Originally Posted by Brujah (Post 18905966)

Sorry, mainstream isn't accepting anymore affiliates at this time. Service providers are still welcome.

Originally Posted by Paul Markham (Post 18905508)

The affiliate model is a great way to bring in customers. It's just that Online Adult's version of it was doomed to hit a wall. It worked in good times, when the going got tough because of the problem the Online Adult's version of affiliate marketing created. The flaws are clear to see.

It was too easy to be an affiliate. People say that all it takes is a digital camera to shoot porn. Well all an affiliate needed was a computer and a connection to the Internet. Giving them so much help and money for a sign up, just made it easier and built what grew into a barrier between the buyer and seller. This barrier is now an alternative to buying porn. So free porn now sells a lot of Dating, Cams and penis pills which will hurt recorded porn people.

This is now becoming true for paysites. Because to sell something, in profitable numbers, today the product needs to be good to excellent. Sites and sponsors who thought all it took was traffic are discovering the surfer isn't so dumb.

What is good in porn is not defined by image clarity or mega pixels. It's the actual content on the screen being good enough to convince someone to buy.

Simply put it will become more of what is happening today. surfers going to the mega tubes, making most affiliates redundant and making recorded porn harder to sell.

Originally Posted by Barefootsies (Post 18905875)

It does not take a rocket scientist to do simple math.

:2 cents:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 18905987)

Any jackass can push a button on a camera. A photographer needs a camera; An affiliate needs a computer, a connection, photoshop, Dreamweaver, HTML and grahpics skills, PLUS needs the ability to get traffic.

Originally Posted by RyanEagle (Post 18906016)

I assure you, affiliate marketing is alive and well. Very alive.

Originally Posted by Brujah (Post 18905964)

Just wanted you to know the domain is available if you want it!
No match for "BEERMONEYBARON.COM".
No match for "BEERMONEYBARONS.COM".

Originally Posted by SGS (Post 18906007)

The rocket scientists left the building loooong ago.

We love the good affiliates who have been with us many years but without "in-house" we would all be dead long ago too.

Originally Posted by Barefootsies (Post 18905875)

At the conferences, starting around 2007 or 2008, some of the affiliate program owners said more a less the same thing right to your face and on the panels. They could no longer continue to pay staff, and continue to reinvest while paying $75.00-100.00+ per sign up on $9.95/19/95/24.95/mo. memberships that did not rebill. They were simply going to have to bring more traffic in-house.

There were a lot of examples given of whales demanding this and that, which was putting a lot of pressure on the programs to just pay them to keep traffic rolling or lose it. Basically, they have become over dependent on the affiliate whales and the demands were getting harder to meet.

When it comes to memberships and pay outs to affiliates it was entertaining to see just how few managed to actually "think" about how their payouts were even being generated in the first place. It used to humor me when affiliates would be bitching about cross sales, upsells, or traffic leaks and shit after sending a sale to some sponsor. Um.... how in the fuck do you think they were affording to PAY YOU that $75.00/$100.00 sign up bonus?!!?

It does not take a rocket scientist to do simple math.

:2 cents:

Originally Posted by Paul Markham (Post 18905555)

12clicks covered that very well.

Originally Posted by CyberHustler (Post 18905510)

Originally Posted by Barefootsies (Post 18906117)

:thumbsup

Indeed. Many adult affiliates are now working at fry-o-lator, or whatever 12clicks calls it.

:1orglaugh

Originally Posted by signupdamnit (Post 18906143)

The same is true for many old pay site owners and I think there will be many more affiliates and pay site owners in that situation in the coming years.

Originally Posted by Roald (Post 18905962)

fuck I was just going to make a post about me moving to mainstream.

Originally Posted by Barefootsies (Post 18905787)

True dat fine sire. :thumbsup

You are left with a lot of "beer money barons" who claim to still be in the industry, but in truth are no longer full time. They instead don the paper hat for their 9-5 to shake down their nut.

:2 cents:

Originally Posted by Robbie (Post 18906206)

Would you be able to re-surface as successful in the adult biz in 2012 if you were to lose your job at Freeones?

Trust me...starting over from scratch (like I did in 2007) is not easy. Especially with piracy killing paysite sales. :(

Originally Posted by MaDalton (Post 18906400)

i do not speak for Roald, but if you think he's just a rep you're terribly mistaken :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

Originally Posted by MisterPeabody (Post 18906006)

The affiliate model isn't dead, just shrinking, leaving who's left to make whatever is left....

Re-sizing let's call it.

So if you're one of those "surviving" affiliates you may actually see your bottom line profits go UP since competition is less. Then again, work/profit/success is often tied to human effort and motivation, so if you don't see things going up over time you are less inclined to work at something.

I think, in a few years, adult will "stablize" and will reflect several huge companies (planets) with smaller companies (moons) and even smaller individual affiliates (asteroids?) left.

(Ah metaphors! I never met-a-phor I didn't like....)

Anyway, the idea is to be one of those last remaining celestial bodies in our ever-shrinking "adult universe". This will depend greatly, of course, on the stubbornness of the individual affiliate. Some people (bless them) will never, ever give up their freedom to "go mainstream" or "get a real job".

Here's to the Winners - try and be one of them if you can.

Originally Posted by sexdatesj (Post 18905822)

In 2001 Rand Pate from Epoch and I sat down at a show, he said.. you watch, the Per Signup model will slowly kill this industry, well.. he is right in my opinion!

Originally Posted by Rochard

Any jackass can push a button on a camera. A photographer needs a camera; An affiliate needs a computer, a connection, photoshop, Dreamweaver, HTML and grahpics skills, PLUS needs the ability to get traffic.

Originally Posted by signupdamnit (Post 18905837)

I have a lot of experience in this business as an affiliate and have owned a pay site in the better days.

Also remember the tube discussions where people were claiming they were getting double or triple the amount of type ins as compared to people who clicked banners? Why would you think that only happens on tubes such as Pornhub? Practically every sponsor now has a url on their stuff. If the surfer doesn't click that link and types it in then the affiliate isn't getting anything.

Originally Posted by Barefootsies (Post 18905875)

At the conferences, starting around 2007 or 2008, some of the affiliate program owners said more a less the same thing right to your face and on the panels. They could no longer continue to pay staff, and continue to reinvest while paying $75.00-100.00+ per sign up on $9.95/19/95/24.95/mo. memberships that did not rebill. They were simply going to have to bring more traffic in-house.

There were a lot of examples given of whales demanding this and that, which was putting a lot of pressure on the programs to just pay them to keep traffic rolling or lose it. Basically, they have become over dependent on the affiliate whales and the demands were getting harder to meet.

When it comes to memberships and pay outs to affiliates it was entertaining to see just how few managed to actually "think" about how their payouts were even being generated in the first place. It used to humor me when affiliates would be bitching about cross sales, upsells, or traffic leaks and shit after sending a sale to some sponsor. Um.... how in the fuck do you think they were affording to PAY YOU that $75.00/$100.00 sign up bonus?!!?

It does not take a rocket scientist to do simple math.

:2 cents:

Originally Posted by Brujah (Post 18906014)

Expanding on this, I don't think most people can tell the difference if a photo was shot by an amazing skilled photographer with tens of thousands of dollars in equipment and decades of experience vs an amateur photographer with an iphone. Photographers can tell but the average consumer visiting our sites and converting into sales can't.

Originally Posted by MaDalton (Post 18905901)

there used to be times where i deeply regretted not to be an affiliate.

looking at my numbers now, and the situation of the affiliate business model, i am quite happy to do what we do :)

Originally Posted by signupdamnit (Post 18906412)

Relax. I didn't say he was. It just shows volatility in the industry with so many having to switch employers all the time. I have nothing against Roald or FreeOnes but I think they are feeling the effects of this too to some degree just as most affiliates are.

Originally Posted by MaDalton (Post 18906400)

i do not speak for Roald, but if you think he's just a rep you're terribly mistaken :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

Originally Posted by 12clicks (Post 18908248)

That house of cards is just a windy day from its end as well.

Originally Posted by BlackCrayon (Post 18905912)

the best affiliates are basically search engine spammers using disposable domains and willing to rebuild over and over again as google changes. there aren't that many who can really do that on a long term basis.

Originally Posted by 12clicks (Post 18908248)

I laugh at the guys who think selling to a broker is the answer.
That house of cards is just a windy day from its end as well.

Originally Posted by 12clicks (Post 18908248)

I laugh at the guys who think selling to a broker is the answer.
That house of cards is just a windy day from its end as well.

Originally Posted by signupdamnit (Post 18908465)

Not much unlike the old days of those hidden cross sales eh? Sorry I couldn't resist. :upsidedow You're right. Ultimately someone has to be able to convert the traffic for it to have worth. But if things get that bad there aren't going to be many pay sites standing either.

Originally Posted by Paul Markham (Post 18908641)

Rarely do you and I agree, but on this we're together.

The problem is for most of them selling to a broker is all they can think of or afford. So many threads from people who clearly don't have anything to invest, in money or ideas.

And yes they built their businesses like a house of cards on quicksand. And wondering what the fuck is going wrong. :1orglaugh

Originally Posted by 12clicks (Post 18908667)

I wouldn't know about hidden cross sales. is that where you used to send your traffic?
in my 14yr experience I've seen things and people come, and things and people go. The people all always thought they were smarter than the market.
they weren't.

Originally Posted by signupdamnit (Post 18908678)

No mainly revshare. I've been around a while as well. I remember you on Porncity BBS with much the same attitude. Many have fallen both giants and smurfs. The same pattern will likely repeat again. The giants only make the bigger thud. :)