Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing: A Reflection on Commerce and Human Nature  I. On Human Motivation in Commerce It may seem at first glance, that the modern system of affiliate marketing is merely a reflection of human nature as we have observed it for centuries. It is, in its essence, a practice of mutual benefit, one that arises naturally from our innate tendency to seek advantage and profit from our actions. What else could drive a man or woman to engage in the promotion of another’s goods if not the promise of financial gain? Yet, just as ancient commerce relied on the principles of exchange, trust, and persuasion, so too does affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing, wherein one party (the affiliate) promotes the products or services of another (the merchant), and earns a commission based on the resulting sales or traffic, might be viewed as a microcosm of the broader market economy. It is a relationship grounded in mutual interest, a contract of sorts, wherein both parties derive their be...