine value to the consumer.
It takes a large amount of effort to get people to take a moment, review your programs and see if it is a fit for them. I believe the primary reason for this is the huge number of programs out there.
The next challenge is that they follow all the methods of delivery under the sun. Email, data feed, banner advertising, text links, content, etc.
Our programs are CPA. I have had to find ways to convey to our Affiliate Partner Candidates that our programs provide excellent value. This requires time invested beyond just email.
I now work to establish a relationship with a candidate which allows me to discuss if there is a good fit with our offerings and our methods.
Our company is a division of one of the top ten independent advertising firms in the country. This usually allows a toe hold to open a broader discussion.
Our Affiliate Partners currently enjoying the greatest conversion rates are using text links inside focused and specific content. The advantage here is that it takes no banner ad real estate from the affiliates’ site.
We are certainly not an affiliate network for everyone. But in the course of my initial communication, I invest the effort to establish that we cost nothing to try and that we pay on completion of the sale.
Since we represent premium and quality programs, we are experiencing new sales records every month for the last six months since our Affiliate program began.
But I am closing this discussion as I began above: It takes an amazing amount of effort to get people to take a moment, review your programs and see if it is a fit for them.
How would you answer the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved? There are no right or wrong answers – just opinions that can help improve the industry.
The author of any response that is published at affiliatetip.com or affiliatesummit.com will receive a limited edition “It’s an affiliate thing, you wouldn’t understand.” t-shirt.
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