Yesterday at church, the title of the sermon was “Give is a Four Letter Word” and it got me thinking about the perspective of so many marketers.
They just don’t get the value and importance of giving.
A couple weeks back, I exchanged some emails with somebody who interviewed me. He was combining the interview with other interviews to sell.
I asked if I could post the audio to share with people for free, and he was stunned that I would rather do that, instead of pointing to his product with an affiliate link.
He revealed his opinion of my request.
“Seems many marketers are adverse to smart monetization strategies.”
Actually, no. But I think it makes sense on many levels to give back and provide free, quality information to fellow affiliate marketers.
Not only does it help others in the industry, but it provides an alternative for the folks that spend money they can’t afford to spend on crappy products and services. Not to mention, it’s a great aid for building a personal brand.
There are are many in affiliate marketing that work hard in the background and provide quality information with no strings like Haiko de Poel, Jr., Scott Jangro, Jim Kukral, Melanie Seery, Kellie Stevens, and Missy Ward.
Look to them as the sort of people that can help you grow in this business… not these cynical “money is everything” info pimps.
As Oscar Wilde once said, “The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
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Your Message@Kellie:
You don’t fool me for a second, smarty head.
Maybe you want to give away too much, so you’re 180 degrees opposite of these cynical marketers.
I missed this post somehow yesterday. Bad bad me.
You make an excellent point Shawn, but I have to admit I’m laughing just a tad being named as an example of not being cynical….I”m basically a bonafide admitted cynic in many areas
I won’t go as far as Deb in saying that all info should be free. If that was the case, I would never had all those student loans to repay from my college days! It was worth every penny, even though I don’t earn a living with that degree anymore.
But there are many benefits to sharing your expertise at some level to others with no expectations of any type of return. And there is no dollar amount that can be placed on it. As MasterCard would say…”Priceless”.
“Smart” can be in the eye of the beholder. That, at least, is the opinion of a certified cynic.
Thank you Shawn, for including me in such an honorable group. Like others mentioned, you are among those who give back to others and you do it quietly and naturally without looking for a payback.
You’re right, just because we are marketers it does not mean everything should have a pricetag. The cynical marketer may not understand that but then I can’t really understand them either.
Great stuff Shawn. As an affiliate community in most cases we have an excess of money, knowledge, time, and other resources. If we can’t share that excess with others what good is it? And going a step farther when we give sacrificially it will be rewarded.
Man, I love that Oscar Wilde quote! Perfect way to end a great post!
Amen, brother! As someone trying for the first time to get into blog monetization, it has been overwhelming the amount of crap you have to sort through from these “info pimps. I am thankful for your approach to the business
Giving good value is part of providing a service. I was once told that the purpose of any business is to provide a service, the objective is to make a profit. If more people understood that the service comes before profit we would all be better off, in many ways.
Great post, Shawn. Your personal examples of givers in this industry are worthy of note. I would add your name to that list as well.
I had this discussion with another marketer just about a week ago, I asked her to be a guest or cohost on a podcast I am starting, that will be free to access. Someone had approached her about doing a podcast that would be charged for and she told them no because the info that helped her build her own business was free from other marketers that never felt the need to charge. I get told frequently that I should create “info products” to sell. I can’t. It’s doesn’t feel right. Yes, people pay for education, but when it comes down to it, information is free and should be free. I’d rather have the karma points and rest easy knowing I helped someone else understand how to accomplish their goals. That philosophy won’t make me “rich” but I will be able to sleep at night and know I am out there helping.
Shawn, As far as brands go, your’s is at the top of the list when it comes to quality. Both business and personal. Thanks for the help !
Yea, you feel dirty working with a person like that…like they'd pimp their mother for a dime. I liked your take on it. Eben calls it moving the free line, but I call it appreciating the importance of relationship building by providing something of value in return.
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