It’s no secret I make money by recommending and selling other peoples products as an affiliate.
I try to be as open as possible about that fact and I actually have an “Affiliate Disclosure” page.
But I do have one strict rule. I only recommend products I have tried out and gained something from, myself.
Not too long ago I received an email from someone who invited me to partake in a joint venture for a product that was converting at 12.5%.
The email went on to say:
“Finding the right offers to promote can be tough, since most of the stuff out there is junk. That is not the case with my product.”
All you have to do is copy and past the profesionally written promo (wich is written to sound like it is foming from you), and send it out to your list.”
(I left the spelling mistakes in, so you could see!)
The email was all fairly standard stuff but I was intrigued by the 12.5% conversion rate. That rate is very, very high. 3% is thought to be a great conversion rate.
So I had nothing to lose. I wrote back and explained I don’t recommend anything unless I’ve seen, used and benefited from the product.
The owner kindly gave me the link to download the product, which I did.
How do I say this without being blunt…oh I can’t:
IT WAS ABSOLUTE GARBAGE
There were a few bonuses but the main product was a PDF report.
There was no intro. There was no information about the owner. There was no structure to what I was reading.
50% of the report was recommending I purchase even more tools using his affiliate link!
Obviously I will not be recommending the product.
But some blog / website owners would. They would be taken in by the 12.5% conversion. They would think that’s an easy way to make a blog income.
They would send out a promotion email to their list. They would blog about it. They would recommend it even though they haven’t even seen the product.
And, yes, they would make some sales.
And some won’t even open the product. You know the ones, buy everything and never do anything.
And some would use the product – perhaps even like the product.
But this is a poor product and, personally, if I purchased it, I would be asking for my money back.
The blog owner’s reputation would be shot to shreds if they promoted such a product.
Many of their customers would never trust them again.
So if you are in the affiliate game and promote other peoples products, make sure you have used and benefited from the product first…otherwise you run the risk of your credibility going down the pan.
Andrew is a website builder and helps small businesses with their on-line presence…so they can grow their customer list and increase sales. That’s it! That’s what we do each and every day.
Awesome advice. I am living by the same advice as well. If I haven’t used the product or trust the creator, then its a no go. I must admit I have promoted products that I did not use, but only because I had used many other products by the creator. Still…great advice.
.-= Gerlaine´s last blog ..Lifetime Goal Series Introduction =-.
Finally! I found someone that believes in promoting good products!
Its so frustrating to see so many toolbags creating crappy products. (John Jonas is one of them, Replace Myself was absolutely terrible). What I hate even more is when someone who I believe has a good message promotes a crappy product. It infuriates me even more when they back up the product after I ask them why they would sell me something so terrible.
Bottom line is, in a sea of experts in “Internet Marketing”, people can afford to turn their backs on those that betray them
Great post, enjoyed it!
Thanks!
Over the last few days, I’ve received quite a few emails for “gurus” saying how wonderful Jeff Walkers new Product Launch Manager is. I’m not doubting the course but so many seem to have already used and benefited from the course; Yeah! Pull the other one (or maybe it is such a fantastic launch and he has given it away to all the big boys!).
Andrew
I love the idea of your affiliate disclosure page – it’s great to see that honesty and making money aren’t mutually exclusive. Sometimes you wonder, these days…
.-= CrystalsQuest´s last blog ..Life in the Shadows of Reality =-.
If you sell products as an affiliate, I think having a disclosure page is a must.
Andrew
Andrew,
I love your Affiliate Disclosure page and will be incorporating one like it on my blog. I feel exactly as you do about not promoting any product I have not personally used.
I want to build my business on trust. Being open and honest with my audience is the foundation upon which I’m building my business.
And, in addition, with the FTC cracking down in this area, it just makes good business sense to be transparent and trustworthy.
.-= Iris´s last blog ..Why It’s Time to Get Fit and Well =-.
Thanks Iris and your words are spot on. There are too many people who just try and sell the latest ‘flavour of the month’.
Andrew
Every website needs a disclosure and terms of use page.
Suzanne
You are right especially with the new FTC rules. Write it once, add the page, add the link in your footer…forget about it and move it. Simple!
Andrew
That’s more like. I really appreciate bloggers who endorsed products that they have tried it. Others, recommend products without using it and end up hurting their credibility.