Tuesday, 29 July 2014
Parties at Affiliate Summit East 2014, History of Affiliate Marketing, and ... - FeedFront Magazine
On the July 28, 2014 episode of 7 Minutes in Affiliate Heaven podcast (listen to 7 Minutes in Affiliate Heaven), I talked about affiliate marketers fighting breast cancer, parties at Affiliate Summit East 2014, and building an email list.
I also covered a successful Q2 for Rakuten LinkShare, the new AffStat report, a chance to write for FeedFront magazine, and 20 years of affiliate marketing.
Please review 7 Minutes in Affiliate Heaven on iTunes.
Show Links
Subscribe to 7 Minutes in Affiliate Heaven on iTunes.
The post, Parties at Affiliate Summit East 2014, History of Affiliate Marketing, and Writing for @feedfront by Shawn Collins, was originally published on the Affiliate Marketing Blog.
More Info: Click here
Mobile Performance in Affiliate Marketing goes from Strength to Strength in Q2 - Fourth Source
Affiliate Window’s mobile data is drawn from over 2.5m network transactions each month across 1,600 advertisers spanning the retail, travel and telecoms sectors. Clients we work with include John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Sky, British Telecom and lastminute.com.
Working with around half the top 100 retail brands in the UK as well as over 1,000 SMEs allows us to build a comprehensive picture of the mobile landscape.
Following on from a strong first quarter of the year, mobile performance has strengthened further across the network in Q2. In Q2 2014 34.08% of all network traffic originated from a mobile device – up from 31.34% in Q1 and a huge increase on the 27.61% seen in Q2 2013. June was a particularly strong month in terms of traffic with 35.58% of traffic originating from a mobile phone.
The majority of mobile traffic across the network continues to originate from a smartphone (17.04%) and this is an increase on the 14.51% seen in Q1. Tablet traffic is slightly behind with a 14.42% share but this is also up on the previous quarter (13.4%).
Switching attention to transactions, Q2 saw 30.40% of sales originate from a mobile device vs. 26.71% Q1 2014. Having experienced strong mobile performance in the post-Christmas period, this continued throughout Q2. As with traffic, June was a particularly strong month in terms of transactions with 30.86% originating from a mobile device.
The increase in mobile transactions was seen across both tablets and smartphones (19.17% and 10.86% vs. 17.64% and 8.81% the previous quarter).
Having seen Android smartphones performing fairly strongly in Q1, Q2 has seen the iPhone further erode Android’s share of traffic. Despite an increasing volume of Android handsets being sold and being the dominant operating system, Apple continues to dominate across the network. The iPhone’s share of traffic was up 1.6% (to 68.62%) on Q1 figures while the share of sales grew 2% (to 73.69%)
We continue to see a significant disconnect when it comes to Android tablets. Despite an increase in traffic to 27.49% in Q2 (up from 24.67%), sales remain well behind with just 16% of transactions generated from an Android tablet. The trend of Android users browsing but not purchasing through their tablets remains a consistent theme. iPad users continue to convert at a much greater rate.
Having seen a drop off in conversion rates in Q1 following on from Christmas performance, this picked up in Q2. Tablet devices continue to convert at the greatest rate at 6.05% while smartphone conversion was up to 2.90%. This is an improvement on Q1 figures of 5.7 and 2.63% respectively.
Average order values for Q2 were up for both desktop and smartphone, while tablet AOV was down on what we saw for Q4 2013.
How retargeting and affiliate marketing helps retailers track and follow ... - Appliance Retailer
It’s a scene that could be lifted from any shopping centre, strip mall or main street in Australia: customers walk in, touch a few products, pop a few pricetags, ask a few uncertain questions and then, even though they have shown a genuine interest in purchasing the toaster, t-shirt or tablecloth, the customer ends up leaving the store with nothing.
There is little a retailer can do once the customer has decided to leave the store — one simply can’t chase them down the street or onto the escalator pleading with them to return to buy something — but it is a definite quandary. You have a customer, or a potential customer at least, who clearly wants something, but for one reason or another, they have chosen to delay the purchase. They have mercantile cold feet.
Now, just for a second, imagine if you could indeed follow that customer, constantly reminding them with images, copy and bespoke creative that they once showed an interest, however fleeting, in making a purchase. From store to store, now in the food court, now on the bus home: you keep following them. Surely you’d be challenged, reported to the police, arrested.
This following and pestering and reminding and encouraging to purchase may be deemed unsavoury behaviour in the real world but in the cavernous internet is just how business is done. It’s a process called ‘Retargeting’ and it’s one of the main tactics in the online retailer’s broader digital strategy.
In Australia, companies like Rakuten Marketing, CJ Affiliate and AdRoll offer retargeting as part of their broader affiliate marketing and ‘linksharing’ offers. These agencies generally operate on a cost-per-sale or cost-per-lead basis, meaning they use several tricks to encourage online browsers to first visit a website, like an online retailer’s transactional site, and then complete a purchase.
This is how it works: an affiliate marketing agency can access an internet browser’s recent history to identify what products they are interested in. If an internet user has been looking up washing machine reviews, for example, an affiliate marketer can then push ads for an online retailer’s laundry appliance range as they continue surfing the net. We’ve all seen these online ads while surfing popular websites and, in fact, you should be seeing some right now on this website, around the placement of this article. Ask yourself, are the ads you’re seeing related to recent websites you’ve visited? If so, that’s retargeting at work.
A customer could be looking up football scores or reading about the latest global turmoil or playing an online game and the ads keep following them. If they then return to a retailer’s website and buy something, an affiliate marketer’s tracking software recognises itself as a lead generator and charges the retailer a commission on the sale. These commissions can vary significantly, from as low as 1 or 2 per cent up to 20 per cent.
As these digital strategies become more advanced and more integrated, sophisticated agencies can push branded content onto social media feeds, like on Twitter and Facebook, directly relating to content the users has previously expressed an interest in. If you have been looking at buying an Arsenal replica jersey with new recruit Alexis Sánchez’s name on the back, a top rate digital marketing agency can then push content relating to sports merchandise, the English Premier League or Chilean tourism onto a Facebook feed to reinforce this view and encourage the user to return to complete the purchase.
While many, if not most, online retailers (and this includes the traditional bricks and mortar retailers that have associated online stores) use some form of affiliate marketing to generate leads and sales, the system has come in for some criticism. Online maverick Ruslan Kogan says these companies use various techniques known as ‘cookie stuffing’ to make it appear that the affiliate marketer has influenced a purchase, when in fact they may not have, while the New York Times has reported that in 2013, two Californian men pleaded guilty to defrauding eBay of more than $20 million by using dodgy affiliate marketing techniques.
Rakuten Marketing Australia is arguably the biggest and most mature of these digital agencies in the world. Its local clients have included Appliances Online, Sportscraft and Deals Direct. Anthony Capano, managing director of the Australian subsidiary, said that bad practices by rogue operators should not give the whole industry a bad name.
“In the past, parts of the affiliate industry have had a bad reputation, where publishers were charging brands for sales that may have been made anyway,” Capano said. “We aim to distance ourselves from that side of the industry and only work with reputable publishers that drive genuine traffic and sales for our clients.”
‘Publishers’ refers to the third party websites — blogs, social media, news sites, among other types — that host the content this digital agency are pushing to web surfers.
In order to combat the negativity, Rakuten has rolled out a software platform called Cadence, which allows its clients to analyse its performance in real time. “Working with Rakuten Marketing has allowed us to analyse the results of our affiliate and retargeting activity in tandem and adjust our strategy accordingly,” said Michael Rosenbaum, cofounder of DealsDirect, one of Rakuten’s clients.
“What we’re hearing from our customers and prospects is that they want transparency into where their affiliate-driven traffic and sales are coming from,” Capano continued, highlighting that as digital marketing becomes more intelligent and intuitive, online retailers have not had to rely so heavily on price to compete with rival players.
“In the past few years in Australia, as has been in the case in other markets globally, the industry has matured and improved its professionalism — the online shopping environment is no longer the bargain basement it once was — and the marketing tactics used to capture the vast amount of money spent online have also grown up accordingly.
“Huge retailers are investing in affiliate marketing and we understand the importance of protecting their brand identity online.”
This author is on Twitter: @Patrickavenell
Account Manager- Affiliate Marketing - MuMbrella
<- Back to all jobs
Account Manager- Affiliate Marketing
$60K plus
Are you a Performance Marketing Executive looking to step up into Account Management?
Do you have digital experience in an CPA based role either publisher, agency or client side?
Are you keen to work in a leading business across this space and grow your career in affiliate marketing?
If yes, please contact KPMR today for more information on this brand new role at $60K plus. The successful candidate will build and maintain day to day relationships with direct clients and will possess a good understanding of the core industry verticals and above and below the line marketing principals.
Sydney
KPMR
KPMR places Media Sales, Digital, Media Agency and Communications professionals in leading organisations in Australia and internationally.
Please feel free to forward your resume to KPMR at careers@kpmr.com.au.
Or call us on 02 8249 8210
www.kpmr.com.au/JobSearch
4 Affiliate Marketing Myths - Chief Marketer
Steve Olenski (Forbes.com)
Whether you’re the brand manager at a Fortune 100 brand or the marketing director/everything else at a startup, setting up a solid affiliate program can open a revenue avenue without much of the hassle usually associated with setting up new marketing initiatives. But you need to know about these four myths.
Importance of Affiliate Marketing Managers - Practical Ecommerce
Simply launching an affiliate program does not guarantee revenue. I’ve seen many affiliate programs fail because of the “if I build it, they will come” mentality. Affiliate programs need to be managed on an ongoing, daily basis.
Consider the thousands of affiliate programs that exist. Now consider this: According to the 2013 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report, 63.4 percent of affiliates focus their efforts on fewer than 20 programs. If you’re not actively managing your affiliate program, the chances that your program falls within one of those 20 slots are slim to none. Affiliate managers continuously work to keep their brand front and center in the affiliate’s mind by providing a steady flow of content and promotions.
According to the 2013 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report, 47.1 percent of affiliates promote 10 or fewer programs. And 63.40 percent (47.1 plus 16.3) promote 20 or fewer.I am frequently asked if a company needs to hire a dedicated affiliate manager. My answer is “yes.” From ad trafficking, to trademark monitoring, to reporting and affiliate support, it is easy for an affiliate manager to fill 40 or more hours per week. There are two options for hiring: (a) a full-time employee, or (b) outsource the role to an agency.
The benefit of hiring a full-time employee is that your affiliate manager is fully immersed in your company. By being on-site, she can (a) easily learn of upcoming new products, (b) quickly access data, and (c) easily gauge key drivers of revenue. Plus, if tracking goes awry, she can harangue or cajole the tech team in person. The disadvantage to a dedicated internal affiliate manager is cost and training. Affiliate manager salaries typically range between $50,000 and $100,000 depending on the individual’s experience and size of the company. Additionally, while it’s easy to find candidates who understand marketing, it is more challenging to find someone who has specific expertise within the affiliate marketing field. Affiliate managers must have a thorough understanding of tracking technology and code, of industry-specific legal issues such as tax nexus and trademark protection, and of how to identify quality affiliates and keep them engaged. Ideally, they will also have established relationships with affiliates that they can recruit into your program. If you can’t find someone who fits that bill, but you have a bright, driven individual with potential and a willingness to learn, then definitely invest in training.
The other option is to outsource management of your affiliate channel. The benefit of outsourcing is that you get a seasoned manager with established affiliate relationships. A good outsourced program manager can quickly recruit or activate proven affiliates in your program. Additionally, a new affiliate program will benefit from the credibility and visibility of an established agency. Costs associated with outsourcing your affiliate program vary, depending on experience and level of support, but you can expect to pay between $1,000 and $5,000 per month, plus a percentage of sales. The challenge is that your agency is likely managing multiple accounts. When interviewing agencies, be sure to ask how many accounts your manager would oversee. Fewer than five accounts would be desirable. Also, since the agency’s personnel are not on-site, they are not immediately aware of company news and developments. This is easy to overcome, however, with frequent communication. Expect weekly meetings and reports.
Regardless of whether you hire an in-house manager, or you outsource the affiliate-management function, look for these key skills.
Marketing focused. While your marketing team drives the consumer promotional calendar, the affiliate manager should drive the affiliate promotional calendar. For example, if there is a new product launch on the horizon, what can the affiliate manager do to get affiliates geared up to boost promotion of the new product?Relationship oriented. Affiliate managers work directly with a variety of individuals, from your internal IT team to a mommy blogger. As such, they need to have strong communication and relationship building skills.Analytically advanced. Any marketing expenditure should be tied to revenue, and an experienced affiliate manager will ensure the proper tracking and attribution is in place to account for all promotional activities. He should also be able to ask the right questions and manipulate data to get the answers.Tech savvy. From testing the affiliate-tracking pixel to coding content for affiliates, affiliate managers need to have basic HTML and code knowledge.Detail oriented and inquisitive. There are many nuances when it comes to affiliate marketing — from understanding different state legislative requirements in regards to tax nexus, to tracking the success of a single paid placement. Affiliate managers need to be detail-oriented so that they can manage the specifics, but inquisitive enough to see the big picture.Fits with company. Most of all, regardless of whether you hire an in-house or an outsourced affiliate manager, you want to hire someone who is a good fit with your brand and culture, and who can be an ambassador of your brand.4 Myths About Affiliate Marketing You Need To Know - Forbes
There are lots of myths out there surrounding affiliate marketing, and these can frequently cause brands/businesses to pass on these kinds of programs. It’s important you understand some of these myths so you can make the correct decisions for the future growth of your business.
Whether you’re the brand manager at a Fortune 100 brand or the marketing director/everything else at a startup, setting up a solid affiliate program can open a revenue avenue without much of the hassle usually associated with setting up new marketing initiatives.
1. Affiliate systems are quick and easy to manage
An affiliate marketing program is a lot of work, and in most situations there’s a lot of competition so you’re not going to be bringing in money immediately. Business owners and entrepreneurs suppose that all you need do is setup a site and choose an affiliate to associate with and then just let it run its course. But according to Three Ladders Marketing, only 0.6% of affiliate marketers surveyed have been in the game since 2013. That means that affiliate marketing takes time and effort to build and make money.
Affiliate marketing myths busted. Source: tips.affiliatevote.comThe affiliate marketing business relies on fostering relationships. You foster these relationships by:
*Bringing the right partners into your program
*Seeking out better and more efficient partnerships
*Updating your content regularly to keep things new and fresh.
An affiliate program is only going to help bring traffic to your website or business; you are in charge of turning that traffic into conversions.
2. You need to work in a very popular and lucrative niche to make affiliate marketing work for your business.
A lot of companies do not even bother trying an affiliate marketing program because they think their market is too little. Some companies will try and break into bigger niches even if they don’t have any interest in the market niche.
It is true that popular niches do better with affiliate marketing, but that doesn’t mean you do not have a chance at success. Stay in line with the goals and mission statement of your company and find affiliates who understand the relevance of working in a market where you are comfortable.
3. Affiliate marketing is a strategy of yesterday
Due to Google’s new algorithms for SEO, link building is becoming outdated which can discourage affiliate activity. Even if this is the case, there are many new ways to use SEO and build your brand.
You might come across a couple of link problems with Google if you are not managing your program, but for the most part the entire notion of affiliate marketing still makes sense to Google –it offers another relevant and related resource to consumers.
AffStat 2014 Affiliate Marketing Statistics Report Now Available for Free - FeedFront Magazine
The 2014 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report is now available for free on Kindle (free on Kindle July 21-25, 2014) or as a PDF.
More than eighteen-hundred affiliates were surveyed on their methods, preferences, and strategies for the 2014 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.
The report features dozens of charts of data, based on the responses from the participating affiliates on affiliate marketing, social media, search marketing, blogs, email, and demographics of affiliates.
Feel free to use material from the report in blog posts, presentations, etc.
Just reference that the information came from the 2014 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.
Get your free copy of the Affiliate Summit AffStat Report at AffStat.com.
The post, AffStat 2014 Affiliate Marketing Statistics Report Now Available for Free by Shawn Collins, was originally published on the Affiliate Marketing Blog.
More Info: Click here