The down side? Well there is a downside if you’re in the IM niche…

Here it is: Product launches that last a day or even just a few hours…

If you’re a buyer and can’t be at your computer the day (or hour) of the launch then guess what… you’re out of luck.

What if you’re the affiliate promoting the launch?

Ok, maybe it’s just me but what’s the point of weeks of pre-launch videos, hype and free content if you’re only going to keep the product available for a day or less before it’s “sold out”?

Case in point:

Mass Control Marketing - closed in 6 (or was it 4?) hours. 1 week+ of content, videos and affiliate promotions sent by affiliates to their lists. The window was open just a few hours before it was closed? Then it opened for a few hours on the next day - a Saturday morning? That’s bull…

Blunt? Hmm. I’m not done yet.

How about this past week’s Product Launch Formula 2.0? Here are the emails I received on the day of the launch (March 27, 2008):

1:06 PM - email from Jeff: 60 minutes to launch

3:23 PM - update: server crashed

9:15 PM - PLF 2.0 coming off the market… Jeff states in his email, “Now the BAD NEWS… I’m pulling PLF 2.0 off the market tonight at midnight“… (my Thunderbird inbox:)

Like I said … “what’s the point”?

Now, if I was an affiliate for either of these promotions I’d have to wonder what the REAL story is behind these duck and run promotions are all about.

One possible scenario? Get affiliates in early to promote all the free content so the promoter can build a huge list for free off their affiliates.

Hey- don’t get me wrong, I’m happy they sold out so fast… (or did they?)

I mean, common! The products were barely available for a few hours… affiliates hardly had a chance to get anything out the day of the launch… so if you didn’t play along with the pre-launch promo stuff you were totally out-of-luck on launch day.

Yes, Virginia, there is a downside to marketing online…