Affiliate Rant!

You know what I mean - you join a list or buy a product from some fine person. The list is useful or the product gets the job done and you are on your merry way until … the emails start flooding in. The guy must have the new products feed from ClickBank uploading directly into his email program! It seems like every new offer up on ClickBank has found its way into your mailbox. No, I am not interested in turning $10 into $10,000 in only one year using a new and novell HYIP. The flood of emails are unceasing. Really! I don’t need 150 prebuilt Adsense sites I can throw up instantly and make BIG MONEY along with 1,000 other people using the same content. It just doesn’t end and that’s a damn shame.

Seth Goodin, a really sharp marketing guy, said in his free book Flipping the Funnel that “there are only four types of people: prospects customers, loyal customers, past customers” and as marketers we work hard to build trust with at least the first three types of people. I find it appalling that anyone would actively work to destroy that trust. Unfortunately that is exactly what you are doing if you flood your customers and prospects with an unending stream of affiliate offers whether or not they are topically related to your customer relationship. Trust is gained and built upon by sharing your expertise. Share this expertise freely and regularly and then when a topically related opportunity comes along you can share it with your readers - just don’t share every offer every day! Or every other day… Use common sense and if you lack it, give me a call.

Don’t be an affiliate marketing whore (at least in my mailbox.) It destroys your credibility. Your greed is blatantly obvious and it exceeds the relationship you have built wth your customers (me.) Greed is good but naked greed is just a sad.

If you choose to ignore my sage advice you may find yourself with a rapidly growing list of the last type of person: past customers.