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Why do people become affiliates?

by PaulSch
16 replies
This may seem like a dumb question but why do people become affiliates when the product they are selling is "guaranteed" to make them more money than any affiliate program?

If they are so confident about the product they are trying to sell then why don't they just use the product and make $30k/$40k/$50 per month instead of working far harder than necessary.

Am I just being cynical in thinking that perhaps the latest super product doesn't deliver the kind of sums mentioned in the sales page?
#affiliates #people #products
  • Profile picture of the author mikeroosa
    It's just one business model. Some people have large lists and they know they can make even more money by selling to a list. No different than a book store selling books.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
      Let's say I find a product that shows me how to earn $30k per month.

      Let's also imagine that it actually works too.

      Let's say that it's such that other people using that same method aren't actually competing with me. So, for example, maybe I use the program to earn $30k/mo. in the pencil niche but someone else could do just as well using those techniques in the shoelace niche. So, there's no disincentive for me to keep the information secret, right?

      So, knowing that the program can show someone how to make $30k per month and knowing that a lot of people could really use that extra income, why wouldn't I want to be an affiliate for that product? Why wouldn't I want to make some extra money telling people about it and helping them to earn the extra money they need? I get extra money in my pocket and so do they and the product seller makes more money too. It's a win-win-win.

      Now, let's say that I only manage to earn $10k a month with the program, which is a third of what it advertised. Okay, so it doesn't live up to expectations, but it does have useful information, obviously. Even if it doesn't fully live up to expectations, maybe I did something wrong or maybe I picked a bad niche or maybe it's not really possible to make $30k per month with the lessons taught. In any of those events, an extra $10k per month is still a good income for many people, so why wouldn't I want to promote that as well? I can be honest and say that, while it promises $30k per month, I've only made $10k per month using it. There will be people that will say, heck, if I can make $5k per month with it, I'll be happy!

      So, you know, why not?

      Of course, if I'm not into selling products as an affiliate, maybe I won't. Or maybe I'll just tell people about it without being an affiliate. But, you know, I have a ClickBank account, I have other affiliate accounts, so, again, why not?
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      • Profile picture of the author TBInternetMarketing
        Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

        Let's say I find a product that shows me how to earn $30k per month.

        Let's also imagine that it actually works too.

        Let's say that it's such that other people using that same method aren't actually competing with me. So, for example, maybe I use the program to earn $30k/mo. in the pencil niche but someone else could do just as well using those techniques in the shoelace niche. So, there's no disincentive for me to keep the information secret, right?

        So, knowing that the program can show someone how to make $30k per month and knowing that a lot of people could really use that extra income, why wouldn't I want to be an affiliate for that product?
        Very true! I promote a variety of products but have recently made a ton of sales promoting a product I personally use and that really works. It's a pretty cool feeling earning money and also providing people with a great tool that helps them out.
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        • Profile picture of the author bretski
          I also don't work in the MMO or IM niche. I do have products in other niches that interest me and I have some experience in but I started out and continue to make money by being an affiliate for products. There are no worries about product creation or support. In the beginning I could focus on learning how to drive targeted traffic using one or two methods.
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    LOL..well. Start thinking like that you may as well pack the game up :-)

    This may seem like a dumb question but why do people become affiliates when the product they are selling is "guaranteed" to make them more money than any affiliate program?

    If they are so confident about the product they are trying to sell then why don't they just use the product and make $30k/$40k/$50 per month instead of working far harder than necessary.

    Am I just being cynical in thinking that perhaps the latest super product doesn't deliver the kind of sums mentioned in the sales page?
    Like people pushing affilaites like mad to sel ltheir one click software to get 1m+ targetted visitors..the irony is they have to go and beg affiliates through forums to get them..why not use their own software to do it?
    Or peopel asking how they can sell their new "guaranteed top SEO book"? R.O.F.L. I've seen a lot of this.

    Bigger fool theory i am afraid.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by PaulSch View Post

    Am I just being cynical in thinking that perhaps the latest super product doesn't deliver the kind of sums mentioned in the sales page?
    No, you're not.

    You're being cynical (and that's sometimes a good thing), but you're not "just being cynical".
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  • Profile picture of the author jimbowman
    Affiliate marketing (of internet marketing products) can be an additional income stream. I have profited by using info products and software in the past, and have also sold them as an affiliate to get some extra money coming in.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Lee
    Originally Posted by PaulSch View Post

    This may seem like a dumb question but why do people become affiliates when the product they are selling is "guaranteed" to make them more money than any affiliate program?

    If they are so confident about the product they are trying to sell then why don't they just use the product and make $30k/$40k/$50 per month instead of working far harder than necessary.

    Am I just being cynical in thinking that perhaps the latest super product doesn't deliver the kind of sums mentioned in the sales page?
    We can only make one product at a time; and since time is very limited, we can't keep on pushing just one or a few of our own products on a consistent basis. The solution? Affiliate products!
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  • Profile picture of the author Sweely99
    That is exactly why I'm not promoting moneymaking products as an affiliate.
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  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    Originally Posted by PaulSch View Post

    why do people become affiliates when the product they are selling is "guaranteed" to make them more money than any affiliate program?
    Some of us don't decide what to do based on how much money it will make.

    I decide what to do based on how well it fits my lifestyle, and how well it matches my personality, and how much fun I'll have doing it.

    See, I don't like doing the "Offline Gold" thing. I could make a lot of money doing it, but I don't want to.

    Instead, I prefer to tell people "hey, if you want to do this kind of thing, this is a good product for learning to do it." And every time I tell my list that, maybe a dozen people buy it and I make about $150.

    Then I can sit on my arse and play Yu-Gi-Oh! on my XBox 360 for six hours.

    So here's the actual choice I'm making:

    - Work my arse off and possibly get $10k
    - Play videogames all day and definitely get $150

    I like option #2. You might be sitting there thinking "WTF, I'd rather have the $10k." But the thing is, I wouldn't.
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    • Profile picture of the author Linx99
      Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

      Then I can sit on my arse and play Yu-Gi-Oh! on my XBox 360 for six hours.
      Haha. Xbox is always an attractive option.
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  • Profile picture of the author Traffic Eagle
    If you have a method that works for you and there's not a problem with saturation (very rare these days) then there's no harm in marketing it to others to make yourself some extra money. What I hate are the products that are totally untested and full of unrealistic promises, and sadly there are too many of these appearing in the marketplace.
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  • Profile picture of the author calfred
    Cause people have been told it can make them money.

    Those who have tried it know it can make them money.

    Simple.
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  • Profile picture of the author SeoWizzard
    Indeed, when an affiliate promotes a product they are actually following many other products that involve affiliate marketing. Makes sense, yeah?
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Being an affiliate in non-IM niches just makes sense too. It eliminates many problems, such as paperwork, warehousing, shipping, billing, training, complaints, handling refunds, and dozens of other nuisances. All I want to do is the marketing and cash my checks.
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