Judging by the way our economy has plummeted in the last year, it seems the 2009 holiday season does not bode well for retailers — online or off. Tens of thousands of people are still getting laid off every week, the job market simply won’t do us the kindness of opening up, and consumers are squeezing pennies so hard that Lincoln feels their pain. Given this … [Read more...]
Tried and True Performance Strategies
There are a lot of ways to approach affiliate marketing. Here are a few of my favorite tips.Feature Co-branded Messaging –Among the fastest-growing areas of affiliate marketing, loyalty and cash-back sites have come to play an increasingly important role in affiliate programs. Given that these types of sites are responsible for delivering a huge number of sales and often … [Read more...]
Capitalizing on Fame
Some say there’s no such thing as an overnight success. Others believe everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame. I don’t know about those old clichés. But I do know someone who proved that worldwide fame can come quickly.For Mia Michaels, who was already well known in the dance industry, being a part of the TV show So You Think You Can Dance exposed her magnetic … [Read more...]
Let’s Get Personal
Imagine that you are shopping at a department store and you ask a salesperson for men’s summer sandals and he takes you to the main entrance and drops you off. Your reaction?There’s a good chance you’re frustrated. You probably think less of the store for its poor service. You’re probably going to leave without buying any shoes. You might even tell your … [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...]
Participation Is Not Passive
Elvis has left the building and he took the audience with him.The only people left are fellow participants. Social media has made everyone an author, creator, director, developer, editor, critic and media outlet. There are millions of voices, but they are all saying the same thing - listen to me.Participants do not consume passively. They do not sit silently ready to have their … [Read more...]
Incentivize Your Audience
Budgets are tightening, and advertisers need to boost ROI- fast. The social Web is gaining value not only as a medium that delivers measurable results, but also as a resource for gaining insight a company can use to make all of its advertising (TV, print, online) more effective, to increase ROI across the board.Social media is known for its wealth of useful information. Using … [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...]
Passing the Test
In the May/June Affiliate's Corner column, I wrote about the ways super-affiliates prefer to be approached by affiliate program managers and merchants for the purpose of program recruitment.Wooing a super-affiliate over drinks and dinner with offers of exclusive landing pages, significantly higher-than-advertised commission rates, or showering them with free product samples … [Read more...]
Ringing IN and Hanging UP
In the old days, a telephone came in two designs and had one ring. With the rise in cell phones, the styles are endless and so are the types of rings you can make the phone chime. There are master tones, ringback tones, polytones, monotones and they all have a price. Users can download them over the Internet and program a ring to sound only when mom or that special someone … [Read more...]
Insurance for Conversion Rates
Designing for conversions isn't rocket science. It's just the ability to design a website with particular ideas in mind. For this column we're going to focus on some of the most powerful ways to make a site convert - emotion, unique value proposition and credibility. Master these three basic concepts and you'll be rewarded with soaring conversion rates.The life insurance lead … [Read more...]
The Posh Payoff
Diamonds, private jets, multi-million-dollar mansions, haute couture, luxury vehicles and high-end handbags - customers looking for upscale goods and services could probably find all these items in posh places like Beverly Hills or they could just head to the Web.The online shopping environment for upscale merchandise has been robust in recent years.Websites such as … [Read more...]
Guerrilla Generosity
With the holiday season waiting just over the calendar horizon, I can't help but remember how holidays are disasters for the unprepared. To help prepare you, I want to activate your generosity awareness. There seem to be two kinds of affiliates: givers and takers. Giver affiliates are quick to give freebies to customers and prospects. The freebies may be gifts, but more likely … [Read more...]
Fair Game
In-game advertising offers geotargeting of a captive and highly lucrative audience.National advertisers looking to reach mass audiences have had few choices online. The highly fragmented Web lacks properties that can match the millions of viewers who routinely view network TV.However, online gaming (not to be confused with online gambling) sites are now accruing the millions of … [Read more...]
Follow Up or Fall on Your Face
Guerrilla affiliates know well the importance of customer followup and prospect follow-up because they know what it takes to succeed in business.Why do most businesses lose customers? Poor service? Nope. Poor quality? Nope. Well, then why? I say, it's apathy after the sale. Most businesses lose customers by ignoring them to death. A numbing 68 percent of all business lost in … [Read more...]