Day Trip Media: Affiliate Managers - A Small Rant And Please Stop Pestering

Thursday, 17 April 2008

Affiliate Managers - A Small Rant And Please Stop Pestering

FFS! Grrrr! One of the best things about getting out of a typical office set-up and 9 to 5 job is the fact you don't have to deal with constant pestering from line managers, colleagues, etc. In fact, not having to deal with people like this was one of the main reasons I took a voluntary redundancy from the BBC and took the gamble in starting my own business. It's been bliss, but unfortunately I'm fast getting a new breed of irritant in the form of a number of affiliate managers for online bingo sites.

I know that many of them want the best for their sites, the best features, the best placement, the best write ups and so on. I understand this totally, but, I've been getting loads of email recently from the affiliate managers (10+) at number of different online bingo properties asking me to do this, feature that here, get that on the homepage there, etc. It's getting to the point were I'm wasting a lot of time dealing with these constant requests, simply pointing out some things about the sites they want their brands featured on and why their requests are not likely to happen.

So, to make thing simple, I thought I would put together some bullet points about both my sites and the way I work in the hope that affiliate managers may take the hint, understand where I'm coming from or at least realise what they're asking is at times counter-productive to their ends.

David At Day Trip Media Says...

Your site is not the only one I deal with, and I have more than one site on my portfolio. Times this by the 200+ affiliate programmes I deal with, and you'll soon realise how much work I have to do and how intrusive constant email and requests are.
They are my sites. I will say what I want, put things where I want and generally do what my experience tells me works best.
If your brand works for me and my visitors, it will get top billing - you don't have to do anything for this top class promotion.
If it doesn't work with my visitors, it will get little or no exposure - no amount of complaining and pestering me will change that.
I am the best judge of what works and doesn't work for my visitors. I have access to a wide range of data about conversions across brands that you don't. It's all very well telling me this will work, this will convert and I can earn lots. If it's not stacking up in comparison to the sites and offers that do make me money - I know this, you don't.
A number of my main sites are blogs. This means you won't be featured on the front page indefinitely. You can tell they are blogs by looking at the signs. RSS buttons, post dates, blog archives, etc. I shouldn't need to explain this and the mechanics of this.
I never accept your copy or content - I write my own, this way my users can trust what I say and I can say what I believe is the case. You're welcome to use any criticisms to improve your service for your customers. That's why I make criticisms.
If my reply to your email is short and snappy, there's a good chance I'm busy.
In fact, before you send any email, there's a good chance that I'm busy.
Please alert me if there are any major changes, or I have broken links and the like - it cost us both money.
Please don't alert me that you'll be at x y and z conference, event, etc, or similar

Now, I've wasted more time because of the barrage of requests I've had this morning has vexed me enough to spend 10 minutes doing this. Leave me to it as I must get on.

Posted by Dio Bach at 10:32

7 Comments:

Phil said...: May I be irritating and just point out that in point 3 "you're" should be "your"... love the rant otherwise!; 17 April 2008 11:42
Dio Bach said...: Thanks, corrected, that's the lather they've got me in this morning... :D; 17 April 2008 11:54
Zak said...: Good rant! I think you've highlighted some useful points for us AM's.

However, as an honourary member of the Affiliate Managers Guild I have to fight the corner of the AM. ;-)

To be honest it is really difficult to know how best to liase with each of your affiliates. Some want emails, others phonecalls, others messenger.So sometimes we're bound to come over a little too enthusiastic. Also - you often read threads/forums which bemon the fact that there aren't enough proactive Affiliate Managers...

Also - sometimes you feel like you've got a really important message/promotion/competition which your affiliates will be really interested in. As you rightly point out however, affiliates have got stacks of things to be getting on with and your bit of news might actually not be that important to them.

I fully appreciate what you're saying... It can be frustrating (I get pestered alot by people trying to get us to market through them)but I spose we've all got to try and think about the other parties viewpoint - Affiliates and Managers alike...

Zak.; 17 April 2008 12:05
Mark said...: Great post, made me smile on a bad day.; 17 April 2008 13:53
Dio Bach said...: Zak, pro-active affiliate management for me means being on IM during office hours and replying to email instantly. If I need anything more I'll ask. Don't get me wrong, I realise you guys have your own problems to deal with that we don't fully appreciate, especially when dealing with curmudgeonly workaholics like me.

There are a few affiliate managers I work with that are a joy to work with, but my complaints are mainly personal gripes. It's just some seem to have developed the knack of firing me bad email right when I'm up to my eyes in work.; 17 April 2008 15:21
Anonymous said...: Just a thought mate but have you considered asking some of them to pay for residency if they want top placed ads? That would mean guaranteed payment at a rate you are happy with. :)

StevenM; 20 April 2008 21:30
Dio Bach said...: SteveM, yes I've considered, I've even tried it, but to be honest, it's too much like hard work and I much happier just doing it as an affiliate.; 20 April 2008 22:24