Affiliate Networks, Private Programs - Or Both?

There is a pretty good article in imediaconnection about the pros & cons of Affiliate Networks vs private programs or running parallel on both a network and private.

New Options for Affiliate Marketing
Thursday, November 11, 2004
By Rob Key, Converseon

"Many merchants are evaluating private options to supplement their affiliate programs.

They may not be quite chanting “igualdad, fraternidad y libertad” in the streets or dumping tea in Boston Harbor, but nonetheless a small rebellion of sorts is brewing in the affiliate marketing world that is transforming the industry’s landscape and offering savvy merchants a broader range of opportunities."

Read the rest then come back to discuss:
http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/4568.asp

As often as possible, we try to offer parallel programs to give affiliates a choice between CJ for ease & consolidated checks or a private solution which can offer super affiliates a little more money and more importantly IMHO, provide protection from some of the ad blockers, firewalls and other apps that block network links and eat network cookies.

How to affiliates feel about this issue? Thumbs up for networks or private programs or do you like to have a choice? Why???

Linda

It's much easier to find affiliate programs on a network, but if I found out I could get higher payout going through their inhouse program, I'd switch over once I had a marketing strategy established.

The reason for this for me would be that if I didn't earn money, the consolidated check would make it easier to get paid.

Now, if there's no difference in the pay, I'd just stick with whereever I found the affiliate program first.

I do belong to both private and network affiliate programs, and there are certainly advantages for each. Networks certainly make tracking easier, since there's only one place to check, but when it comes down to money, I'll deal with having to check a lot of places!

Thanks for the link to that article. I have been debating whether to go with an affiliate network or an inhouse solution.

My fear with the network is that I will have advirtisers advirtising my products where I do not want them to be advertised, but on the other hand, I would get a lot more advitisers.

On my own site, nicekicks.com, we advertise for another company that has switched to network affiliating and the number of affiliates has gone up 8 fold in less than a year.

I vote for Private.
I was a fan of networks then CJ.com shut my account.

As a professional affiliate I prefer to have contact with the program owners so I can sort out any issues.