Ignorant Affiliates

[FruityJelena]

Hi all

After lot of emails sent as Affiliate Managers and many unanswered, I couldn't resist not to share some thoughts and seek for some answers, especially from affiliates.

So, my main question is - Is it so hard to reply to an email, at least with something like - I'm not interested?

I understand you're very busy (especially if you're a webmaster or "one man show affiliate"), you receive lots of advertising material, offers, emails from your current AMs, spam messages etc., but I still can't understand that Godlike attitude and ignorance from many
Luckily, I know very good how's working for very big affiliate and how does such affiliate inboxes look like (I was taking care of my, support and marketing inboxes at the same time, at one point), but I considered professional and polite to answer or redirect all of them, as soon as I can and it was usually the same day.
That's why I didn't get why most of the AMs are surprised to get a reply that fast and kept telling me it's tough to be affiliate manager (dark side). Well, now I understand, but I still don't understand why is it so - we are not opposite sides, we work together and have mutual interest.
Interesting thing is that the biggest and/or most successful affiliates, who are probably the busiest at the same time, posses that business ethics and always kindly reply to new and existing affiliates.

Therefore, I'm curious to hear from affiliate members here - How do you treat emails you receive or Skype contact requests? How do you choose whom to reply? How do you choose a brand to work with or not to work with? How many collaboration offers do you receive daily from operators and their managers?

I just can't understand why is it so hard to reply and curiosity about that made me write this thread. Sometimes it looks like we're in some kind of a war - affiliates vs. operators, although that's very strange and not so logical to me

I'd also love to hear from affiliate managers if they share similar experience, opinion, questions or attitude

[dfiocch]

Mmmm... let's see...

Good Programs (15%): my inbox or my Skype.
Quite good programs (15%): half. Me or my assistant.
Shady programs, stressful managers and so on (70%): my assistant and a random developer



So, with this 30%... I'm ignorant?

[Sherlock]

I hope I can clarify it a bit.
I am getting hundreds of emails a day, most of them "offers". I am really getting a headache every morning. The worst is Monday ofc, but it starts on Sunday when the Israelis wake up.

You are an affiliate manager, your work is pretty well defined. But affiliates are a little bit different IMO. We are not in symmetric relationship like two employees. I like the affiliate model exactly because I am the boss who decides where the traffic goes and how it goes there. And my life is not just sitting by the email.

The good affiliate manager must respond the emails more precisely than affiliate. Affiliate solves a lot of other problems. With websites, with employees (E.g. I manage people, but I manage finances too), with ad companies, with lawyers, bankers, accountants. Affiliates can have different jobs, so they are often just part timers. There is no usually commitment that should force us to answer emails. All that we have to do is to drive traffic. At least for me this freedom is one of the reasons I can still do the job.

But yes, I am trying to answer all the emails with affiliates where I am paid from. But sometimes the emails are just lost in the spam. Sometimes I start with response, but then few other things happen and answer is lost.

But when the emails are in general meaning and I see that it was sent as bcc, I do not feel that I must answer that. So I feel I can gnore emails that ask for more traffic etc. It is just an offer, I can react or not. I know affiliates send the same email many times, but my response needs to think, evaluate etc.

Overall I think now I know how nice girls, that are constantly being sexually harassed, feel. I guess they also do not have to respond all offers from strangers. Neither I have to.

[offyourface]

I don't think it's that hard to reply, it's just time consuming. Many affiliates have a lot of websites, and if they replied to every email request, less work is getting done. For me, I prefer to spend my time bringing in dollars and addressing the important things in my business that need my attention. Not going out of my way to reply to emails from someone I am not interested in doing business atm just so I don't hurt anyone's feelings.

Now if someone clearly takes the time to personalize the email, they certainly have a better shot at getting a reply from me. Not always as my days sort of dictate themselves, but I do try to reply to emails that have substance when I can. But for the generic emails that say "hey, sign up to xyz program. We are great. We offer nothing whatsoever different than anyone else. Here is a link to signup so we can make lots of money together". Now why should I take the time and reply to that? Because someone took 3 seconds and extended their index finger, click insert template then clicked send?

[RacingJim]

Sometimes by replying, even with a polite refusal, you set off an affiliate manager bugging you. The requests I don't want to take further are therefore ignored to save further exchanges.

[Syndicate]

Sometimes by replying, even with a polite refusal, you set off an affiliate manager bugging you. The requests I don't want to take further are therefore ignored to save further exchanges.

How very true. I'm all for being polite the first time - but then it just gets annoying. Like Sherlock says - it can become harassment!

[wonderpunter]

I Have not replied as our traffic is climbing very rapidly and wanted to get to the peak before we speak , however your are at the top of my list to get back to

[universal4]

The question should be clarified.

Are these affiliates you want a response from REGISTERED with your program, or are these "leads" you are emailing because you got their email address through "other" means?

Rick
Universal4

[Scampi]

Is it so hard to reply to an email, at least with something like - I'm not interested?

Quiet often, a 'not interested' reply encourages further contact; 'why aren't you interested, we can do a good deal'. It's ok if you are getting one or two a week, but several a day becomes a nuisance, or for super affiliates like Sherlock who probably get hundreds a week, can you really expect a reply to all of them?

[justbookies]

I don't reply to emails that have been sent to the entire database, that would be insane. Got one from William Hill the other day "Dear Affiliate" it started and had a question about making an appointment at a conference. lol.
I don't reply to all the programs that I don't promote but that spam me non-stop from every angle (like Winner, who I have blocked everywhere I can and still their spam keeps coming).
I do reply to all emails that have been sent to me and me alone from programs I do actually promote.
Got one recently asking why I wouldn't promote a program more heavily. When I queried the abysmal conversion to clicks on Grand National Day compared to all other programs I got no reply from the AM. So it is not just affiliates who ignore direct emails.
Sometimes the relationship is a war - because affiliates who have been around a long time have been shafted by so many ****** affiliate programs (and I am not thinking of just small programs, the worst can be the plcs and household names). It does taint your attitude generally.
An affiliate manager must earn respect - it is not automatic. That said, they'll still get a reply from me if the email is not global. Even though I know I am sometimes inviting trouble by doing so - as RacingJim quite rightly says it can open the floodgates. I wont deal with pushy affiliate managers and I tell them I can't deal with 'second-hand car sales' tactics. I am lucky in that I can be blunt to someone's face, but some affiliates are more polite than me, so they ignore the email rather than cause any offense. That is possibly wiser than sending a disgruntled reply.
You have to realise that not all affiliate managers, or affiliate programs, are on our side. It is a kind of uneasy relationship a lot of the time. That does begin to take its toll on an affiliate's attitude. That said I don't treat all affiliate managers alike and prefer to work with programs where I trust the AM. Luckily at the moment I am dealing generally with some really decent, fair and honest AMs, but it has not always been the case.

[LTDAndy]

Having worked as an affiliate, as a operator and a platform provider, emails are very time consuming to read and reply too, I always share my skype details with people and if I receive a request to connect and chat I will accept and start a dialog with the other person.

I'm just getting back into the affiliate game again following a number of years in a "real job", but when I was a super affiliate for poker, my inbox was crazy insane and even with 3 support people working around the clock we always had more emails to respond too

[TheGooner]

After lot of emails sent as Affiliate Managers and many unanswered, I couldn't resist not to share some thoughts and seek for some answers, especially from affiliates.

So, my main question is - Is it so hard to reply to an email, at least with something like - I'm not interested?

I understand you're very busy (especially if you're a webmaster or "one man show affiliate"), you receive lots of advertising material, offers, emails from your current AMs, spam messages etc., but I still can't understand that Godlike attitude and ignorance from many

Firstly - we get emails each day from NEW medium / small / tinpot organisations.
This email is uninvited cold calling / emailing.

Secondly - if we reply to these and say no - then we can expect a barrage of follow up emails attempting to "sell".

It's not a godlike attitude - it's a pragmatic response to vast amounts of email.
Should I reply to all the Viagra salesmen - dating organisations - and Nigerian businessmen that offer opportunities too?

SPAM is SPAM - even if it's in my industry.


Finally - we get random emails each day from existing organisations that we work with.
Much of it is generic sales "pap" that is summarising the offers for the week or month.

We already know this - because we do a twice weekly round up of all partners - but I can see why it is sent.
I could reply with a short form text saying - Noted - Acknowledged etc ...
But really it's a generic email sent out to 100's or 1000's of affiliates - they are not expecting a reply.

We are not opposite sides, we work together and have mutual interest.

No - we don't work together - and we don't really have mutual interests.

YOU (as an AM) want your site as front and centre and featured on my site - that's your interest.
I want the sites that are best suited to MY site, my readers, and that return good profits - that's my interest.

Our interests are only partly aligned, if and when I choose your program to be featured on my affiliate site.
If I don't reply then it does not include you.

Interesting thing is that the biggest and/or most successful affiliates, who are probably the busiest at the same time, posses that business ethics and always kindly reply to new and existing affiliates.

Regarding best practice - I don't think that you have a basis of data to make an assumption.
We work with only two dozen programs - the best of the best.

AMs for programs who don't make the cut just can't take no for an answer without sending 5 emails in an attempt to sell.

Therefore, I'm curious to hear from affiliate members here - How do you treat emails you receive or Skype contact requests? How do you choose whom to reply? How do you choose a brand to work with or not to work with? .

I don't reply to Gmail Yahoo addresses, I bounce all Hotmail addresses, addresses from brazil, nigeria, china and russia.
I don't accept Skype calls.

I work with brand I already know - brands that I've researched before - and have chosen as potential partners.
I will almost NEVER decide to take a program from an unrequested cold email.

I just can't understand why is it so hard to reply and curiosity about that made me write this thread. Sometimes it looks like we're in some kind of a war - affiliates vs. operators, although that's very strange and not so logical to me

How many collaboration offers do you receive daily from operators and their managers?

I'd also love to hear from affiliate managers if they share similar experience, opinion, questions or attitude

There is no war - there is just too many poor programs, poor offers, poor AMs.

But I would receive 10 new email offers a week, and 20-30 attempted resells from AMs who have already been rejected.
WE don't list 100s or 1000s of sites - just the best 24 gambling destinations on the planet.

FRom time to time we drop a program that is not paying its way (poor returns) or that displays bad player relations or that unilaterally makes affiliate terms changes or makes it too hard to collect payment (SkyBet / WillHill)

So from time to time we are looking for a potential partner - and then emails may have an effect ...
But it's more likely after I have approached YOU first for additional details.

[tehsik]

Your title makes me sick really ...

Anyway it's quite simple darling .. there are some reasons behind this ... there's always one!

1. That affiliate program looks or is **** (in their eyes) - what i mean is that the affiliate program contacting the person might not be what he's looking for.
2. You/Others or previous affiliate managers from the same firm contacted him/her before 10-20 - 10000000xxxxxx times before.
3. You/Others are being to damn aggressive adding that person into Skype without his permission.
4. etc, etc

I personally ignore a lot of e-mails , a lot ! some i miss because i am a busy guy , however i come later on and read/resolve them .... if not that means all those above will apply ... haha

PS: don't take it personally lol .

[universal4]

Thirdly - it's uninvited cold calling / emailing.

There is actually a single word for this.

And if we use the exact same methods to promote the casinos/bookies/bingo rooms to players, to lists of emails that have not requested our offers, (based on the terms of service at any decent program) we loose our affiliate accounts as well as future commissions.

I know affiliate managers do NOT like to hear that, but it is reality.

So, where did the email address come from?

Was it a compiled list? (compiled without contact or permission of the recipient)
Was it a traded listed? (traded with other affiliate managers without the permission of the recipient)
Did you just stumble on the email address? (see compiled list)
Was it a purchased or rented list that shows the recipient is interested in gaming? (see compiled list)
Did you do a who is and are emailing the domain contact? (see compiled list - also against ICANN Policy)

If the answer to my original question is that the affiliate signed up or otherwise contacted you for more information, then yes, I would think it is reasonable to hope for a response, but there are many factors that might affect the affiliate not responding, such as too busy or one of the many other reasons above, or the affiliate might have changed their mind about their interest level in your program.

Over the years hundreds and hundreds of times I have asked the simple question, "where did you get my email?"

Some of the answers are interesting, and yes at times it was something along the line of traded for it. Some times the answer is, I found it on domain.com when in fact stated domain does NOT contain such email address.

I have even had some managers say something along the lines of "Well we did a whois and saw you used xxx@ on one domain so we created an email for you using xxx@differentdomain.com"

In 100% of the cases where I have actually gotten a response to the "where" question, all management has always explained to me that I can NOT market to players in 100% the same way managers market to affiliates using compiled/rented or otherwise lists of recipients that had no contact prior to approaching or did not provide permission for the solicitation.

Disclaimer: I have not nor will not state any single affiliate manager uses the above methods, but some are and after years and years of dealing with the above on a regular basis, there really should be no wonder why the unsolicited emails do not always warrant a response.

Rick
Universal4

[universal4]

Let me also go on to say,

Even though I do not work with Jelena or her program, that fact that she is here and interacting with affiliates on a regular basis says far more about her integrity and program than simple email ever could. (so none of the above is directed at here, but more of an explanation of why affiliates get soooo frustrated with being approached in email on an almost daily basis)

Rick
Universal4

[tehsik]

Universal you should know by now if somebody wants to get your email than they will get it in one way or another and i don't see any problem with that unless its a personal one . Many affiliate managers go from 1 to another program and share information ... well thats the industry we live on.. i really don't get you why u just don't ignore these ... ignoring this will make your life easier .. no pain lol .. ..

arguing about this will not bring you anything anyway ... this is business and this is how many affiliates or affiliate managers gets business

just carry on if you don't like it ... haha ..

[universal4]

I agree that managers are trading our emails without our permission, but just because it takes place and has taken place since the dawn of email, does NOT make it ok.

And for anyone that thinks it is ok, may your email be sold on a few thousand email lists for porn or any other industry you would rather not get emails for.

Rick
Universal4

[tehsik]

i get you , however ... why wasting time on this and not carry on lol ... if you think you can stop it then you're in the wrong industry or a different planet where spam does not exists ..

[RacingJim]

Another little point is, I have found quite a few aff managers who were all there at the start to get me to sign up, but then if I have problems down the line or something changes on the program (e.g. rev share or negative carrover situations where I've been told it wouldn't be applied but then it does), they go hiding and won't deal with any difficult queries. It's these experiences that harden us to the game and you start to feel a lot less guilty about just ignoring people.

As per the other responses on here, I always try to reply quickly to programs I actually work with and those relationships are important. But as for the daily requests from new programs, yeh, most get ignored unless it's a program I already had in my mind to give a try.

[sweetbet]

A lot of great points raised on this thread. For me, I only make it a point to reply to affiliate managers that I have a good working relationship with. Emails from rogue, new or non-converting programs usually don't receive a reply.