If one is to lend complete support to the people promoting one’s product, how does one do so without being perceived as a competitor of those promoters? This question does not suggest such competition is bad. It is simply an exercise in attempting to answer the question. Especially for those who, like myself,  want to pursue such a marketing environment where the benefits of promotion go entirely to the promoters.

A classic example of this is online with the affiliate management services of the information product transaction handler Clickbank. And no, this example isn’t about swapping “hop links” between affiliates. It is the fact that while a link may be used that includes affiliate information so an affiliate may receive a commission, a link may also be used with no connection to an affiliate, and hence no commission. So independent of an affiliate swapping “hot links” or not, what is still in play is the possibility of an affiliate doing much to promote a product and the prospect delaying the purchase until a day when they use a direct link with no affiliate-related information. In that scenario, the product owner reaps all of the benefit. And that is what the “longest least” marketing method attempts to address.

It really boils down to that moment in time when the prospect clicks on the PayPal “Buy Button”.  What merchant name is going to appear? The product owner or affiliate? (Note: in this scenario affiliate and reseller are synonymous and are rewarded (unlike Clickbank) with 100% commissions deposited directly into their PayPal account).  How does one insure it is always an affiliate?

In the distant past (6 years ) one would see things (gimmicks really) called “randomizers”. Where it was literally a “crap shoot” who would get the commission. But presenting what is really nothing more than a casino scenario does not provide enough incentive here. One could also try rewarding the top affiliates by collecting all non-affiliate related transactions into a pool and in some ceremonial fashion, distribute the performance-based rewards. But if you think about it, those affiliates will tend to be at the top anyway, given their competitive nature and leveraging their circumstance (list and marketing savvy). And without diverting here into the topic of “positive thinking”, it does nothing for those at the “bottom of the affiliate rung”.

So what if you could do something for those at the bottom? I’m not talking about “something for nothing”. I’m talking about a real algorithm that comes into play and considers those who have, for whatever reason, found themselves “at the bottom”? What if you could create a marketing environment for them to say look, even if you bust your butt marketing this product and wind up with one sale (if you’re “lucky”), you have a “fail safe mechanism” in play that should at least give you a good shot at another sale.

And that’s what is at the heart of the “longest least” marketing method. Let’s consider an example of using the “LL” (”longest least”) method to define who “gets the sale” when a link is “adrift” with no affiliate data attached. Imagine if you will (thanks again, Rod) a group of affiliates. Now order them in ascending order of sales per affiliate with the least number of sales at the top. Now imagine at the top a group of 5 affiliates that have had 3 sales each. Those are the affiliates with the “least” number of sales, right? Well, who amongst them gets the sale? Perhaps you’ve already guessed it. It’s the one that has been an affiliate the “longest”. Hence, the “longest least”: the affiliate with the least number of sales and the highest seniority. Once that affiliate gets the sale they of course are no longer part of the group of 5 affiliates at the top of the list, and hence no longer qualify as the next “LL” candidate. That title falls to the next affiliate in the (now) group of 4 that has been an affiliate the longest.

One can consider “longest least” marketing as a “bootstrap” method of helping those at the bottom of the “affiliate rung” get a “kick start” with little in the way of advertising expenditure in either money or time.

I know of no one who is doing this.

Until now. Instant Cash Rocket

At the heart of the site is the idea of people establishing authority, trust, and demand (read value) through the telling of their stories. I’m a believer in this. A BIG believer.

There is no way someone who is pushing a product or service in a cold, automated “pimp” fashion is going to be able to compete with one-on-one relationships. What I’m up to here and where I plan on taking this site (which I have yet to mention its name, I know) should at least get the pimps attention, if not strike a chord of discomfort… let alone fear.

The name of the site is Dream Town Market. It’s at least a year and a half old. It’s a simple site using RSS feeds combined with keyword phrases entered by the visitor. The search results provide relevant products and services (hopefully and somewhat), thus establishing the modest monetization of the site.

I have not heavily promoted the site because it’s been more of a thought experiment in coding more than anything else. But that’s about to change.

The vision I have for the site is one of a market where others have a platform to easily promote products and services in an intimate, one-on-one manner. The eqivalent in the physical world would be a stall in a farmers market or antique mall.

But I need a small group of individuals who are patient, understanding, literate and “get” what I’m out to achieve. And even if they don’t fully “get it”, they are at least curious to see where this leads. Consider it entertainment value for them, I guess.

This doesn’t cost a lot of money. And you might think that there should be a discount for the beta testers. Well, there is a “discount” in a round-about way. You see, I don’t compete with you. Every sale is an affiliate sale. Even if no affiliate is connected to the sale at the time of the sale.

Every week prior to commissions being sent out via PayPal Mass Pay, the new members who signed up without a referrer (affiliate) will be assigned one. At this time, the assignment rule is simple. The members with the longest memberships and the least affiliate sales (starting at zero sales, of course) get the sale. This algorithm will change over time, where longevity and performance are weighted in a formula as yet to be defined. But for now, it’s a simple rule.

So in effect, you’ ve got your discount. Because this project is in the early stages, the person that signs up right behind you is most likely signing up without a referrer. And that 60% commission (again, every sale is an affiliate sale) is going to go right to your PayPal account in a few days (paid weekly on Sundays).

Now if you’ve made it this far and you’re still interested. I’ve got a riddle for you. Why? Because it’s acting as a throttle. Believe it or not, I really don’t want a lot of sales now. This site has so much more to go through in the way of “rules of the road” for WordPress Contributors and the fine tuning of Ravi’s membership software. So consider this riddle a “litmus test” on whether or not you have the patience and intelligence to be an “early adopter”. You know, those people who take “risks” and when it works out, are richly rewarded.

For the location of the site (the name of the subfolder of www.dreamtownmarket.com) here is the riddle:

You’ll find many of me in the supermarket
Our quantity is always the same.
I’m in the answer to the most common question.
What am I?

OK. Every good riddle needs a hint. Go to www.dreamtownmarket.com and you’ll see the answer.

I am able to stay in daily communication with you. But the windows are tight since all of this entrepreneurial activity is currently in the category of “PLAN B”. So before I head for the bus stop in the morning and after dinner at night (there’s 12+ hours right there), that is when we can have our “quality time”. Just so you know…

Thank you for your time spent reading this post. Your time is never taken for granted and always appreciated.

Kindest Regards,

xearther

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