And Another Reason This Business Is Dying.

[ecchi]

Occasionally I will look at the spam board on this site and on other chat sites. Years ago these boards were full of people with new products ("double your sell through with my new 'love to click' script only $99" type ad) and adverts from sponsors trying to get you to sign up as an affiliate.

The sponsors used a variety of ways to get you to use them. Most told you how much better at converting they were, or that they offered a higher percentage, or some other reason why they were better that the competition. On top of this most had some kind of gimmick,such as; "150% payouts on all new signups for the first month", "collect points with sales, get prizes", "higher payouts if you make over X sales in a pay period" etc.

Basically they all fought to get you to advertise them.

Today I look at the spam boards on WM sites and all I see is threads along the lines of "New FHG from ......". Why would that sell me into using you? True, it is helpful to existing affiliates who want new galleries, but it won't get you new affiliates (and to be honest, if someone is already your affiliate they won't need this because if you are any good you will be sending them this info in an email newsletter). What you should be doing is using your spam shots to genuinely convince WMs to use you.

Up until a few hours ago I simply thought that people who use the spam board to post galleries were simply wasting their time, and it was their time to waste if they wanted to, no interest or concern of mine. True, if that is all they are doing to promote their program they will go bust and many are (hence the subject line on this thread) but there are still so many sponsors that 90% could go broke without if effecting the rest of us. However the work I am doing today made me realise that it is worse than that.

Today I am going through my TGPs, blogs, free sites, etc. replacing dead sponsor ads with live ones. So many sponsors have gone to the wall that in some cases I am signing up with new sponsors to replace them. Now I don't have to tell you that this is a boring job and one I don't want to have to do too often. So I am looking for new sponsors who won't go bust next month.

One of the criteria I am using for this is the spam board. If a sponsor is posting regular "new FHG" threads as their only way to promote their program then I'm assuming they are idiots. They may be hardworking, honest webmasters with good converting sites and who never shave, but they are crap businessmen. And despite the fact that their sites will convert well for now, they will soon go bust, causing me to have to change my links again. Worse, they will probably go bust owing me money, so by promoting them I will loose $$$$$.

So I am using the spam board's "new FHG" threads as an "avoid list". And I am not a genius, I always find that when I have a "brilliant and original" idea, other people had the same idea ages ago. So there must be lots of other webmasters already doing this.

In other words, if you are a sponsor - maybe it would be a good idea to get off your fat lazy ass and instead of just doing "same-o same-o" postings of new FHGs, try actually working, and do something a bit original!

That way maybe you will still be in business at the end of next year!

[Jeremy82]

Nice essay Ecchi The main point of these "new FHG" threads is, I think, to tell "we are still here". I'd see no problem with this as long as the sponsor is real. And a "newsletter service" is optional thing for most of the sponsors. But if they're spamming you despite your vote, it's definitely the reason for saying bye bye.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Jeremy82

The main point of these "new FHG" threads is, I think, to tell "we are still here". I'd see no problem with this as long as the sponsor is real.

My point is not that these threads should not exist, even if they are useless it is a spam board so people can post useless threads if they like. My point is that too many sponsors are relying only on these threads and think that these threads bring in new affiliates. Those are the sponsors who will be gone by the end of next year.

If I go to the spam board and a sponsor has one thread of new FHGs and one thread along the lines of "Get 100 signups in the next quarter and the managing director will give you a big wet slobbery kiss" then fine, they are trying, I might use them even though I don't want a big wet slobbery kiss from their managing director.

However if they just have the FHG thread and are not trying any other method to get new affiliates, then they will be gone soon, so I'll not waste my time putting their links on my site!

[Jeremy82]

Originally Posted by ecchi

My point is not that these threads should not exist, even if they are useless it is a spam board so people can post useless threads if they like. My point is that too many sponsors are relying only on these threads and think that these threads bring in new affiliates. Those are the sponsors who will be gone by the end of next year.

That's true, but how to recognize they're relying only on these threads? ...

Originally Posted by ecchi

If I go to the spam board and a sponsor has one thread of new FHGs and one thread along the lines of "Get 100 signups in the next quarter and the managing director will give you a big wet slobbery kiss" then fine, they are trying, I might use them even though I don't want a big wet slobbery kiss from their managing director.

Yeah, this is symptomatic and many of them will end relatively soon.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Jeremy82

how to recognize they're relying only on these threads?

Simple. If those threads are the only threads by them in the spam board, and you don't see ads elsewhere!

From my point of view they should at least also be running "we are best because...." threads. From G's point of view they should also be buying advertising on the board

Of course many sponsors have either never heard of this board or consider it "of no consequence" () so will not be posting "we are best because...." type threads nor advertising, but if that was the case they won't be bothering posting "new FHG" type threads here either.

So I go back to my original point: If they are posting "new FHG" type threads but are not posting "we are best because...." type threads nor advertising, then they have lost the plot and it is a waste of both time and money putting their links on your site.

[LeRoy]

We have FHG threads lol

We're not going anywhere!

[CD Smith]

One thing I find amusing is your closing of telling sponsors to "get off their fat lazy asses instead of posting same old FHGs." Back in the day when FHG's were just starting to become known of and being made available by more and more programs it was the program owners themselves who were the ones saying "AFFILIATES should get off their fat lazy asses and quit demanding that WE do their work for them."

Things have apparently come full circle.

[Useless]

What will you bitch about tomorrow?

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Useless Warrior

What will you bitch about tomorrow?

No idea, but I just heard on the radio that Wednesday will be the coldest day of the year around here, so Wednesday I'll probably bitch about the weather!

[JAI-LING]

Its been pretty cold here. At least no snow yet.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Useless Warrior

What will you bitch about tomorrow?

This: http://www.greenguysboard.com/board/...95&postcount=1

(And from your recent post count I see that you are one of the people I am bitching about. So if you don't want to keep reading threads of my bitchin', start a few of your own!)

[pc]

Tons of small peeps did quit or they are about to or turn their wb interest into more mainstream projects ( myself included ) or they are just to lazy nowadays. Less income , no motivation.
My offline job takes as much of my time as possible which feeds me and my family well. At the end of the day I'm just to exhausted to do anything else online. But also I don't want to get rid of my few remaining sites to. There were times where I had fair income from those so I'm still keeping them. Also if I have some free time I want to play around with the code in search of better solutions for my platform. That being said I bet that there are much more part time webmasters like me just busy with other things in their daily aganda.
I don't know if this business is dying or it needs to reinvent itself , definitely existing pps is not working like it use to, but if small peeps don't find it at least little profit they just turn offline. That gives you less audience on wb boards, not just this one.( your other thread)
Btw. Many lurking views means that there is still some interest just not that like in the past. Iits a sign of something, Im just not sure of what.

Typed on my tiny samsung keyboard while eating luch in my van.

[bDok]

Right now for me it's that I make just a couple bucks per months from this. It doesn't pay the servers I currently have. However, mainstream people now are on those same machines so I actually make a couple bucks from just the servers themselves.

I read the board a ton of times a day before and posted more as 80% of my income was from adult work. Now maybe it pays the cable internet part of my telcom bill.

I try to think of how to reinvent it. However, I'm more convinced that it comes down to content. I'd really have to create content or be part of that creation process. Maybe down the road I would invest in something like this. As an affiliate though I'm done. I have a bunch more projects that are making me money. Having done this SEO, SEM, etc. has been good. Been able to take what I learned and move it to mainstream with projects now.

Maybe something comes up down the road where between the money per sales and the opportunity of what I can string together it will be worth it. Now though is not the time. I can't compete with tube sites or even other pic sites.

I've had one idea for awhile that might be worth it. Currently I don't have the free time and I have other App ideas that I believe to have a much greater chance of being purchased or just working. So I'd rather put my coding time into those types of projects.

i've run on long enough... back to some code work modifying a wordpress theme for someone.

[Pagan]

There simply are not enough hours in the day right now. School takes a huge bite of my time, and it is something I am required to do here. I have one more year of it and then I can relax. It's mandatory, so I put up with it and enjoy it while I am there. It may lead to a job, it may not. I am just not ready to give up on anything yet. I have gotten rid of some of my mainstream sites, but not my adult ones yet. I can't complain about lack of sales if I have not put any effort into it lately. Holiday break is coming up, and I will be using part of it to get caught up... maybe read and post more.

It is interesting to be involved in the adult industry in a country that really doesn't use much of it...

[MeatPounder]

Originally Posted by ecchi

No idea, but I just heard on the radio that Wednesday will be the coldest day of the year around here, so Wednesday I'll probably bitch about the weather!

Surprised you haven't bitched about this travesty yet!
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-p...ritain-2014-12

[Ramster]

Sadly Google has killed it for a lot of affiliates. Gone are the times you could build a decent site... TGP, Link List or even a 4 page free site and earn traffic. The tubes dominate the SE traffic which has effectively killed small guys. Now small guys pay the cable bill as bDok said where as 10 years ago a small guy made a grand a month.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by MeatPounder

Surprised you haven't bitched about this travesty yet!
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-p...ritain-2014-12

Oh believe me, I bitch about that all the time, just not on this board (not a lot of point, it is a British problem, so whining at Americans about it would just be a waste of a good winge).

Many years ago I discovered that bondage makes many times as much money per hit as any other niche, so over the years I have mostly concentrated on bondage, which means that about 75% of my adult sites, and 95% of my adult income comes from bondage. It took me ages making them all compliant with "Sarah's Law", and that compliance lost me almost 50% of my adult sales. Since this new law attacks pretty much everything in the "bondage category", then if it becomes law I'm guessing I will probably be out of the adult business.

Since my main non adult business is "books on witchcraft" I guess I could say that the British government is helping the devil!


. . . says no to . . .

[tadpole]

If British laws are going to hit you, couldn't you host your stuff in a different country? I host in USA as porn is illegal where I am. I also get my satellite internet from a foreign country, and use a vpn for good measure.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by tadpole

If British laws are going to hit you, couldn't you host your stuff in a different country?

I do host my sites offshore (in a friendly country on mainland Europe). However the law states "upload from Britain", so it does not matter where it is hosted.

They are actually going for all sources of porn, not just the Internet - films, magazines, books, everything! If that law goes through you could, for example, be arrested for simply drawing a picture of a woman being spanked and showing it to your art teacher!

[tadpole]

Originally Posted by ecchi

However the law states "upload from Britain", so it does not matter where it is hosted.

That is where the VPN comes in. You get one for some other country, and you use it when uploading or doing anything you do not want tracked to UK. You can choose the country and even the city.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by tadpole

That is where the VPN comes in........

Oh yeah, I can cover my tracks a bit. But you cannot cover them completely, ever. Remember anything I "send" will be recorded by my ISP, and the government are keen on keeping up with such records at the moment, due to the use of the Internet by terrorists and paedophiles.

Besides, I am a businessman not a criminal. Even though I strongly disagree with this law (not just because as how it affects me, but in general I believe it to be wrong and an attack on people's freedom) I really don't want to make a living by breaking the law.

[tadpole]

Sorry I spoke. I was not suggesting "criminal activity"

[Useless]

Originally Posted by tadpole

That is where the VPN comes in.

I have been looking at VPNs because I want a static IP for outgoing traffic from home. Any suggestions?

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by tadpole

Sorry I spoke. I was not suggesting "criminal activity"

I know you weren't, I was not trying to imply that you were, I was just trying to explain why I was not doing that. But thanks for the suggestion, I am grateful to you for trying to help. You have no need to think "Sorry I spoke".

[tadpole]

Originally Posted by Useless Warrior

I have been looking at VPNs because I want a static IP for outgoing traffic from home. Any suggestions?

I have been using strongvpn.com for the past few years. I took out a 3 month sub to test it, and now pay annually to get the discount package. I did try a few free ones first, but they were not reliable.