As I see more and more referral programs surface across this blogging niche, I can’t help but think about “The Rich Get Richer“. DealDotCom and BlogRush are the two latest examples. These programs feed off the popularity that is created by the big name blogs, and then the big name bloggers cash in via the referral programs.
DealDotCom just went live this morning. Their first deal is selling Easy Member Pro for $148.50. Now I think it is fair to estimate that at least 500 people have signed up for DealDotCom under John Chow, though this is a total guess (based on his 13,000 direct Agloco referrals, I think this is reasonable). If 1 out of every 100 referrals buys Easy Member Pro, John Chow is going to get $51.97 per sale - or about $259 today alone.
BlogRush also burst onto the scene a few days ago. I didn’t look at it until a friendly blogger said that I should check it out. I signed up and then noted their referral program. You get more and more spots across the BlogRush network as your referrals get more page views on their blogs - so again, the big name bloggers are going to get a lot more referrals, thus getting their blog shown more across the BlogRush network, thus getting even more visitors to their already popular blogs.
I am writing this more out of frustration than anything. The more that I become involved in the world of blogging, the more I wonder why I haven’t been involved for a much longer time. I’ve been developing websites for many years now - why I have been so oblivious to the idea of making money online? It certainly feels like an uphill battle.