Affiliates- What is your value proposition???

Portal pages, deep linking, hub pages, et al... are you actually adding value to the marketplace???

You know when you are at a grocery store trying to buy ice cream. There are a thousand different directions you can go. You can buy an ice cream sandwich, a sorbet cup, an Eskimo pie, a fruity Popsicle, a pint, a half gallon, fat free, low fat, frozen yogurt, astronaut dot ice cream, a tub of ice cream... and you can buy any different flavor. You can decide not to buy at the grocery store and you can go an ice cream parlor- where you can add sprinkles, get it in a cup, get a slab, put it in a sugar cone, a waffle cone, etc etc etc.

The point is- you have options. And the options have value. Depending on your mood, number of people you are buying for, how much money you have in your wallet, the distance from home, your childhood ice cream experience... these factors will determine which direction you choose.

And, you have options on every single block... you can buy it at a convenient store, a gas station, a parlor, a fast food joint, every single grocery store, et al.

What I am saying is there is redundancy in the market. There are tons of variations to accommodate your need for ice cream. But they don't stick around long if they don't add value.

There is only so much room on the shelf for ice cream just like there is only so much room for affiliates and the products they are pushing- so you better be what the people want or you are a short term solution.

Look at your value as an affiliate in the same way. Figure out what your value is and make sure you convey that to your consumer. Don't mislead, trick, hide information from the consumer. Figure out your value prop and scream it from every pore of your website- and/or marketing effort.

Create value where others don't have it. Create your shelf space in a sustainable way so you are always providing incremental value to the consumers. They will appreciate it. Advertisers will love it. Search engines will reward it... it's the right thing to do for as many reasons as there are variations of ice cream.

Affiliates- Avoid the 1.5 Year Life Cycle

Hey Affiliates- I have some advice for you... and you may laugh... and maybe you are the exception and not the rule... but you have approximately 1.5 years to make as much as you can. That's right- I have watched it over and over and over again. If you put your marketing efforts on cruise control- or don't continually work hard- your life cycle will be 1.5 years.

Having worked in this business for 10 years- this life cycle is definitely the rule. The internet is continually evolving just like technology. And now that the secret is out (that the internet actually makes money and is the wave of the future) more and more competition is jumping in and that life cycle might even get shorter.

I have seen it time and time again. Affiliates see some initial success and buy 10 cars- taking out major mortgages on huge houses- buying a boat- joining country clubs, etc. All to watch a majority of their revenue crash in 1.5 years.

Why does this happen? A lot of affiliates get lazy. They set their efforts on cruise control and think the revenue will last forever. Just because you are working from home- doesn't mean you don't have to work. A lot of affiliates have a programmer awake at the switch- and think that is sufficient. This person can make adjustments to the website- watch the google analytics and life is good- they can travel around the world. Wrong.

This world is dynamic- from the advertiser's goals to the search algorithms, to the competition. If you aren't paying attention to all of these and continually adjusting your business- then you are going to be another statistic. You need to stay proactive, involved in your business. Don't pin it on a programmer- you are the entrepreneur. You are the one that has the vision to stay in front of the industry. Invest in your business- keep your network active- etc.

The thing I hate the most about this business is watching affiliates who are starting their down cycle- and start to pay attention to their buisness a little too late and can't get the momentum back. Now they are stuck w/ their car loans, mortgages, small/no savings... and worst case scenario- the money runs out before tax season.

Affiliates- please be careful. Save money, pay attention, stay proactive, invest in your business, and have fun. You don't have to work for 'the man' but you still have to work in order to make your current lifestyle sustainable.

If you have been doing all these things- chances are- you have escaped the 1.5 year life cycle.