Here is the dark side of affiliate marketing that i've known for too long

[pjr710]

I'm sure you guys have seen this on facebook, it's total bullshit, and this is the deception that i've been surrounded by the past 5 years in my previous career. I'm interested to know how the fastlane forum feels about it.

Ad: http://screencast.com/t/yZ7fytIUj

Site: http://www.dailynutritionmag.com/guide/

 

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[brycer9]

I thought you learned your lesson here. You know how we feel about it, its how you lose all respect from your customers

Edit: Why do you still have lies on your website?

 

[Gsuz]

These guys are most likely cloaking. I'm not sure how to feel about it. They are obviously catering to an audience that pays and will continue to pay for these kinds of things. In general I feel like affiliate marketing is not something you mainly do to add value to people's lifes, but more a way to generate cash while pretending there is a possibility of adding a little value. Does not matter if it's dating, diet, gambling, toolbars etc

 

[Rerun]

Open a magazine, check your mail, turn on the tv or listen to the radio. This format has been around for decades and is used in every category more often than you notice as a consumer. It's incredibly effective. There's some deception going on here with this particular one so that's not good, but there's some insight that can be learned here.

Interesting thing is even when people know the ad is fake or unrealistic that they'll achieve the same results, they still purchase the product (sorry don't have a reference handy). "I know this is BS, but what if..." The fear of losing an opportunity is a tough one to resist. Casinos got that figured that out pretty well.

The customer satisfaction has a lot to do with the actual product and customer service, no? I don't believe a happy customer would be upset about how they became educated about your product. If the product works they'll keep coming back. Shit, they'll share the piece with their family and friends if they're happy.

Perception is reality. My favorite is headache medicine commercials with the guys buzzing around in the background playing with test tubes. Funny how a guy wearing a white jacket can distort things.

There are issues with this that can be fixed to eliminate the deceptiveness, but many of the elements are spot on -- they're just used incorrectly.

Edit: I used to work for a company that had an auto giant and the car & driver magazines as clients. The editors were highly influenced to say the least to write a nice review so people would drop $60k on a car. That's G rated stuff compared to what goes on in pharmaceuticals, financial markets, etc.

Not trying to defend what's going on here (I actually don't care one way or another, but do find it creative and take note). Just saying this is pretty black/white compared to the stuff really going on. If this bothers you then you're probably better off not knowing about some of the other shenanigans.

 

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[LightHouse]

This has all been banned by the FCC, chances are this person is new, or outside of the US.

 

[Rerun]

Advertorials aren't against FTC regulations when done right, but unsubstantiated claims and fake testimonials are. I'm sure misrepresenting yourself as a popular magazine is also a no no. Also lots of copyright infringement going on here. But I'm not a lawyer or one to judge.

 

[MooreMillions]

Uhhh, yeah...and it's not going away.

I would never ever use it, but cloaking has been par the course since I began and that was over a half decade ago.

It's a shame, but I stay away from verticals that are known for such nonsense.

 

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