2 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
2 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

I Need Advice! Is It Ethical To Trade A Reoccuring Affiliate Commission For Publicity?

by ElectronPlumber
1 replies
I know, a weighty topic, but I actually want some opinions here.

I'm running http://www.warriorforum.com/adsense-...nt-2011-a.html where I'm buying different services and pointing them at a bunch of very similar but unique sites to see which comes out on top of the search engines for the same keywords.

I have all the sites setup and was about to go start buying the services, most of them $50-$70 a month. I plan to use them for at least 6 months, and if they work as advertised will likely use the top couple of services for years to come, continuing to pay the monthly fee.

And since most of them offer a 50% reoccurring commission, I thought why not offer to buy them through a fellow Warrior's affiliate link in return for some publicity, maybe blog posts or links or tweeting my updates of something. Heck, this could be $300+ for in affiliate commissions this year for multiple people and that should buy some good links or publicity.

Most affiliate programs don't let you buy through your own link, but don't say anything against trading the affiliate commissions to someone else. I'm not worried about getting caught, but am I using the letter of the affiliate programs rules to break the spirit of the rules? If the service provider is willing to pay the commission, should they care who gets it as long as it's not me? Should I care? Maybe I'm just too honest.
#advice #affiliate #commission #ethical #publicity #reoccuring #trade
  • Profile picture of the author David Bryant
    In my opinion, there is another perspective that you should consider. Despite who's idea this is, it is actually a matter to be discussed between the affiliate and the service provider.

    Depending on perspective, which I think is important here, the terms of the agreement between the affiliate in question, and the service provider, will decide if this arrangement benefits all parties. Generally, there are rules against similar practices on affiliate networks such as Clickbank to protect the seller. Those rules were created so that the buyer of a product/service wouldn't take recourse against a seller due to promises made by an affiliate that doesn't deliver.

    The best example of this can be found in CPA networks, which call this an incentivised offer. In some cases this is a perfectly good business venture, but the allowance of this structure was determined by the creator of the offer. Which brings us back to my point...

    To be ethical, and to do honest business with all parties involved, it would be best for the affiliate to take this matter to the service provider. Ultimately, it is the owner's choice to do business with an affiliate that is incentivising their affiliate commission. Which, depending on perspective, is what would actually be happening here.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3355655].message }}

Trending Topics