Yesterday marked the 82nd anniversary of the Invention that all other inventions are measured against. And while it wasn’t Performance Affiliate Marketing it does relate to the current state of our industry. Every single day I receive an Email, a Tweet, a FB Friend request from another new network, a revolutionary traffic system, datafeed aggregator, etc. And no matter what message they’re trying to get across it all comes across the same to me.
It would be simpler if they would all just say that their network/system/widget was the best thing since…..
But they’re not. A network is nothing but a tracking system. An OPM is just a management company. A “method/system/formula” is nothing but an outline, and it seems that the only thing new I see out of most of these is the hype surrounding them.
And it really doesn’t and shouldn’t be this way. If a new network is truly different then they should clearly say why they are different. “Bigger Better Offers with High Conversions and Fast Payouts” doesn’t cut it. OPMs need to distinguish what it is about their firm that is different and better. People selling SEO software should make it clear about how using their product is an advantage. Otherwise, they’re just celebrating the 82nd anniversary of the invention that all other inventions are measured against.
I firmly believe that by evidence and action that some networks are far superior to others. I also know for a fact that some OPM firms bring tangible results for their Merchants and Affiliates in superior ways. I have historical tracking to show that some tools I use for SEO and organic ranking simply work better. And in every case not one of them told me why they were superior outside of self promotion equating to the equivalent of comparing themselves to the invention that all other inventions are measured against.
Soon… And I think sooner rather than later, we’re going to see serious consolidation in the OPM arena. And it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if it’s a network that starts rolling up OPM firms in order to distinguish themselves from other networks. And it is my hope that this will be heralded for the competitive advantage it would give both Affiliates/Publishers and Merchant/Advertisers instead of the usual hype.
Because on July 7, 1928 the Chillicothe Baking Company of Chillicothe, Missouri introduced Sliced Bread. And although many inventions can be said to be “The Biggest Thing Since Sliced Bread”. The equevalent hype in our industry simply cannot stand up to just simply telling what you have and why it’s better. Even if it is the biggest thing since sliced bread.
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