Affiliate Programs...I was going to start one

[Greg B]

I had an affiliate program years ago. It was under the old AC Pay option which worked wonders. It was easy, my webmasters made money, just wonderful til AC Pay pulled the rug out on us all.

So I tossed away the affiliate idea for a while and then last year started to explore it again. However, having to deal with illnesses I had to back off for a while. Now that health is tops and I have more time at the studio I decided to start it up again. Just toons, comics, animation and how-to classes. With the new video options it makes things easier for me to record myself drawing and putting it on the site instead of my old way of doing it live.

So I asked some webmasters should I do an affiliate program and suddenly things went silent on the boards, however, behind the scenes I ended up having a couple dozen companies ask me off the boards to do content for their sites' affiliate programs.

Got some surprising inside information to the toon affiliate market as guys were biting each other in the back on it! Here I was one of the first on the web doing toons and now these young whippersnappers are barrelling in and trying to undermine one another.

We made more money when guys teamed up. Now guys are trying to dominate a market and it makes no sense as the customer base is huge and continues to grow.

Just goes to show ya!

[softball]

Originally Posted by Greg B

I had an affiliate program years ago. It was under the old AC Pay option which worked wonders. It was easy, my webmasters made money, just wonderful til AC Pay pulled the rug out on us all.

So I tossed away the affiliate idea for a while and then last year started to explore it again. However, having to deal with illnesses I had to back off for a while. Now that health is tops and I have more time at the studio I decided to start it up again. Just toons, comics, animation and how-to classes. With the new video options it makes things easier for me to record myself drawing and putting it on the site instead of my old way of doing it live.

So I asked some webmasters should I do an affiliate program and suddenly things went silent on the boards, however, behind the scenes I ended up having a couple dozen companies ask me off the boards to do content for their sites' affiliate programs.

Got some surprising inside information to the toon affiliate market as guys were biting each other in the back on it! Here I was one of the first on the web doing toons and now these young whippersnappers are barrelling in and trying to undermine one another.

We made more money when guys teamed up. Now guys are trying to dominate a market and it makes no sense as the customer base is huge and continues to grow.

Just goes to show ya!

I started my first affiliate programme last year. It certainly more than pays the rent. I don't pay a lot of attention to it apart from kinda seeing what the bottom line is once in awhile and it is worth the minimal effort it takes. But then again I am a mom and pop operation so it is small.

[gonzo]

The affiliate business model is broken and in need of repair as well as the entire membership business model.

More on that after I finish this project Im working on.

[softball]

Originally Posted by gonzo

The affiliate business model is broken and in need of repair as well as the entire membership business model.

More on that after I finish this project Im working on.

I agree about the aff comment. But as regards to membership, I have to say, you are pissing up a rope.

[Greg B]

Originally Posted by gonzo

The affiliate business model is broken and in need of repair as well as the entire membership business model.

More on that after I finish this project Im working on.

Now that there is an industry shaking statement!

I was wondering what was going on when a bunch of GFYers started hitting me up for content for their affiliate programs. Word is some of the hentai/anime stuff people were using was in violation of international copyrights. Something I figured would happen one day.

That and just the need for content that they know is original. Much like you guys who shoot vids and pics. Better to know the supplier than meet the judge.

I knew something else was wrong as people have been nagging me for an affiliate program for years and years. The one I experimented with late last year I had a good number of pro webmasters sign up and encourage me. I then felt I needed some new approaches as in serialized comics so I held off a bit. Just changed hosts, went to webmaster class, snagged some great clientel and should have met my quota for additional webmaster income in a few days. Took me 3 1/2 months to get here doing webmastering more full time but it's worth it. Broke through that glass ceiling too. Now on to doing the more lucrative real estate stuff.

But what Gonzo is saying is worth waiting to hear. I'll bet it fills in some gaps to as to why so many affliate programs don't sell for shit.

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by rhetorical

I agree about the aff comment. But as regards to membership, I have to say, you are pissing up a rope.

Wouldnt be the first time.
I think I was told I was pissing up a rope when I bought this board.

[Jace]

hey greg, is that really you on gfy that had sexyladies.com?

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by Greg B

Got some surprising inside information to the toon affiliate market as guys were biting each other in the back on it! Here I was one of the first on the web doing toons and now these young whippersnappers are barrelling in and trying to undermine one another.

We made more money when guys teamed up. Now guys are trying to dominate a market and it makes no sense as the customer base is huge and continues to grow.

Just goes to show ya!

When you boys are all done fighting with each other, and make some decent first person POV toons, you'll let me know, 'k?
We'll still be here.

[Greg B]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

When you boys are all done fighting with each other, and make some decent first person POV toons, you'll let me know, 'k?
We'll still be here.

I already have some but they're not up for license. I'll do some more in a few months though. I'll see then.

[Greg B]

Originally Posted by Jace

hey greg, is that really you on gfy that had sexyladies.com?

Hell no. Only a fool would believe what they read on GFY.

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by Greg B

Hell no. Only a fool would believe what they read on GFY.

I will have to say that Ive known greg for a number of years and Ive never known him to act like hes being accused of at The Zoo.

Hell they get Luke Ford and lukeford confused on here.

Besides Andy Dunn said Greg was a good guy!

[Greg B]

Originally Posted by gonzo

I will have to say that Ive known greg for a number of years and Ive never known him to act like hes being accused of at The Zoo.

Hell they get Luke Ford and lukeford confused on here.

Besides Andy Dunn said Greg was a good guy!

Thanks Gonzo! Andy Dunn is a-okay! He wrote the funniest newsletter ever on the web. His adventures with Flaming Hot Cheetos and pit bulls and getting his T1 line installed are classics.

"The Zoo" as you call it started to degrade about a year and a half ago. I expect an FBI or some other agency round up one day soon.

Considering the wave of apologies and "Hey, can you get me a lawyer?" emails I've gotten from the lost boys over there I'd say sooner may be sooner.

[Jace]

Originally Posted by Greg B

Hell no. Only a fool would believe what they read on GFY.

I kept wondering about it man, you always seem to act so calm here and never really flew off the handle any time that I have noticed, and for all those guys to accuse that guy of being you really had me confused

lol...gotta love GFY

I was just about to write up a post last night about how you can't believe anyone or anything anymore except people in your core group, and even then it is tricky sometimes....it sucks that the entire world is like that now, not just this industry, people lie, cheat and steal just to make themselves look better or acquire more money....what people don't realize is that if you take it slow, be honest and don't fuck people over, you can have such longer lasting business and income

[Jace]

Originally Posted by Greg B

"The Zoo" as you call it started to degrade about a year and a half ago. I expect an FBI or some other agency round up one day soon.

yeah, I would venture to guess the next 6-12 months is going to be the real downfall of that place....while it is fun and all, you are right, the past year or so it has been going down in flames hardcore

anyone doing real business doesn't even think of gfy when they are reading to spend or buy, most real business people go to gfy to fuck off and play with the idiots, haha

[Greg B]

Originally Posted by Jace

yeah, I would venture to guess the next 6-12 months is going to be the real downfall of that place....while it is fun and all, you are right, the past year or so it has been going down in flames hardcore

anyone doing real business doesn't even think of gfy when they are reading to spend or buy, most real business people go to gfy to fuck off and play with the idiots, haha

Very simple, GFY is a liability. A board that can't manage itself is a one-way ticket to a courtroom.

Watch. It's gonna be real embarrassing and real expensive.

Unfortunately, it's that kind of behavior that will lead to the downfall of this industry as a whole.

No honor amongst thieves as my email box is proving.

[vdc-Loki]

I started my affil program back in.... hell I forget, 2001, 2002 I dunno, What I have found is (and this is cause I'm pretty much a one nigga operation)

If you don't spend bucks on the boards

If you don't sig whore like a mofo

if you don't stick your tounge up every ass you can find

you won't get any (or many) affils, and most of the ones you DO GET are in it for the free content.

I have to agree with Gonz on his post, it's all broken, and thats one reason I've kind of dropped off the radar lol.

I sooooo believe we (toon producers as well as everyone else) could do much better if we actually DID work together but that's a RARE thing these days.

with that said who needs 3D shit done lol

-Loki-

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by Jace

yeah, I would venture to guess the next 6-12 months is going to be the real downfall of that place....while it is fun and all, you are right, the past year or so it has been going down in flames hardcore

anyone doing real business doesn't even think of gfy when they are reading to spend or buy, most real business people go to gfy to fuck off and play with the idiots, haha

As a Playboy stockholder that observation makes me sad.
As the owner of Oprano - they are my best advertising.

Its a great place to see who not to do business with for sure. You can tell when Ghey Trey and his program is struggling as he will pick a fight there thinking that page views equates to revenue.

If you dont think so look at timeline trying to sell a white label cam site for 200K all the way down to spamming his affiliates looking for an investor and now I see hes released 20 galleries!

Great business sense! But then again what do you expect from a self admitted oxy addict, who makes himself looking like a tough guy degrading his ex girlfriend.

It doesnt compensate for the fact he used to jerk his dick for the gays to support his drug habit.

Look at his posts here. Nobody was buying his act in the beginining.

Its like kindergarden - kids got to go somewhere while the adults work!

[Greg B]

the Playboy angle is what hurt the most. I was down with Playboy from the late 70's well up til the early 90's. Had my first toons published in the mag as a joke. Same with Penthouse. Heck, I practically invented their former popular Penthouse Comics magazine before asshole George got hooked on dope and fucked it all up.

He ended up taking a one way dive off the top of the Marriott Hotel after fucking up much of Guccione's money the word is.

Gonzo hit a point I wasn't going to mention, dope addiction and gambling. I've already won an out of court settlement with one GFY asshole who it turns out was on smack and had a gambling habit. Part of his settlement was to get on therapy. He was a bad ass on the boards but when I rolled up on his scraggly ass with 225lbs of solid muscle he suddenly bitched up like the sig whore he was. It was pitiful looking at this piece of shit, no I'm sorry, degraded human being.

That dope, alcohol, gambling will drag ya down. Of course he ratted like a girl and the list of fuck ups, even a so-called long term friend of mine whose program I sold big time came up.

VDC-Loki said it right in many ways. You could do right but this business is rapidly turning into a junky's free for all. Even the half assed mobsters just blow their shit every turn.

Years ago when it was tight-knit, one guy would do good and by default all would do good.

I don't hold Playboy at fault with GFY, believe me, if I wanted to I could crash Playboy's shit so hard they'd have to hock their rabbit ears. I didn't spend all those years in news for nothing. The facts are your best weapon. Playboy's place in history is it's own worse enemy, they don't need to coddle that ilk. Even when they're kidding around if you're tied in with a large stock issuing company, you do NOT make racist jokes while under the corporate banner.

Or was Playboy getting set up by these bozos? Just following some plan to grab the attention of the DoJ to bring Playboy down?

More will unfold.

As for affiliate programs, I've never had a problem with getting top webmasters to sign up under me. It only takes like 5 or 10 guys who really know what they're doing to sign up under you to make you. The smaller guys contribute but the top guys are the bulk.

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by Greg B

the Playboy angle is what hurt the most. I was down with Playboy from the late 70's well up til the early 90's. Had my first toons published in the mag as a joke. Same with Penthouse. Heck, I practically invented their former popular Penthouse Comics magazine before asshole George got hooked on dope and ................................

GEEEEZ!
Don't hold back...........Let it all out............that's right..............now breath...........in..................out.......... ......in......................out................. in..........................out..........

Now, isn't that better?

Here, sit down, and have a beer.
Thatta boy.....

[vdc-Loki]

Originally Posted by Greg B

VDC-Loki said it right in many ways. You could do right but this business is rapidly turning into a junky's free for all. Even the half assed mobsters just blow their shit every turn.

As for affiliate programs, I've never had a problem with getting top webmasters to sign up under me. It only takes like 5 or 10 guys who really know what they're doing to sign up under you to make you. The smaller guys contribute but the top guys are the bulk.

In all honesty, and purely my own opinion...

This industry (the online mainly) has ALWAYS been a "junkie free for all" in many ways. All one needs to do is look at the history of it all since the late 90's, pretty much this online version of the porn world was built on the backbone of lies and deception, liars cheats and thieves.

First we find ways to bilk the customers and make it damn near impossible for them to cancel, then we trick the customers with content thats not inside the members area, then we rebilled till we got caught, etc etc etc

Next up, all the lil junkies flooded the scene and made some quick bucks so they HAD to brag and brag and brag showing off their checks, cars, houses (even if they were FAKE pics lol)

then all the sudden we get cracked down harder and harder more and more.... see the trend?


Back to the Affil issue,

You are 100% right that a small handful of power affils can lead you to glory (so to speak) but from what I have went through these last years I never have been able to land any of them.

If you take the Zoo as gospel (LMAO) there's TONS of power affils, but the bulk of those guys all want something MORE for the work they CLAIM they can do for you.

Sooooo, How does one go about finding the "whales, power affils, or just 5-10 guys who know their shit" ?

Cause the longer I pound the "cyber streets" the less I'm starting to care about my affil program and the more I think I should just make and sell content lol

-Loki-

[Greg B]

VDC-Loki,

in comparison to the other industries I've worked in the adult business has been the most consistent and honest. Then again I've worked in journalism, movies, comic books, tv.

Talk about criminal industries!

It's only been the past 18 months I've seen things in adult go to shit. If you do your due diligence you'll notice the decline in direct connection to arrests, orders to rehab, and letters from attorneys begging for mercy.

If I get one more "My client has been suffering from substance abuse issues" I can paper my wall with them.

Especially when their brothers, sisters and exes rat them out.

Anhow, there's so much content on the web an affiliate is only as good as they are fresh and unique. I solved my problem by just picking the ten webmasters I know I can trust. They signed up in no problem.

You get other programs that hire shills to go to boards boasting all about the payouts and that's the first sign the program sucks ass. You know as good as me that if you found an affiliate that sold that good the last thing you'd do is tell everyone on the boards and blast a half page sized sig.

It's said a sucker is born every minute.

[softball]

I'll bet it fills in some gaps to as to why so many affliate programs don't sell for shit.

Any dork can set up an affiliate proggy. But if you are any good, do you want to sell it? That is your call. If you can't sell it, don't bitch around here. You just can't separate the chaff from the wheat and that is your problem. Not the guy who pitched you and you bit.

[EmporerEJ]

I can't tell you guys how glad I am we sell a product that gets purchased, shipped, and placed in the customer's hands.
No nonsense to deal with here!

[softball]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

I can't tell you guys how glad I am we sell a product that gets purchased, shipped, and placed in the customer's hands.
No nonsense to deal with here!

So do I.

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by rhetorical

Any dork can set up an affiliate proggy. But if you are any good, do you want to sell it? That is your call. If you can't sell it, don't bitch around here. You just can't separate the chaff from the wheat and that is your problem. Not the guy who pitched you and you bit.

Thats an interesting point.
Most people want to slap up a pay site and drop in an affiliate program right out the gate.
Ive often wondered how they expect anyone to make sales if they cant first.

Heres an example I was working with someone on a white label solution. THey told me they would move me to the top of the pile.

HOW MANY JOINS WILL YOU SEND US?

Interesting concept.
I send you the lead - its your resposibility to close them.
NOT MINE!

[softball]

Originally Posted by gonzo

Thats an interesting point.
Most people want to slap up a pay site and drop in an affiliate program right out the gate.
Ive often wondered how they expect anyone to make sales if they cant first.

Heres an example I was working with someone on a white label solution. THey told me they would move me to the top of the pile.

HOW MANY JOINS WILL YOU SEND US?

Interesting concept.
I send you the lead - its your resposibility to close them.
NOT MINE!

I had my websites up for years before I did an aff programme. I know what sells in my little end of the business. I also see who sells and who does not when they decide to pitch our business. I find it enlightening. It does not matter how good a salesman you are, if you don't understand the market you will fail. Wait a minute, I guess if you are good salesman you won't pitch something you can't sell. What was I thinking?

[Greg B]

Originally Posted by rhetorical

I had my websites up for years before I did an aff programme. I know what sells in my little end of the business. I also see who sells and who does not when they decide to pitch our business. I find it enlightening. It does not matter how good a salesman you are, if you don't understand the market you will fail. Wait a minute, I guess if you are good salesman you won't pitch something you can't sell. What was I thinking?

Believe it or not I agree. I had my site up for almost 7 years before I considered starting an affiliate program.

When I did it was because of certain factors all in my favor and it worked like a charm.

Now that I have more to offer and more time to do it with all the new video technologies and art technologies I can work on another one that suits me just fine.

I think an affiliate program is attractive because you have more hands promoting you with their own creative ways.

I don't think of it as much as getting new customers as in getting new friends. Friends tend to stay longer and recommend you to more friends.

I'm lucky that I can take months off at a time to just futz around and experiment. I have 3 weeks of non interference which I'm going to spend in my studio just drawing, trying new graphics programs and applying them. New ideas pop up all the time and I'm sure I'll have some doozies come along.

Study and application always works.