That is one quick pivot. But I am against such pivots which shifts a non-performing business model to a new vague and time-buying model where you will wait to gain some momentum to either get acquired or waste some time to finally take the bold move of shutting shop and moving on. I wish goodluck to Refer.ly team.
Referly Discontinuing Rewards, Paying Existing Links Through March 31st, 2013
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Re: Referly Discontinuing Rewards, Paying Existing Links Through March 31st, 2013
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
Same. A Twilio-like aggregator for affiliate marketing could have been a special idea. Content/review sites could just sign up and have any product they reference from their content linked to the appropriate affiliate program. They went in a more consumer-focused direction though. I wish them luck.
Dan is right, and most affiliate programs we worked with were quite wary of Referly. I am writing a pretty in-depth piece on the affiliate world, this model, the potential for someone else to execute well in this space, etc. I think our consumer-focused approach was pretty unique, and I think it could still work but is probably better executed as an extension of a business like Skimlinks (who we use). To those who fe…
As a person who runs a successful company in the affiliate/consumer space, as well as launched unsuccessful expansion attempts in same, I would be interested in hearing another's take. Yours, in particular, partly because I can almost feel your relief through your writing.
I can say from my own experience that there is something soul-sucking about affiliate marketing and there is a common "feel" to many (not all) of its inhabitants throughout the ecosystem. At times, it seems that a certain sliminess is almost presumed--especially of affiliates. It feels like a race to the bottom, and as a somewhat creative and aspirational person myself, I find it demoralizing and stifling at times.
And as an entrepreneur there is nothing like creating your own product vs. an offering that is primarily designed to promote those of others. With affiliate-based models you may start with the intention and belief that you have a product, but at some point you realize that it is simply another thin promotional veneer, peddling the wares of others and largely at their direction.
I applaud your shift to something that is truly you and look forward to my own shift in the near future. I also congratulate you on failing quickly in the old model, as a moderate degree of success can hold you in limbo for longer than you'd care to consider when you look back on it.