Affiliate Marketing vs. MLM. Is there a difference?

[dmauder]

I started a thread a couple weeks ago asking about legit business opportunities. Here's a link to that thread.

I was going to just post this in that same thread, but I figured it would be best to start a new discussion to encourage more specific comments.

Basically, I was having a conversation yesterday with an x-coworker and we got into somewhat of a debate over affiliate marketing versus mlm/network marketing.

It stirred me enough to make me want to blog about it. I can't seem to get my point across in a face-to-face conversation, and I suck at arguing. But I can always seem to make my point in writing (at least I feel better afterwards).

Anyway, here is a link to my blog post about affiliate marketing vs. mlm. Hopefully it's OK to post a direct link to my blog like that, but if not please let me know and I'll change it.

I'd like to get the opinions of others on this topic. Am I right? Am I all wet? Am I a close-minded idiot?

Incidentally, a few days after my forum post about the business opportunities, I had an epiphany while trying to think up a real honest-to-goodness legit online business I could start. Well, I'm now working on that VERY project, and I'm fired up about it. This hasn't happened since I got online in 1997, and it's basically because I've been approaching it ALL WRONG! I think some of the comments and advice given in that first thread helped quite a bit. Thanks!

Anyway, check out the blog post and let me know your thoughts....

Dave

[thadroe]

Hi Dave,

I think your blog post is spot on. As you pointed out, MLM is heavily dependent on getting those deep layers of downline commissions by recruiting new members...affiliate marketing is not.

It seems that a better comparison for affiliate marketing would be that it's really not much different than just about any commission based sales job. The main difference being that affiliate marketing is online and more automated.

Thad

[Joel Chue]

Affiliate marketing, up to 2-tiers max(recommended). Paypal is very strict on this nowadays.

Internet based MLM up to many many tiers. They tend to piss Internet marketers off nowadays.

[icesar]

Another huge point when it comes to affiliate marketing is that you get to choose your product.

Often with MLM, there is a limited number of companies out there, and when you get started you don't really know if you like their products in the first place.

With Affiliate marketing, you can look at what products you are already using, and tell people about those. It's much easier, and I find that my conscience doesn't object.

For example, I tell everybody about Audible, whether through an affiliate link or not (that one isn't). It's a book-on-mp3 site by the way.