Nicky Senyard
· Issue 19 · August 2012
I
f you are an affiliate marketer who is concerned about the future of online
retail, you are not alone. Economic downturns and controversial sales tax reforms mean affiliate marketers must consider how to grow their business online. And it is with reason; spending habits of consumers are more conservative during these times, as affiliates have already felt.
Emerging Markets– Where Can You ? t x e N Turn rd
y Senya by Nick
Target Target your presence by exploring geo-centric domain
This is when it is time to get creative and leverage
names and hosting in the targeted region. This type of
another set of opportunities not yet harvested: foreign
targeting has its pros and cons. For example, end users
markets. Diversification through markets outside the U.S.
from a region convert better from geo-centric domains;
is nothing new and may provide an opportunity for you.
however, this may not suit your branding and content ob-
As affiliate marketing continues to evolve, in terms of
jectives, thus not working in your favor.
competition among different types of affiliates, innovative
Also, depending on your target, you can include spe-
merchant products and services, industry technology, and
cific idioms and expressions in your list of keyword terms
tracking software, more industry members are witnessing
and phrases to better appeal to your foreign audience and
the need to tap into foreign markets.
increase conversions.
Here are a few steps for achieving diversification in your business to expand and grow beyond the United States.
Market penetration If English-speaking US-based internet users are al-
It all begins… Research the foreign market of choice to learn if you
ready your target audience, it may seem natural to direct your efforts to same language markets.
can introduce your own product or service there, or pur-
Countries like Canada, England, and Australia could
chase an established spinoff business. Evaluate what per-
be easy gateways to expand your affiliate marketing busi-
centage of your new target audience has internet access,
ness. However, note that each English-speaking country
how they pay online, and how they access online informa-
varies from the next and it’s important to learn how they
tion (web or mobile).
differ from one another.
This type of research can be done online or outsourced to assist in identifying the right campaigns to work with. Your research should focus on delving deeper into lo-
The good news is that thanks to a prolific American culture most English speakers don’t feel too alienated with American idioms.
cal search by cities and states/provinces to identify dif-
In non-English markets, you may consider joining forc-
ferences in a region. Explore the psyche of your foreign
es with a local business that already knows your target for-
audience, such as time spent online by device and their
eign market or getting a native speaking translator to assist.
research/shopping habits. This information can then set the stage for future geotargeted PPC and SEO campaigns.
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If you offer a multi-lingual site make sure you state the language variances in words, flags just isolate people from other countries that speak the same language. Nicky Senyard founded Share Results in 2004.