Please @James can the rf be turned back on for those who don’t want the Ambassador program? I was “automatically enrolled” and don’t like it, so would like to continue to use rf. Do I now have to add these manually? Is this supposed to be user friendly? I feel just so overwhelmed.
Thanks Anne 😊 Since posting my question, I read in the new Ambassador Q&A:
“When you enroll in the Ambassador Program, we automatically associate your Ambassador ID
with all direct visits to your Products, Stores, Collections, Member Profile, and API pages. Zazzle
automatically credits these Referrals to the correct Creator without needing URL parameters.”
So now I’m assuming that any ‘direct visit’ to our product will be credited with a self-promotion referral, regardless of who created the original link.
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Under the old program, I use to be able to order my own products that I created and many for customers which I ordered for them as they live in my city. I am no longer receiving the 35% of the sale. I also tried sharing a product on Pinterest like the Ambassador program indicates. I clicked on the link on Pinterest and went to my Store and ordered. I received nothing. I am so confused. Can anyone give me some clarity.
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@James and Zazzle - I’d like to suggest that you re-think the way the self-promotion links and ambassador links work. You have some sellers who have already for years spread thousands and thousands of referral links to their own products into the universe and on their own sites – now they will only receive 15% on those links unless they go back through and re-link everything. This is unrealistic.
It would be far better, easier and avoid all that re-linking and confusion about what link to use (self-promotion with no referral ID or ambassador with referral ID) if the ambassador/affiliate earnings are a stacked commission always - so no matter what you get the earnings for your products that sell + you get the referral earnings and it just simply stacks instead of having two different ways of doing things.
I seriously respectfully ask that you consider this and revise it to be stacking and simple. The other thing is my “self-promotion” links are the exact same link as if I went to the product page not signed in vs. signed in. So it is impossible to tell after the fact - did I copy that code when I was signed in or is this just a standard link to the product.
The current situation is a mess honestly! Thank you
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Also @James what happens if I share the self-promotion link (that looks the same as a regular product link) to a product - let’s say my Pink Chinoiserie Ginger Jar Monogram Pillow - but then the customer clicks that link and decides they want the purple one instead - technically that is a different product and I did not create the self-promotion link for that. Does that mean I only get my standard seller commission but don’t get the credit for the sale referral direct link?
Thanks for your help in understanding this extremely difficult new program, which was simple but has been made complicated.
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I am really shocked and surprised but I just got an answer from the help desk that if I generate a self-promotion link to my pink chinoiserie ginger jar pillow and the customer clicks to it from wherever I posted it, but then they select the purple color variation of the pillow instead – that I would only get my seller commission not the increased traffic/referral commission too. Just a different color variation of the exact same product?
This is astounding to me. The customer is only coming to Zazzle at all because of my link. This new program seems a bit tricky on purpose? (REVISED - the help desk associate says they are going to doublecheck to make sure this is correct)
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You have some sellers who have already for years spread thousands and thousands of referral links to their own products into the universe and on their own sites – now they will only receive 15% on those links unless they go back through and re-link everything. This is unrealistic.
Existing links that included an RF# will continue to earn 15% on your or anyone else’s product.
Existing “clean” PP2 links will continue to earn the promoter rate on your own product, zero on anyone else’s.
What’s changed is how that promoter referral rate will be calculated.
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Thanks! What I mean is - that now that standard seller commissions are being encouraged to drop down to 10% or less and reward creators more for direct links/traffic to their products, that means that unless you modify all those links you previously linked to with REF affiliate links, you will not get the higher self-promotion commission right? It will be limited to 15%? Like on your own website, on your Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.
It causes the need to update all of those to self-promotion links to receive the commission you should be receiving under the new program for promoting your own products.
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Am I the only one who is not in the “ambassador” program?
And I now get to add all ?RF manually? (or not get a referral at all?)
I feel I continually have to stress that I am a designer , NOT a marketing expert. Is there no place on this platform any more for designers?
Not even mentioning having to install apps to create links or whatever …
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Hi Anne - I’m pretty new here but I’m a designer too – and I feel you!
The only reason I’m in the “ambassador” program is not to promote others’ products but only my own and just make sure that I’m receiving the highest commission on my products if I refer the sale, especially since they are trying to get everyone to lower their standard commissions below 10% + charge a 35-50% marketing fee as a reduction of that.
I wish it was just super simple and easy - and you get a little more if you refer your own product vs the customer come from Zazzle or someone else, but that all the links were the same/no need to re-do links, etc.
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Can you please explain step by step how you removed the associate IDs? Thanks!
What about the links already shared to Pinterest, for instance, over the years? Thanks.
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I also feel overwhelmed, Anne. Thanks for putting the question out there.
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Hi Anne. I spent hours last night trying to figure out this program and had to leave it. It was so much easier the old way. I am very frustrated. I did a test on my own after reading all they said and I received nothing on a test order. I order my own products a lot for customers that live in my city and have done it for years. They all have huge complaints about the Zazzle ordering platform, so I do that for them as an artist. I was getting 35% on my orders until April 1st when I placed those orders. Now, only 15% if done right. Getting the 35% is very tricky as well if not done correctly by other customers and the general public that comes across my art. I have thousands of my links out there in the social media world and I am not sure if they would carry my Ambassador ID upon a new order. It would be insane if that did not happen. It does not make sense to me to cross promote either. I want to focus on my art and not others. I have done some posting though in the past of artist work that I love. It would be nice to talk to someone, but after calling an Associate, they said they would send me an email and could write my questions. I have done that with no answer. I sent back the email again asking if they forwarded on to the Ambassador team with no answer. I have almost a decade of designing on this platform, and am frustrated again.
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Gosh, I hope this is not the cast on installing any apps. I have no clue about that. Change can be good, but not in this case. It seems my products and me have now taken several steps backwards and I don’t have a concise and clear understanding. I spend two hours reading all sorts of information on Zazzle’s site about it and Googling as well.
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I was under the impression that everybody enrolled in either associate program was automatically rolled over to be in the ambassador program. So if you are able to get referral commissions at all, you are now in the ambassador program.
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Oof that would be a massive amount of work. I was already in the Promoter Program before I started pinning and such, so I didn’t even consider that. I’m sorry that’s the result for some people.
Just because they’re encouraging us to drop rates to 10 (actually they suggest 5% in the FAQ) doesn’t mean that’s what best for you. That’s what is best for them… I wouldn’t drop anything to 10 - the excessive royalty fee is teeny. The referral marketing fee is what is causing the big drop in earnings… Raising royalties can help cover your earnings while you work to change your links. Of course there’s the risk that products become too expensive, but I think if you have unique designs and products, customers are willing to pay more. It’s hard right now to make decisions about it all!! I can’t imagine Z is going to change anything - they never have before and I’ve been here a long time.
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They don’t have all their ducks in a row on questions. The algorithms set forth by Zazzle are meant for the customer to add your product to their cart and order. If they decide to leave it there and to back in the morning or another day, all bets are off. I know this because my friends who are customers have told me what they have done. Also, if they add your product() to their cart and continue to shop and see something else interesting, and click on it, you won’t get your referral/royalty.
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You need to opt in under the Ambassador link in your account. If you don’t, I am not sure if you would get any referral anymore.
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About five years or so ago they started the self promoter program. It was difficult then. It didn’t last that long. I had a great gal at Zazzle that helped me when customer service was very good. She is gone now. Zazzle is losing site of good customer service. I feel it 100%. I have been with them since they started. I am a solo artist and I do everything on my own, so there have been huge challenges.
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