Affiliates &Brand Name Keyword Advertising
>We agree to pay them for the business they bring us, but shouldn't it be
>new business? As an online marketer, it a) competes with my own
>listings/advertising b) may give customers a bad experience if they are
>looking for our brand and can only find affiliates. Should the strategy
>be offensive or defensive?
Here are a couple of things to consider:
1. Yes, it should only be new business...and that should be stated in
your affiliate agreement so that is no confusion later on. Your
affiliate software should be able to verify as to whether or not
this is a new or returning customer.
2. What if your affiliate can conjer up a better, more efficient
ad campaign than you can (for whatever reason). They may be able
to generate more repeat orders from previous customers that you
can. If your affiliate can convince Mary Jane to buy another
product from you that she would not have otherwise, who benefits
from that if you wouldn't have gotten the repeat business if not
for your affiliate?
3. If "they are looking for our brand and can only find affiliates",
you may have other problems than just dealing with affiliate. Be
grateful that you have them doing something for you that you can't
do for your self.
4. I realize that item 1 may confict with the other 2. This only
points out that you can't rely on one simple rule. You have to
take everything into consideration. If I had a affiliate who could
generate enough business for me to keep me busy all day long...why
should I waste my time and effort advertising. Let them do it for
me. Everybody wins.
Mark Roberts
Roberts Computing Systems
Webmaster Services for $29.95/mo
Database managment/deveopment, Web Hosting
http://www.robertscomputing.com
Received on Fri Oct 03 2003 - 12:31:10 CDT
