Recently, I participated in a discussion on one of my social networking sites that was really interesting. We were discussing creative marketing strategies. During this conversation, I became aware of a marketing strategy being used by a marketer that I found to be just plain silly. This marketer was sending out mail pieces – the kind you get in your mailbox – inviting people to become affiliates, or partners in his business, with $5.00 postage due. I wouldn’t consider this to be a strategy, but apparently it worked for this marketer. Some people accepted the mail, paid the $5.00 postage due, just to find out what this person was trying to do. Others refused the mail, obviously not wanting to pay $5.00 postage.

This approach doesn’t make sense.

Here this person was, asking people to start a relationship with him, a joint venture, and making them pay for the request. Not exactly a way to start a relationship with people you want to do business with. You want to make sure when you are starting a relationship especially a joint venture that you start the relationship out on the right foot. Asking someone to pay to get your mail piece for the joint venture is not moving in the right direction to get them to join your joint venture or affiliate program. Read the rest of this entry »