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Do you give samples of digital products to affiliates?

by squeebo
15 replies
I'm working on a couple online courses. A combination of videos and documents spread out over maybe 10 segments.

When finding affiliates, do you send them samples or give them the entire product to review and determine whether they want to market it? A questionable affiliate I would be less likely to send the full product to. But with a reputable one I want to increase their chances of liking my product and putting their reputation on the line to promote it, and I don't want to offend anyone or look shady by not fully showing them what they're promoting.

In the first niche there is a big enough community built around the topic that I can more or less determine who reputable affiliates/partners would be.

The second niche, however, has to do with how to create a certain type of business, so I don't have a trustworthy community based around it, and I expect every affiliate is going to look suspicious, so I'll feel weird about giving away my product to them.
#affiliates #digital #give #products #samples
  • Profile picture of the author startup
    Originally Posted by squeebo View Post

    I'm working on a couple online courses. A combination of videos and documents spread out over maybe 10 segments.

    When finding affiliates, do you send them samples or give them the entire product to review and determine whether they want to market it? A questionable affiliate I would be less likely to send the full product to. But with a reputable one I want to increase their chances of liking my product and putting their reputation on the line to promote it, and I don't want to offend anyone or look shady by not fully showing them what they're promoting.

    In the first niche there is a big enough community built around the topic that I can more or less determine who reputable affiliates/partners would be.

    The second niche, however, has to do with how to create a certain type of business, so I don't have a trustworthy community based around it, and I expect every affiliate is going to look suspicious, so I'll feel weird about giving away my product to them.
    Take a look at their history. .. I gets tons of affil requests...
    some from established Warriors...

    I will give them access...others from someone who signed up 5 minutes
    ago with no history at all...those I do not approve and will not give access.

    If you want someone to promote your product...
    step up and give them a copy or access

    Hope that helps

    Dr B
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    • Profile picture of the author whatsaffiliate
      I believe it is better to have an affiliate page. Give them affiliate tools instead of samples. Tools can include, Banners, Emails, videos and more. But if you are willing to give a sample give it very limitted.
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      • Profile picture of the author Lucian Lada
        Originally Posted by squeebo View Post

        When finding affiliates, do you send them samples or give them the entire product to review and determine whether they want to market it?
        You can invite affiliates to purchase the product through their own affiliate link. I don't know about other networks, but Clickbank allows this practice.

        Serious affiliates will have no problem purchasing through their own affiliate link, especially if you offer high commission rates.

        People who don't want to purchase your product either don't have the money, so their are beginners or unsuccessful affiliates, or they are the type of affiliates who literally spam their lists with whatever products they find. Barring a few exceptions, you don't want to deal with these folks.

        Originally Posted by whatsaffiliate View Post

        I believe it is better to have an affiliate page. Give them affiliate tools instead of samples. Tools can include, Banners, Emails, videos and more. But if you are willing to give a sample give it very limitted.
        I believe not. Affiliate tools are often gimmicks. A serious affiliate often needs only 1-2 images to put on their presentation/review page. Some make their own, especially those who buy traffic.

        And tools instead of samples? Get a life.
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      • Profile picture of the author Leadsupply
        Originally Posted by whatsaffiliate View Post

        I believe it is better to have an affiliate page. Give them affiliate tools instead of samples. Tools can include, Banners, Emails, videos and more. But if you are willing to give a sample give it very limitted.
        I agree here. Giving them the tools initially can help you determine who's who. You can filter out who you can trust. Also, it won't hinder them in promoting your product. If you already find the right ones, then I guess you can already give them access.

        It's all about trust.
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        • Profile picture of the author Tony Marriott
          All depends what you want out of life. Is it more affiliates promoting your product?

          Then it makes no sense to put barriers in front of your potential affiliates.
          Of course you need to do some basic due diligence. For any product launch you will get loads of affiliates with zero history of sales. So logic says they will not be selling your product either.

          But if they have an established sales record then it make sense to make it as easy as possible for that affiliate to promote you. That means giving them review access up front (IMO).
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        • Profile picture of the author Lucian Lada
          Originally Posted by Leadsupply View Post

          I agree here. Giving them the tools initially can help you determine who's who. You can filter out who you can trust.
          How does giving them banners, swipes and whatever can help filter out good affiliates from bad affiliates?
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          • Profile picture of the author Leadsupply
            Originally Posted by Lucian Lada View Post

            How does giving them banners, swipes and whatever can help filter out good affiliates from bad affiliates?
            There's no actually direct way of knowing that. What I mean by this is with the limited tools given, who performs the most are the good affiliates. If they perform really well, a way to say thanks or giving a sign of appreciation is giving them full access. We'll this is just my opinion. I have done it before, and it worked. They ended up working harder after. Hope this answers you question.
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  • Profile picture of the author nicheblogger75
    I get given free products all the time. I usually don't even have to ask. I have promoted many of the top vendors products in the past and they know I can drive some sales so usually they will contact me via Facebook and just give me the entire product. I also have a review blog so that helps for getting review copies.

    Honestly, I cannot even get to half of them. I just don't have the time. I go through the ones that look good at first glance, and then I dig into them really deep and if they are good I will promote them.

    I can't remember the last time I actually paid for a digital product.
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  • Profile picture of the author squeebo
    Ok, so it sounds like I could very my approach depending on the person. For high profile bloggers, I'll give them the content from my previous course in hopes they go for it. For unknowns, I'll let them take the commission on their own purchase if they want to.

    Actually I wouldn't expect an affiliate to want to buy it, because I plan on doing it Jeff Walker style, relaunching a course every several months, so if an affiliate takes the course and then decides he wants to promote it, he would have to wait another several months before having a chance to. I guess maybe that would attract the affiliates who are buying it for their own personal use (like a crack dealer who uses up his own product?) and then could become great affiliates if they like it?
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  • Profile picture of the author William2010
    Just offer full review to your affiliates, they are not interested in stealing your info , most of them just want to know what they promote to their list.Of course, just look on their history, and see their stats..If they haven't signed up a few minutes/days ago.. you can offer review.
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    • Profile picture of the author startup
      Originally Posted by William2010 View Post

      Just offer full review to your affiliates, they are not interested in stealing your info , most of them just want to know what they promote to their list.Of course, just look on their history, and see their stats..If they haven't signed up a few minutes/days ago.. you can offer review.
      William2010 is exactly right in my opinion

      all the best in your endeavors

      Dr B
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  • Profile picture of the author jbsmith
    On the other hand - I have a large affiliate base myself AND have been an affiliate for others, I tend to be ok if I can see a sample of the product (at least 25%). For me, as an affiliate, that gives me enough to judge the quality, level, scope and thoroughness of the product - then I move to the tools and immediately look for ways to help differentiate my affiliate offering through bonuses, added value, reviews, etc...

    Jeff
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  • Profile picture of the author Mattdawg841
    If you really want to attract affiliates to promote your offer, what you need to do is send them the numbers that they can expect to see….people only get into online marketing for one reason…they're lazy and don't want to work.

    If you can prove that your product will sell when an affiliate promotes it, they will promote. So make some sales (even with 1 sale you'll have data if you're tracking like you should be) and start sharing that with affiliates so they know for a fact that if they send out for you, they can expect to make x amount of monies.

    You can give the product away so they can 'sample' it, but when's the last time you went to the gas station and got a sample of gas to show you what it can do for your car?

    Also, like someone mentioned above, you should definitely make it as easy to promote for affiliates as possible. Create an affiliates page with done for you banners, keywords, email swipes, etc. so that affiliates can simply copy and paste your offer.

    I hope that helps and good luck
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  • Profile picture of the author fthomas137
    I mainly deal in software and membership information, but I do give access to affiliates but I do qualify the affiliates. If we have someone come to us and they do not give us the impression that they've got a qualified list to mail to or a strong facebook group in our niche will will normally not offer access. But we never, ever give them an unlicensed piece of software or a downloadable copy of the information. We always keep everything under lock and key, so if we bring someone in and they turn out to be questionable, we remove access. It may sound a bit harsh, but that's what you have to do.
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  • Profile picture of the author vishwa
    giving a trail version to check them out is a very good idea. It will help you to increase sales.
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