Just a thought… but does it not occur to affiliate managers that some people might pay more attention to their programs if they got invited in the first place?
I don’t get diddly squat from any program except general invitations – this despite the fact that:
1. They know who I am
2. They know what I’m like
3. They know my website
4. They know I must be performing if I am still in the business and traveling to conferences and even speaking at them
Maybe it ought to be the other way around – programs can offer passes to affiliates in exchange for a guaranteed position on their sites for a period of time – given, of course, that the affiliate is providing factual information about their traffic and conversions, and that the program has an interest in helping that affiliate perform better.
On the other hand, since no one pays me any attention except when I am grilling them at a conference… I pick and choose whom I like on my site – and I may not give the time of day to programs I don’t think perform well.
Catch-22. But it occurs to me that the programs really ought to be working harder to obtain AND retain good affiliates.