DIY Affiliate Marketing Networks, Do they Make Sense?
Writing by Brick Marketing on Friday, 25 of January , 2008 at 9:58 am
By now most of you should be very familiar with the major affiliate networks out there. They provide good value for money and are a great way to get instant access to a pool of experienced sales people. The other option, is to keep it all in house and do it yourself. DIY affiliate marketing has a place, but there is a lot that you need to be aware of before you get started.
Advantages of Existing Affiliate Marketing Networks
The biggest benefit of going with an existing network is that you are instantly plugged into a pool of marketers. Some of the networks have very competent marketers and having instant access, so to speak, will get your program off to the right kind of start. There are, however, a few other significant benefits to using an existing network. All of the major affiliate marketing networks provide Affiliate Program Tracking as part of their service. Furthermore, everything is done for you on the programming side of things. This can save a tremendous amount of time and money. You get an affiliate network that is ready to go from the moment you have signed your contracts.
Advantages of DIY Affiliate Marketing Networks
The biggest advantage of a DIY affiliate marketing network is that it gives you control over every aspect of your network. Paying affiliates, affiliate management, affiliate tracking and recruiting are all kept in-house. This can save a great deal of money. There is no middleman and the only fees that you encounter will be bank or payment processor fees. Keeping everything in house allows you to set up a program that is exactly the way you want it to be. There are, however, some significant drawbacks.
Drawbacks of DIY Affiliate Marketing Networks
- Legalities - One aspect that you will definitely need to consider is the legality of your Terms of Service agreement. The world can be a very litigious place; it is definitely advisable to sit down with a lawyer to come up with a bulletproof TOS.
- Time commitments - It can take a prodigious amount of time to run your own affiliate marketing network. If could rob you of time that you need to actually build your business
- Cost of setup - A good coder will be able to get the nuts and bolts of your affiliate system running relatively easily, especially if they have had some experience with affiliate programs in the past. You would be well advised to get a professional to take care of the setup process. You will need to weigh the costs involved with the setup with the ongoing cost of an established affiliate marketing network. The DIY version is an upfront, one time only cost. An established network will be an ongoing percentage.
Do it yourself affiliate marketing networks are not for everyone. With a little hard work and perseverance, however, they can offer some significant longterm benefits. If you have the time and money to set one up, it is definitely worth the hard work.
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