Bridging Interests
In almost every instance, changes to Google's quality score mean the company makes more money. As we discuss in our piece on the topic, this holds true in the most recent change from static to real-time quality...
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Newegg Bites Thumb at NY
Late last week, word got out that Newegg, an online computer hardware and software retailer, was going to stop charging residents of the state of New York sales tax on their purchases.
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Choosing Wisely for Your Ideal CPA Network
Okay, so you’ve done your research and are interested in promoting campaigns through a CPA Network. Smart move - the right CPA network is like hiring an in-house sales team - but ten times more profitable.
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Where does my company go from here? Part 1 of 4
Now that you have created your landing page and set up the legal registration of your new affiliate marketing company, you are ready for the money to come flooding in.
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Jump Pages or Value Add?
As we wrote last week, love it or hate it, Google's quality score has become a fact of life for those wanting to spend money on Google. Regarding the motivations behind the quality score, we said then, "Cynics...
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Is there room for my company in the affiliate-marketing world?
The rapid growth of the Internet and online services worldwide is only the beginning of a long-lived trend towards an economy built on the infrastructure of the Internet.
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Detecting Fraudulent Affiliates
Fraudulent affiliates are a growing problem in online advertising and affiliate marketing. I have only seen the problem increase over time.
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Pixel Tracking and Troubleshooting
Most online merchants and agencies utilize pixels and cookies as their method of affiliate and conversion tracking.
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White Paper: Five Simple Steps for Adding Effective CPL Advertising to Your Website
The US Presidential candidates take on increasingly difficult tasks with each passing day -- but personally, I believe that the online publisher's job is also among the toughest in the world.
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Affiliate Due Diligence - You Can’t Automate Common Sense
Recently, I had the privilege of speaking on a panel at the first LeadsCon meeting in Las Vegas. Our panel topic was the “Proper Role of Affiliate Marketing in Lead Generation.”
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How To Reduce Affiliate Fraud
How To Reduce Affiliate Fraud - Delay Payments Two To Four Months
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Google Hates You
The Falling Knife might not have had the most uplifting news about the year(s) ahead, so we will apologize in advance that this article too doesn't offer much more hope. Name another company, though, that even if...
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Affiliate Accountability
In last week's article, we looked at something we called the Affiliate Divide, a term we defined to describe the gap that separates, and the one that some cross, when they go from being independents to owners of...
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What would Affiliate Managers tell us if they sat on Santa's lap?
It's the Holiday Season and Santa isn't the only one making his list and checking it twice. Networks and Merchants all over the World Wide Web are busy making their lists as well.
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The Performance Marketing Divide
Last night, we came across a blog that, for lack of a better description, could be the exact opposite of our own publication. We've been called many things, but motivating has yet to make that list. People are curious...
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A Local Dilemma - Part 1
I recently joined a new gym, and to make sure that I go, I signed up for some training sessions with the intent to go three times per week for as long as it takes until I actually like the gym. For my wallet's sake, I would...
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Affiliate Management 102
In June we wrote an article inspired by some of the most important people in the direct marketing space, account managers. As I wrote then, I still remember my entry into the online space. I was asked whether I wanted to do media buying or...
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Making The Affiliate Software Switch
I have been in the affiliate space for sometime now and have tried a couple of platforms. After my trials and tribulations, I finally discovered the platform that was a perfect fit for the needs of my company. When I switched affiliate...
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Broken News: Statistical Phenomenon
This episode of Broken News is brought to you by our trusted industry insider, Cauldron Larynx. Cauldron utilizes deep knowledge, deeper skills and deepest relationships to make up the most breaking and relevant news in the Affiliate Marketing sector.
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iLegal - Balancing Your Contracts
I’ve advised this before, but it’s worth saying again; whether you’re a large or small organization, a multi-division company or a solo affiliate, you must read and understand all of the contracts you sign.
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Breaking Down Paid Search, Part 2
Even though the affiliates work within Google's system, you can see why, taken together, Google might consider them a sub-optimal user experience. As we've seen, affiliate marketers, especially for popular offers, inadvertently allow...
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Broken News: True Grit
This episode of Broken News is brought to you by our trusted industry insider, Cauldron Larynx and Jeezy Villbase. Cauldron utilizes deep knowledge, deeper skills and deepest relationships to make up the most breaking and relevant news in the Affiliate Marketing sector.
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Determining the Validity of “Claims” Advertising
Previously in this column we’ve discussed the fact that when you run an offer on your network, or as a publisher, you have a responsibility to reasonably verify claims made in that offer. I know that’s an unpopular burden to bear, but...
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Broken News: Yahoo, Hotmail and AOL give up sending commercial mail
This episode of Broken News is brought to you by our trusted industry insider, Cauldron Larynx. Cauldron utilizes deep knowledge, deeper skills and deepest relationships to make up the most breaking and relevant news in the Affiliate Marketing sector.
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Broken News - Affiliate Summit Mars, SMS, Bogfights, And More!
This episode of Broken News is brought to you by our trusted industry insider, Cauldron Larynx. Cauldron utilizes deep knowledge, deeper skills and deepest relationships to obtain the most breaking and relevant news in the Affiliate Marketing sector.
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Account Managers - Masters of our Domain
Each week, the Confidential includes tips from some of the best known faces in the industry - if not figuratively, certainly literally as their wonderful mugs adorn the bottom portion of the newsletter. When I started in Internet...
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Why most of the CPA/Brokerage industry will not be around in 5 years.
Many people currently involved in the CPA industry feel that this industry is rock solid and not likely to change anytime soon. They may be in for a shock. There are developments coming from technological, business and legal areas which...
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Commentary from an Industry Insider
Now we all have stories on how we got into the business, where we've been, etc. After being in the industry myself now for more years than too many of the bozos I come across, I sometimes question how people got into this industry.
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The Grandma Standard
One of the most important things you can do to reduce your exposure to legal liability when running advertising, is to make sure that the ads you run are actually true. According to the Federal Trade Commission, as an affiliate, you...
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What’s Your Payout? That Depends…
Time and time again I’m asked: “What is the most challenging part of working with Affiliates?” Here is some feedback and insight for those on both the Affiliate and Affiliate management sides. To begin, here’s a phrase we’re all familiar with:...
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SPOTLIGHT ON… James Walker from VendareNetblue
- Learn about VendareNetblue from a long term employee
- Find out how you can get your offer listed
- Find out about other opportunities at VendareNetblue
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SPOTLIGHT ON… Tanya Alvarez from BlinkAds
- Find out how Tanya got her start in the industry
- Find out about BlinkAds
- Learn where Tanya thinks the industry is heading
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Affiliate Marketing vs. Network Marketing
I remember my mother buying Amway soap during my childhood. I didn’t quite understand how the organization functioned then, and I still don’t today. Amway, now re-branded as Quixtar falls in the multi-level marketing category...
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A Rebuttal in Favor of Ad Networks
I must admit; this week I wanted to cover what will be a hot topic in the weeks to follow. There is a shakeup coming in the education lead generation landscape, and it’s being led by one of the largest buyers of leads and one of...
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Sorting Through the Home Business Hype
Are you looking for a home based business that has flexible hours, minimal investment and no inventory to buy? Affiliate programs could be the answer. This is especially true for people with basic or advanced computer and
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Recruit Qualified Affiliates
What should you do to find the best affiliates? Should you accept just anyone who is interested? When you work to recruit affiliates, find the best possible people. With the proper work, you can find affiliates who will
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Amazon Eyeing Contextual Ad Market
Amazon has approached hand-picked sites with a beta test of its contextual ad program. This will put them in competition with Google and Yahoo!, not to mention the tardy MSN in the future...
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Components Of Affiliate Marketing
Distinct to affiliate marketing are some of the big brand advertisers you will find on them, and the ease with which a traffic source could work with them. From the ad networking point of view, trying to work with Citibank or Payless Shoes means knowing their...
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What Is Affiliate Marketing?
In her opening keynote address at Affiliate Summit, Anne Holland of Marketing Sherpa, said that affiliate marketing bounties and commissions will reach $6.5 billion in 2006, or roughly 40% of projected 2006 online advertising expenditures. As she writes...
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International Affiliates Generate Domestic Sales:
While it is generally true that the majority of sites visited by domestic customers are domestic sites themselves, domestic advertisers should not ignore the international web space. This is because a large portion of domestic customers will view...
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Lost in Translation
An extremely useful and exciting aspect of the affiliate marketing on the internet is the ability to reach diverse customers through media that is extremely relevant and localized to their interests.
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DM Pimping Cartoon V1
Persistent Screamers become comic book creations in the newest addition to the Confidential, DM Pimping.
The Web Surfing Sinners get brought to animated life in this weekly cartoon for the online media masses.
Click below to get flashed by the prettiest peons and ugliest underbelly of affiliate life.
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Network Noise
There are so many CPA Networks for publishers to pick from currently. What makes you so different? Below, I will discuss some basic elements necessary to capture your publishers’ attention.
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Keep Producing Affiliates Producing
Online retailers wrestle with the issue of how much to pay affiliates, and for how long. With the idea that they don’t want to keep paying the affiliate to acquire the same customer, many have set cookies that credit the affiliate only if the customers...
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The DNA of a Successful Program
Affiliate Motivation! While working on the philosophy that you need to create an attractive Program that Affiliates will want to join, put yourself in your Affiliate’s shoes and think about what an Affiliate will want from your Program.
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The Great Squeeze: How to Get the Most Out of Your Banner Ads
Affiliate marketing depends on several factors to be successful. Mainly, an experienced affiliate wants to influence the visitor to click on the banner or text link they have placed to refer traffic to the merchant's site.
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Affiliate Thoughts
Affiliates have been consistently pioneering innovative ways to drive targeted traffic to web properties. The three most popular ways are Search Engines, Pay-Per-Click and Email marketing. However, the laws are becoming more stringent...
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The Line Between Performance And Traditional Advertising Is Breached
Years before the NASDAQ tanked and banner advertising died, e-commerce pioneers like Amazon.com and CDNow began partnering with topic-centric websites to drive revenues, paying a commission for each sale referred. The practice spread quickly and became known as...
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Affiliate Program Success Or Failure Starts Here
There are thousands of Programs, each one vying for the support and loyalty of Affiliates. If at any time an Affiliate is unhappy with your Program they will quite simply walk away, welcomed with open arms by your competitors.
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Chaos Theory
The flapping of a single butterfly's wing today produces a tiny change in the state of the atmosphere. Over a period of time, what the atmosphere actually does diverges from what it would have done
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Diabetes The Epidemic!
A diagnosis of diabetes can be overwhelming. You have to deal with new medications and/or the probability of daily shots of insulin, constant monitoring of your blood sugar and radical changes in diet. Eating anything containing sugar can disrupt...
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Affiliate Coke Addition
The average American consumes 53 gallons of carbonated soft drinks per year! That not only equates to a lot of big people, but a lot of big dollars. About $60 billion as a matter of fact. At face value...
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Digital Thoughts - Cost And Immediacy
Close your eyes for a minute. Picture yourself as an average net user, one that checks email, goes to Yahoo and Google - a person that might spend a maximum of one hour per day online. Such a person reads magazines, drives on the road,
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Is your Affiliate Network Doomed?
Doomsday killed Superman and in the midst before his resurrection arose two new superheroes: Steel, a kind of iron man admirer of Superman and Superboy, an adolescent clone of Superman. Early affiliate networks experienced a death...
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Strategy and the Affiliate Space
Imagine $100 bills being dropped from a helicopter and a mad rush of people scrambling to pick up as much money as they could. A young woman is stuffing as much as she can down her shirt, another kid is just simply jumping up and catching the bills as they fall from the sky and in the background is an older gentleman pulling a vacuum cleaner out of the back of his Lexus LS.
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You Picked the Wrong Technology - Tip #4
The first thing anybody generally does after selecting and paying for a technology to run their affiliate program is to have second thoughts. Did I buy the right software, ASP, or whatever?
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DM Confidential - Affiliate Marketing Tips
Affiliate managers talk about two percent of their affiliates generating ninety-eight percent of transactions, as if that makes sense. It’s time that you trimmed the fat off your affiliate program. According to data that I collected recently for
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DM Confidential - Affiliate Marketing Tips
Let me start by saying that the overwhelming majority of affiliates are nice, honest, hard-working people. However, there are the occasional shysters out there which stand ready to take advantage of unsuspecting affiliate managers who are not monitoring t
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Why Are Christian Offers So HOT?
Market Segmentation is defined as targeting a specific group or audience and is vital for a healthy ROI. Notice how we see more “Christian” offers on the Net these days? From Christian mortgage to Christian debt consolidation to Christ
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Method to your Madness
What’s the method to your madness? I know for me, it’s relationship marketing. Here are five marketing methods guaranteed to help you grow profitable and satisfying partner relationships.
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Digital Thoughts
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but innovation has all but disappeared from our industry. In this case, I’m not speaking of technology innovation but offer innovation.
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Live Withs
I recently read Michael Ray’s The Highest Goal: The Secret That Sustains You in Every Moment and immediately started picking out points that I thought would be beneficial to all of you.
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Karma Chameleon
Since I commute from San Francisco to Silicon Valley everyday, I ventured into the world of Books on CDs (only for a short while though- ADD at its finest).
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BLINK
At the top of this week’s New York Times Bestseller List is BLINK, by Malcolm Gladwell. The author of "The Tipping Point" (great book by the way) explores the importance of hunch, the power of first impressions, and how instinct influences
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GOOD TO GREAT
One of my favorite books is Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don’t.
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Ring. Ring.
Your partners are frequently put on hold and return calls are often delayed. The blinking AIM, MSN, or Yahoo IM messages are left unattended. Your affiliate sales/business development staff isn’t taking the initiative to resolve problems and you hav
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Partner Marketing
As e-mail, cell phone, and instant messaging have become ubiquitous in the workplace, the opportunities afforded by face-to-face communication have never been more important.
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Digital Thoughts - A tale of two cities
Arguably among the most frequently quoted lines in literature is the opening from Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.” When we look back on this year, I think we’ll say, as his novel states, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...” In my opinion, those in our space have grown so tremendously that we are making it hard on ourselves to continue at the same rapid pace.
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The Symbolic Convergence Theory
Identify Common Goal (generate 3x more revenue month after month) + Discover Common Interest + Establish bond + Build rapport= Profitable, Long term relationships with your affiliate partners.
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Finding Affiliates
One of the big questions for any business contemplating starting their own program is, where will I find my affiliates?
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Online Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing has transformed businesses radically via online affiliations between web sites or networks of web sites.
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Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing helps promote business online through affiliations. Affiliates are actually web sites or networks of web sites that direct traffic or potential customers to a particular merchant web site/ network that sells a product/service online.
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