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Is There a Place for Morals in Affiliate Marketing?
Now this should really get you thinking in some way, shape or form. I might even upset a few of you with my response to this question, but I think this blog is the best place to hold this conversion – or at least part of the conversion anyways.
I have been thinking a lot over the past few months about the affiliate marketing that I have been doing and I have also been reading how a few other people seem to think if you are promoting health supplements online (and yes – Acai supplements fall into this category) you have no morals at all. I am really starting to laugh to when I read this on other peoples blogs too because, since when did morals ever have a place in marketing? NEVER!
Think off line for a second – If you owned an advertising firm in New York for example and a client walked through your door and wanted to pay you $10,000,000.00 to advertise his window cleaning product which is just junk, would you say no because you think his product sucks. No you wouldn’t! You would sit back and think of the best way to sell his product so you can keep him as a client and keep making money off of him for years and years. That’s how the business goes – and that’s how you have to look at affiliate marketing if you want to make money at it.
So for some reason, people online seem to think they should let morals get in the way of them making money. Well, to be honest with you – people who hide behind morals are really saying “I have no clue how to promote that” so instead of trying to figure it out, they hide from it. I use to do the same thing until I started changing the way I was thinking. And I am glad I did because last month I hit $4500.00 in affiliate earnings. (not one PPC campaign running either)
I also think a lot of people are getting ethics confused with morals too. There is a right way to promote offers and a wrong way. There is a way to help grow this industry and a way which will stop us all in our tracks. Certain people think it’s best to lie about what a product can do to try and get the lead – those marketers should get tossed out of the business all together. That won’t happen though - because they bring in way to much money. Personally, I try and focus on a feature of the product to get conversions – not lying about it.
There is a way to promote anything and everything online, there is a right way and a wrong way too, but morals have nothing to do with it at all. Like honestly guys – how is it your business how a company you are promoting offers for treats there clients? As long as you get paid every month, your all good – right?
Let me know your thoughts on this topic, lets get a conversion going here!
- 16 Comments
- Tags: affiliate earnings, affiliate marketing, make money online
Morals in marketing – don’t marketing guru’s set their own marketing standards? Good post Collin – gave it a stumble – should get some comments
les
ReplyThanks Les
ReplyI think it’s a hard area to give an exact answer too… Personally I think I am a moral person and an ethical person for the most part… so probably will never be a rich man. I often befriend my clients and end up giving them discounts and help that in the end does not benefit me financially.
However I have needed some quick cash at times and done some paid posts on products that I don’t necc believe in… but have always tried to stay honest.
I won’t pass bad judgment on any one act, but rather as a whole.
I don’t like affiliate sites that pray on the poor or weak but that does not mean I am againts debt offers and such… just as long as legit information is available… like I said it’s hard for me to work out my stance :s
ReplyYESYESYESYESYES!!! there is and needs to be more of it! we need to get away from the legacy issues of affiliate marketing. there is room for ethics, morals, integrity, transparency and partnership. it is essentially we all work together to create a BIG ASS performance marketing community so everyone wins. thats why associations like the newly formed http://www.performancemarketingalliance.com association is so vital to us becoming a big cohesive and important segment of the online marketing industry.
We are not an industry until we have an association. A place for everyone to have a united voice and that can represent us all when the FTC or 20/20 needs to find info on affiliate marketing. so that we dont have a grey cloud over our heads due to no one being able to properly represent all of us.. affiliates, networks, merchants, service providers etc!!!
Sorry for the rant Collin. as you can tell this is something i am very passionate about and needs to be spoken about and spread…. in a nutshell the answer is … YES
!
ReplyI definitely agree that a moralistic view has never been a prerequisite for participation in marketing. In fact, if you just take a moment to look around, you can see that some of the best “marketing” happens with the types of products or services that are probably lower on the “smell test.”
I don’t agree with the following statement.
“people who hide behind morals are really saying “I have no clue how to promote that” so instead of trying to figure it out, they hide from it.”
I work with people in and out of affiliate marketing that make decisions based on their morals and ethics every day. They simply choose NOT to accept a campaign because they feel the product is a sham, the merchant is unethical, or the network allows unethical behaviors. This is where the difference between morals and ethics shows up. Ethics are the standards and behaviors expected of the group with which one is associated. Morals deal with one’s own personal character. If a network allows unethical behaviors, an individual affiliate can draw a line in the sand that they are not going to promote that network’s merchants. Their options are to find that merchant on another network or find a similar merchant on a network they feel better promoting, find another niche – or loosen their own standards.
Clearly those options are becoming more and more difficult as networks allow what some consider to be unethical practices. But the decision not to promote that merchant or network isn’t necessarily that they can’t – it’s that they won’t.
If it truly is your opinion that the only reason someone else isn’t choosing to do what you do because they can’t, I suggest that is possibly just a way you make yourself feel better about your choice.
In a group as big as affiliate marketing, it is possible that no one has morals? Of course not. And morals aren’t simple a “have them or don’t have them” switch. There are shades of grey all along the line. One person has no issue promoting anything someone else decides to buy. After all, the buyer is the one making the decision. Someone else may decide that a product isn’t for them, but they can see how others might make use of it. One affiliate may refuse to sell anything that “promotes” a specific lifestyle (think homosexuality) while another won’t sell anything that doesn’t pass the “vegan” standards.
Last point/question. Would you sell AK-47s to mercinaries known to shoot innocents? I doubt it, and not just because it is illegal. A select few obviously would, but because you wouldn’t doesn’t mean it’s because you just haven’t figured out the angle yet.
Thank you for the discussion. I firmly believe there is a place for morals in whatever you choose to do. However, I don’t make a judgment call as to how you choose to apply those morals.
ReplyPeter – How do we as affiliates get involved with PMA? Is there an affiliate side?
ReplyGreat response Jim!
“If it truly is your opinion that the only reason someone else isn’t choosing to do what you do because they can’t, I suggest that is possibly just a way you make yourself feel better about your choice.”
In response to what you said above – I don’t need to feel better at all about what I do, and that remark to me can circle back around at the networks that allow certain types of advertisers in the industry too. The point I was trying to make was – even though some of the advertisers who’s offers we can chose to promote treat there clients like crap by scamming them we can still chose a right way to promote the offer and make the money in that niche. What I mean by right way is to focus on a key point about the product – a highlight so to speak. I don’t sugar coat anything I promote and I sure as heck don’t make false claims either.
I know I can increase my income lot if I resulted in the tactics of lying, and maybe it is a moral choice for me not to lie – but I think of it as just smarter business choice for me, not morals. Maybe I have the two mixed up.
ReplyThanks for the clarification. It think we may be on the same page, but using different terminology. I’m sure there are some products you wouldn’t promote (my example above), and you have made a moral choice in how you promote the products you do, so there is a place for morals in affiliate marketing! It’s just that everyone has different morals.
ReplyCollin
There is absolutely an affiliate side which is a very important part of all the groups that make up the PMA.
From now until the end of April you can become a Founding Charter Member. As an individual its $500 for 2yrs. or connect thru membership@performancemarketingalliance.com. or Twitter http://www.twitter.com/pmalliance
There is a new site going up in the next week that will allow you to use paypal to join. After the FCM round is done then there will be a new membership structure that will be set up for everyone in our industry to join affiliates, networks, service provider etc.
Its VIP for the leaders and blogger s in all corners of our markets to support the PMA as there is that old legacy paranoia/trust issue that we want everyone to get past so we can all work together to make performance marketing the major force in the industry it can be! http://www.performancemarketingalliance.com will be having events for networking and bringing in the best of the best to teach best practices and techniques for marketing and more.
Look forward to your thoughts and support. there is a growing number of people from all corners becoming FCM’s Love to have you Collin!
Reply@peter bordes:
Well, Peter – If I have until the end up April – I will become Founding Charter Member forsure – you can count on it. Once I get this months income in – I will be there.
Looking forward to joining.
ReplyCollin
ReplyYou are a true leader. I am really pleased to have you join myself and many others as Founding Members! I also look forward to your input and insights.
Thanks Peter, I hope at some point I can help to make this industry better and stronger – all in good time I guess
Replyyour doing it right now my friend. thank you and lets all keep pushing for change!
ReplyYou don’t have to lie to be a Marketer.
Just promote proven product with well known flaws.
Omitting details prevents someone from making a informed choice. It’s a lie. Even if you make $500.00 a day doing it.
ReplyI think morals play a role, but not in some ways. If you’re flat out lying or promoting a crummy product that doesn’t live up to the benefits, than that is immoral. Is marketing immoral? No. Is making money off your marketing immoral? Definitely not.
ReplyCollin the new PMA site is live. let me know what you think. more functionality is being added http://www.performancemarketingalliance.com
Reply