 | Is It Affiliate Apathy Or Just A Lacking of Backing? |
Spin, Digg, Bump and Back could well be the sounds for an affiliate version of the quite addictive Bopit but how many people really use these options on blogs to register their delight at a blog post? Let’s take the ‘Back’ button from A4U as an example…
The ‘Back’ button if clicked (either from a blog or on A4U) enables an A4U member to show their support for a particular blog post made by someone. It demonstrates that they perhaps agree with the sentiments of the article and feel that it’s worthy of recognition. The more backs an article achieves, the more chance it gets of appearing on the A4U homepage.
Of the current 10 articles shown, there have been 60 backs, offered up by just 35 different A4U users! In all probability, the majority of “backs” made will have come from those same people too.
Now surely the affiliate community is bigger than that? So why so little support? Are affiliates, merchants or networks scared to put their mark against a blog post? Is Paul’s Say No ! to Restricting Affiliates Using Generic Terms in Paid Search Advertising too controversial to be backed? There must be hundreds of affiliates who are involved in Paid Search who could show their support by simply clicking a simple button!
It doesn’t have to used to support though… surely some people found Kieron’s Facebook Flyers - Can you make money from them? information useful. Here’s someone who is trying to help other people make money!
But they’re amongst the lucky ones! Day in and day out good quality information goes through the blog feeds section often without a “how do you do” let alone any acknowledgement from the readers out there.
Now most bloggers will say the back means jack (don’t you just love rhymes) as we all write this stuff out of the goodness of our hearts, not for profit or for awards we don’t get nominated for and stuff (ok, maybe a slight white lie or two there). Which is how it should be… but here’s the point of all this:
Amongst all the information appearing in the affiliate blogosphere is information, issues and problems that have some affect on all of us in affiliate marketing. Whether you’re a newbie or been here so long that you now dream of logging in to networks and collecting banners, the points made by affiliate bloggers can help you make money, develop your business and improve affiliate-merchant-network relationships.
Simply by backing, bumping, digging or spinning - but only if you find the blog post useful - you can demonstrate your support or thanks or whatever. It doesn’t take long to do either!
Why is that important? Well, if you think “great content, thanks for that great help but I can’t be bothered to show my support by hitting that button” then what hope do affiliates/networks/merchants/agencies etc ever have of working together and getting serious issues, like voucher code problems, resolved? Thirty people showing support to their blogging peers is a poor reflection on the industry!
It might just be a lacking of backing on one hand, but to me it also demonstrates a high level of affiliate (marketing) apathy - especially towards getting involved with, or supporting, contentious issues or highlighting helpful and useful topics for all involved in the industry.
on October 8, 2007 at 6:23 pm Jesse wrote:
I agree, whenever I see a blog post on a4u that I agree with I back it. As you say it only takes 1 little click and the back is placed (assuming my connections behaving) within seconds.
on October 8, 2007 at 6:53 pm Keith Bond wrote:
Sometimes I feel that I’m guilty of backing too many posts, but on the flip side a page 1 blog can pull in a canny few extra visitors, and if it happens to be a newer blogger this can mean a significant traffic spike.
Think you have hit the nail on the head though, as backing is not anonymous some people don’t wish to be associated with the more controversial articles.