Where are all the B2B affiliates?

[hatmatic]

Is it me or is there still quite a dirth of Business to Business focused affiliates operating in the UK. In the past I've worked on Tiscali Business Broadband, BT Business Broadband, and most recently Vodafone Business, and in each case, there's been a lot of talk about specialist B2B affiliates, but I don't know of any at all.

As with a large proportion of mainstream programs, B2B or otherwise, the majority of sales will be generated through Paid Search, but I'm interested to find out people's opinion on whether there are specialists in the B2B sector with good quality B2B content and traffic (by category / vertical), or whether it's the usual suspects buying a couple more business related keywords?

B2B programs are big business, especially with the growth in SMEs and SOHOs and merchants are prepared to pay decent commissions for Business customers.

Be interested in people's thoughts.

Matt

[Bruce Clayton]

Hello Matt,

Long time no speak!

I have to say there are very few specialist B2B folk around, the fact that nobody responded to your post thus far serves to underline the point that seemingly B2B still remains some way from the mainstream affiliate consciousness.

The bulk of B2B programmes I have knowledge of, or worked on are either the B2B flipside of a B2C category - such as those you have experience of in mobile annd broadband or mainstream B2B. It is the mainstreamers that seem to struggle. The attraction of the affiliate model is obvious, as the vast majority of merchants that come to a network are trying to cost effectively expand the sort of ad-hoc partnership activity that has worked on an informal affiliate basis and delivered sales growth.

What I tend however to find is that these existing partnerships are based on very close affinities or a re-seller relationship and as such there is no great element of speculation on the part of either merchant or affiliate. In order to expand on this there is a lot of phoning around and publisher contact via e-mail which seldom pays off from the perspective that if you can persuade someone of the merits of the proposition then it all falls apart when you have to illustrate the process of becoming an affiliate.

I know that there are some B2B related domains out there registered to some exceedingly credible affiliates known to us all - however the chicken and egg situation remains. Not enough merchants to populate a site and not enough affiliates to achieve a critical mass of "tell all your friends that B2B affiliate marketing is awesome" sales.

Not exactly an answer I know - but it is another perspective from someone who is actively engaged with B2B merchants.

[hatmatic]

Hello Brucie

I appreciate your response mate. Interesting insight too, and spot on I reckon.

cheers,
Matt