Affiliate Bitch

A4U Awards 2009 - Stop Begging!!!

2008-11-17T11:17:00.000-08:00

There has been alot of buzz this past week about the next A4U awards. The Categories can be found here.

Now I personally think the awards are a great way of recognising the hard work and dedication each individual member of the affiliate marketing community put in to our industry. It is also a chance to get together (in a less grubby form) and have a good knees up. Last year we even made the telly!

What I don't like about the awards are the beggers, the ones who are so desperate to win an award they bombard msn, facebook and the forum itself with begging pleas of why they should be voted for. To be fair, I understand why, an award is recognition from all your peers for you exceptional work throughout the year.

By begging you are going to create the following;
a) you are going to really piss people off. Me for one. The more you beg me, the more I think you have too much time on your hands for begging, and the more annoyed I get.

b) you dilute the others. You may think this is a good thing, I see this as unfair. There are people in the industry who work incredibly hard everyday, but choose not to brag about it. Instead they remain modest and get on with their work. By diluting everyone available to vote for you, you are blocking people who *actually* deserve the award. Don't worry though, your time may come.

What I would like to see is a ban on begging. Although this cannot be policed on msn or email or phone calls, I would like to see the A4U forum owner and moderators put rules in place to stop the bullying tactics and begging and bribery which is sure to go on the closer we get to the awards.

Let's make the awards truly anonymous and let the true stars shine though...

Is Xmas all it is cracked up to be?

2008-11-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

It seems the whole industry is gearing up at the moment for Christmas. Content writers are busy writing content, cashback and reward sites are furiously added merchants and launching Xmas incentives. Voucher code sites are adding vouchers and sorting expiry dates, sending newsletters.
The question that must be asked is, is it all really worth it?
The long nights typing frantically, the long days begging merchants for content, new offers and codes, the weekends working instead of socialising. The arguments with partners and children for not spending enough time with them.
So do affiliates really make their millions at Christmas? Well obviously I do not have access to everyones business or personal accounts. But I can guess the answers;

Yes - For many affiliates such as gift sites, pantomime sites, Xmas sites, code sites etc the answer is yes. With more and more customers using the internet to do their shopping, the answer has to be yes. They see increased traffic and sales with the run up to Christmas.

No - There are affiliates who write about BBQ's, outdoor equipment etc who rely on the opposite shoppers for their sites. People don't buy certain products at Christmas, and therefore some affiliates do not see the increases others do.

January Sales - people tend to purchase larger items such as holidays, bathrooms and furniture and kitchens in the January sales. Tempted by the vast marketing campaigns offering massive discounts, they think they are getting one over on the merchant, and buy buy buy...

Whatever type of affiliate you are, a little bit extra during the run up to Christmas, using good keywords can really boost your sales.

A View On Click To Reveal

2008-11-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

Is it fraud? Is it good business practice? I think the only real answer depends on who is asking who. Let's start at the beginning. A click-to-reveal is basically a click here to reveal a code. The customer clicks and a code is revealed. Nothing wrong with that you might say. Another window is opened on the customers machine dropping a cookie and meaning that they will win the sale (following the last referrer wins rule). However some people have taken it upon themselves to list merchants who do not issue voucher codes. Therefore when the customer clicks to reveal, they are told there is no code, yet a cookie is still dropped. Ultimately conning the customer and dropping their cookie.

Some people who follow this practice will tell you a different story, they will tell you that by spreading their cookie seed (so to speak) they are still making money for the merchant, without them having to lose money on a voucher code. They will also tell you they use these merchants without codes for SEO on their sites, therefore helping many other merchants by people trawling the site and buying other things. Some may be arrogant enough to not care, as at the end of the day, they are the ones with money in the bank.

There are a million sides to this story;
The ones who write content - These affiliates take the time to trawl websites and write unique content, just to have their hard work pissed on by cookie dropping voucher sites.

The ones who list vouchers - The people who spend time trawling merchants for voucher codes getting frustrated by non-working or short expiring codes... People who seem to be all categorised under the same term - 'thieves'

The Merchants and Networks - These people get their money either way.

People who are doing their own thing and are earning some money regardless - they just don't care.

So the recent decision by many (not all) Networks to begin policing click to reveal is causing a stir from all camps of affiliate marketing. Some people strongly agree with the decision, others think it is an infringement on their rights of some form... Most are indifferent as it is only a small proportion of the industry who are using click to reveal when no voucher code is present.

Here are a few other posts around the recent news;

Loquax
A4U Forum Thread
Sinead from Azam

Me? I don't care... I am one of the smart ones who lists codes on my content sites. So no sales being stolen there! I will start getting really angry if people start attacking what I do to make money...

AB

The Term 'Super Affiliate'

2008-11-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

It isn't often I stick up for people, but this time I'm going to. I am sick to the back teeth of people using the term 'Super Affiliate' when these so called affiliates don't use the term themselves.

How do you class a super affiliate? Is a super affiliate someone who is active on the forum? Someone who has an affiliate blog? Someone who is a top performing affiliate on a particular campaign? Someone who is a top performing affiliate in a certain sector? Who knows!

Surely a better term for people who fit into the categories above is 'Affiliate'. Let's face it, the way affiliate marketing is moving, all affiliates have a niche, so we are all experts in our own areas. Be it a blog about torches or a blog about keyrings, we all have our expertise and our own audience and hopefully customers.

It must be incredibly flattering to be termed a 'Super Affiliate' but I know for a fact that these people hate the term. They are honest enough to realise that they 'just do what they do' the fact that they happen to be good at it or are able to pass on the odd bit of advice is a bi-product.

Simon Cowell is the only person I can think of who is egotistical enough to like being termed one of these 'Super Affiliates'.

Let's stop using the term!

A4U Bitches

2008-11-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

I have begun to notice over the years that the affiliates4u forum is no longer being used as a sounding board for ideas or a place to make new friends. It has slowly become a place to just slag people off and stab people in the back. Every single day at least one new thread is started with a whinge about this or that. So what does this show me? Are affiliates becoming more bitchy, or with the transgression of affiliate marketing moving to a serious part of the online and marketing world are people becoming more serious about what they do?

I would love to see the forum return to a happier place, and that is coming from the biggest bitch of all. I would like to get back to a place where everyone trusts each other not to steal ideas, bid on brands or any other bad and underhand thing you can think of. The forum should be used as the last place to bitch... That's why we have phones, mobiles, emails, msn's, skypes, pigeons and the Royal Mail.

If people don't respond to you via all the means above, and you truly feel you should warn other people, then yeah by all means let us know. But I really don't care if a merchant cancelled 1 sale out of 100.

Let's get back to discussing how we should all as a team of affiliate bods move the industry forward and come up with new ideas to make some cash!

AB

Cocky Newbee Affiliate Managers

2008-10-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

I know I have been trying to be constructive with my last few posts but something has recently really peed me off!!!

Some cocky arsed newbee affiliate manager who quite clearly has no idea what they are going on about tried speaking to me about affiliate marketing. I put up with it for so long until the previous affiliate manager was brought up.

NEVER disrespect or slag off someone, when you have no idea who you are talking to. The person you were bitching about is a mate of mine. What makes it worse is I was later informed you did it infront of your predecessor and a bunch of influential affiliates.

Will I be promoting your programme? NO! Will I be naming you if anyone asks? YES

Idiot!

How To Be The Perfect Agency...

2008-10-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

The last in the series...

So what does it take to be the perfect agency???

Experience
You have to know each and every part of affiliate marketing, from the technical side of things to being able to communicate effectively. It is pointless trying to work for an agency unless you grasp the fundamentals. You have to understand where you fit into affiliate marketing. You are what ties merchants to networks and affiliates.

Organisation
You will be looking after a number of merchants on multiple networks with thousands of affiliates. If you haven't got your head screwed on, you are screwed. You have to remember when voucher codes expire, when to validate, who to talk to for specific things, who did what when, incentives, commission structures - anything and everything your mind can possibly fit.

Get Up And Go
Never rest on your laurels or sit thinking things will come to you. They will NOT. Everyone involved in affiliate marketing is busy. FACT. If you think that people will do things for you without being asked, forget it. If you don't ask, you really wont get. Come up with incentive ideas, tell your merchant who needs codes or increased commissions, write copy for the best sellers. Be pro-active!

Contacts
It is true what they say, it isn't what you know but who you know. Affiliate marketing is about relationships, and for those relationships to be successful, you have to work at them. Be nice. Be helpful. If I ask you for something and you cant do it, don't fib. Tell me the truth!!! This brings me to my next point.

Charisma
People remember charismatic people. They are more likely to let you pull a favour in if they know who you are. I'm not saying change your personality. Just have one! Be yourself, but treat everyone as human beings, have a laugh and a drink but don't forget their mortgage depends on you!

This completes the set...

Tara for now

AB

How To Be The Perfect Network...

2008-10-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

Networks have been taking alot of stick recently, underperforming and overcharging being the main two issues. So here are my thoughts on how Networks should be... In a perfect world.

Technology
It seems complicated to some and simple to others. All I need is for you to track the sales, and pay me. Make the feeds easy to get and use and have a decent reporting system. They are the most important things. What you do on top of that is great, I like to see progression as much as the next person, but please, get the basics right first.

Communication
This is the key to our industry. Without communication you won't get far. Merchants, Agencies and Affiliates alike all use Networks as a means of communication. So if the network has poor communication, that is where everything breaks down. The second communication breaks down, the second everyone loses money.

Staff
Employ people who know what they are talking about. Everyone can blag and BS but we are all intelligent people and we can all tell. Expect the most from your staff, be happy when they bring ideas to the table. Please be careful, overworked staff do not produce good results! The correct staff who work hard can make all the difference.

Initiative
As a network you have to go above and beyond and use your brains to be the best at what you do. Be the front runner. Do what you need to do to prove that what you are being paid is worth it. Come up with the best plans to recruit new merchants and affiliates, but more importantly come up with ways to keep them happy. Don't get cocky and think you are the best already so you can kick back and relax.

Stay tuned for the last in how to be a perfect...

Affiliate Managers Ringing For No Reason

2008-10-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I received a telephone call from an affiliate manager. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hello?

Him: Hello Moaner Lisa, this is so and so from so and so affiliate network.

Me: Um, hello there.

Him: Well its nothing serious, it's just a social call really.

Me: Um, ok... (Previously, I had only spoken to this guy once for 20 seconds )

Him: How are you today?

Me: Fine thanks, and you?

Him: Great. Would you like me to run though our latest offers?

Me: I think I just received an email from yourselves this morning with the latest offers.

Him: Oh really? Well, would you like me to talk you through the offers anyway?

Me: Nah its ok, I've already read them thanks!

---- Cue long silence -----

Him: Oh ok, well its was nice chatting with you.

Me: Yeah, likewise, thanks.

Him: Bye

Me: Bye

Me after hanging up: Bloody affiliate managers.

Ok, so having an affiliate manager ringing is a good thing right? But for god's sake, the next time they ring, can they actually say something interesting please? Thanks.

How To Be The Perfect Affiliate...

2008-10-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Following on from my post about being the perfect Merchant, here are my musings on being the perfect Affiliate...

Ego
You may think this is an odd thing to put, and it isn't for once, me being bitchy. Affiliates are in the most part intelligent people. You have to have a little cockiness in this industry, to stand out to merchants, to get the odd freebie and to succeed. You have to believe in yourself and what you are doing, it's pointless going into something half-heartedly. There are times when you will need to massage your own ego, but there will be more when your ego will be massaged thoroughly.

Time
Yes, yes. Another person telling you you need time. The simple fact is, these things really do take time. To build up a decent site, with decent SEO, decent PPC campaigns and decent search engine rankings, you have to put the hours in. Time really does = Money when it comes to affiliate marketing. You have to take the time to sift through blogs, forums, websites and various emails and msn conversations to find out what you need.

The Patience Of A Saint
Things will get tough, you will lose hope in your site/s but hang on in there. There is light at the end of the tunnel. When a merchant is screaming, the tracking goes down at an agency and that last blog post you wrote got deleted by accident, take a deep breath. You have what many people don't; half a brain cell and an extra income!!! Just remember that everyone in this industry has someone else on their back, be it manager, boss, MD, wife, kids, husband... They all demand the best from us. So be patient, put things into perspective and carry on money-making.

Some Technological Knowledge
It really isn't crucial, but you need to know the difference between a website and an idea in your head! The basics are, get a blog for free, get a domain, get the domain hosted and ta da... With a small amount of fiddling, you have a website. There are hundreds of confusing things you should try and learn if you want to get better (unless you pay someone else ;) !) HTML, PHP, SQL, Java, Ajax etc etc etc... But these are pretty advanced.
You should really learn how to create a deeplink with tracking, or you wont get paid, and you should get to grips with a feed!

Creativity
Most affiliates, despite their geeky appearances have quite a large creative streak. They can often be found 'thinking outside the box' and coming up with new inventive ideas to spin and extra buck. You have to be creative to be able to come up with web designs, emails campaigns, logos and ideas for incentives.

A small amount of money
I'll be honest. You do need to buy a domain name and some hosting. It is really cheap and will probably cost you the same amount as a decent night out. However, it can really pay off when you look at what people earn within the industry!

A Gutsy Personality (Or Just A Personality)
You have to be a go-getter. You have to want it, and you are not going to succeed if you don't. Without the balls to try new things, and admit to failure, you will never progress. Affiliate marketing is a family, and we all fight and we all toss ideas around and most importantly we all have fun. So don't be a stranger!!!

How To Be The Perfect Merchant...

2008-10-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

I have finally decided to stop being so negative and give you some constructive ideas on how to be a decent merchant...

Planning Ahead
Planning ahead is crucial in affiliate marketing, it's pointless telling an affiliate, agency or network something after the event. Affiliates tend to plan at least 6 months in advance. I know you don't always have info so far ahead and if you do, you don't want to let it out... Get them to sign a disclaimer, tell them to keep it schtum... There are ways around this. For an affiliate to do their own SEO and PPC-ing, they need time!

Choose The Right People To Work With

Agency - If you decide to work on an agency, shop around, talk to people and get a feel for what they do, how they do it and more importantly the results they achieve. Different agencies work differently, so you have to find out who works best for you and what you want to do with your business. Make sure they have regular contact with affiliates and networks.
Network - Pick a network with great technology and decent staff. It's pointless having good technology if the staff have no idea what is going on. Attend the training sessions, these are a great way to get the ideas juices flowing. Make sure you understand the reporting, good reporting is crucial to making any affiliate programme work effectively and economically.
Affiliates - Do your homework, find out who has what sites, talk to the affiliates, we are all human too you know. Pick some key affiliates to partner with and work with them, not for them or against them. Use any analytics package you can get like Hitwise to target your affiliate recruitment.

CONTACT
Possibly the most crucial thing to note down. Make it regular, make it important enough for me to read it, but make it short. Affiliates do not have enough time to sift through emails. Set up an affiliate blog. Use the emailing tools with the networks. Make sure you keep your agency informed. If you do not make regular contact, affiliates will forget about you. Too much contact and they will get annoyed. Strike a balance. Talk to affiliates, see how they want to be contacted, and how often, some like a text, some an email, some a phone call...

Incentivise Me!!!
At the end of the day, affiliates are hungry for money. Many of them have a primary job and do affiliate marketing as a secondary income. Dangle the carrot infront of the donkey and watch it run... Do what you can to make those happy little affiliates work that little bit harder.

Check Your Stats
It seems so simple, but keeping an eye on your reports and statistics can be the decider between profitable affiliate marketing and making a loss. Keep an eye on who performs well, who converts well and who isn't doing what they can be. This means you can adjust commissions to suit them and you can budget properly. It also means you can talk to the affiliates not performing so well and find out why. See what type of customer they have and see what solutions you can come up with.

Be Creative
Think outside the box, just because someone else did it, it doesn't mean you have to. Affiliates get bored of seeing the same old things over and over again. Create a hype about something and you will see the sales come in!

Stay tuned for 'How to be the perfect agency, affiliate and network'

Affiliate Bitch

Morals and Ethics - Yeah Right!

2008-10-03T10:23:00.001-07:00

I often hear that the old school affiliates share a love for each other, they were there in the beginning and are still here now. They seem to be a gang of a few who everyone else apsires to be. I wonder though, do they stab each other in the back the way the rest of us do?

At the end of the day, we each run a business, whether it contributes £5 or £5000 a month, it is still our baby so when asked would we stab someone in the back to succeed, the honest answer is yes. Anyone who says different is fibbing. Do the 'originals' do the same? Of course they do! They may be sitting in their big houses with their posh cars and waitrose food, but they still have the killer instinct in their somewhere. They still want to trample over the smaller affiliates invading their territory!

Affiliate marketing whether we like it or not is competitive and money driven. There are bound to be site stealers, code pinchers and people who go back on their word. What I don't get is why some people are allowed to get away with it just because of their status within the industry. I don't get how promises can be made and broken and nothing said.

You have to fight for what you get within this industry, yes we have socials and we are all friendly on the outside, but ask someone when drunk what they really think about XXXX and you will soon get an honest answer. If someone annoys you, tell them... If it gets really bad then yeah, by all means make a public display about it using whatever forms but dont make a fuss if one isnt necessary, what does it do for your credibility, make you into some kind of whiny bitch like me? Really, is that what you want or yourself? To go back to my previous point, do you really think people care what you think if they are making money from it? Don't be naive!

Yes, I agree we alll have morals and ethics and to an extent we should follow them, but if it comes to treading on someones toes, or making some decent cash... be honest, which one will you go for?

Networks On A Vetting Spree...

2008-08-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

There have been many posts on the A4U forum recently about affiliates being declined on programs and then being vetted on various networks, with threats of being kicked off the program should they not respond.

I personally find this really offensive. I think merchants and networks should have a good long think before they go irritating affiliates. Affiliates get hundreds of emails per day with new offers and voucher codes and various other site changes. So the chances of them reading an email where they have to ake time to fill in a form to prove they are working for you, plain ridiculous!

Don't get me wrong, i understand these audits, but if the affiliate isnt working for you, it doesnt cost you money to keep them on the program. 'Look To The Longtail' - One day they might just suprise you and have a customer who drops £20k of business.

Affiliates on the whole are very receptive to help with their sites, especially when it could make them money, and takes a little bit of the pressure off them. Being told you do not meet criteria and will be suspended or being told to fill in forms to show your interested still by a certain date or you will be suspended is not the polite way of doing business!

When Is Too Much Enough?

2008-08-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

There are a few within the affiliate marketing industry who appear to have their hands in many pies. They turn up to every event and seem to have jobs, be affiliates and be advisors to others. This made me ponder when does a lifestyle like this become too much? You will eventually wear yourself out, and get a name for yourself as the affiliate bike. Going to everything and getting involved with everything cannot be healthy by any means.
Some people say affiliate marketing is like 'a family' and certain people who have been in the industry a while seem very close knit. There are indeed affiliate families. But is this too much. Is it healthy to be so involved with your work that it takes over your life? You work affiliate marketing, breathe affiliate marketing, and if you ever leave the house to see friends or family, they too are involved in affiliate marketing.
Without external interests and friends and hobbies do you feel consumed by affiliate marketing? Do you feel like it has become everything you are about? Yes, you make your money this way... But is money everything. So when is the point when too much affiliate marketing is enough?

I Never Have The Time = I'm Not Making Any Money And Don't Know How

2008-08-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

This is just a follow up to the last post by Affiliate Bitch. It's funny because I was actually thinking to myself 'I dont really have enough time to write any posts for this bloody blog' before I saw the post itself.

The truth is, I DO have time to provide material for this site. However, being the selfish git I am, because I am just a contributing author to this site, and not being paid anything or making money from this blog, I find myself making excuses and telling myself I don't have time.

The fact is, if I WAS making money from this blog, then you can bet your ass that suddenly I would find plently of free time to devote to this blog

The point I'm trying to make, is that affiliate marketers who make excuses about not having time, are usually the ones who are not making any money, and dont know how. If you knew that by performing certain tasks each day, you would be guaranteed a certain amount of profit each month - would you find time to do it? Course you would.

To say you don't have time for affiliate marketing is admitting you don't know how to do it.

The fact is, there is a large percentage of people who are struggling to make money from affiliate marketing and will continue to do so. Forever. They just dont get it and probably never will.

You've all probably heard the statistic that something like 90% of people who try their hand at AM never make any money, and end up giving up. Thats because the 90% don't get it. The 10% do.

There is a lot to understand and learn about affiliate marketing and there are many facets involved. Unfortunately, a large percentage of people will fail to understand how to utilise these skills to make money. As well as learning techincal skills such as website design, PPC, SEO, copy writing, etc, you also need to have a business like and entrepreneurial brain to scale up your buisiness. Not every one is cut out for affiliate marketing - depsite what the MMO websites and gurus tell you.

Apologies if you're reading this and not making any money. Its nothing personal. It's just a fact of life. I know that I will never become a doctor, a professional footballer, a hollywood film star, professor of molecular physics, or the president of America. Why? Because I dont have it in me and I don't know how. Sure, I might be able to learn and try to become the above. But in the end I'll never make it because I dont' have what it takes.

If you're not making any money online, then get off your arse and prove me wrong - but I'm 90% confident that you wont.

I Never Have The Time!!!

2008-08-07T03:08:00.000-07:00

Moan about this, moan about that, that is all the people in this industry seem to do. The most frequently moaned about thing is 'time' and the lack of it. We are all have a life, we have friends, family and most of us have full time jobs alongside our affiliate careers.
Some of the biggest players in the industry who are making the big bucks have jobs too - need i mention Frostie, Ray, Purple, Max etc etc etc... So if these guys can work (or go to uni) full time and still have incredibly profitable affiliate careers, why can't the rest of us?
Why not get home from work, chill for an hour and instead of draining brain cells watching soaps, use the hour or two to write some more content, email merchants and networks. You can't write one blog post a month and wonder why you haven't made any money, then moan about lack of time being the cause. We all know you go home and sit.
You get out what you put in, so find the time, put it into your website and watch the money flow.

Sorry, Who Are You?

2008-08-01T05:04:00.001-07:00

I get really frustrated when using the A4U Forum, which give it its dues is really handy for snooping at rivals and just have a nose around for gossip. What frustrates me is when I'm looking at a new potential partner. I go to the trouble, in my hectic day of searching someone out only to find they haven’t bothered to take 5 minutes out of their day to fill in the contact details.

A large proportion of Affiliate Marketing is done on personality, if I like you – I’ll work for you. So if you can’t be arsed to fill in some info which could potentially bring you a lot of business, to be honest, I can’t be bothered to find any more of your details. Your loss!

All I'm saying is that it is nice to know a little about the people I work with, and asking for your biography isn’t usually something I would ask for when discussing commissions. So come on people, don’t be shy!

Affiliate Inbreeding

2008-07-31T08:54:00.001-07:00

Two people fall in lust with each other, seems normal day to day behaviour. If those two people are in affiliate marketing it seems the world is about to end. We have all had our fair share of office romances, usually after the works Christmas party.

Why do people get so upset when an affiliate dates a merchant, a merchant dates a network, someone from an agency goes out with an affiliate? Does it really matter? We are all adults (well most of us) if you can’t deal with a relationship and a job, should you really be in a job/said relationship.

Relationships begin, relationships end… That’s life. If you are both mature adults, it shouldn’t cause too many issues, unless you caught an STD or he/she cheated on you with your best friend.

Life is too short for all this should we, shouldn’t we. If you fancy someone, go out there, tell them, have ‘some fun’ with them and take it from there. Its only a job at the end of the day… loosen up people (and I don’t mean that in a rude way)

Cookie Stuffing Voucher Code Sites - Genius!

2008-07-31T08:38:00.001-07:00

One of the latest debates on the Affiliates4U forum is to do with the number of Voucher Code sites and their 'questionable' methods in generating commissions.

It seems that an increasing number of these sites are adopting the practice of hiding the actual voucher code and forcing the user to click on a button in order to reveal the code. The clicking of the button drops a cookie onto the users computer, and this ensures that the site owner gets paid a commission regardless of whether the user make a purchases through the links provided.

In my opinion, this is a pure genius idea!

As affiliate marketers there is just so much information online about the best way to make money from affiliate marketing. You're told to find a niche, build a user friendly website, create back links, distribute articles, reguarly update your site with fresh content, take part in PPC, participate in forums, blah blah blah.

But, what seems to escape people's mind is the simple fact that affiliate marketing is about one thing -

Refering people to click on your affiliate links.

It's really quite simple.

More clicks = more cookies dropped. More cookies dropped = more money.

So if some folk have come up with an idea on how to get more cookies on a users computer, then fair play to them I say.

There is of course a question of ethics in this type of practice. But then the question of ethics is nothing new in the affiliate industry.

In my opinion the people who are moaning about this sort of cookie stuffing, force clicking or whatever you want to call it are just jealous....and probably not making as much money in AM as they would want to be.

If you want to make decent amounts of money in affiliate marketing, then you need to think outside the box in your promotion methods. Cookie stuffing on voucher codes is one of many examples.

The Moaner Lisa has a number of sites and webpages floating online. They all vary in the amounts of income they bring in each month, but the best performing ones by far are the ones which are not necessarily 'white hat' and above board.

I dont know about you, but I'm in this game to make money.

So if you are reading this and you think that the methods used by voucher code sites are unethical, then let me ask you a question - do you mask your affiliate links?

If you do, then you are just as bad, and you have nothing to complain about. Hiding your affiliate links is just another example of unethical practice yes?

If you don't, then you are making less money than you would if you did.

Oh by the way, many thanks for reading this post. When you clicked on this site, I made sure that cookies were dropped onto your computer from about a million different merchants. So anytime you make a purchase online, The Moaner Lisa is gonna be quids in...

EDIT:
Here's a quote I just found from someone bitching on the A4U forum:

"The upshot of this is that I am planning to launch a proper user focused discount voucher site as I could not find a single one that wasn't just a very thinley disguised affiliate shopping site."

So is this guy saying that he is going to heavily disguise the fact that he is building an affiliate site? Hardly ethical is it?

What Part Of The Clique Are You?

2008-07-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Affiliate marketing is like an American Highschool drama sometimes. Its a massive school filled with people ready to learn, to play a few games and to go home at the end of the day. There are certain areas of ‘school’ you will find a collective of Affiliates; Manchester, Bristol, London and all over the UK. We even have the Headmaster in the version of forum owner Matt Wood. So what part of the clique are you in? To help you decide here are Affiliate Bitches Clique Categories;

The School Bully

The person who is so threatened by others that they are mean to others. They pick on those smaller than them, they show off their wealth or status to make those below them feel worse and themselves feel better. They are greedy and stamp on whoever they can to get to the top. These people are deeply unhappy and you must feel sorry for them really.

The Cheerleaders

People with no real talent of their own, they cling on to the popular kids in the hope to raise their profile and hide their stupidity. These people are fake, and will tell you how great you are in public but be nasty and spiteful behind your back. Pretty to look at. Nothing inside.

The Jocks

The popular kids, the ones everyone admire. They work hard and in return get good results. There is often a leader of the pack, the top dog, the one you aspire to be. Whether this person is all they make out or appear to be is a decision to be made by you.

The Geeks

The uber-intelligent underdog who is criticised at every turn, the one people dislike for their odd behaviour, strange ways and barmy ideas. Yet these are the people who turn out to be the successful ones that everyone becomes jealous of. These are the people who inspire, the people who create, the people who stay in the shadows, not basking in the glory of their success.

The Joker

The loud ones who are good for a laugh when out and about, but have no substance. These are the ones who turn up to everything, invited or not. The make the party a good time but people are laughing at them, never with them.

The Cling-ons

These are the people who belive that with little or no work, they deserve to be part of the jocks. They follow people round like a dog on heat, compliments flowing out of their mouths. These people kiss ass like its a dying fashion. They don't realise people see straight through them. These people are irritants.

Which one are you? Let other people decide...

This Whole Quidco Thing

2008-07-24T08:22:00.001-07:00

In response to the thread started on the Affiliates4U forum about Quidco dumping Affiliate Window as a Network…

Well this has all been blown out of proportion hasn’t it! Quidco are dumping Affiliate Window. That is their choice to do it, and although it maybe wasn’t executed in the most professional of manners, it still has the same outcome. Bye Bye Awin. All the ranting and raving on the forum over the last few days does not change the final outcome either.

If merchants are clever, they should be on more than one network anyway. Why keep all your eggs in one basket? Yes, Affiliate Window appear to be the top network, but some affiliates don’t like them so will only work with other networks. To stick to one network seems very strange. There is nothing like creating a bit of network rivalry, they will only work harder for you to keep your business.

So what are Quidco’s plans? Will they be hassling the other networks for higher commissions, better technology and improved service? Probably yes. Will they be going direct with merchants and leaving out the networks all together? Probably yes. Who knows? All Affiliate Bitch knows is that Quidco are staying very quiet about this matter, which is probably the best way to behave whilst everyone else moans and bitches. They have got the backing of their customers, and that is probably all they care about.

Affiliate Bitch (for once) stays neutral on this subject. People leave networks and move on, deal with it. Sneaky tactics emailing merchants before the network will earn you a bad reputation.

The waiting game

2008-07-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

You know the most annoying thing about working in affiliate marketing? Getting all excited about promoting a certain merchant, planning your strategy and then applying for the program....then nothing....weeks pass...then months...then years...

If you're employed as an affiliate manager, surely it's your job to manage affiliates - that means if someone wants to be your affiliate by applying to your program, you really should let them know one way or the other whether you would like to work with them. You should also let them know really within 5 working days - that's more than a reasonable amount of time to look at a website and press 'accept'.

Recently a network (naming no names here, but lets just say the second part of their name is a measurement of vodka, which I certainly need most of time when attempting to work with them) took over 3 months, yes that's right, OVER 3 months to accept me on to their program. By that time, well, I'd lost interest and couldn't be bothered. But hey Mr Network and merchant, you might have lost out on loads of commission there, but now one of your competitors had got it instead. Unlucky!

Well I was shocked anyway that is took so long, until I spoke to other affiliates who said "that's nothing" and "everyone has had one of those merchants". It's disappointing to hear that it's seems to be standard practice to make affiliates, who could make you lots of sales/money/profit, wait forever in a day to add your links to their site.

I accept that affiliate marketing is not a top priority for all companies who have affiliate programs and that many of these affiliate programs do not have dedicated affiliate managers, but surely the networks should have a handle on this too? Why are they not hassling these merchants or even helping them? What's the bloody point of having an affiliate program if you're not going to pull your finger out and do anything?

Anyway now I have finished ranting, I want to know the longest you have had to wait to be accepted/approved to run a program - the winner will receive kudos and a plastic trophy, if I can find one (I know us bitches are generous huh?).

You’re All Bitches Really!

2008-07-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

Affiliate Bitch has come to realise that Affiliate Marketing is similar to school. You have your cliques of people who stick together, the odd outsider, the bullies and the geeks. You all slag each other off and rant about ethics, morals and personalities.

If a network cocks up you all jump down their throats, and bitch about them as if they did something monstrously horrible to you. Then when the issue is solved you return to licking butts.

Similar with other Affiliates, if someone steals a voucher code or pinches a website idea or god forbid they should bitch about you first, you all seem to go into bitching overdrive and have little mothers meetings about people. See them in public, and you soon change your minds and become nice as pie, as if nothing had ever happened!

Stop bitching to each other, if you have a problem with someone, tell them. What is the worst that could happen – you carry on bitching, or you never just know, you might resolve the issue.

If you'd want to become a bitch then just email affiliateb at gmail.com and we'll set you up with a login. Your anonymity will be retained!

Blah Blah Blah

2008-07-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

They say content is king, but drivel is the devil. I know you need to write loads for SEO and other purposes, but is there really a need to ramble on and on and on. Say what you need to say, then move on to the next thing. Affiliate Bitch likes to read what you write, sometimes it is even worth trawling through mindless drivel just to get to the exciting bit.
All good articles, press releases, blog posts etc should follow the same rules;
Intro - a brief overview
Hook - Whats exciting?
Explanation - An explanation of whats going on
Tension - Something more exciting
Conculsion - A round up

If that is too hard to follow try thinking about the following;
Who - is reading?
What - are you talking about?
When - did it happen?
Where - did it happen?
Why - did it happen?
How - can it be resolved?

These are just ideas, but to keep people interested you have to make them interested, keep them interested and then make them buy.

You all probably already know this, but sometimes you need reminding!

You don’t get something for nothing

2008-07-14T03:38:00.000-07:00

Why do affiliates, networks and merchants alike all believe they should be earning millions without doing any work to deserve it.

Affiliates – you need to update your links and listen to what the merchants and networks tell you are working at the moment.

Networks – you need to make sure your technology is working, sales need to be tracked. You also need to act as the middle man for communications and make sure email updates and commission changes are sent out in a timely fashion.

Merchants – you need to tell the affiliates what is working, offer them advice. You should know your products better than anyone. You should know what sells and more importantly what converts.

There is so much more pleasure to be found in working hard for something then reaping the rewards.

Message for the day – You have to work hard for the big bucks!