If you promote tools and services to online entrepreneurs as an affiliate, you understand the term ‘product launch bandwagon’.
It’s the process by which your inbox is suddenly filled with promos — all for the same product. Scan those messages, and you see that most of them are verbatim ‘cut and pastes’ from the merchant’s affiliate toolbox.
In the last couple of weeks alone, there have been launches / relaunches for:
- Brad Callen’s Keyword Elite
- Affiliate Classroom 2.0
- Joel Comm’s Elevate Blueprint
- Rob Benwell’s Blogging to the Bank
- Yanik Silver’s Public Domain Goldmine
- Kevin Wilkes’s Nitro Webcasts
- …and many, many more.
I didn’t send a promo about even one of them.
NOT because I think those (and other) products aren’t of value to Internet marketers… I do. I’ve been endorsing those guys’ products for years because I believe they’re of value to my readers.
In this case, I was taking a long holiday.
Regardless, you wouldn’t have received notices about each of those launches / relaunches from me.
Here are some of the reasons you won’t find me on the product launch bandwagon:
- I miss product launch notices (probably lost amidst the detritus of product launch emails) or the notice came too late to work the promotion into my publishing schedule.
- I too recently endorsed a similar product.
- The offer is time-limited — and I prefer to promote merchants who support their products over the long-haul.
- I’m aware that the merchant is already working on Product 2 (or 65), so I suspect the support for the current product may be lacking.
- It’s a Clickbank product and promoting per schedule means my cookies will likely be overwritten.
- Commission are too low.
- The launch is too obviously a lead grab and the merchant is paying commissions only on sales, not for leads generated.
- I think the promo requirements are unreasonable, i.e. send 4 emails in the next week.
- And in some cases, I don’t believe in the product.
The 10th and main reason to avoid the product launch bandwagon…
It kills your credibility.
Your audience will rightly question your objectivity when you proclaim that each of the 4 products you promote this week is the ‘MOST AMAZING’ you’ve ever seen and that they absolutely MUST BUY it through your affiliate link immediately or miss out on 2,398,543,238 in bonuses.
Alienate your audience, kill your revenue…
UNLESS you regularly replenish your subscriber list with fresh new leads on the cheap.
That’s easier said than done. PPC in the Internet marketing niche is expensive and article marketing to generate hundreds of new leads per day takes LOTS of work.
So, how do the ‘Big Dog Affiliates’ – those who always win JV contest prizes – seem to be able to promote every product under the sun?
The answer is simple — “Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours“.
Those Big Dog Affiliates aren’t ‘just’ affiliates – they are merchants with their own product lines.
Here’s how it works.
- Big Dog Affiliate promotes Merchants A, B, C and D’s products.
- When Big Dog Affiliate (now Big Dog Merchant) launches a new product, Merchants A, B, C and D all promote Big Dog’s product as affiliates.
- Because the inital incentive usually requires an email address to access a free offer, Big Dog Merchant is generating vast numbers of new leads, regardless of whether or not those subscribers become his or her customers.
- Next, Big Dog Affiliate promotes Merchant A’s latest product to his own subscribers and those acquired from Merchant B, C and D’s lists.
- And round and round it goes.
Profitable business model only IF you have a product line.
However, if you are an affiliate marketer (without a product of your own to sell), think carefully before promoting that next product launch.
Remembering that your greatest business asset is your list, the key is this…
Respect your subscribers as intelligent human beings and they’ll respect and support you likewise.
Which Products should you Promote?
Want to increase your affiliate commissions without alienating your audience and compromising your list?
Then you need to learn how to evaluate individual merchant’s products as well as affiliate programs. The Super Affiliate Handbook lists 20 questions you need to consider before joining promoting products from an ‘in-house’ or independent affiliate program, i.e. outside the affiliate networks.
About Rosalind Gardner
Thanks for the heads up Rosaline.
Never thought of it that way, going to be aware about those insights from now on.
Igor
Thank you for your posting
Hi Rosalind,
Very interesting post and I completely agree with you.
I get fed up being bombarded with the copy and paste product launch emails and it usually leads me to do one thing only – unsubscribe from that person’s list.
I much prefer to promote internet marketing products that I personally use and believe in!
Cheers,
Suzanne
Refreshing advice and well described too. The “Big Boys JV Club” operates just like a tornado!
I really like the closing note about respect
Couldn’t agree more, I get so sick of all the emails pushing the next big thing that every so often I just unsubscribe from the lot of them.
Love this!
I’ve been off the product launch bandwagon for Reason #10! It will kill your credibility and you will lose a ton of subscribers.. (and loyal fans!)
Interesting blog. Yes this is one of my pet peeves. Listen up all you marketer clones!
When I see multiple cut and paste promos you obviously have no credibility to me so I UNSUBSCRIBE FROM YOUR LIST. Horrors!
And that includes some of you big fish like Mike Filsaime, the Cobbs, and many others.
Ros,
I agree. It is really frustrating to see how many emails I receive all promoting the same product. All seem to say it is the best ever and I shouldn’t wait a second to take advantage of the offer.
best advice of the day! I have studied and observed the online marketing world for a few years now and when I see this kind of mail promotions you are talking about I delete them straight away and sometimes even unsubscribe from the list.
I don’t like this type of attempt to “convince” me.
Low key is much more pleasant.
Regards
LindaS
Yeah, in fact I am sick of those mega product launches. My whole inbox just got flooded by them. I am fine with the product itself, just that there are too many emails on the same product.
Imagine, there are so many affiliates eyeing for the commission. At least 15 marketers. ONLY 1 is gonna get the commission. It’s not worth sending out the email.
Hi Ros,
Yes, I agree with you. It’s quite annoying to see the same names all the time. And yes, that’s why I lose trust in them. Which was not their intention, I suppose…
Gosh Ros! I get these all the time and they make me so mad! Its like an email invasion! All I do is click ‘delete’ over and over again! I only subscribed to the ‘regulars’ (some of whom you mentioned), to get their ‘valuable information’, not to go after the promos. Jim Edwards for example, would never go for a product promo, just like you don’t and I really appreciate that! You and Jim are A+ number one’s in my book! I listen to every word you say for that very reason. I can’t tell you how many successful web techies I’ve unsubscribed from because they consistently pound my inbox with useless promos, trying to ‘catch the fly’. For those of us who aren’t newbies, its clear to see what’s going on and a big red flag!
Thanks for NOT doing this Ros!
Best wishes always, Carolyn
Hi Roz, It seems to me that when everyone is launching the same product at the same time, it really dilutes the effect. Sometimes I actually AM interested in a product but I’ve gotten 12 emails about it, so now it’s a crap shoot as to whose link I click on to buy.
I have a question about number 5 on your list. Why would promoting a Clickbank product overwrite your cookies?
I want to tell you I look forward to your posts. I’m new to affiliate marketing and I “get” what you have to say. Maybe it’s a woman to woman thing. Thank you for doing what you do!
Hi Deane,
Thank you, Perhaps it’s woman to woman, perhaps just common sense… or maybe “woman sense”?
As for Clickbank. The last affiliate who gets their link clicked, gets the cookie and the sale. So, sometimes it pays (literally) to promote later in the launch.
Hope that helps.
Ros
I’m sick of getting the same promotions. I subscribe to newsletters from sites I trust and that give me value. My trusty sites are dwindling as I get the same push of products from one newsletter to another.
How can I trust that “they” really believe in the product? If they do, do they use it? Not likely for most.
I’ve stopped reading about 70% of what I subscribe to. I scan the content and if the information is redundant, like the same product push, I delete it. If I see this happening a few times, I unsubscribe. I don’t have time for this kind of spammy newsletter.
We’re all trying to make a buck, but I’m sticking with the sites who deliver newsletters with integrity!
I can not believe my eyes, some one who I respect very dearly had the voice to speak what and how I feel about the affiliate marketers who are actually destroying the market like MFil, EB, in the past.
I have ordered products from these guys got very little out of it and felt over charged and insulted.
So how do I feel very few do I plan on ordering from in the future If I feel I can not see income in less than 30days from those bragging it is the great product in the world I will not order and will tell others to do the same. I had a job I made income in two weeks not 90 days. I was in the service in the 1970′s I at least seen a pay check in 30 days. This 90 day stuff is in hope you will for get. Especial after being bogged down with information overload no way can you do all said in
the time allotted and the abuser’s know it. This is more of what Mark Joyner calls charlatans his simple-ology is free and gives you a chance to see if you can make a income where EB added a lot of filler to his 90 day program recommended by MFil. MFil just did more damage to his creditability in what I see.
Thank you Miss Gardner for letting me express my feelings.
My pleasure, William.
Feel free to do so any time.
Cheers,
Ros
When it comes to your personal brand online, your credibility is everything.
Too many times I’ve chosen someone to follow because of the appearance that they had something unique to contribute to my knowledge-base, only to find that they are just parroting someone else’s creation.
Ron
ENSpyrdINC
Good food for thought. Though I do promote some launches it’s generally because I’ve either reviewed the product or the expertise and support of the author/publishers are well known to me.
Your credibility is unquestioned and this is clearly the kind of thinker you are and the reason why I open anything you send.
Regards,
Tom Justin
Rosalind,
I couldn’t agree with you more. My in box is inundated with offers on a daily basis and every promoter swears that this is the “BEST PRODUCT EVER”. It’s getting SO old, so much so that I’ve begun just deleting their emails and am even considering removing myself from their mailing lists. Your newsletter is now one of the few that I still read, because you respect your readers. Thank you.
-Vik
Hi Roz,
Good for you! I am so sick of the constant barage of emails pushing products you must have today! You are right, their credibility is damaged. We all want to make money, but at what price?
I’m glad you decided not to take that path.
With respect,
Bernadette
Roz,
You are absolutely correct on all points. I would have been really disappointed if you had promoted Yanik Silver’s product for example – since you already promoted it 2 years ago and it wasn’t such a great product to begin with. I bought it and was very disappointed as most of that material is 20 – 50 years old and irrelevant and/or inaccurate in todays’ world.
I also bought your SAH a few years back and thought it was excellent.
Dee.
Hi Dee,
Sorry to hear that you were less than pleased with Yanik’s public domain product.
Generally, most works enter the public domain because they’re old. This includes any work published in the United States before 1923.. and those that were published before 1964 where copyright was not renewed.
Old or not, topics such as personal growth (self-help), and general sports information (yoga etc.) don’t change all that much over time.
The key is to add your own intro to the product and give it a fresh face.
Cheers,
Ros
It’s about time someone spoke up about this.
Got your Handbook and updates when my email was ___________
SBI is great program but having trouble. Used MSWord for pages that I could not copy and paste to web pages. Told to redo in Notepad. The program has it all if you can find it. Also, not sure about their autoresponder??
Hope this finds you well.
NOTE: Image characters hard to make out. Had to do over= for your info
Hi Bill,
I am an SBIer and the only autoresponder that I’m aware of, is located in the forms section. They do not have an autoresponder system set up for their newsletters. Hope this helps you. Carolyn
Another great post Rosalind! I don’t even look at those emails when they start coming in. I’m pretty disgusted with the whole product launch and the Big Dogs. People need to concentrate on their business and promoting what makes sense – not some new product that was created just to make money for the creator!
Well said! It is unbelievable how many emails I have been getting on the same launches. I am busily unsubscribing from a lot of lists!
You’re usually spot on Roz, but I have to disagree with you on this one. I agree that promoting every launch that comes down the pike to YOUR LIST will burn that list out but you’re leaving a ton of money on the table.
When I became a full time internet marketer I knew that these launches were going to be a great source of affiliate income for me. But I had the same dilemma. I don’t think the answer is just to not promote the launch.
Here’s what I do:
1. Do a product review and bonus on a new domain.
2. DO NOT participate in the opt in/prelaunch contest – that’s just giving your list away for free.
3. Send 1 email to your list that directs to the review.
4. Promote the review and bonus via Adwords
From the last 4 I’ve promoted this way, I’ve made high 5-figures and 40% of the sales have come from PPC traffic that’s not even on my (small) list.
Usually the Adwords traffic is cheap and my list hasn’t suffered from the mass unsubscribe-itis that I’m sure others are suffering from.
Not that I want the competition but I don’t want yuo to miss any opportunities, Ros!
Hi Susan,
Very good points and I doubt we have any disagreement as placing Adwords ads for product launches or full scale reviews (on your own domain even) don’t really qualify as engaging in the product launch bandwagon as described above.
The main point is to stay away from those cut and pastes and consider the products carefully if you promote directly to your list.
Cheers,
Ros
Then (as usual) we are in full agreement! Rock on…
Yes!
I completely agree with your thoughts on the constant overhyped stream of product launches. I particularly agree with #10–Pitching product launch junk can instantly kill your credibility.
Hello Rosalind,
I appreciate you post about all these product launches. For us novice, its feeding time for the IM’s. After a couple of years of reading and learning about affiliate marketing, I am finally taking action.
I would love your thoughts on the recent MYCLICKBANDBUSINESS system that was launched 2 weeks ago. I joined and purchased both the training system and the 10 niche packages at a price that could either be considered steep or reasonable. Anyway, I would like to know you thoughts on the overall value and effectiveness on the niches (because I don’t know how long the niche products have already been in the market). The sale letters appear superior.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Richard
Hi Richard,
I’m afraid I can’t comment on MyClickbankBusiness. I hadn’t seen it and now it’s sold out, so I can’t purchase it to look at it either.
However, the real value might be in the sales letters that you say are ‘superior’. You can learn a lot from how they are constructed and replicate that formula for other resale products you might decide to promote.
Hope that helps a little.
Cheers,
Ros
Thanks for replying Roslind. You are awesome.
Richard