Shawn Collins' Blog

Affiliate marketing and other stuff from Shawn Collins, co-founder of Affiliate Summit.

Archives for February 2005

Affiliates, marketers wrestle over trademark use under new Google ad policy

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An ongoing debate about whether online marketers should allow affiliates to bid for search engine positions on the marketer`s trademarked names has resurfaced, with Google`s announcement in January of a new policy under which it shows only one paid ad per search query for affiliates and marketers displaying the same URL.

Under the new policy, if multiple ads compete for the top keyword position under the same URL, Google shows only the ad with the highest AdRank.

The AdRank is based on the ad`s cost per click rate and the click-through rate on the ad. Most of the controversy swirls around the use of trademarks–the difference between a search for “diapers” and a search for “Pampers diapers,” for example.

It`s the AdRank that determines which bidder gets the placement, upping by a notch some marketers` worries about being outbid by their own affiliates for a spot higher up in search results. Shut out entirely Only now, since there`s only one paid spot per keyword per URL available on Google, instead of just having to put up with a lower spot in multiple paid ad listings, they face the prospect of not showing up in results at all.

That means a marketer could be shut out entirely on some paid keywords, depending on how much the company is–or is not–willing to pay for the spot, and it`s more than just a possibility.

Search engine marketing company Did-it.com executive chairman Kevin Lee cites one example in which retailer Brooks Brothers had the number two spot on AdWords, behind an affiliate, under a particular keyword for an item on BrooksBrothers.com. After Google`s policy change, only the affiliate`s AdWord listing remained.

Complete article at http://internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=14271

Window Positions – the Next Affiliate Marketing Headache?

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I just received a sales call from a service called Window Positions, a Searchclimbers company. They can “put your website on the top of all the major search engines and actually open your website in the results.”

Plumbing Leak

How do they manage such a desired function? Well, it’s all through an “update” to Internet Explorer. If a user has this sort of update, when they search for a term in Google, a product on eBay, or a story at CNN, they get the top half of their screen dominated by an advertiser.

This “in your face” marketing starts at just $500/year and goes up from there, depending on the popularity of the keyword.

But don’t get too excited, their site does state that “Our Network consists of 16 million users, and not the whole internet.”

How did they get there, you ask? According to the sales person, there are lots of people that want to update IE, and their product is an IE update. It’s also bundled with other programs on Download.com.

Affiliatizzle – Snoop Dog on Performance Marketing

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I just came across Gizoogle.com, a Snoop Doggified search engine.

Funny stuff on there – if you do a search on affiliate tip, here are some of the results you get:

Affiliate Program Directory – Affiliatizzle
… affiliate tip is a free resource ta hizzay affiliates wittaffiliate programs, as W-to-tha-izzell as a guide as ta how ta promote affiliate programs, n W-H-to-tha-izzich affiliate …
www.affiliatetip.com/ – 25k

Affiliatizzle Bliznog
… a new affiliate ta you wizzay have a stakes in tha performance of that referred affiliate. … In many cases, I’ll include an excerpt of a tip or brotha resource, so …
www.affiliatetip.com/blog/ – 91k

Affiliate Tip #33 – Stizzop Traffic Leaks
Affiliate Program Resource – find tha top affiliate programs, niznews, tizzips, n blog. … Affiliate Tip #33 – Stop Traffic Leaks . Holla!. If you …
www.affiliatetip.com/affiliate_tip_33.php – 18k

Affiliate Tip #21 – Protect Yo Content
Affiliate Program Resource – find tha top affiliate programs, news, tizzips, n B-L-to-tha-izzog and yo momma. … Affiliate Tip #21 – Protect Yo Content. When …
www.affiliatetip.com/affiliate_tip_21.php – 19k

Affiliatizzle B-L-to-tha-izzog: Put Tha Affiliate Tip B-L-to-tha-izzog On Yo Site
… February 06, 2005 . They call me tha black folks president. Put tha Affiliate Tip Bizzle on Yo Site. Would you like ta add tha Affiliate Tip Blog heezeelines n summaries ta yo site fo` free? …
www.affiliatetip.com/blog/archives/put_the_affiliate_tip_blog_on_your_site.html – 8k

Affiliates a Spam Liability for Companies?

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The e-mail was blatantly illegal.

The promotional, unsolicited message was sent to e-mail addresses stolen from various Web pages. It didn’t include the sender’s postal address. And it didn’t have the required “unsubscribe” link.

But the junk e-mail wasn’t pushing pornography, generic Viagra or some other dubious merchandise typically associated with spam. It was selling Dell computers. And the offers were real – anyone who clicked on the link went straight to Dell’s Web site.

The world’s largest maker of personal computers, sending out spam?

Yes and no.

Dell didn’t send the e-mail. But it was dealing with someone in Romania who had.

The spammer was an “affiliate” – an independent, online salesperson who uses his Web site or e-mail messages to steer customers to merchants. Affiliates collect a commission for each sale

Click here for complete article.

Ask Shawn Collins: Buying Email Names

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Where can I buy double opt in email addresses – it would take me forever to harness emails just from a form?

It’s appealing and easy to rent names from somebody else (and you can certainly do this from DM News and other sources), but if you want to bring in long-term customers, I’d suggest rolling your own.

When you rent a list, you’re going to get a quick hit, but they are just responding to the offer of the day.

But if you take the time to develop your own list, a list that truly wishes to hear from you, then you are building a strong, loyal list.

Ask Shawn Collins: PHP Generated Affiliate Sites

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Q: Have you got any links to PHP codes that generate affiliate sites? I have one from MediaPlazza that could be better, in terms of SEO, but I would like to make some other sites the same way.

Shawn CollinsA: I ran a few searches in Google and was able to come up with PHP scripts that generate sites, but I am not familiar with any of these products, so I do not want to suggest/link to any of them.

One thing to bear in mind is that it’s not enough to generate a bunch of pages with a script and wait for the money to roll in.

What you need is some sort of unique selling proposition, such as your own content.

Ask Shawn Collins: Classify an Affiliate Business

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Q: I have a couple of websites where I place banner ads and generate affiliate revenue. I have incorporated (mainly cause I hated giving out my SS#). Now I have to apply for a Tax ID number. How would you classify an affiliate business? Anything related to Internet sales implies selling hard goods. Any advice?

Shawn CollinsA: That’s a great question. Since I have absolutely no background in this sort of thing, whenever I have a similar question, I quickly pass it on to my accountant.

If you don’t already have one, I would definitely suggest hiring an accountant for any issues regarding properly filling out forms related to taxes.

Also, if you currently file your own personal taxes, you will see that it’s a bit trickier to file business taxes.

It’s not worth your time to try and navigate the Federal Government, when you can outsource that stuff, and then concentrate on making money.

Work smarter, not harder.

LinkMo Relaunches Affiliate Marketing Network, Guarantees Highest CPA

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WEST JORDAN, Utah, Feb. 11 — Affiliate marketing just got exciting again. LinkMo (http://www.linkmo.com), the pay-for-performance marketing and lead generation tracking arm of Ouimette Communications, Inc. (OuiCom, http://www.ouicom.com), today announced the relaunch of its own affiliate marketing network – and it bears little resemblance to affiliate networks of the past.

The big difference: LinkMo merchants pay less, thanks to LinkMo’s transaction-based fee system, which eliminates the high commissions most other networks charge their merchants. At the same time, as a result of the company’s exclusive and direct relationships with top vendors, LinkMo affiliates consistently enjoy some of the highest CPA payouts in the industry.

Click here for complete press release.

KowaBunga! Spreads the Love

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I was just belatedly picking through my mail and I was surprised to see a Valentine from none other than Ben Ellis, the Affiliate Manager for KowaBunga!.

kowaben.jpg

I’ve got to say that it warms my heart – not that Ben and his twinkling tooth were presenting me with some mangy flowers, but that I’m seeing more companies embracing direct mail as a means for communicating with affiliates.

I’ve received hundreds of relationship emails from affiliate managers over the years, and they all vaporize from my memory in 3 seconds.

But this piece from Ben, where he signs off, “Until the next time I send you a check, you’ll be forever in my dreams”, was easily the most goofy, memorable contact I’ve received from an affiliate manager, and it’s earned a spot on my bulletin board.

kowabenback.jpg

And now I’m off to refresh my KowaBunga! affiliate links.