Well I guess even magazines are using link bait subject lines these days. I was pleased to see that the July issue of Internet Retailer magazine has a “Featured Article” about affiliate marketing. Always happy when our industry gets positive press.

But when I saw the title: “Gaining Sex Appeal, Affiliate Marketing is Receiving More Attention”
I thought, what the???

Gaining appeal??? Receiving More Attention??? I haven’t noticed any trends that show any big upswing - just steady long-term growth, like it has been for the past few years. To me it almost sounds like they are saying “the long lost stepchild is finally getting recognition”. Then I thought Wait - maybe this article is going to tell me about some new shift in the industry or give some fresh new perspective? Maybe there is some major trend happening I missed??? Nope, Nada! I don’t see any new info in this article, not one new idea & certainly nothing that suggests anything sexy is happening!

Email and search engines are sexier than AM??? Retailers are JUST discovering an affiliate program can be leveraged??? Hello! Almost every company on the Internet Retailer Top 50 Retail Sites List has had an affiliate program for years, where have you guys been?

“Affiliate marketing…has long been viewed as a cost-effective way to drive online sales and customer acquisition. But it never has captured the attention of retailers in the same way that sexier marketing tools such as e-mail and search engines have.

That may be changing as retailers discover that an affiliate program can be leveraged to enhance results of an overall marketing campaign. Retailers with successful affiliate marketing programs are aligning their overall e-commerce marketing objectives with their specific affiliate-marketing strategies, says Chris Henger, vice president of affiliate marketing at DoubleClick Performics Inc., an affiliate marketing company.”