I believe that affiliate and general webmaster forums can be a great resource for new and experienced affiliates. Perhaps though for some, they can be a hindrance. I have come to this conclusion tonight after talking to someone who has great potential, but at the present time has not managed to turn great content in to revenue.
Of course affiliate forums have a range of members that range from those that are starting out in the industry to those at the highest level. Forums also contain some members who simply have gained respect from past history although they may no longer be making a cent. I would also say that affiliate forums contain a range of advice that can range from extremely poor to superb. This is of course the nature of all forums. In general I’m not one to give out trust to anybody simply because someone may tell me that a certain member has credibility. Remember the Blonde Poker scam story?
I believe too many new affiliates latch on to advice that is posted in forums. In many cases giving the advice far more credibility then it deserves. I believe we all . at least to some degree have “sheep” mentality built in to our genes. We almost have to fight the urge to jump in with the crowd. For instance, if a well known forum guru posts that a certain technique works well, then a percentage of the members of that forum will instantly give the technique 100% credibility. It simply has to be true because the guru said so. The same of course can also be said for any technique that is stated to be a waste of time.
Perhaps a good example is the myth that banners are poor in regards to generating clicks. I know of many affiliates who no longer use banners as they now only use text call to actions. Why would they use banners when the forum gurus have said many times that banners simply don’t convert? The “don’t use banners” advice is in general, too sweeping a statement. I have had great success using custom banners which have helped me increases conversions by well over 120%. Even a very well known site that was purchased by Poker Stars recently, was renowned for using standard banners to great effect. The same of course can be said for other techniques that have either been dismissed or “pumped up” on affiliate forums.
Don’t be a sheep! Take time out to test different techniques on your sites so you start to work on actual results rather than hearsay. Affiliate forums can be a great resource, of that there is no doubt. Simply don’t believe everything you read!
