Please stop begging!

[Julie H]

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Okay people can we get a grip on the way we conduct ourselves? The thing I've always loved about the affiliate community is its openness and willingness to share information – and being at the leading edge of things this obviously includes social media, blogs and A4U. However publicity is only positive when members of the community use it to impart some wisdom, debate industry topics or make genuine amusing social contact and comment.

There are many fantastic characters out there (many whom I'm proud to call friends) who are noted for their contribution in one or both of the above – and we all know who they are! Sadly, there are also those who use our community, who neither inform or amuse, who do not contribute by giving, who roundly insult the intelligence of us all and utterly devalue things by continually conducting personal PR campaigns of so little value to the wider debate as to be laughable. Nothing has highlighted this more than the clamour for A4U award votes in the past week.

Credibility comes from hard work and contribution - if someone who has never spoken at a mainstream industry event, contributed to the IAB or in any way expressed an opinion that may challenge or provoke, then I’m sorry – we really shouldn't be interested in hearing what spurious nocturnally distributed reason they have to beg for votes on Facebook, Twitter, A4U or abusing network e-mail accounts via client newsletters. I'm getting a little fed-up and slightly annoyed at all the 'vote for me' & 'vote for us' that seems to be everywhere at the moment. Please realise people will make their own minds up and the constant deluge of all this would make me not want to vote for those who are begging.

Please, can we just concentrate on what we do best as a community and not give ammunition to people who are looking for reasons to discredit the affiliate industry by filling industry touch-points with the sort of commentary that makes The Beano look like The Economist is just plain depressing!

[Cheapdvds]

totally agree , i think if u have to beg for votes then u know you arent gonna win any award anyway

they dont get my vote if they beg

[Jason]

I have to agree, I am fed up with getting mail from people who we haven't heard from in an eon, demanding that we vote for them due to their hard efforts.

I have voted for companies that truly work hard for us, always deliver what they promise, and go the extra mile.

Companies such as Existem AM and dgm, who have really helped us with Easy Content Units.

Of course you may not have the same experiences and so you'll vote for someone else, but it must be because you truly value their contribution to your business, not because they've spammed you into it or it's the first company who comes into your head.

Jason

[KevinEdwards]

It is becoming a little bit tiresome.

Perhaps we should have an electioneering blackout from herein like we do for political elections on election day.

[TheBoyMitchell]

Vote for me Julie?

Oh. I'm not nominated

A boo hoo hoo

[Red]

Vote for me Julie?

Oh. I'm not nominated

A boo hoo hoo

Hahaha! that really tickled me!

[Hero]

I guess it depends on how much value the award has for some people/companies. Of course, it's great to win, but does that prove you can do your job, whereas the ones who haven't won/been nominated aren't as good/effective?

I think it's inevitable to have vote hunting with a public voting procedure - the difference is that some people put it on the top of their agendas, forgetting their day to day tasks.

[MattSweet]

I think it's inevitable to have vote hunting with a public voting procedure - the difference is that some people put it on the top of their agendas, forgetting their day to day tasks.

Yep, it's always going to happen but I agree it does get a bit tiresome.

The thing that bores me more though is all the "who I'm voting for" blog posts that usually appear round about now. Luckily we've not seen too many so far!

If I see one posted in the blog I have voted for, can I change my vote..?!

[Julie H]

Vote for me Julie?

Oh. I'm not nominated

A boo hoo hoo

You got my vote in the sideburns contest hun!

[Frostie]

Julie this is something I tweeted about the other day! I even hear from "agencies" that haven't spoken to me for the past 50 weeks..... hmmm what coincidental timings they have!

If anything, these emails have the same impact as a flyer that gets dropped through my door. They simply acts as emergency bog roll (if I printed them off), and if anything, sways my decision the complete opposite way they were hoping for.

I'm also with Matt - the WHO I'VE VOTED FOR - is just kissing ass IMO and something I have been dead against for the past 2 years! Who I vote for is up to me, and is of no one elses interested. If you didnt get my vote, its not because you didnt send me an email, its because you've done bugger all to deserve it!... or more likely, you just got pipped to the post that someone that went an extra 2mm

[TheBoyMitchell]

You got my vote in the sideburns contest hun!

They gawn

I came second in the Sun competition to find the best wolverine lookie likey. £5k for first, zip for second. I was so traumatised I shaved them off. I now look like a potato. An ugly old potato

[Julie H]

Oh no Neil! Are you feeling the cold now they've gone?

[kcheung]

They gawn

I came second in the Sun competition to find the best wolverine lookie likey. £5k for first, zip for second. I was so traumatised I shaved them off. I now look like a potato. An ugly old potato

:O you look so young! and there i was thinking you really were the stereotype farmer giles...

[Lawcom]

I kind of disagree ...

For one, I don't think it is for some members to dictate how other members should behave, because in some way it effects their personal sensibilities..

And 2, so what if affiliate managers are excited at being nominated !! they do have to put up with affiliates moaning how things are not quite right all the time and importantly work full time trying to do their job, some better than others I'll admit, but within their own little sphere you can understand their excitment at having some recognition / qudos for being good or liked or nominated for what they do..

What's the problem with that ?

I'm more disgruntled by the disguised spam trying to get us to buy in to things as if we're stupid lol ..

I do think it is a bit of an over reaction, towards nominees, you know who you want to vote for, vote or don't, but I don't see the issue in trying to burst someone elses bubble just because it appears a little unseamly to you .. perhaps you could be a little more patient, don't you think ..

[KieronD]

It is becoming a little bit tiresome.

If it's so tiresome maybe you should remove the "vote for us" button on the Aff Window blog? Just saying

Anyway, Julie raises an interesting point.

Personally speaking I don't use any of the "vote for me" button on any of my sites. Nor do I publically ask that people vote for me. Apart from once. And that was for the North East Digital Business Awards this year - and I only did that as an experiment to see if enough readers of my blog would vote for me and I would get shorlisted. BTW it worked, thankyou

But when it comes to the A4U Awards and the category I am shortlisted for (or the new Bigmouth Media BABE awards for that matter) then somehow it just kind of feels wrong to blog and ask people to vote for me. Or to display "vote for me" banners on my sites. I'm not saying that there IS anything wrong with taking this approach, I'm just saying it isn't right for me. Instead I always try to encourage people to vote. Full stop. It doesn't matter who they vote for, what does matter is that they voice their opinion and contribute to the awards. These things always work better if more people participate.

Then again on the other hand, people who put up "vote for me" banners, buttons and blog/forum posts are all helping spread the word about the awards which in turn gives it more exposure and keeps it in people's minds, so hopefully it will result in more people participating. A good thing.

It's not as if we stand alone in "asking" that people vote for us. No matter what industry or sector, people always try to publicise themselves and ask for votes. So what some people do on this forum is nothing new.

I guess what I'm trying to say that is if people do go down the "vote for me" approach then live and let live. At the end of the day, if it helps publicise the awards then that's a good thing. Also, voters will know who they want to vote for anyway so I doubt any number of "begging" campaigns will make any real difference in that respect.

One last thing, Mr. Frostmeister I must disagree with you on your point that the "who I've voted for" blog posts are just "kissing ass". I don't think this is the case. In fact I love reading these posts as they offer insight as to why a particular person has voted for somebody. Sometimes this can be someone who I don't currently work with so I make a mental note to look them up. Other times its just being plain nosy if I'm honest. After all, how many of us ask each other "so, who did you vote for then?" Come on own up, it happens all the time.

I normally write a "who I've voted for" blog post but just haven'd had the time this year. maybe I will after the event though