affiliate program performance – a shared responsibility
DESCRIPTION
This presentation is from Affiliate Summit East 2013 (August 18-20, 2013) in Philadelphia, PA). Session Description: Stop blaming the affiliate channel for not working, of working poorly, for you. Look at what you are doing to facilitate better conversions! Attend this session for practical “how to” knowledge.TRANSCRIPT
Affiliate Program Performance – a Shared
Responsibility
Geno PrussakovCEO & President, AM Navigator LLCwww.amnavigator.com Founder & Chair, Affiliate Management
Dayswww.affiliatemanagementdays.com
(+1) [email protected]
@ePrussakov .
Whose Responsibility is Performance?
Everyone’s!
Deadly Pitfalls (5 to mind at all times)
Conversion Boosters (10 to explore)
Outline
5 Don’ts
1. Don’t Manage Affiliates
1. Don’t Manage Affiliates
… in reality:
we’re not affiliate managers
but affiliate marketing/program managers
Common Consequence
Treating affiliates as employees
⇒ Motivating by threat
Motivate by Opportunities!
Even in traditional management “threats are generally counterproductive” and “always demotivating.”
“We can motivate people to their highest levels of potential by presenting them with opportunities to succeed instead of telling them what to do”
Source: Alexander Haim, Streetwise Motivating & Rewarding Employees
2. Don’t Treat Them as Guinea Pigs
3. Affiliate Marketing ≠ Channel
“…but, rather, a way of remunerating a marketer… hence, affiliate marketing really exists on the crossroads of a number of online marketing channels and works with nearly all of them.”
Source: Affiliate Program Management: An Hour a Day (p. 24)
It is a marketing context, based on the principle of performance-based compensation.
4. Don’t Cruise on Autopilot
5. Strive to Perfect Conditions
10 Conversion Boosters
1. Leak-Free Website
Leaks - Definition
Leaks – anything that may lead to a course of action for which affiliates will not get credit.
Leaks - Examples
1. Phone Number2. Live Chat3. AdSense Units4. Affiliate Links5. Links to Related Stores/Sites6. Links to Other Merchants7. Links to Other Affiliates
Leak #1 – Phone Number
Leak #1 – Phone Number
Leak #2 – Live Chat
Leak #2 – Live ChatA different answer:
….are you more likely to purchase from a site that has a phone number …on each page?
Psychological Assurance
Source: Online Shopping Through Consumers’ Eyes (p. 53)
Don’t Remove.
Track!!
Leak #3 – AdSense
Leak #4 – Affiliate LinksAmazon widget example:
Leak #5 – Related Stores/Sites
Leak #6 – Other Merchants
Leak #7 – Links to Affiliates
Go Leak-Free!!
2. Optimize Creative Inventory
Banners• Cover common sizes (incl AdSense unit ones)• Analyze what works for competitors• Create affiliate-friendly banners
Text links• Deep-linked to boost conversion
Data feed• Well categorized, regularly updated
Banner Sizes• 468×60 px – 2-5 banners (AdSense too)• 125×125 px – 2-5• 120×600 px – 2-5 AdSense size• 88×31 px button – 2-5 overlooked opportunity!
• 160×600 px – 2-3 AdSense size• 120×240 px – 2-3• 234×60 px – 2-3• 254×331 px – 2-3• 728×90 px – 2-3 AdSense size
• 720×300 px – 1-2• 300×250 px – 1-2
Study Competitors’ Banners
Do analyze, but beware of skewed metrics!
BannersCommon Mistakes
1. Poor graphics
2. Unreadable font
3. Phone number/URL
4. Excessive animation
5. Missing CTA
6. Poor contrast
7. No line around edge
Creatives
BannersGood Examples
Creatives
Video Ads
Creatives
Video ads vs Non-video ads:
Dwell Rate increases 29%
Conversion Rate increases 45%
We’ve analyzed 50 randomly selected merchants (from Internet Retailer Top 500 list) on 3 major affiliate networks (CJ, LinkShare, GAN)…
3. Dedicated Landing Pages
3. Dedicated Landing Pages
Targeted campaign-specific landing pages = commonsense technique for increasing conversions.
Real-life situation:
Example #1:
Example #2:
4. Competitive Intelligence
Analyze program terms (payouts, cookie life, lock dates,tiered payouts, bonuses)
Become their affiliate (creatives, policies, newsletters, promos, tools)
“Friend” and follow them
Remember: “the real purpose of competitive intelligence is to learn and to act” …not to merely gather data or “develop information.”
Seena Sharp, Competitive Intelligence Advantage (p. 100-101)
4. Competitive Intelligence
5. Promos & Coupons
5. Promos & Coupons
Be
creative
Offers/Coupons To Run
1. Year-long - 1-2
2. Monthly - 2-3 (make dynamic links available)
3. Short-term - e.g. weekend
4. Holiday - e.g. to encourage "early bird" sales
5. Exclusive - true or vanity
6. Free Shipping - over certain amount
7. Deal of the Day
Problem of Last-Minute Coupon Search
6. Marketing Calendar
6. Marketing Calendar
Consider also dynamic creatives!
7. Co-Branded Initiatives
Three- to four-fold increase in conversions (from 8.56% to 23.21% for a cashback affiliate, 2.5% to 10.9% for a coupon affiliate) upon introduction of co-branded landed pages
Affiliate Window - http://blog.affiliatewindow.com/?p=1789
66.45% conversion increase, nearly 44% revenue boost, and 132% difference in new customers acquired
Rakuten LinkShare - m.www.linksynergy.com/share/pdf/linkshare_case_study_smartbargains_072310.pdf
“Creating co-branded landing pages… to align an advertiser’s brand with the publisher’s brand” increases the “likelihood of a transaction or action”
Google Affiliate Network – “Affiliate Optimization Center”
Examples:
3 C’s of Affiliate Co-Branding
(1) Connect (affiliate logo, wording, colors)
(2) Convince (exclusive promotion, urgency)
(3) Convert (auto-apply promo, call to action)
Example:
8. List(s) of Top Sellers
8. List(s) of Top Sellers
It’s a tool. Equip affiliates with it!
• Newsletter• Banner / creative• Widget
(dynamically updating)
Newsletterexample:
9. Demographic Data
9. Demographic Data
Where? Program bio/signup page Welcome/approval email
What?o Basics (gender, age, income)o Details (children, religion, ethnicity, etc)o Geographic data
10. Continuous Motivation
Lesson in Motivation
10. Continuous Motivation
How?
In their language
Equipping them with what they need
Employing all available means (program bio, approval email, regular newsletters, social)
In Conclusion…
...don't repeat the mistakes of others!
Thank you! Questions?