Recently, we’ve taken a look at the negative connotations associated with affiliate marketing. And although the negative connotations do exist, it’s often easy for us an industry to overlook all of the positive aspects and focus on how to make the good even better. So when taking a step back and considering the big picture, one might realize: Maybe it’s not so bad after all?

Professionalism
As a whole, this industry will only look as good as it’s most unprofessional players. When we have tradeshows, it’s never going hurt to dress it up, even if affiliate marketing is still the “wild, wild west” of the digital advertising space. Many newer marketers are entering the space with wild eyes and big dreams. No other form of advertising can boast or offer this wide range of opportunity. And in this time and age, maybe that’s not such a bad thing. As horribly cliché as it is: We’re an industry built on dreams. Just throw a tie on over those dreams.

Media Coverage
This past Affiliate Summit was one of the biggest on record, and if the show maintains its trajectory, the growth potential is nearly infinite. Though, the show rarely gets the mainstream media coverage that other shows tend to garner.

But maybe we need to think critically about what we can do to heighten our exposure. This starts with advertising budgets. Shows like CES attract big brand names. Big brand names bring money. Big money attracts media attention. As an industry we need to focus on getting big, branded advertisers into the mix. With them will come the attention and credibility that could put us on the map–and keep us there for the long-term.

Fraud
Sadly, fraud is a nuisance that we as industry have become accustomed to dealing with. For the industry to have any shot at attracting those big, branded advertisers, we need to clean up our act. This can take place at the affiliate, network, and advertiser levels. But to truly take care of the problem, all the players in our industry need to come together with a comprehensive plan to eradicate fraudsters from the ecosystem. The process in itself of combating fraud will bring us closer to legitimacy.

The Big Picture
The fact that we have new, young affiliates entering the space at a record pace shouldn’t be looked at as a devaluation to our industry, but rather, added value. One thing that will forever be certain in affiliate marketing is that we’ve got talent. From individual affiliates plugging away at offers, to advertisers breaking new ground with their budgets, through networks facilitating all of these negotiations, the talent pool is endless. But for the industry to grow, it’s going to take cooperation among everyone working within the industry to propel this industry to it’s almost limitless boundaries.

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