Incentivized clicks | Affiliate series part 2 of 5
In an effort to understand some of the reasons that low quality leads are flooding our databases, and help us better manage our time/efforts on the job, we’re looking into how some leads are being generated.
Feel free to add your input where possible, disagree and correct us if this is your area of expertise, so we can better inform whoever is unknowingly going through “bad patches of leads”.
Incentivized clicks in affiliate operations compensate users to click on affiliate links and submit online forms. It makes little difference if there is actual interest in the service advertised or not.
These operations lead to an overinflated list of generated leads, with low-to-no quality at all, and with no expectation to engage or convert to active clients. The result is often no replies to emails or phone calls, if they do reply there is no interest to proceed, and even if they do proceed, the possibility of immediate churn is high.
Marketers engage in cookie stuffing or incentivized clicks because:
- Volume looks good on paper
- Lead generation metrics (leads per day / per hour) often drive remuneration. High volume can make campaigns appear successful.
- Low CPL
- Generating leads via incentives or silent cookie drops is often cheaper than acquiring high-intent leads via content, performance ads or SEO.
- Quick scale
- Once the incentive mechanisms are in place, they can produce hundreds or thousands of leads with minimal ongoing effort.
- Gaming last-click / last-cookie models
- Affiliate attribution uses last-click or last-cookie logic, so whoever’s cookie is last will get the credit, regardless of who actually influenced the user.
What does this mean for the database (from marketing & sales perspective)?
- Low quality
- Since leads are drawn by rewards, they are often not genuinely interested in a product/ service.
- High churn & low lifetime value
- Incentivized users often exhibit minimal ongoing activity, retention or loyalty because their motivation is solely the reward.
- Ad platform & partner restrictions
- Many affiliate programs restrict incentivized traffic because it distorts the quality & intent of engagements leading to withheld payments/ suspensions.
- Misleading data
- Skewed key analytics (bounce rate, conversion funnel performance, or lifetime engagement metrics) make it harder to assess real marketing efforts.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” or similar, is a common response that may originate from incentivized clicks.
You may keep on pressing to remind them, and they’ll keep on responding the same since the lead’s purpose was clearly the incentive, but what matters most? Them saying “yes, I remember”? Or a value proposition which should be applicable to everyone?
Would love to hear your thoughts on whether it matters why someone registers more than our value prop and whether you would still explore a conversation.
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allFX-Consult is an industry trainer since 2014. Our corporate trainings power teams across the globe, in an effortless and non-disruptive way in an effort to build, rejuvenate, reskill and upskill participants in our space.
Our 1-on-1 sessions with individuals/professionals, aim to capture the real essence of a lead or client, always according to the company’s value proposition. Exploring a conversation (and to go a step further, having an impactful conversation), doesn’t recognize hot and cold leads. Its the mandate we get as soon as we onboard the role of a brand ambassador and representative.
Contact us to arrange discreet, off-the-grid sessions with us to see how this is possible, and change the way you see leads forever.