Downline Integrity??? Come on lets get real
Recently in two traffic exchange forums there have been some heated discussions about dowline integrity. Really shows the difference between the business person and the consumer when it comes to marketing.
The problem is that the people pushing this are doing it for their own edification. It helps them and is the only way that they can find to get others to build their business. Course if you are already at the top of the pile you will proclaim loud and clear that it must be maintained. It benefits you.
This all started because they accused traffic exchange owners who promote anything to their members as stealing from their members.
Now in any other affiliate program (yes people a traffic exchange is an affiliate program) as an affiliate you get something for getting someone to take an action. Send someone to my WordPress Made Easy product as an affiliate and I’ll pay you 50% of the proceeds. This is now a customer of mine. You have lost all rights to tell me whether or not I can promote to this person.
Why is a traffic exchange different. You refer someone and you get something from the owner. It may be commission on purchases, an override on the credits they earn or a combination of both. That is what you get for referring them. No where does it say that you own that person.
Nobody owns this Old Bald Guy except me (and maybe Maude but that is my fault.)
The problem comes from people thinking that they have the right to use a program (most times for free) and have ownership over the assets (the membership list or at least the members that they referred and got paid for).
See if people would actually build a business and create a real asset by building their own list first then they could recommend all types of things to that list. If they build the relationship then people will follow them into other programs. It won’t matter what the owner of the program they referred them to does because they already have the relationship. That is the key.
So all you downline integrity backers wake up and smell the coffee. See who is pushing this and look at what you actually get from them. Remove the shackles and build a business for YOU and then you can be home and work on your schedule instead of still having that JOB.
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Disclaimer: Some of the links mentioned within this post or posts it may lead to are my affiliate links and in such case I will get compensated for recommending those products. However, I will never recommend something that I don’t personally believe in and I welcome your questions and feedback.
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Great post Mike, could not of said it better myself
Hey Mike,
I’m awake and smelling.
Darn fine coffee, darn fine article.
cheers
Paul
Downline Integrity%3F%3F%3F Come on lets get real…
The fallacy of wanting dwonline integrity…
Great post Mike, couldn’t agree more.
[...] that have been popping up all about, you guessed it, downline integrity. Mike Paetzold’s recent article has some interesting points and should be a very active blog post to say the [...]
Mike, You remind me of someone….
I am not a TE owner, but I use them for they are intended for..
Generate Leads from my Advertisement.
I think sometimes the atmosphere would be more productive i
f those without the business mind-set move on.
Soren never aks me for the “rights” to my list, even though he has been one the most instrumental people on the net to show me how to get one… along with many others.
Now I am helping others do the same….their lists aren’t mine.
They creating their own businesses ads and so on…
I have said it before and I will again. I am proud to beassociated with groups like you have assembled here in this dialoguec
Good post Mike.
Downline integrity is a great idea, just not practical in traffic exchanges.
[...] of oipinion recently though, articles that have been appearing everywhere. Mike Paetzold’s recent article on downline integrity has some interesting points and I’m amazed to see how many comments he has already [...]
I totally agree, Mike. This whole “downline integrity” fad seems more like some sort of indentured servitude to me.
Steve Ayling had a great splashpage up the other day which said something to the effect of “why waste your time walking around a building looking for a certain door when the first one is already open”?
In other words, if you want to join a program either through my link or someone else’s, go for it! You’re free to make that choice!
As a exchange owner, I see nothing wrong with promoting to my members through email, if its not done too often.
I wouldn’t want an email from a site owner every few days with his/her affilate link promoting the next new thing….but once or twice a month is OK.
Why someone thinks that TE owners shouldn’t advertise to their members is beyond me. We provide a service, most members are free members and they don’t have to read the emails if they don’t want to..
[...] Paetzold has posted a couple at his blog, and I recommend reading… Downline Integrity??? Come on lets get real and Downline Integrity Brigade has people [...]
Mike, I think you are barking up one side of the argument. I know I am probably outnumbered here, but nevertheless, I’ll take the time to make a comment.
A traffic exchange is just that, a place where people go to exchange ads. The problem with your line of reasoning is that if members who join your exchange find that you are running ads for the same products or services its akin to advertising in a newspaper owned by your competition. Get it?
No one is attesting to the fact that as a TE owner, you can’t do what you want, just take consideration of your members and the things they are patronizing you for. Quite frankly it bugs the hell out of me when I am advertising “Product X” by buying traffic from an owner who sees fit to email their whole TE membership about the product I just paid to advertise on that site.
An industry that continues to have no consideration for this is one that will eventually have the well go dry. Fortunately, I think more TE owners have taken notes on this and are considering it when they run promos to their member lists.
Just something to consider. The downline integrity argument can be taken to extremes but it just boils down to plain old common sense and proper customer service.
By the way, Happy Holidays everyone.
Elridge
Eldridge,
The thing is that the only thing you should be promoting in the traffic exchanges is you. Use them to build your list and sell the products after you have the relationship. If you do that it doesn’t matter what the owner is promoting as it won’t be you and if it is so much the better.
Getting hung up on downlines hurts the average person that is trying to make money online. I did that for way too long and believe me the key is to build relationships.
Selling the myth of downline integrity hurts people and stops them from bnuilding a sustainable business. Now I build downlines in many programs but always from my relationship with people not from promoting any program I don’t own in the traffic exchanges.
Happy Holidays to you.