What do I bring to the table in Affiliate Programs?
In an era when it has become quite easy to publish on the Internet (i.e. all the recent developments of the last six months), the question must become for people "What do I bring to the table?"
What do I mean?
Well, back in the early days of the Commerical Internet, Affiliate programs didn't exist. And once affiliate programs became available, people began flooding the Internet space with web sites on everything. If I can re-sell a product on my site after copying and pasting text about the product onto my web site, and do that over and over and over, I can build a web site that is filled with products which I don't own or inventory, don't have to ship, and don't have to ever pay for. I just collect a commission once someone clicks through. That's great, and it worked for a while, and still works today to some extent. But software has entirely automated this process, and it means that anyone can put up a web site filled with products and services overnight. They can even put up a well-optimized web site with products and services, and make it look nice, and do so in a matter of minutes.
So if site development can happen that simply and quickly, and if anyone can do it, then a web site begins to become much more about the person behind the site, rather than the site itself.
If I can build a site that people come to trust because of my knowledge, or my approach to the topic, or even my ability to collect unique information no one else has, then I can build a brand in whatever space I want, no matter how flooded that market is.
I guess this has always been the question: What do I bring to the table? But in an age when anyone can publish online, there has to be something distinctive that distinguishes me from everyone else operating in this space.
Take AffiliateAdvice for example: Anyone can put up a directory of affiliate programs. But in the affiliate space, not everyone can put up a directory of programs that has been reviewed, and a directory of programs which has paid them small and large amounts. What I bring to the table in affiliate programs is the knowledge that all of the programs listed on the site have contributed or are contributing to the process of allowing me to walk away from full-time employment for someone else, and they've allowed me and are allowing me to do so on a permanent basis.
So if you're a site owner, I challenge you to ask yourself (and if you've already asked it, then ask again and search for more in-depth answers), when it comes to _____________ (Insert the market of your product or service), what is it that I bring to the table that is completely unique, or what is it that makes my site better than others in my market?
By asking the question, you will distinguish yourself in a space that is rapidly becoming more and more filled with sites and marketing strategies that are the same.
