As previously blogged about here, the FTC actively continues its assault on paid-for rankings, ratings and review websites. The FTC’s Endorsement Guides provide that if there is a “material connection” between an endorser and an advertiser – in other words, a connection that might affect the weight or credibility that consumers give the endorsement – that connection should … [Read more...]
Five Disclosure Tips for Affiliate Marketers
DISCLAIMER: All content is for informational purposes only. Guidance is based on personal interpretations and in no way, represent legal advice. The industry is buzzing about endorsement requirements when it comes to influencer marketing, but what about when it comes to affiliate marketing? What are the requirements for publishers to disclose when they receive commission … [Read more...]
Vergara Settles Social Media False Endorsement Lawsuit
Actress Sofia Vergara recently settled a lawsuit that she initiated against beauty company Venus Concept for the alleged unlawful use of her likeness in conjunction with promotional content appearing on television and social media. According to Vergara, the defendant created a false impression that she endorsed the brand. As alleged in the compliant, in 2014 Vergara posted a … [Read more...]
Blue Ribbon Panel: Interview with Jackie Bates
What are your two or three key performance marketing-related predictions for 2016? Social searching will enter main stage in 2016 for performance marketers. With Facebook’s search engine developments purported to surpass Google’s search capabilities (and challenge Twitter’s) combined with payment integration and buy buttons as the upcoming new norm in the social realm, we … [Read more...]
Secrets of Social Media Conversion
Social media traffic is cost-effective and highly scaleable but only if you know how to make it convert. The social media conversion funnel is different to the one that many of us are used to but, if it’s executed properly, a conversion-centered social media strategy can yield real ROI. The idea that social media traffic doesn't convert is so widely held by now that many … [Read more...]
Why You Should Build A Social Distribution Site Today
The teenagers of today are our future customers. And most of them don't find websites very useful or interesting. So, where do they get their information, news and product recommendations? Social media apps, is the almost inevitable answer. Niche has released results of a survey of over 7,000 high-school students and the single big takeaway is that for teenagers, social is … [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...]
LinkConnector Merchant Offers Go Viral with the Network’s Newest Technology, Shareable Offers
Press Release LinkConnector’s Newest Technology, Shareable Offers, Gives Consumers the Ability to Dynamically Share Offers from Affiliate Sites, Giving Merchant Offers and Promotions the Opportunity to Go Viral Cary, NC -- February 27, 2013 -- LinkConnector, a leading Performance Marketing Network providing Affiliate Marketing, Tracking and Agency services to some of the … [Read more...]
Forget About Clicks! Facebook Scrambles
If someone asks you how well your ads work, answer a different question. Facebook is facing skepticism on how well Facebook Ads actually work so, rather than showing how many ad clicks their ads generate, they have instead commissioned research showing that - surprise! - clicks aren't important. Reach and frequency are what matters. Facebook teamed up with Datalogix, a data … [Read more...]
Facebook FBX Retargeting Ads Worth 3x More
As Facebook's new FBX exchange kicks into gear the networks brokering the inventory are reporting that the market rate for the retargeted ads are significantly higher than Facebook's traditional display rates. That isn't a surprise - retargeted ads convert much better than even highly demo-targeted ads - but what's interesting is the idea that eventually retargeting may … [Read more...]
Facebook Makes Its Mobile Move
Facebook today began to allow its data to be used for targeting mobile advertising in apps and websites. This is an extension of its "ad exchange layer" concept in which, rather than creating its own ad network, Facebook instead layers its demographic- and interest-based targeting on top of existing networks. If you wanted to know how Facebook can monetize without annoying its … [Read more...]
Achieving ROI With Social Media
At a time when pretty much every organization or affiliate has a social media presence, it's amazing how many don't have any idea how to make it pay for itself. Key performance indicator (KPI) is the term of art for the metrics that matter. Webtrends identifies the most important KPIs: "What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help you evaluate the success of … [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...]
Twitter Might Be The Key To Mobile Performance Advertising
Twitter could change the performance marketing sector if they only made self-serve, auction-priced advertising available. That would open up a massive audience of mobile device users: news-aware, location-aware, product-aware. It could be exactly what is needed to tip performance marketing into the mainstream. With a billion tweets every three days and 140 million active users, … [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...]