There are a number of things that might impede the performance of your affiliate program. I have distilled some of the the more deadly ones into a New Year’s checklist which you can apply to your own affiliate program, improving its long-term performance. Here are the seven key areas to which you should pay special attention in 2014: 1. Channel Cannibalization I’m sure you’ve … [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 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...]
Blurring the Lines
Recently, I posed my question to a diverse audience: "At your company, who is in charge of social media marketing? Raise your hand if it's the marketing group." A few hands went up. "The public relations team?" A few hands again. "Market research?" Once again, only a smattering of hands was raised. "So I guess most of you aren't using social media at all?" I suggested. "Must be … [Read more...]
Social Networking Bailout
Our politicians, along with Wall Street, a few bankers and some mortgage firms may be able to take our money, but they can't take away our friends. In fact, our friends may be all we have left someday. There's no doubt that the crisis we face today financially and otherwise will test our mettle as small business owners and brands.So in tough times what can we do? Well, if … [Read more...]
Affiliates are Bullish
With the U.S. dollar sinking to new lows, oil and gold attaining new heights, and both food and gasoline prices rising quickly: corporate CEO's, the media and government officials finally acknowledged what millions have seen coming for years - the U.S. economy is in BIG trouble - and the future looks bleak. As expected, those hit hardest by the current downturn are working … [Read more...]
Growing in an Unhealthy Climate
Economists, politicians and media types are no longer arguing whether or not the economy is in a recession. Instead most are debating how long it will last. If recent trends continue, the prognosis is relatively dismal for real estate values, gas prices and the unemployment rate. And as corporations and consumers grow frugal, cutbacks in advertising threaten the vitality of … [Read more...]
Lights, Cameras, Action!
Raise your hand if you've heard of Blendtec. I bet you are familiar with Blendtec and I bet I know how you first heard of their blenders - from their viral video series called "Will it blend?" That series, showing iPods and other unusual items being reduced to powder by a powerful blender, serves a strong branding message: If it can annihilate an iPod, it will make quick work … [Read more...]
The Importance of Follow-through
I am not a golfer- but I rented some clubs and hit at a driving range for the first time a few months ago. I had no clue what I was doing, but I happened to be standing next to someone who was in the middle of a lesson. I watched closely and tried to apply what the trainer was telling his student to make my swing better. After a few tries, I was consistently driving that sucker … [Read more...]
YouTube Should Get Down to Business
According to the U.S. Census Bureau,there are nearly six million businesses in the United States. Think about the enormity of that number.That's billions and billions of dollars in revenue generation every year. That's also six million businesses that all require the same basic nourishment to survive - marketing and sales.If you're one of those six million businesses, there's … [Read more...]
Late for a Date
This column was supposed to be the last in our series on redesigning SostreAssoc.com, the website for my design firm Sostre & Associates. I even said in my last article that, “By the time you read this article, the new design will be live on our site and we’ll have started crunching the analytics data.” Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out that way. Due to various … [Read more...]