The performance marketing industry has undergone massive change within the last 2 years, possibly more than any period within the decade. Many performance marketing companies are merging or are being acquired for strategic purposes. Perhaps the biggest trend is that a number of large companies have gone into aggressive acquisition mode, which has left an interesting gap in the … [Read more...]
360 Days in the Life of Performance Marketing
The past year was tumultuous for the industry; 2014 should be better but it won’t be without its speed bumps. As the next issue of Revenue+Performance will be highlights the best performing cost-per-action (CPA) and cost-per-sale (CPS) networks, it seems a good time to reflect on the past year in performance marketing and to look ahead to 2014. The performance marketing … [Read more...]
The Future of Performance Marketing: More Consolidation & Better Social Media Lead Generation
Three seemingly disparate events this year — the closing of the Google Affiliate Network (GAN), Facebook introducing CPA buys and Twitter launching Lead Generation Cards — foretell the future of performance marketing. There are two trends moving in parallel: the increasing consolidation of the industry that will result in only a few select full-service players and niche … [Read more...]
The Publisher’s Guide to Affiliate Marketing
In the fall 2012 edition of this magazine I wrote an article, The CMO Guide to Affiliate Marketing, that established the basic principles every marketer needs to launch an effective affiliate marketing program. Now, I’m turning my attention to the entrepreneurial side — the affiliate/publisher. As an affiliate myself for the better part of a decade, I know that none of the … [Read more...]
The CMO Guide to Affiliate Marketing
Having built and run multiple performance marketing divisions over the past decade, I’ve learned that the best thing I can do for the industry is bring more advertising budget into our space. I’ve partnered extensively with Revenue Performance magazine over the last three years, and we are collaborating again to offer this guide for CMOs to help educate them on best practices … [Read more...]
The Lead Generation Marketplace Grows Up
The lead generation industry has matured and is now reaching an inflection point. While some companies will fall by the wayside, it represents a positive change and will create many new opportunities. The good news is that “Online Darwinism,” for lack of a better term, has effectively eliminated many companies that refused to adhere to the basic values that once made them … [Read more...]
Summer Conference Recap: Accountability and Compliance Take Center Stage
It has been a busy summer for online marketing professionals. LeadsCon East and Affiliate Summit East were scheduled three weeks apart, making scheduling and planning for these important events somewhat more complicated than in years past. Despite the close proximity of the two shows, each continues to offer a different kind of value. LeadsCon attracts a more advanced … [Read more...]
Let’s Call it ‘Anti-social’ Media
I’m confused why we refer to this world of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+, MySpace, etc., as "social” media. From everything I’ve experienced, it should really be called “anti-social” media. The sad reality is that social media has devolved into a series of faceless and impersonal interactions through PCs, smartphones and tablets, whereby … [Read more...]
ROI On Marketing: Still The Only Thing That Matters
Klein Online (& Out- of-Line) The national debt is climbing to $15B, the Dow Jones dropped 1,000 points in August and yet online advertising spend continues to soar quarter after quarter. Clearly advertisers see online as a viable channel to reach consumers and maximize ROI in these difficult times. And clearly CMO’s are being pressured to deliver results instead of just … [Read more...]
Do Networks Offer Agency Services?
There are no affiliate networks that offer agency services. It doesn’t matter if they focus on CPA or lead generation, of if they are publicly traded or private. None of them offer agency services. Yes, I just said that, risking the ire of hundreds of networks. But I say it because it is true. And the reason is that networks are a just small piece of the agency … [Read more...]
Klein Online (& Out-of-Line): Kick Fraud Out!
The mThink/Revenue Performance team were kind enough to offer me an outlet for my opinionated self and perhaps also provide a nugget or two of value. Those who know me understand that I am rarely bashful or quiet, but that said, allow me to bring to you Klein Online. I’d like to throw some thoughts out there on fraud. What’s the biggest single threat to us these days? Al … [Read more...]
The “Anti-Data Pass” Bill And Affiliate Summit West
Affiliate Summit West was one of the best-attended and diverse shows of the last few years. It left me reflecting upon several industry trends. On the positive side, there seems to be a shift toward proprietary technology development and also a focus on internal traffic sources as a value-add for advertisers. On the technology side, many companies are investing in building … [Read more...]