Is MLM Really A Multi-tiered Affiliate Program?

Internet MLM Part 3 - Is Internet MLM A Form Of Affiliate Marketing?

Affiiliate marketing usually operates by paying commission to the affiliate marketer who had directly caused the sale. If the new customer decides to become an affiliate marketer for the same product and let’s say, he made 3 sales, the affiliate marketer who first sold to him will not be paid an overriding commission. This is single-tier affiliate marketing. Clickbank and many other affiliate program providers like PayDotCom pays only single tier.However, there are some affiliate marketing programs that pay 2-tiers. In other words, if you’re an affiliate marketer and you make a sale. When your new customer decides to turn affiliate marketer and makes a sale too, you get a cut. Isn’t that nice?

Thus, I would arbitrarily classify affiliate programs as single or 2-tier marketing programs while Internet MLM as multi-tier affiliate programs. Theoretically, they are simply different flavors at opposite ends of the same continuum of marketing programs, known by different names.

Why not call Internet MLMs as multi-tier affiliate programs? Well, I guess you can. And what about calling affiliate programs as MLMs? I guess you definitely cannot if it’s single-tier and you possibly can if they are two-tiers.

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