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Owner vs Affiliate

by Sell
19 replies
Why would anyone want to be an affiliate when you could be the Owner? Think about this for a minute, if you Own-the-Business you would get the best affiliates building your Business anyways.

It's not as easy as it sounds but you get the idea, and it's much easier than being the affiliate.

If you invest enough money and time into your Business it will succeed.
I don't know how many times i seen an owner slap up a website that was entirely created by someone else, awesome site with a price tag to go with that too. Within the week 10,000 members have joined up, and guess who gets to email them, the Owner.

Being an Owner sure has it's advantages, and if done properly far exceeds anything done by the affiliate.

Graham
#affiliate #marketing #marketing made easy #owner
  • Profile picture of the author Catalyst eMarketing
    I think it depends a lot on the type of product and your personality/aptitude.

    eBooks, it might be a little different story, but with physical products there is inventory, shipping, customer service, returns, overhead and much more to worry about.

    I think it's better to be an affiliate and have lots less hassles, lots less time devoted to other issues and all your time available for site building and marketing!
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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    • Profile picture of the author SMP
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      Because you don't have any of the hassles and problems of running the business, you can change your allegiances at a moment's notice, you can combine different affiliate activities and promotions with one list, you can set up your entire business almost without spending a penny, you don't have to provide any back-up/aftercare service, you're not ultimately responsible for problems of product/service-delivery, and sometimes you can even earn a much bigger cut than the vendor? There are other reasons, too, but those are the ones that spring immediately to mind.
      Blimey Alexa - I'm beginning to wonder why I've been spending the past 2 months putting my new project together

      It's an interesting question, though. My new project is a membership site which will give me a recurring income and on which I will have a blog and forum so, hopefully, I will build up a community of members who will stay with me for some time.

      Until now, though, I've only sold affiliate products for all of the reasons Alexa has listed and I'll continue to do this for obvious reasons. I just fancied having my own 'baby' to nurture, that's all

      One thing to mention, though. I am doing my new membership site as a JV with guys who already have the back office and support necessary to run something like this properly. It would be a different matter entirely if I had to do the whole thing myself.

      Steve.
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    • Profile picture of the author jammer_jaminski
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      Because you don't have any of the hassles and problems of running the business, you can change your allegiances at a moment's notice, you can combine different affiliate activities and promotions with one list, you can set up your entire business almost without spending a penny, you don't have to provide any back-up/aftercare service, you're not ultimately responsible for problems of product/service-delivery, and sometimes you can even earn a much bigger cut than the vendor? There are other reasons, too, but those are the ones that spring immediately to mind.

      Good list Alexa, lots of benefits to selling someone else's product as an affiliate. In many cases now the more money thing gives an edge to affiliates (as a % of sale).

      There are some programs like the maverick money maker system ($99 a month thru CB) that would cost a fortune to set up, and add training materials every month, all out of about a $35 share... or you can sell it and make about $50 a share with none of the management issues. Obviously if you have a run away hit like MMM you can make millions as a publisher, but for most they will not be that big.

      I think it varies based on the product, and if the vendors really keep you in on all revenue made on that sale (the initial sale, the continuity program, other up sells, etc...) If you have an ethical publisher cutting you in on majority stakes of the whole life cycle of your leads then you dont need to go do it on your own. Where you are only getting a piece of the front end, and nothing on the back end is when you need to find a better option for your limited time.
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  • Profile picture of the author patJ
    You don't need anything, not even a domain, to start with affiliate marketing. That's why it's so great. Eventually, yes, owning a product or service will probably make you more money if you know how to do it right. But in the beginning, affiliate marketing is way easier and much less of a hassle.
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  • Profile picture of the author KONet
    While selling your own product is a good way to go, affiliate marketing is a more cost effective way for someone to get started since there are no product creation costs involved.

    But really, both are solid ways for someone to make money online assuming you can market what you're selling/promoting effectively...

    - Kevin
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  • Profile picture of the author havplenty
    As a long term strategy being a product owner is better IMO. There's a saying in IM that if you don't own the product, you don't own the business. Personally I prefer to create my own products and market as an affiliate - like the way Filsaime does it.
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  • Profile picture of the author InternetMarketingIQ
    "If you invest enough money and time into your Business it will succeed."

    You can't be serious. Businesses fail all the time. Statistically speaking most businesses fail. And those that are run by people who put their entire life savings and every hour of their waking day into them.

    Clearly you do not know what you are talking about.

    According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, over 50% of
    small businesses fail in the first year and 95% fail within the first
    five years.? (?Are You Ready?? United States Small Business
    Association: Small Business Administration - Small Business Planner

    Affiliate businesses require ZERO inventory. No inventory means no warehouse space, no employees, no taxes to pay on the inventory, no insurance costs. Less accounting costs.

    Have you ever even run a real business? A business that has an actual office, real customers, etc. I have. Several actually.

    May'n whatever you've been smoking you may want to consider quitting.
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  • Profile picture of the author JordanFrancis
    "Why would anyone want to be an affiliate when you could be the Owner? Think about this for a minute, if you Own-the-Business you would get the best affiliates building your Business anyways.

    It's not as easy as it sounds but you get the idea, and it's much easier than being the affiliate."

    Error.

    Owning the product: Product creation, product fulfilment, product support and marketing. And if you market poorly, you'll sell poorly.

    Affiliate: Marketing. If you market poorly, you'll sell poorly BUT you get to sharpen your marketing skills learning "on the job" without spending your time with all that other stuff. Once you've got the marketing down, you can sell whatever you like (your own product if you wish).
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  • Profile picture of the author kenseavert
    Originally Posted by Sell View Post

    Why would anyone want to be an affiliate when you could be the Owner? Think about this for a minute, if you Own-the-Business you would get the best affiliates building your Business anyways.

    It's not as easy as it sounds but you get the idea, and it's much easier than being the affiliate.

    If you invest enough money and time into your Business it will succeed.
    I don't know how many times i seen an owner slap up a website that was entirely created by someone else, awesome site with a price tag to go with that too. Within the week 10,000 members have joined up, and guess who gets to email them, the Owner.

    Being an Owner sure has it's advantages, and if done properly far exceeds anything done by the affiliate.

    Graham
    Did you know there are affiliate offers that allow you to build your list?
    Not to mention leverage the efforts of other people at the same time?

    This is the case with a project I am focused on now and it didn't cost me a thing to put together what they offer, which would of cost me A TON!

    Not sure what else to say other than there are great programs that offer a way around any so called problem, you just haven't seen them yet.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven Downward
    Personally i like the idea of combining both. Having one or multiple products that I own and market but I also like having affiliate to market that product with. I mean, if you are going to spend the time and/or money to get someone to buy your stuff and/or get on your email list, why not have some affiliate products that work with your own product. Then you have other things to market to the person in your back end.

    Just made sense to me.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Lance K
    Why would you not want others to be affiliates if you want to be a product owner?

    If you convince all the affiliates to become product owners (just razzin ya, cuz it won't happen), who's gonna promote your stuff? :p

    Anyway, it is what it is. Different strokes for different folks.



    Originally Posted by Sell View Post

    Why would anyone want to be an affiliate when you could be the Owner? Think about this for a minute, if you Own-the-Business you would get the best affiliates building your Business anyways.

    It's not as easy as it sounds but you get the idea, and it's much easier than being the affiliate.

    If you invest enough money and time into your Business it will succeed.
    I don't know how many times i seen an owner slap up a website that was entirely created by someone else, awesome site with a price tag to go with that too. Within the week 10,000 members have joined up, and guess who gets to email them, the Owner.

    Being an Owner sure has it's advantages, and if done properly far exceeds anything done by the affiliate.

    Graham
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    "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
    ~ Zig Ziglar
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  • Profile picture of the author Mukul Verma
    There are benefits to both I think

    Being an affiliate done right, it can be one time effort for a later payment. Being a product owner there are soo many aspects.

    Lets say you are going away for a month. As a product owner (I am having this issue with VMI being new) you have to take care of the business. Now as a affiliate you can leave for a month and have nothing to worry about.
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  • Profile picture of the author craig970
    I agree that having your own product is the easiest IF you have the product and can write good copy and IF it is an info product.

    I like to combine the 2. Nothing beats the ease of an affiliate campaign that works.

    Craig
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  • Profile picture of the author mafiamarketer
    a lot of people like to do a simple test see if it will convert to sales if it does then tehy build out there own product. also being teh owner there is a lot of hassle
    liek billing costumer support tech isssues etc

    with affiliate marketing you just collect the check? but you are dependent on that company which is very scary can literally loose all your money over night

    always get the lead no matter what
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  • Profile picture of the author opportunites
    Affiliate Marketing is powerful it is a good way to start, but successful affiliate marketers are also business ower. they' re trying to brand their name and theirs services also and sometime combine both: Selling their own products they have created or they are members of Resell Right Products membership site (so they can resell time to time)

    I think both are very useful and can help you to have two different incomes...
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  • Profile picture of the author Floyd Bogart
    Personally, I do both...
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