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RE: Should We Encourage Affiliate Links On Steemit?
I think that they should be allowed.
I have seen a couple of people get nasty over someone recommending a service in their blog but not disclosing that the link was an affiliate link. They were basically accused of being greedy. Which is pretty funny to me because Steemit kinda encourages that with the whole 'get paid to blog' bit.
I could see it possibly becoming a problem if people were putting affiliate links in comments. Like where someone is blogging about how their arthritis is acting up again, and then another person posts a link to a product that they say will help but with an affiliate link. Now of course this could be genuinely helpful advice, but it could also be abused.
Lol.. this happened to me on FB. I market a product that gets rid of wrinkles in under 2 minutes. A hairdresser posted a picture of a client with a new hairdo. The the hairdresser was bragging what a great hairdo her cleint had, but the picture of her client showed big bags under the eyes. So I mentioned to the hairdresser about my product and how she could make the lady even happier by removing those bags instantly before she sends the client home. Here I was offering GREAT advice on how to make her customers happier AND put more money in her pocket at the same time. Instead of being appreciative she took it as me calling her a failure as a beautician. Afterwards, I guess she was right. If a hairdresser can make a client look more beautiful (which is why the client is going to a hairdresser) with less than 30 seconds of work, and fails to put in the extra 30 seconds, they are doing an injustice to their client and are a failure. At the time I wasn't looking at it that way. I was just trying to help her and her clients look more beautiful.
yeah, it's hard to figure out intent when someone does this. I usually give them the benefit of the doubt, unless I investigate and see that are basically spamming everywhere.
Sorry the hairdresser got so mad at you.
@internetguy,
Perhaps the issue was not that she saw you as saying she was a failure as a beautician (even if that is what she told you), but perhaps it was that she felt like you "hit her up" to try to sell her on your product/opportunity. You probably know this, but there are a lot of sales reps who see someone mention something that the rep's product can solve... and it is like the proverbial blood in the water to a shark.
I've seen this so many times on Facebook - someone mentions that they are trying to lose weight by eating more healthily, and all the weight loss company reps come out and start commenting about how the person should try their product.
Another person might talk about migraines, and the essential oils people flood the thread to talk about their oil company. It leaves a bad taste in people's mouth and makes these direct selling and network marketing companies look bad, because their reps are just waiting on an opportunity to sell, sell, sell. I've even seen people post about weight loss and say outright that they don't want anyone commenting about their company's products and yet, there are always many reps who jump in trying to make a sale.
So maybe take that as food for thought next time. Certain industries get bombarded with sales pitches, and the haircare industry is one of those. And this applies even if you're not in direct sales or network marketing.
I understand both sides of the fence... The whole concept of affilate links though is solving problems others may have by reference to a solution but to give credit to the person who has shown the person with the problem the solution. If some one didn't refer someone to a new great platform such as this.... It may not be found... even if it was a paid referral such as an ad that paid when the product was bought or generated traffic. Great discussion and love all the answers. I myself would use a referral link- affiliate link to help others find great products and services that offer value to others.