Affiliate overload and opting out
Written by Mike Cheliak on November 26, 2009 – 7:33 pm -I am guilty as the next person when it comes to learning about new fitness, nutrition and health ideas. I often purchase programs and products just to learn more. I don’t always or even often vary from my current schema but it’s always good to know more, learn more and adapt your plan if something new and improved comes along.
All this being said, I am (or was) an affiliate junky. I generate quite a bit of traffic on my sites and have always had a large number of affiliate links. I have also blogged and emailed affiliate information.
I have now decided that enough is enough. Over the last week, I have received 8 emails from 8 different people that I have done business with offering the SAME PRODUCT. I understand the dynamics of viral product marketing, affiliate crash marketing and all the other vehicles to sell more stuff. I have just decided that I am not going to participate any longer. The only thing I am keeping is Google Adsense because that only works if you see something you want more information about and you HAVE to click it to get it.
An email from a friend and online nutrition guru Brad Pilon was the reason. Brad spelled out that he was also tired of getting tonnes of identical emails from everyone he knows in the fitness industry. I also was an affiliate member of Brad’s program but have now opted out. I know he doesn’t mind becuase Brad is first and foremost a great guy. He also doesn’t sell other peoples stuff.
On top of me “opting out” of my affiliate memberships, I am also unsubscribing from every person that sent me that same old drivel over the last week. If I want information on something, I can data mine with the best of them using conventional search methods, some diligence and common sense.
Forums are a fantastic place to find info. There are millions of people just like yourself who share and learn just as you do. My suggestion is that you ditch the email subscriptions and go for the forum for information exchange.
I mean no disrespect to the people who sell their ideas and information…it’s something I may do one day. What I do object to is the constant interlink of emails that attempt to lure you into another program. Some of these link emails are actually for products and ideas that compete with and even contradict the person that is referring them.
Money is nice…but it isn’t everything and it certainly isn’t worth alienating the people that purchased your program in the first place.
In happiness and health as always,
Mike C
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