Shawn Collins' Blog

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

Archives for September 2007

Free Google AdWords Mobile Campaigns

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I got an e-mail from Google yesterday that brought a smile to my face. The subject was “Introducing Search Ads on Google Mobile Search.”

mobile marketing

We are happy to announce a new feature that will allow you to easily reach additional qualified customers who are searching Google from their mobile phones.

In the next few days, your search ads will be eligible to run on Google Mobile Search pages (like they currently do on Google.com). We are offering this feature – and any resulting clicks – for free through November 18, so you can experiment with the rapidly growing mobile platform while still reaching qualified customers.

Each ad’s eligibility will be determined by its landing page and only ads with landing pages that can be adapted for viewing on mobile browsers will be shown. You can monitor each ad’s
performance via a special performance tracking page within your account called “Performance Data: Search Ads on Google Mobile Search.”

Did you get that? FREE clicks from Google AdWords for mobile search through November 18.

More details on Google Mobile Search in the AdWords Help Center.

As they mentioned, your landing pages have to be “adapted for viewing on mobile browsers.”

Easy enough – create your landing pages in WordPress and install the WordPress Mobile Plugin.

Not only does that plugin enable your WordPress blog to be viewed in mobile browsers, but it also has an option to include ads from AdMob on the mobile version of your site.

Did the light bulb go on, yet? Free traffic from Google AdWords to your mobile landing pages that have AdMob ads. Test now!

Commission Junction 2007 Horizon Award Winners

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I just came across the announcement of the Commission Junction 2007 Horizon Awards winners.

And the winners are…

People (shown an enthusiastic commitment to pay-for-performance marketing)
Advertiser: Theresa Tao, ShoeBuy.com
Publisher: Craig Cassata, MrRebates.com

Greatness (proven to have exceptional performance increases over the previous year and who inspire greatness in others)
Advertiser: HP Home and Home Office Store
Publisher: Liquid Apogee

Innovation (in appreciation for their support to Commission Junction and their commitment to people in the industry)
Advertiser: MidPhase Services
Publisher: Move Marketing

Global Vision (action, strategy and initiatives best reflect a commitment to realizing the global potential of affiliate marketing)
MNP Enterprises

Lisa Picarille’s blog at the Revenue Magazine site also provides coverage of CJU and some photos of the event.

Apparently, Lisa wasn’t too happy with the entertainment at the awards:

The dinner “entertainment” was Kevin Joyce, a CJ account director on the publisher development team. His act involved way too much talking and nobody was really listening. He totally dissed Revenue and the Spider for some missteps about CJ’s reorganization announcement in July. But at least the Spider is usually humorous and doesn’t stoop to bad puns or bad magic tricks. Oh well….

Meow. Love ya, Lisa.

Affiliate Managers Come Together on 9/11

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Back on September 11, 2001, I was running a forum for affiliate managers called the United States Affiliate Manager Coalition, and we’d generally discuss the hot topics of affiliate marketing.

Mickey in front of the World Trade Center

But that was all shoved aside when the World Trade Center was attacked.

The list was temporarily transformed into a place where friends and colleagues to check and see if one another were OK.

I’ve been posting a transcript from those days each year since. It’s sad and encouraging at the same time to read it again.

Revisit the Affiliate Managers of 9/11.

My 9/11 Story

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I was digging through some old boxes a couple days ago when I came across the September 12, 2001 edition of the New York Post.

The issue, which then estimated the 9/11 dead to be in the 10,000 range, was a disturbing visit back to that day.

Back then, I was in the midst of running the ClubMom affiliate program and got to the office around 8:30 AM – just a couple blocks up from the Empire State Building.

When I heard about the first World Trade Center crash, I couldn’t believe it. I’d just looked over at the buildings as I walked from Penn Station to my office.

Mickey Poses with the Twin TowersI often admired the World Trade Center when I lived in Jersey City (across the Hudson River from lower Manhattan) years ago.

I’d walk my dog down to the waterfront and just hang out transfixed on the WTC.

And that affection for the huge buildings continued. Whenever I was in the city for work or fun, I’d frequently look up to the towers.

That day, when they came crashing down, was and is so thoroughly impactful. I didn’t think I was going to make it out of NYC alive and went through an odyssey to finally make it home safe.

Video: My 9/11 Story

Google vs. Affiliate Marketing

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Q: Do you think Google CPA will overtake affiliate marketing? And do you think affiliate marketing will still be around in 15 years?

Shawn CollinsA: According to some research I conducted for the Affstat 2007 Report, the actual number of affiliate programs based on the per lead or CPA model was just 19%. On the other hand, the per sale or revenue share affiliate programs accounted for 81% of affiliate programs.

Unless Google starts focusing on revenue share, I don’t think they pose a threat to the affiliate marketing industry.

Anyhow, I see Google CPA as more of another component of affiliate marketing that exists in tandem with the affiliate networks.

Just another option for merchants and affiliates, rather than being an “either/or” situation.

That said, just recently at SES, Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice president of search product and user experience, stated that CPA is “the Holy Grail.”

So obviously, they’ve got confidence in their future and the possibilities in CPA.

On the subject of whether affiliate marketing will be in business down the road, I would say that so long as the Internet is here, affiliate marketing will be here.

After all, affiliate marketers are a commission-based sales force, and that’s a concept that’s been going on for centuries.

In the 1900’s, you had offline examples, which were not called affiliate marketing, but were the same sort of thing – opportunities like being a Fuller Brush man or an Avon lady.

It’s not as it this is a new concept, and I don’t see it going anywhere.

The Affiliate Debate: Quality or Quantity?

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The September 2007 issue of Internet Retailer has an article on the argument of whether an affiliate program should focus on quality or quantity of affiliates.

In a world where bigger often is viewed as better, some online marketers have taken this approach to populating their affiliate marketing programs. If they know they’ll pay no commission fee to an affiliate unless a click-through from that affiliate’s site actually produces a sale, what’s the harm, the rationale goes, in signing up as many affiliates as possible?

The answer to that question isn’t as obvious as it may seem. Some experts say keeping an affiliate program wide open is a strategy that’s riskier than, and at the very least not as rewarding as, limiting and defining affiliates in a retailer’s program.

Read the complete article at http://www.internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=23602 for perspectives on both sides, including my own in favor of smaller affiliate programs.

Commission Junction Breaks Records in 2007

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Commission Junction has announced some new records and client wins as they kick off the annual Commission Junction University event in Santa Barbara, California.

Through the first half of 2007, Commission Junction reports that they earned record revenue, and sales activity thus far in 2007 has broken their previous records for new client contract signings.

New clients for Commission Junction include Air France Canada, Avenue.com, Borders, Café Press, Corel, E*TRADE FINANCIAL, Intuit, Lavalife, Oneida, shop.com and Tinderbox.com.

“Commission Junction is pleased to be partnering with so many leading advertisers,” said Tom Vadnais, chief executive officer of ValueClick, Inc. and general manager of Commission Junction and Mediaplex. “Major clients continue to select us for their performance advertising because of our ability to deliver results along with great personalized service, which is rare in this industry, especially for a company of our size. Our clients benefit from our wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as our commitment to continually lead the industry forward with the development of new technologies and solutions.”

More details on Commission Junction at http://www.cj.com/.

DoubleClick Performics Affiliate VIP Program

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DoubleClick Performics has announced the launch of a new Publisher Recognition Program, Affiliate VIP.

According to their announcement…

Affiliate VIP (Very Important Publisher) recognizes outstanding affiliate publishers in the DoubleClick Performics network. To be eligible for Affiliate VIP, publishers must achieve the network’s highest levels of performance and productivity, as well as demonstrate best practices in terms of compliance, transparency, and responsiveness.

Benefits for being an Affiliate VIP include:

  • Dedicated Publisher Relationship Manager to provide guidance, best practices, and help champion their business
  • Increased recognition/visibility in the DoubleClick Performics network, including a special Affiliate VIP icon viewable by advertisers
  • Invitations to special events, including the annual DoubleClick Performics Client Summit

Affiliates will be evaluated each quarter for entry into the program, and those selected will be notified of their Affiliate VIP status.

Sounds like a good program, though the name is reflective of the industry bipolarity when it comes to what we call the people that work hard to earn commissions referring sales, clicks, and leads.

To me, they are affiliates. I am an affiliate. Others prefer publishers.

Anyhow, good to see the Affiliate Very Important Publishers are being recognized.

More details at http://www.performics.com/affiliatevip/DoubleClick_Performics_Affiliate_VIP.pdf.

Managing Affiliate Ads

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Q: Do you know of a good, off-the-shelf software to manage affiliate ads for a Web site, and also offer rewards, cashback or points to our users?

Shawn CollinsA: I guess this is a two part question, or even if it’s not meant to be, I will answer it that way.

As far as a good, off-the-shelf software, one that I would highly recommend is OpenAds. It’s free and it’s a great ad server for managing all of your affiliate campaigns. It’s got lots of analytics and other useful tools.

When it comes to a solution for rewards, cashback or points, a solution to consider is Mall Networks. They have a good solution that you might want to check out.

But otherwise, the rewards, cashback, and points affiliates have generally created the technology in-house.

There is nothing, to my knowledge, that you can just buy, install, and start using for this purpose.

Not knowing your business model or the stage you are in with this project, I’d say Mall Networks might be your best choice.

Affiliates Should Be Unreasonable

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http://youtu.be/Rzui3LMsYiI

Recently, I read Be Unreasonable, by Paul Lemberg, and I wanted to share it, because it’s quickly become one of my favorite non-fiction and business books.

The sub-title of the book is “The Unconventional Way to Extraordinary Business Results”, and it’s full of examples and ideas on how to go about business in ways that aren’t considered to be conventional.

It’s not just another manuscript of going outside the box; because that presumes that you’re allowing the box to be the basis of your ideas.

Rather, Be Unreasonable is about doing something totally unique and original, and going a different route to achieve success.

I found the mini case studies to be very informative and enlightening. Paul Lemberg’s approach to various challenges is fresh, and his book really resonated with me and reinforced ideas about endeavoring to do great things.

Whether you are an affiliate, merchant or network, I think this book would be an asset to you. It will help to open your mind with different perspectives and to devise new approaches to old problems.