This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
In today's episode, a listener with a YouTube channel about quitting smoking wants to earn commissions by referring viewers to therapists. What are the ethical and practical concerns of this idea? Back in episode 1625, we profiled a guy named Matt Oni, who is a tech worker in San Francisco and was sort of downsized, not quite downsized, but his hours were cut at the start of the pandemic. And he started a blog that was all about reviewing personal wellness products. I was thinking of him a bit in the context of this question.
This is a little bit different because our listener has a YouTube channel, she's got a specific goal there, and she's wondering about getting paid through specific referrals. But I thought of that guy as I was working on the answer and I'll tell you more about it because I think these projects could be connected, or at least I'm gonna offer an idea to our caller. So quick shout out to our sponsor, and then we'll hear from, I believe it is, Alicia. [Music]
Hi Chris, this is Alicia. And I'm starting a YouTube series to help people stop smoking by creating powerful habits.
That's just my entry point since I used to be a smoker and many people struggle to quit. Eventually, I hope to turn this into a whole business with the online course and membership program. Until then, however, I like to earn commission from referring viewers to programs I believe in and to qualified professionals. It's the second part I'm wondering about. What are the ethics of referring people to therapists or counselors?
I wanna make sure I'm doing it the right way, but I don't wanna give up on my idea since I think it's powerful. What do you think? [Music]
Hey Alicia, thanks for the call. I don't think you should give up on your idea either. I do think it's powerful.
There are a lot of people out there who are trying to quit smoking. It is a desperate need. When I use the word desperate there, I just mean it is an urgent need. It's a powerful need and people often struggle when they're trying to quit smoking. Okay, so definitely a good market for sure.
As for the ethics of referrals to professional therapists and counselors, I think this is the kind of thing where it's important to look up your local laws. First of all, so not just ethics, but also legality. Look up your local laws in your state or province or whatever jurisdiction you're in just in case there is something specific there. But generally speaking, so for everyone, just thinking about the ethics of it, the most important thing is disclosure. Noting to viewers that you have a relationship with these referrals that you're making, you have some kind of financial interest in it.
And as long as that is clear, then people can make their own decisions. But again, check on that legality. Also make sure that the therapist you're referring to are aware of exactly what you're doing in terms of the marketing. Obviously they're aware of your relationship because they're going to be paying these commissions, but just make sure they're aware of exactly how you're doing it. That way everyone's on the same page and they aren't confused or surprised by something.
Now, why did I mention that guy earlier? His name is Matt. His website is zenmasterwellness.com. I mentioned him because in this situation, I would also look for other affiliate programs that might be aligned with the goal of stopping smoking. Not just the referrals to professional counselors, but I would imagine when someone has been a smoker for a long time and they decide they want to quit, it's a big deal, right?
It is a huge deal. So they might be looking at making other life improvements as well. And that guy Matt was doing $10,000 a month on affiliate commissions to home wellness programs, to various exercise equipment like mirror, peloton, et cetera. So I would say Alicia's got a clear market here. She's working on a specific medium, making a YouTube channel.
And her next step is how can she monetize that? So perhaps her idea of referring to professionals is one approach, but in addition, not necessarily alternatively, but in addition, I would look for some other affiliate programs as well. Not every viewer is going to want professional counseling, but some of them might want something else. So you always want to think about multiple solutions for your ideal target market or your ideal customer. Okay, good luck Alicia, let us know what happens.
Listeners, if you have a question, just come to sidehustleschool.com/questions. I enjoy this ongoing dialogue. I hope it is helpful to you. I hope it is of service to you. So let us know how we can do better as well.
We want to keep improving. You can subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Chris Guillebeau, this is Side Hustle School. [Music]
From the Onward Project.
