FeedFront Magazine, Issue 22 by Affiliate Summit

Come, Celebrate Wit h us! LobbyCon Men By Shawn Collins - Page 2

3 Time Saving Tips for Business Owners By Ryan Sorensen - Page 10

Philly Insiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide for Affiliate Summit Attendees By Debra Rabin - Page 18

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01/04/2013 07:16:48 p.m.

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01/04/2013 07:16:49 p.m.

Issue 22 · April 2013

Table of Contents 2

Editors Note: LobbyCon Men

Shawn Collins

3 Things I Learned Marketing to Teens

Maggie Talbot

Mining Your Merchants for Content Gold

7 Habits of Highly Successful Content Creators

Scott Jangro

Across the Pond: UK Aﬃliate Marketing Challenges

Jamie Tapia

5 Steps to Secure Your WordPress Site

Don Campbell

3 Time Saving Tips for Business Owners

Ryan Sorensen

Successfully Entering the Mobile Marketplace

4 Things All Great Aﬃliate Managers Create

How Facebook Graph Search Can Help Businesses

5 Ways to Dominate With Mobile

Pinterest: Your Mission Statement on Steroids

Adapting to the Current SEO Landscape

Philly Insider’s Guide for Aﬃliate Summit Attendees

Debra Rabin

7 Reasons to Manually Approve Aﬃliates

Wade Tonkin

Find the Best Aﬃliate Program for You

Aﬃliate Marketing Business Mindset Makes a Diﬀerence

Negative Impact on SEO from Shared Hosting

How to Prevent Developers from Losing Interest

Search Engines Gone Social

Alek Flekel

Content Locking 101

Tony Cohn

You Should Promote Complementary Aﬃliate Programs

Hedging Bets: Aﬃliates And The Unregulated Markets

Rachel Hirsch

Performance Marketing Summit Recap

Shawn Collins

Your Industry Needs You Now

5 Ways to Proﬁt with Existing Content

STAFF Co-Editors in Chief Missy Ward, Shawn Collins Co-Publishers Missy Ward, Shawn Collins

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Contributing Writers

Don Campbell, Chris Carrel, Tony Cohn, Shawn Collins, Ashley Coombe, Melissa Filipkowski, Alek Flekel, Jen Goode, Rachel Hirsch, Jason Hulott, David Iwanow, Scott Jangro, Stephanie Lichtenstein, Matt McWilliams, Debra Rabin, Shawn Shellengarger, Ryan Sorensen, Joe Sousa, Maggie Talbot, Jamie Tapia, James Thompson, Wade Tonkin, Missy Ward, Laura Wolf

Graphic Design Logan Gattis Designs www.logangattis.com Magazine Coordinator Amy Rodriguez Cover Photo Credit: Shawn Collins

Joe Sousa

Melissa Filipkowski Matt McWilliams Stephanie Lichtenstein Shawn Shellengarger Ashley Coombe David Iwanow

Shawn Collins Laura Wolf Chris Carrel James Thompson

Jason Hulott

Missy Ward Jen Goode

Aﬃliate Summit 522 Hunt Club Blvd. #411 Apopka, FL 32703 tel (417)-2SUMMIT (278-6648) fax (908) 364-4627

Articles in FeedFront Magazine are the opinions of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine, or its owners. FeedFront Magazine always welcomes opinions of an opposite nature. For more information, visit: www.FeedFront.com Interested in advertising? Please visit http://feedfront.com/advertising/ or email us at: feedfront@affiliatesummit.com © 2013 Affiliate Summit, Inc. and Individual Authors.

01/04/2013 07:15:35 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Sha

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Editor’s Note

here are a handful of diﬀerent types of people who

LobbyCon Men by Shawn Collins

head out to conferences. Some are looking solely to network, while oth-

ers want to both attend sessions and network with their fellow conference attendees. And then there are the folks looking for a free ride.

However, if you are tight, but still want to attend, we provide lots of ways to get a free pass. Opportunities include a large allocation of passes for

Well, not exactly.

attendees to give away in their own promotions; our Pay It

These characters pay for airfare, a hotel room, restau-

Forward scholarships; the Race to Aﬃliate Summit contest;

rants, cabs, drinks, etc. but, they don’t bother to get a pass

our sweepstakes for passes on Twitter and Facebook; free

for the conference – the reason they ostensibly made the trip.

passes at our meetups; and press passes.

Sounds pretty spot on with one of the deﬁnitions of a parasite:

Also, we oﬀer Early Bird rates where passes start at $99. These rates were open a full four months (January 17

a person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from

to May 17) for Aﬃliate Summit East 2013.

another or others without giving any useful or proper return, as one who lives on the hospitality of others. I am not talking about the people who hang out in the hotel lobby and try to meet up with attendees without registering for the show. Those people doing “lobbycon” are outside of the conference area (the space designated on the maps for the conference – not just the exhibit hall, Meet Market and sessions), and in a public part of the hotel. However, the “lobbycon men” sneak into the actual conference without a badge, and that’s a problem.

Are You a Pro or Con? We’re all marketers, and as Seth Godin once wrote, “All Marketers are Liars.” But that was rhetoric, and anybody who read the book understands that the book was actually about the power of marketing an authentic story. But I’m guessing the guys that get a suite and bottle service and limos, but then sneak around the conference without a pass didn’t read beyond the title of the book. The same guys working their conﬁdence trick in the reg-

Not only are they interlopers, but they’re also criminals.

istration area, as they look over their shoulder to see how

Yes, criminals. They are committing theft of service and

soon they’ll be asked to leave again.

trespassing.

By the way, you might have noticed that all of the refer-

Others who go through the trouble of creating falsiﬁed

ences to these charlatans, cheats, and swindlers are male.

badges are committing theft of service, trespassing, and fraud.

Well, it’s no accident. We catch lots of them at each show, and they’ve been 100% guys.

Ballers on a Budget I totally get that there are plenty of ballers on a budget, and they have a hard time aﬀording a conference trip.

a pass for the show, please stay home. The folks who think it’s a good thing to have a thriving

But if you’re in such dire ﬁnancial straits, you’re better

industry conference and who support it, we love y’all and

oﬀ staying at home and working than coming out and acting

look forward to seeing you in Philly this August and back in

as a parasite.

Vegas in January 2014.

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Anyhow, if you’re a con who doesn’t see value in getting

Shawn is a Co-founder of Aﬃliate Summit and Co-Editor-in-Chief of FeedFront Magazine, and you can follow him @aﬃliatetip on Twitter.

01/04/2013 07:15:36 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

3 Marketing to Teens

Things I Learned

g gi

eT a lb

by Maggie Talbot

here are obvious challenges when opening up a business at 15, but there were some obstacles that

It’s all about convenience. If they’re going to keep mon-

I never saw coming, especially those accompanying

ey with them, most teenagers will keep a $20 bill in their

marketing to teens. I started MaggieSwag.com, a custom spirit-wear busi-

pocket. Depending on what you’re trying to market, some teens will see $20 as steep.

ness targeted at schools in my area. By starting my own

Even though I was selling American Apparel brand tank

business I learned that teens are a great market, however,

tops, I got a few that turned me down because of price, so

there are a few key points to keep in mind when trying to get

when dealing with teens; cheaper is better.

into their wallets.

3. Instant gratiﬁcation rules. 1. Teens are ﬁckle, and so are the trends they follow. One minute V-necks are all the rage, and the next they are collecting dust in the back of someone’s closet. It’s important, of course, to keep up with the trends, but even more so to stay ahead of them.

The ﬁnal and possibly most important thing I learned about selling into the teen market is that instant gratiﬁcation is everything. When teenagers want something, they want it now or they don’t want it at all. If something isn’t there for them to have in the moment, they lose interest and forget about you all together. There

Teenagers will love anything if the right person has it,

isn’t a point to buying something for them if they can’t get

but they probably won’t love it for long. We are notorious

it in their hands immediately, which probably lends itself to

for moving onto the next thing the minute it pops up, so it’s

the ﬁrst point. See, teens are ﬁckle! If they are that quick to

crucial to constantly reinvent yourself to be new and cool.

pick up a trend, they will be that quick to get rid of it, too.

Rule of thumb: Once their parents start to like it, chances are the trend is dead to teens.

There are challenges in marketing any product or service. Those challenges seem magniﬁed when it comes to marketing to teenagers.

2. Price-points can make or break you.

The good news is the opportunities are also magniﬁed

When appealing to teenagers, who often beg for money

in the teen market. Know your audience, and what is rel-

from their folks, or have to work a minimum-wage job, keep

evant to their world. When your product is on trend, it can

in mind that hitting the right price-point can make or break

be massively proﬁtable.

you. Even when selling into an aﬄuent area, I learned that most teens are willing to spend $20 or less.

If you don’t understand the teen market and what inﬂuences them, you’ll be gone faster than the Harlem Shake.

Maggie Talbot is a sophomore at Vandegrift High School and is the founder of MaggieSwag.

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01/04/2013 07:15:39 p.m.

Joe

S ou

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Mining Your Merchants for Content Gold

ne roadblock many aﬃliates run into is developing content for their sites. They might have enough

content ideas to get started with a new site, but

by Joe Sousa

eventually the well dries up and they hit a content wall. Long term success with aﬃliate marketing is dependent on generating quality content over a number of months and years and without a steady stream of ideas it can be tough

merchant newsletter can contain some great con-

coming up with new content on a regular basis.

tent ideas, like hot products, informative articles,

One great resource many aﬃliates ignore is the infor-

and special promotions. Keep in mind, though,

mation their merchants make readily available. Many quality

that not all promotions mentioned in a merchant

merchants have a wealth of information on their websites if

newsletter are available for the aﬃliates to use.

you know where to look.

Check your aﬃliate agreement and with your af-

Now be warned, I am not talking about copying the information from a merchant, stealing content from other Take these ideas and use them as seeds for your own

follow your merchants on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other relevant social medial channels.

» Merchant FAQ: Many merchants have a lot of

If a merchant posts a quick update, you can take

useful information in the FAQ section of their site.

that information, expand on it, and turn it into a

These are questions their customers regularly

new blog post. If they mention a new product take

have, so if you can take them, expand on them,

a couple minutes and add it to your site.

and give your visitors the answers they are looking

» Merchant Blogs: Use the merchant blog posts

for on your site, you will increase your chances of

as a starting point for your own content. Take the

making a sale.

information they are giving and tailor it to your au-

» Merchant Videos: I have seen some merchants

dience. For example, if you have a merchant that

that do a great job producing videos showing how

sells cooking gadgets and you have an outdoor

to use their products, how to assemble the prod-

cooking site, take their post talking about a spe-

uct, and so on. Take these videos and write up an

ciﬁc gadget and write up an article about how to

explanation on your site or ﬁlm your own video

use it while cooking on your charcoal grill.

showing how the product is to use.

If you start running out of ideas for quality content, be

» Merchant Newsletters: One of the ﬁrst things

sure to check your merchants’ sites. There is a wealth of in-

you should do when you apply to an aﬃliate pro-

formation there to spark your creativity and give you dozens

gram is sign up for the merchant’s newsletter. A

of ideas for your own site.

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deals. » Merchant Social Media Accounts: Be sure to

sources, or violating any copyrights. unique content:

ﬁliate manager before you promote any of these

Joe Sousa is a long time aﬃliate and aﬃliate manager for Snow-Consulting.com.

01/04/2013 07:15:40 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

gro

Habits of Highly Successful Content Creators tt J Sco

by Scott Jangro

ore than ever, content is an important component to any marketing strategy. But creating

Be Yourself

content is hard. Doing that consistently day af-

Don’t be afraid to let your personality show through.

ter day, week after week can seem downright impossible.

You’ll be more authentic, credible, you’ll write faster and

How do some make it seem so easy while so many others

more easily, just like talking. Your readers will love you for it.

fail? In interviewing several successful content creators, I’ve learned that they have habits that set them apart from others who struggle.

Streamline Your Workﬂow Give yourself a clean workspace including your physical

The human brain is driven by cues, cravings, routines,

desktop, your computer desktop, and even your mind. By

and rewards which make up habits. While bad habits usu-

getting your writing tools and research in order so they’re al-

ally take the limelight, we can of course have good ones that

ways available to you without even thinking about it, getting

allow us to be productive even among endless distractions.

started will be easy each time you have some writing to do.

By developing good content creation habits, writing can be mandatory and automatic, like brushing your teeth. Here are seven habits that many successful content creators possess.

Get a Routine Don’t count on yourself to just write when you need to, being creative on demand. It takes focus and a certain mental reset to get yourself in the zone. Make it easier by

Always Be Researching

setting a routine, like “ﬁll the editorial calendar on Monday

As you go through every day life, be on the lookout for

morning”, or “write something ﬁrst thing every day before

things that can become something to write about. Pay atten-

checking email.” Give yourself cues that make it automatic

tion to your own stories that are happening to you every day.

to get yourself into writing mode, like when you sit down at your desk, or when you’re tempted by a distraction, like

Don’t Be Perfect

checking Facebook.

The hardest part of any project is crossing the ﬁnish line. If you worry too much about being perfect, you’re probably taking too much time, or you may never ﬁnish. Perfect is the enemy of good enough.

Get Your Mind Right Nothing’s easy without the right attitude. if you aren’t excited about what you’re doing, it’s going to be really hard to get writing, never mind do a great job. Picture the goal

Keep an Editorial Calendar

and what you’re trying to get out of your content. What is

Move your ideas into a calendar. Declaring that you’re going

it that you’re hoping to get? Sales? Comments? Facebook

to do something triggers something in your brain that makes it

Likes? Newsletter signups? Take on a positive attitude; imag-

real. Put yourself on a schedule and watch things get done.

ine yourself at the goal, and go!

Scott Jangro is the Co-founder of Shareist.com and is mildly obsessed with content and productivity.

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01/04/2013 07:15:40 p.m.

Tear this out and pin it up next to your desk.

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01/04/2013 07:15:41 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Across the Pond:

ie T ap

by Jamie Tapia

Jam

Challenges

UK Aﬃliate Marketing igures from eMarketer project UK E-commerce sales

way in building awareness, and have a tremendous impact

to hit $142 billion in 2013.

on the success of your launch.

This may leave you wondering how to get a slice

Additional key factors to consider before UK expan-

of that British pie. In this article are a few things to consider

sion include basic competitive and network research. E.g.

when launching an aﬃliate program in the UK, and some

does this network have the publishers you’re looking for?

helpful tips to get you started.

Are they in your budget? Will they provide the appropriate

When looking to expand your brand internationally, the

amount of support during and after launch?

UK is the most logical step for US merchants looking to get

These are the kind of questions that need to be mea-

their feet wet. The language barrier is easily overcome with

sured when choosing the right network for your merchant.

proper research and preparation, and aﬃliate marketing is

It is also important to explore the advantages of a UK based

one of the most simple and cost eﬀective ways to brand

bank account, and of a UK based fulﬁllment (lower Value

build.

Added Tax charges and speedier delivery to consumers), as

There are several challenges a US merchant can expect to face upon expansion to the UK marketplace. One such

well as setting up a UK version of your website to include UK commerce in British Pounds.

challenge is a relatively slow ramp up compared to a US

It is imperative that a US merchant be aware of the

program launch. This is particularly true with an unknown

subtleties in UK terminology, grammar, and spelling in com-

brand.

munications with publishers and consumer facing materials

A US merchant with an unknown brand will have dif-

site wide. Not to mention the vastly diﬀerent corporate cul-

ﬁculty gaining exposure, building recognition from publish-

tures. Taking these factors and added costs will help paint

ers, and should expect the same challenges as starting a

a clear picture of what your total investment will look like.

new business from the ground up. According to a study

With such challenges, you might be wondering if expan-

done by the IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau) nearly 48%

sion is the best option for your merchant. Preparing mer-

of advertiser spend in the UK in 2012 came from top UK

chants to expect slow but steady growth when making the

cashback, loyalty and voucher sites.

leap into the UK is critical, in order to understand the mar-

This comes as no surprise, as the UK population is

ket and its future potential.

known to be more “deal-sensitive”, according to Reineke Re-

Do all the associated costs outweigh potential growth?

itsma of Forrester. Getting your brand out in front of a mas-

With careful planning and execution it is likely you will yield

sive audience in this category of publishers will go a long

positive results.

Jamie is an aﬃliate manager for JEBCommerce, 2012 Rakuten LinkShare Aﬃliate Agency of the Year.

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01/04/2013 07:15:43 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

am nC

e ll

steps to 5 Secure Your

f you are an aﬃliate, chances are you’re running at least one WordPress site to promote products. WordPress is a great platform for aﬃliate sites. In

fact, over 15% of the websites on the Internet are running

WordPress Site by Don Campbell

WordPress, and 20% of newly registered domains end up with a WordPress site (according to Matt Mullenweg’s State of the Word addresses from 2011 and 2012).

updates, but they can’t help you if you don’t apply

Unfortunately, this popularity makes WordPress an at-

them. They will notify you in your WordPress dash-

tractive target for hackers.

board when an update is available. Make sure to in-

So if you are relying on your WordPress sites for your income stream, you’d better be doing the right things to

stall them. The process only takes a minute or so. 3.

keep it safe.

Choose your plugins wisely. Keep your plugin use to a minimum, and only use plugins that have lots of ratings, downloads, and an author that actively supports

How WordPress Sites are Compromised

them. Many times plugins need to be updated with new versions of WordPress, and good authors stay on top

Most of the attacks against a WordPress site fall into

of security issues and update their plugins accordingly.

two categories: 1.

Attacking speciﬁc vulnerabilities in older versions of

Change the default Admin userid. If your site still

WordPress or WordPress plugins

has the default “Admin” userid, make sure to create

Gaining access to your site by using “brute-force” pass-

yourself a diﬀerent userid with admin privileges, and

word guessing

remove the old one. When you delete the default id,

Amazingly, most WordPress sites are not set up to deal

make sure to “attribute all posts and pages” to your

with these attacks, which is why you hear of so many Word-

new id. Choose a strong password for your new userid.

Press sites getting compromised.

Back up your WordPress site. Use a service or plugin to back up your WordPress Site automatically. Make

How to Avoid Getting Hacked

sure it backs up both your WordPress database and

Here are ﬁve steps to keeping your WordPress site safe and secure.

Backup Buddy, and the WordPress Backup To Dropbox

Use a good hosting provider. Choose a provider who

plugin. Remember - if you don’t automate this step, it

knows WordPress. I’ve noticed a huge variation across

won’t get done. When your site is backed up regularly,

diﬀerent hosting providers in how they handle Word-

you can easily restore to a clean version if it does get

Press installations and permissions. BlueHost is my fa-

hacked, or if your hosting provider has server problems.

vorite inexpensive hosting provider for WordPress sites.

Implementing these ﬁve easy steps will keep your web-

Keep WordPress up-to-date. Automattic, the cre-

site and your aﬃliate revenue from it, secure from the most

ators of WordPress, are very good at providing security

common types of hacker attacks.

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ﬁles. Some of my favorite tools for this are VaultPress,

Don Campbell is President of Expand2Web, and an instructor at The School of Internet Marketing.

01/04/2013 07:15:49 p.m.

Your Daily Dose of Online Marketing Discussions Since 1998 Get Yours Now www.revenews.com

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01/04/2013 07:15:53 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

3 Time

n nse ore

Saving Tips

nS Rya

for Business Owners by Ryan Sorensen

Once you get over the hump of creating your ﬁrst sucunning a successful online business can allow for

cessful business, you should now have a template to repeat

time ﬂexibility and earning power, things which are

that is built on manageable tasks. If you haven’t been keep-

hard to come by these days. But if you ﬁnd yourself

ing a record, now is the time to start.

in the unfortunate position of having quit your job with the

Keep in mind that many well-known internet marketing

soaring hopes of gaining back some freedom, just to create

experts have parlayed their successes into training courses

an aﬃliate business monster that consumes you for 12-15

and conferences, selling their own step-by-step systems.

hours a day, don’t lose hope. Here are a few small tips we recommend following that will help get your life back. Hire out tasks. As much as it may hurt for some of you to read this, giving up control of parts of your business is

next question. How many times have you, when a seemingly insurmountable task is staring you down, stalled for an hour or more browsing the internet while arguing with yourself on doing it?

the key to freeing up your time. As an aﬃliate marketer, you

If you are deeply striving for business success, please

should focus on what makes you the most money, i.e. niche

trust that the thing you are afraid of doing becomes com-

hunting, negotiating better aﬃliate network rates, trying to

fortable as soon as you get over the initial hump. Here’s the

score JV (Joint Venture) deals, optimizing on-page conver-

trick: Don’t think about it, just do it.

sion rates, building your team of affiliates, etc. There are thousands of capable and affordable article writers, web developers, traffic specialists, and copy writers who’d love to help you with the other stuff.

Once completed, immediately reward yourself with something that makes you happy, like that leftover piece of cherry pie. Also, don’t forget the power of Parkinson’s Law. “Work

As web-based business brokers, one of the most com-

expands so as to ﬁll the time available to complete it”. In oth-

mon questions we see from buyers is, “How much time is

er words, put a deadline on any important task that needs

spent by the owner maintaining the business.” More auto-

to get done. Just like the fun days of study cramming in col-

mation equals higher multiples.

lege, with a deadline you somehow ﬁgured out how to ﬁnish

Work from a system. Breaking your business down

it in the most eﬃcient way possible.

into simple to follow steps within a replicable system is criti-

Gaining the freedom of time and income should be the

cal for the long term growth of your aﬃliate business. Why?

goal of every aﬃliate marketer. Turn these tips into daily hab-

The simple answer is scalability.

its and you should see an improvement in both categories.

ff22_full.indb 10

Don’t think, just do. Be honest with yourself on this

Ryan Sorensen is a senior broker and partner at FlippingEnterprises.com.

01/04/2013 07:15:54 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Successfully

kow

ski

Entering the Mobile by Melissa Filipkowski

li s s aF

i li p

Marketplace

Start small in understanding what types of mobile devices are oﬀering you some success in the leads they gener-

s consumers cut cords, run wirelessly, shrink

ate, and then expand out to other devices and tablets.

screens, and make decisions from the palm of their

In keeping with our e-mail example, it is known that

hands, adaptive marketers embrace the mobile age.

ISP’s such as AOL or cable typically produce an older demo-

There have been hundreds of articles about how mo-

graphic consumer. The same theory applies for lead gen-

bile targeted advertising is exploding within our space, how-

eration and performance marketing via tablets or smart-

ever, with most advertisers I come across there still resides

phones.

an abundance of confusion about the traﬃc and the correct way to market to it. With approximately 115 million smartphone or 74 mil-

Tablets provide an easier alternative to adoption over a smartphone for older demographics. The cost of tablets also gives way to a more aﬄuent consumer.

lion tablet users in the US, according to a recent Mobile

When you’ve identiﬁed which mobile devices are work-

Marketer article, if you are actively advertising online right

ing best for your oﬀer, understand the best way to format

now, you’re deﬁnitely getting some form of mobile traﬃc.

your landing page to best capture the attention of the us-

But, are you doing your best to convert them on their device of choice? Confusion lies within the classiﬁcation of types of mo-

ers. There are various companies available that can help you format a page that can dynamically update across various smartphone and tablet browsers and sizes.

bile traﬃc. Traﬃc generated from a mobile display target-

E-mail creatives and banners should be formatted so

ed ad versus a consumer who opened an email on their

they can easily be viewed and experienced across any device.

smartphone or tablet should not be grouped together as

Mobile devices are going to evolve, and simultaneously

the same, for either the advertiser or the publisher. While

advertisers will be forced to adapt their process, landing

both technically derive from a mobile device, they are two

pages and the customer’s experience. Considering how

entirely diﬀerent beasts.

often new sources, traﬃc types and verticals are created

Best practice for advertisers new to mobile traﬃc is to start with the latter example - consumers accessing the of-

in the online marketing industry I am continually surprised about how change is ﬁrst feared before it is embraced.

fers from a mobile device via an existing traﬃc source, like

The mobilization of consumers into this traﬃc type will

e-mail for example. Work with your network or publishers

only serve to boost the exposure of consumers to online

to set up extra variable parameters to identify and segment

advertising, but it is up to the advertiser to fully understand

what devices these mobile consumers are using to view

what to do in order to best evolve with the consumer - the

your oﬀer.

ﬁrst step is to try.

Melissa Filipkowski, Advertising Director, manages one of the largest and diverse account portfolios at Clickbooth.com

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01/04/2013 07:15:55 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

4 Things All

Great Aﬃliate

Managers

Create

tt M cW i l li a ms

by Matt McWilliams

3. Excitement. “Here is our offer…I sure hope you ll great affiliate managers are artists. They are creators. Specifically they create four things that separate them from average affiliate

That is what the average affiliate manager essentially writes in his communication with affiliates. A great affiliate manager, however, creates excitement.

managers. 1. Trust. Great aﬃliate managers create a sense of

“Our Best Sale Ever”

trust with their aﬃliates. If an aﬃliate asks “should I promote

“Win an iPad for Promoting This”

this oﬀer,” and you say “Actually no. There is a better oﬀer

“Coming Soon…” (Tease them a little)

next week and I think if you promote both, it will be overkill

“A Fourth Quarter Challenge” (Everyone loves a dare)

with your audience,” you have just created a deep level of

Excited affiliates are active affiliates. Excited affiliates pro-

trust with the aﬃliate. The easiest thing to do is to tell them

mote your brand in the dead of summer. They listen to your

to promote something or everything.

suggestions and take action.

When tracking breaks, no one reports it, and you in-

If you want to be great, spend some time thinking about

form them that there was a problem; they know they can

ways to motivate and encourage your aﬃliates. Tiered bo-

trust you. That will pay huge dividends in the future.

nuses and “Top Aﬃliate” awards are so 2009. Be creative and

2. Connections. Great managers create connec-

personal and your aﬃliates will promote you more than ever.

tions. They don’t wait for aﬃliates to show up at their door.

4. Loyalty. Trust, Connections, and Excitement all

They also don’t force their program down people’s throats

lead to one place…Loyalty.

the moment they meet them. Average managers either sit

Aﬃliates are independent salespeople essentially. They

around hoping for aﬃliates to ride magic unicorns into their

have no contractual loyalty to you or your brand. That is

program or they smell an awful lot like a used car salesman.

both a blessing and a possible curse.

With the right connections, I know that I can launch a

The downside is that they can leave at any moment.

brand new program tomorrow, not have to sell my soul, and

They upside is that if you create these four things, they will

have hundreds of valuable, active aﬃliates within days.

be loyal to you over other aﬃliate programs.

Here is a question to answer every time you meet someone: “What’s in it for them?” Figure out the answer to that and you will be overﬂowing with potential aﬃliates for every program.

ff22_full.indb 12

promote it. Please promote it, will you? Please.”

You will never own your aﬃliates, but you can earn their loyalty. Now go be an artist. Create these four things and you will be well on your way to being a great aﬃliate manager.

Matt McWilliams is an award-winning aﬃliate manager for Tiny Prints and blogger at MattMcWilliams.com.

01/04/2013 07:15:57 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Can Help Businesses

by Stephanie Lichtenstein

ten s ic h ie L an Ste ph

Facebook Graph search

tein

How

As a business owner, this makes search easier to compete in. You can focus on your desired search results by tweaking your advertising. If you are a pizza business that wants to attract local business, you can set targeted ads to focus on that. Then when someone searches “Pizza in my neighborhood” they will ﬁnd your restaurant based on the amount of likes in that location. As on online business, someone can search for “bed-

ccording to Nielsen, 90% of people trust peer rec-

ding that my friends like” and the results can come up based

ommendations. Facebook Graph Search is taking

on the number of likes.

search to the next level by incorporating friend rec-

ommendations.

All of these results are based on the highest number of likes. This means that, as a business, you need to have a busi-

Before Graph Search was announced, you could al-

ness page setup, not a personal page or a group page. The

ready see online shopping patterns changing. People ask-

business page allows you to gain likes, run targeted ads, view

ing their friends for recommendations, ﬁnding sponsored

demographics, track performance, and promote posts.

pages their friends “liked”, and platforms such as Bing integrating the Facebook social graph into their search results. Social media aﬀects the way that people shop both online and oﬄine. Now consumers can interact with brands

With a small budget, of as little as $5/day, you can grow your page. Running ads is not your only option. You can easily setup a business page and create unique content, run contests, post special oﬀers, and more to gain likes.

and make decisions based on their online presence. This

You can also promote your business page across all of

means that a small business can look like a big corporation

your other marketing platforms, whether it is in-house at

online, which is a signiﬁcant competitive advantage.

a location, on your website, your email signature, or email

“Graph Search will change the game. It allows passive and

marketing.

active candidates to become recruits.” says J.J. Colao of Forbes.

There are endless opportunities to engage and connect

The kind of data that Facebook has on our interests and de-

with your ideal customers. The more time you put into Face-

mographics is unlike any other platform including Google.

book, the bigger ROI (Return on Investment) you will ﬁnd.

Rather than just searching based on a keyword or loca-

Being there to reply to your audience and having useful

tion, you can now search based on your peer group. This

tools available for them to learn more about you through a

means that searching is now more personalized. You can

Facebook page is a great place to start.

search for people, places, or things based on what your

Stay ahead of the curve by signing up for the Facebook

friends have shown interest in. Just imagine going back in

Graph Search Beta. Learn more at facebook.com/graph-

time and being able to aﬀect Google search results.

search.

Stephanie Lichtenstein is the President of MicroMediaMarketing.com, an Interactive Social Media Agency.

ff22_full.indb 13

01/04/2013 07:15:57 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

5 Ways

to Dominate

With Mobile

Sha

by Shawn Shellenbarger

wn l She len bar ger

he world of mobile devices is growing rapidly and

many aﬃliates and small businesses are looking for

your customers and prospects to easily be added to

ways to adapt.

one of your text messaging databases, preferably one

Adopting some mobile strategies could increase your

with automated follow ups. This will allow you to organ-

customer acquisition and retention.

ically build new contacts via your business cards from

If you look at your traﬃc statistics, you will be able to

attending conferences and other live events where you

see the percentage of your visitors that are viewing your

will be interacting with your audience on a personal

website on mobile devices, like smartphones, and portable

level.

tablets like an iPad. You need to ensure that they have a

good experience with your site on mobile devices.

On the mobile version of your website, you need a button which prompts the visitor to quickly send you

Here are 5 ways aﬃliates and small businesses can em-

a short, prewritten email. This will allow them to very

brace mobile:

easily engage with you and you can then follow up with

You need a mobile version of your website. If your web-

them via their email address that is tied to their mo-

site only looks good on a computer monitor, you to get

bile device. This is most likely the best email address

your site setup to look nice when people view it on a

to contact new potential customer and you can easily

smartphone or tablet. A large percentage of your web-

scale this to build leads for your business.

site visitors will be on a mobile device and if they have

Get an easy way for users to call you via their mobile

a bad mobile experience with you, they will check out

device when they land on pages in your site that focus

your competition.

on a product or service for sale. You can easily create

Aﬃliates and small businesses need to embrace mo-

a click to call button on your mobile pages and entice

bile marketing, and that means getting your contacts

users to simply click and connect with you or your sales

mobile numbers and setting up a means of commu-

team via phone. This will instantly connect you with

nicating easily and eﬃciently. Engaging with your cus-

your most valuable customers who are mostly likely to

tomers at this level will allow you to build a relationship

convert for your business.

with them that will dramatically increase the odds of

These 5 steps will help dramatically increase your inter-

them digesting more of your content and services.

ff22_full.indb 14

Have a call to action on your business card that allows

action with customers on mobile devices.

Shawn Shellenbarger is the cofounder of InstantAppWizard.com and blogs at ShawnShellenbarger.com

01/04/2013 07:16:00 p.m.

It’s All About The Cookies ...and brownies, and pies, and cakes... Affiliate Marketers’ Recipes for Yummy Desserts and Success! Another Missy Ward idea that just wouldn’t keep

Layout and edited by Mary Poiley Illustrated by Jen Goode

ff22_full.indb 15

01/04/2013 07:16:02 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Pinterest: Your Mission Statement

Ash

on Steroids

le y m Coo be

by Ashley Coombe

hen shared with your customers, a mission

scan your pins and learn about the culture of your business

statement is a valuable part of humanizing

at their leisure. Each of your pins is seen in context, within

your business. It allows you to share your com-

their speciﬁc board, so a profound thought cannot easily be

pany’s purpose, values, interests, and beliefs. Pinterest can serve a similar purpose, as it also allows

You, as a business, may have found many ways to utilize

you to showcase your mission, but without the limitations

Pinterest as a marketing tool, by pinning products or creat-

of text. With it, you can reach beyond text and show your

ing infographics that will be repinned and become viral.

dreams, aspirations, and ideals, visually.

But don’t overlook the opportunity to even further set

Social media has given businesses a huge opportunity

yourself apart from your competition using Pinterest.

to exhibit their speciﬁc culture. Doing so breaks down walls

Are you funny? Charitable? Snarky? A deep thinker? Do

that stand between corporations and individuals. It creates

you value purchasing from local businesses? Love travel or

a bond that enhances customer loyalty and draws in new

photography? Each one of these potential qualities makes

customers who have common interests and values.

you unique and more relatable.

Using Facebook, you are able to share the timeline of

Each time you pin or repin an image, you further de-

your company, highlighting achievements, and your story.

velop the persona of your company in the eyes of your

With Twitter, you are able to endorse bite-sized pieces of

customer. Every time you name a new board, you show

information. LinkedIn allows you to endorse yourself as a

whether you value humor, inspiration, charity, snark, or any

professional.

quality you choose.

Pinterest oﬀers a unique platform to share details that

Take stock of what deﬁnes you as a business. Along with

add personality to the face of your business without getting

pinning information and products, create boards that de-

lost in a feed.

ﬁne your personality as a company.

Customers or clients are able to visually absorb the

Share pictures of your dream home, or foods you love

character of your company, with little eﬀort on their part.

to eat, and give your customers the chance to relate to

Placing the entire emphasis on descriptive images appeals

these aspects of your company.

to customers need for immediate gratiﬁcation and impacts them in a deeper way than reading text would. You are able to break each trait of your company down into consumable categories (boards), so customers can

ff22_full.indb 16

mistaken for sarcasm, or vice-a-versa.

By providing a glimpse into your personality, interests, values, and even your day-to-day operations as a business, much like sharing a mission statement, you will succeed at humanizing your business.

Ashley Coombe is a social media consultant for local businesses through Shuﬄing Madness Media.

01/04/2013 07:16:02 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Adapting to the

I wa

Current SEO Landscape

v id

by David Iwanow

he biggest insight I learned when Google fought

er direct SEO beneﬁt, as Twitter NoFollows proﬁle links and

back against aggressive SEO in 2012 was how much

any external links are passed via their own T.Co URL shortner,

strategy and consistency need to form part of your

so no need to ﬂood your followers feeds with your links.

marketing plans for 2013. Flying by the skin of your teeth is just not sustainable any more.

What is your content marketing strategy? Have you progressed away from using article spinners to actually producing fresh, unique and engaging content

What is your Pinterest strategy? Pinterest is popular among affiliates, as it still offers SEO benefits, but it can also drive a lot of referral traffic. I think

you are proud to share? You should be scaling back your eﬀorts to focus on the handful of websites or products that generate 80% of your income.

marketers need to tone down how aggressive they have

There also has to be the move back to the 80/20 rule

been with Pinterest, as they are cracking down on images

with only 20% of the message you are broadcasting should

that contain links to content that has been ﬂagged for spam.

be about yourself and your products the rest should be

You should be focusing on sharing great content and

something someone else created that your audience will

building an engaged audience, and not seeing how many times you can include your aﬃliate links in the description.

ﬁnd interesting. Test new content channels, adapt your content to match your audience better and build a mix of onpage/oﬀ-

What is your Google+ strategy?

site content.

There are obvious SEO beneﬁts from having a large and engaged audience on Google+, as you can inﬂuence their

Have you adapted your link

search results by what you share. But just as with other so-

building process?

cial channels, you need to play by their rules and don’t overshare promotional links. Also, be aware, Google will prevent posts that feature your domain from being shared, so don’t overdo it, or your fans won’t be able to share any of your posts that contain links to your website.

To continue to survive Google’s algorithms you need to reduce reliance on link networks, comment and forum spam, and really tone down the number of exact match links. Variety is the spice of life and the same should be said for your backlinks, don’t risk it because it’s easier. There needs to be a level of adaptation away from promotional techniques that are questionable if you want your

What is your Twitter strategy?

websites and brand to survive the next 12 months.

Twitter still proves to be a good channel to get your con-

I believe that social should form part of your marketing

tent indexed and still outperforms other social networks for

strategy, which reduces the reliance on Google, but I admit

getting Google to notice your new post/page. There is no oth-

organic traﬃc is still king.

David Iwanow blogs at lostpr.es and focuses on SEO at AmnesiaRazorﬁsh.com.au/seo.

ff22_full.indb 17

01/04/2013 07:16:03 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Philly Insider’s Guide for

bra R ab in

o! Aﬃliate Summit East 2013 is coming to the City of Brotherly Love this summer. Here are tips to help attendees get the most out of their visit to Philly:

There are many layers to Philly, like an onion, which

when sautéed will go nicely on the cheese steak you’re fantasizing about. While you are planning your trip to Philly

Aﬃliate Summit

Attendees

by Debra Rabin

there are a few things you should know about. You’ll be spending your days at Aﬃliate Summit East in the Philadelphia Convention Center, located in the eastern downtown area.

upstairs and beer.

Historic landmarks will be only blocks away down Mar-

Want to get out for lunch? Right next door to the Con-

ket Street, so it’s possible to see both the Liberty Bell and

vention Center at 51 N 12th St (12th between Arch & Filbert)

Constitution Center within an easy walk.

is the historic Reading Terminal Market ReadingTerminal-

After stretching your legs, chow down with a Philly

Market.org. Started as an Amish Farm Market, it is now a

Cheese Steak sandwich. While every restaurant boasts the

gourmet market with every type of food under the sun. You

best, here are a few top-rated places to taste what makes

can still buy Amish delicacies like Shoo Fly Pie from real live

this town great:

Amish people, or hit the trendy restaurants, gourmet ice

» Jim’s Steaks - 400 South Street, (267) 519-9253. Closest to the Convention Center, line forms out the door daily!

cream (Bassett’s) or cheese shops (Salumeria). For a sit down meal, go to the Soul Food Café or the Down Home Diner. Or stroll the stands, try DiNic’s roast

» Pat’s King of Steaks - 9th Street & Passyunk Avenue, (215) 468-1546. Open 24 hours

pork sandwich, way better than that fatty cheese steak you ate yesterday. The Market is only open 8:00 to 6:00, so con-

» Geno’s Steaks - 1219 S. 9th Street, (215) 389-0659. Open 24 hours

sider it for breakfast or lunch. Want some Big City Culture? The Philadelphia Museum

» Four Seasons Hotel – One Logan Square – Swann

of Art (PhilaMuseum.org/visit) is open late Friday night.

Lounge - $18 Cheese Steak. Yes, it’s worth the cab

You’ll ﬁnd the Rocky statue at the foot of the steps that Sly

ride and the cost!

Stallone immortalized in his ﬁrst “Rocky” movie. Just follow

There’s an art to ordering a cheese steak, although you

the tourists. Yelling “Stella” is optional.

better be a quick study, because you get no more than 10

The recently re-opened Rodin Museum is nearby, as

seconds to order; a Steak “wit” – choose Cheese Whiz, Pro-

is the amazing Barnes Foundation. You must order tickets

volone or American cheese.

ahead of time for the Barnes (BarnesFoundation.org/visit).

“Widout” means cheese only, no onions. Add peppers

Need more tips? Follow @uwishunu or @DiscoverPHL

or mushrooms if you wish. That’s it. Those are the only

on Twitter to keep you in the know about music, entertain-

choices you get.

ment and the arts.

ff22_full.indb 18

Pat’s and Geno’s have outdoor tables; Jim’s has tables

Debra’s a veteran of many Aﬃliate Summits. She currently lives primarily in Philadelphia.

01/04/2013 07:16:05 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Wa d

eT on

k in

Reasons to Manually Approve Aﬃliates

by Wade Tonkin

o you’re getting ready to launch a new aﬃliate pro-

to screen applications from these states or manually review-

gram and you’ve heard that you should set you’re

ing, you could be opening your company up to tax liability.

program to auto-approve aﬃliate applications to save

Coupon and Deal Sites – Depending on how you’ve

time and strike while the iron is hot with new aﬃliates. This is

decided to handle coupon sites and couponing, having an

a bad idea and here are some reasons why you should watch

open door will let in numerous coupon sites, most of them

the front door and manually review applications.

low value. Be selective and work with coupon sites that

Avoiding Brand Damage – I manage programs that are very brand conscious, because they involve profes-

match up with your audience, will respect your terms, and deliver incremental value.

sional sports leagues and teams and some big apparel

Non-Compliant Affiliates – If you don’t allow PPC

vendors, like Nike. All of the above are super protective of

marketing, and you auto-approve new applications, you’re

their brands. If you open the door to any aﬃliate who ap-

going to have issues with terms violations. If you manually

plies without review, you expose them to a ton of potential

review applications, you can catch the aﬃliates that self-

brand damage. Wait, you say… “My aﬃliate network screens

identify as potential violators and avoid future issues.

aﬃliates for me.” Many of the big ones auto-approve applications themselves. Toolbars and Adware – If you are interested in run-

Liability Risk– If an auto-approved affiliate spams emails or text messages with your offer; you might find yourself facing legal action.

ning a “clean” program with no toolbar or adware potentially

The Spy Game – If you auto-approve applications, you

ripping of ethical aﬃliates or cannibalizing other channel’s

can bet your competitors are as up to date on your strategy

revenue internally, you need to manually review applica-

and creative mix as you are. This is tough to stop complete-

tions, and choose your network partner carefully. Read the

ly, but if you auto-approve, you don’t give yourself a chance.

information submitted and review the sites to see if they

To avoid hurt feelings, make sure to be thoughtful in

are high quality and appear as if they could generate SEO-

your decline email and oﬀer an easy appeal process.

based traﬃc. If you’re in a network that allows software af-

A few minutes a day can save you a world of hurt when

ﬁliates, you need to be especially careful to insure that you

it comes to terms violations, brand damage, tax bills and

understand how “traﬃc” and sales are generated.

cannibalized proﬁts.

Affiliate Nexus Tax – Some states either attach tax

Build a process for reviewing applications that includes

nexus to a merchant through aﬃliates, or require special pa-

a scorecard of positives and negatives for new applications

perwork to work around this. If you’re not using network tools

and don’t be afraid to err on the side of caution.

Wade Tonkin is currently the Aﬃliate Manager of League Programs at Fanatics, Inc.

ff22_full.indb 19

01/04/2013 07:16:07 p.m.

You will not get rich from reading this book!

But you can learn how to make extra money online with your own affiliate site.

Only $2.99 at Amazon ff22_full.indb 20

01/04/2013 07:16:07 p.m.

ns Sha

Col li

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Finding the

Best Aﬃliate Program for You

by Shawn Collins

’ve tried promoting more web hosting companies than I can remember at this point, and I largely had disappointing returns. I was starting to get a complex about my failure to make

it work and then I tried the WP Engine Aﬃliate Program and I’ve been really happy with the results. In each case, I was promoting hosts I was personally using, and my methods for promoting were somewhat similar, but WP Engine has simply blown the others out of the water. So, why is WP Engine performing better for me than all of the others? I’m afraid it’s not me, it’s them. It’s a quality aﬃliate program on ShareASale for a qual-

They pay well and convert well, and I love them for managed WordPress hosting. Initially, I set up my ExtraMoneyAnswer.com site with them, and now that they’ve exhibited great uptime and support in the long term, I’ll be moving more sites over there. Just another reminder to promote products and services you use and like. Check them out for managed WordPress hosting and/ or a top notch affiliate program to promote. Details on the affiliate program at: feedfront.com/wpengine The WP Engine Affiliate Program is managed by David Vogelpohl and Marketing Clique.

ity service. Shawn is a Co-founder of Aﬃliate Summit and Co-Editor-in-Chief of FeedFront Magazine, and you can follow him @aﬃliatetip on Twitter.

ff22_full.indb 21

01/04/2013 07:16:11 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Aﬃliate Marketing Business Mindset La u

Makes a Diﬀerence

lf Wo ra

by Laura Wolf

ﬃliate marketing is no diﬀerent from any other business. It requires a business plan and an independent mindset.

4. Taking Initiative Instead of waiting for aﬃliate managers to provide tips

Below you will ﬁnd out what makes top aﬃliates suc-

cessful in a highly competitive marketplace.

and advice regarding a promotion or oﬀer, a marketer with the right business mindset would get in touch and take initiative. Not afraid of ﬁnding the solution, they would spot

1. Drive to Achieve

opportunities and act upon them before the competition,

One of the major aspects of success and aﬃliate mar-

gaining an advantage on the marketplace.

keting business mindset is striving to achieve more than others. When people generate leads or sell others’ prod-

5. Problem-solving Skills

ucts online, there is a need for a healthy competitiveness

Chances are that every single online marketer would

among marketers. As the aﬃliate is aware that they are

face diﬃculties when setting up an aﬃliate business. The

making money for themselves and not their boss, they

diﬀerence between successful people and those who give

achieve a high level of self-motivation.

up is in how they handle problems. Constant focus on solutions instead of problems is one of the most important

2. Focusing on Opportunity

things anyone looking to make serious money needs to

A successful online marketer always has his eyes on the

learn. From technical challenges to regulatory changes; the

opportunities. They do not exclude anything and are open

mind of the person taking aﬃliate marketing seriously has

for new ideas. Successful aﬃliate marketers do not simply

to work on solutions all the time.

get on board but spot opportunities before others. Some exceptional people create their own opportunities, as well.

6. Persistence Building an online business is no diﬀerent from opening

3. Goal Orientation Apart from actively seeking opportunities, being focused

their preferences and habits, creating a brand and gaining

on the short-term, long-term and mid-term goals is impor-

traction on the market takes time. With successful mind-

tant for a business mindset in aﬃliate marketing. Instead of

programming and goal setting skills, it is easier to focus on

jumping from one program to another, a successful marketer

the big picture instead of immediate results.

will have a plan to make the most out of a traﬃc generation

Hopefully the above list of prosperous marketing atti-

method, and will not abandon projects until he maximizes his

tudes makes you think about your own business and how

own earning potential and masters the techniques.

you can focus on creating your success story online.

ff22_full.indb 22

up a shop in a mall. Locating customers, ﬁnding out about

Laura Wolf is an aﬃliate marketer who teaches online promotion methods at toucan-marketing.biz.

01/04/2013 07:16:12 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

ri s

by Chris Carrel

Shared Hosting

Ca rre l

Negative Impact on SEO from

aunching a new website? Selecting a web host is like

Since it is not easy to determine the “neighbors” in a

selecting a physical storefront, and choosing a bad

shared hosting account, website owners may be shar-

location can dramatically impact the success of your

ing space with email spammers, sites hosting viruses and

business. Web hosting is a complex service in a market ﬂooded

malware, and sites using black hat SEO tactics without any knowledge of the activity.

with thousands of service providers with varying levels of

All of these activities may result in a penalty being ap-

hosting accounts. To the average user, they all appear to

plied to the server, resulting in all of the sites hosted on the

be the same with diﬀerent amounts of storage space and

server being penalized or devalued by search engines.

bandwidth; however the products are very diﬀerent.

Other factors of shared hosting environments can also

Business owners often end up selecting their web host

have a dramatic impact on search rankings. Google oﬃcially

based on recommendations from their website developer and

announced in 2010 that site speed is a factor in rankings.

price, which results in a majority of sites located on a shared

Shared hosting accounts are conﬁgured to meet the needs

hosting account. Shared hosting is a single server with multiple

of a majority of customers. Most shared hosting web serv-

user accounts, to reduce the costs to the end user.

ers also function as database server, domain name service

However, the selection of shared hosting may result in the website ranking poorly.

(DNS), and ﬁle transfer service (FTP). The generic server conﬁguration and multiple services impact the response

According to Google, over 200 factors inﬂuence a

time of all web sites on the server. For instance, if one site is

website’s rank, including the speed of the website and the

coded poorly and results in a heavy load on the web server

reputation of the website. While Google’s Matt Cutts oﬃcial

or database server all of the sites suﬀer from slower re-

statement on shared hosting with spammy sites states that

sponse time.

it does not inﬂuence SEO of other sites on the same server. However, the comment by Cutts is over two years old

The slower load time penalizes the search rankings for all sites hosted on the shared server.

and Google has implemented many major changes into

It is important to understand that hosting choice can

their algorithm since that time. The ability of search engines

inﬂuence a sites ability to rank in search engines, just as

to identify problem servers has improved and the use of IP

storefront location impacts the foot traﬃc into a business.

blacklists is a common practice for email servers, it would

Site owners should consider these points when evalu-

only be logical that search engines would use the same in-

ating hosting options and take steps to select the best loca-

formation.

tion for their online storefront.

Chris Carrel is Director of Web Development and Organic Search Consultant at Alquemie Marketing.

ff22_full.indb 23

01/04/2013 07:16:13 p.m.

Jam es

· Issue 22 · April 2013

T ho mp son

How to Prevent Developers from

Losing Interest

by James Thompson

’ve heard hundreds of horror stories about people working with developers and engineers. As an engineer myself, this is very disconcerting, because it reduces the

faith others have in us and hinders our ability to make deci-

There is nothing like disorganization to reduce peoples’

sions. This whole problem is something that can be avoided

interest. Any time you have two or more people involved in

by having some simple rules and using good tools.

a venture, including you, the right project management tool

Those who are strapped for cash often oﬀer payment in the form of equity without cash. Approaching an engineer

Personally, I prefer Pivotal Tracker. It allows you to track

and oﬀering 100% equity without oﬀering a co-founder po-

the overall velocity of your team and roadmap features. It

sition isn’t ideal. Inevitably, when the project is 80% done,

keeps everyone on the same page past, present, and fu-

they lose interest, fall oﬀ the face of the planet, and never

ture. They have a great mechanic for determining the ac-

complete the task. Cash helps get that last 20%.

curacy of time estimates, so seeing deadlines is easy and

Contracts help, but not for the reasons most think. Le-

becomes more accurate over time.

gal ammunition is great for making sure the job gets done,

Git and Github are excellent for code management.

but that isn’t why they’re useful. A contract puts forward

Git allows multiple people to work on the same codebase

identiﬁable milestones for both parties. Knowing when

(even the same ﬁles) without stepping on each other’s toes.

you’re done is powerful. People work harder when they can

It is also used for ‘version control’ which means you can ‘re-

see the ﬁnish. That also means: don’t move the ﬁnish line.

wind’ your code. If something is broken with a new release,

As much as you’d like to make sure you get your money’s

just revert back to a previous state. Github is a service that

worth, there is nothing that causes an engineer care less

provides hosting for Git. Every engineer you hire should be

about your project than when you nickel and dime them.

proﬁcient with both. No exceptions.

If it’s in the cards, hire multiple engineers. Having ad-

In conclusion, make sure your engineers are fairly and

ditional people that know what’s going on solves multiple

meaningfully compensated, have multiple engineers, know

problems. Your engineers are less likely to ‘disappear’ on

when the project ends, and use great tools like Pivotal

each other, and even if they do, the others will pick up the

Tracker and Git/Github. When you have a good team, make

slack while you look for another. Lastly, with other engineers

sure you ask questions and know what’s going on, but also

to challenge bad decisions and augment good ones, your

give them room to breathe. If you do all of these things your

product will be better.

chances of success skyrocket.

ff22_full.indb 24

is key to success.

James is co-founder of PassiveMetrics.com, blogs at jtgraphic.net and you can ﬁnd on Twitter @jtgraphic.

01/04/2013 07:16:14 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

by Alek Flekel

A le

Gone Social

lek el

Search Engines t’s no hidden fact that social media is in a state of rapid

Social media is a great method for driving traﬃc to a

growth. In an era where search engines dominate, social

site, due to the ease of sharing content. The whole concept

networks are creeping on their turf.

of viral marketing would not be as big as it is now if it weren’t

The major players in social media are Facebook, Twit-

for social media. Social search engine integration has the

ter, Google+, and YouTube. Top tier search engines, such

potential to catapult viral marketing to new levels, allowing

as Google and Bing, have noticed this new social trend and

content to be shared more easily and rapidly. This can result

want to capitalize on it.

in more website traﬃc and possibly more sales.

Google released its own social network, Google +,

With every search engine algorithm update, social inte-

which it integrates into its search results. Bing, on the other

gration will be at the forefront. With the added rise of mo-

hand, teamed up with Twitter and Facebook to include their

bile, accessibility and exposure of content will be at levels

social results in Bing’s SERP (Search Engines Results Pages).

we have not yet experienced.

It used to be that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) was the primary focus of all digital marketers, but now SMO (So-

This will be the “new” search engine, more social, more personalized, better user experience.

cial Media Optimization) is becoming more significant. The Internet is turning more social, where people, rather than algorithms determine what good content is and what bad content is. Users want their search results to be socially valuable and custom to their individual preferences. Facebook’s Edgerank algorithm does just that; it decides which stories appear in users’ newsfeeds. It factors in the person’s connectedness (how the user is related to the content), the weight of the post (comments have more weight than likes), and time decay (how long ago was it posted, fresh content is prioritized). With these factors integrated into the search results on the search engine, it offers the user a much more improved valuable experience. With algorithms favoring quality posts, industry experts (“influencers”) will become very important. Influencers have a heavy following and are authoritative figures that people trust. When they see that an influencer has mentioned a certain search result, it will be a more personal stamp of approval. More interaction with fans and followers will drive better social results, ultimately leading to better search results. Alek Flekel is a Marketing Specialist with InfoPay Affiliate Network.

ff22_full.indb 25

What Successful Affiliates Say About Working with Decorative Ceiling Tiles? We love working with DCT - big orders, great conversion rate, owner tracks and bonuses phone orders, Products have wide appeal and reach! Pat Grady - RhinoFish Media is a winner of Pinnacle Award for Best Affiliate at ASW2013 I've been in affiliate marketing for ten years and I have to say that the Decorative Ceiling Tiles affiliate program is in the top 5 that I have ever worked with. It is run fairly, and Milan is the most honest merchant I have ever worked with. If you are tired of spending time trying to promote products and building sites for nothing, take a good look at this program. The products sell themselves. Commissions are good and I've never seen a reversal. If your goal is to tell people about great products that they can use, and earn money when they do, this is a program not to pass up! Nancy Ocasio

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01/04/2013 07:16:16 p.m.

Save The Date

01.1 2-1 4.201 4 Affiliate Summit West

Paris Las Vegas Subscribe to Our Weekly Ne Newsletter for more details

WWW.AFFILIATESUMMIT.COM

ff22_full.indb 26

01/04/2013 07:16:27 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Content Locking by Tony Cohn

101

What is Content Locking?

completes an action (such as submitting an email

address). Once an action has been completed, the user is

n yC oh

to content (videos, songs, images, etc.) until a user

Ton

ontent locking is the practice of restricting access

then granted access to the content, as the content is now “unlocked.”

How Much Does it Cost? Unlike PPC (Pay Per Click), PPV (Pay Per View), or media

How Does a Content Locker Work? When a user interested in a particular piece of content

buying, there is never a cost to promote an oﬀer via content locking.

visits a webpage where a publisher has a content locker installed, a window will launch in the middle of the page, and the rest of the page will become dark.

How Can I Get Started? Your ﬁrst step is to choose a vertical and a content type.

Known as a gateway, this window locks access to the

Don’t pick a vertical based on what “everyone else” is do-

content on the page and contains advertiser sponsored of-

ing. Stick to your passions. Picking a vertical that interests

fers. Once a user completes an oﬀer on the gateway, the

you will make it easier to stay committed, ﬁnd users, and

gateway disappears and the content that was locked is now

develop content ideas.

available to the user. Finally, the publisher receives a commission for the user completing the gateway oﬀer.

Next, you need to pick a content type. Content that fulﬁlls a need (i.e. ﬁle converters, free font sites, productivity apps), interests or entertains (eBooks, “how to” video tutori-

What Types of Content Can be Locked? Anything that can be produced in a digital format can be locked. A few of the many types of content that can be

als, albums, etc.), or produces a product or digital good (i.e. game cheat codes, whitepapers, guides) is the content that produces best for content locking publishers.

locked include videos, guides, music, ﬁles, online tools, cou-

The ﬁnal step to getting started is to drive users to your

pons, templates, passwords and codes, blog posts, images,

content. This task can be accomplished through most traﬃc

software, eBooks, and mobile apps.

generation methods including SEO (Search Engine Optimization), social media promotion, and PPC.

Is it Easy to Install? Setting up a gateway is a quick process with most con-

Maximizing Revenue

tent locking networks providing gateway editors that allow

Once your content locking campaigns are live, increas-

you to easily adjust gateway colors, fonts, images, and text.

ing your monthly revenue is a matter of testing. Successful

After you have ﬁnished editing your gateway, simply insert

content locking publishers are constantly testing and ad-

a piece of code in your page source and you are done! Ad-

justing gateway options (colors, background images, text,

ditionally, if you need help installing your gateway, most af-

etc.), and checking to make sure they are oﬀering content

ﬁliate managers are happy to assist you!

that meets the needs of their users.

Tony Cohn is a marketing manager with Adscend Media, a leading content locking network (adscendmedia.com).

ff22_full.indb 27

01/04/2013 07:16:37 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

You Should Promote

on Ja s Hu lo t t

Complementary Aﬃliate Programs

ost of us aﬃliates build sites with a laser focus on a high performing program and high traﬃc,

low competitive keywords. In the new world of

SEO and aﬃliate marketing, however, search engines (think:

by Jason Hulott

Google) are forcing aﬃliates to think bigger than this. We read that Google prefers brands - you can test this by keying in almost any search term and brands appear higher than they have done previously. Aﬃliates adding value to the consumer buying process

resort oﬀers, aﬃliate deals for attractions. Maybe even widen this out into luggage, travel gadgets, cameras, etc.

is a hot topic right now. In the “old” days, we felt the “value

But here is the caveat, you would need to build all of this

add” was by getting merchants’ products higher in Google

into separate sections with unique detailed content - don’t

results than they could get themselves, thereby adding val-

build a shopping mall of aﬃliate links. Been there, done that.

ue to the merchant by increasing their traﬃc.

It doesn’t work.

Now, we are told to add value to the process for the consumer, and this is where things become more diﬃcult. We don’t own the sales process, so how do we add value to the consumer journey? We can’t discount a product we don’t control. What do we do? One thing we can do, and more aﬃliates are doing

Then, you are giving your consumers value in information and recommendations beyond the simple, “Here are some vacation packages”. Other ways to add value to this hypothetical site are: » site content » free downloadable travel guides

this very successfully is expanding their oﬀers and content

» aﬃliate deals and oﬀers

around more complementary aﬃliate deals.

» online widgets

This forces two things:

» a newsletter loaded with content and oﬀers

you build sites around diﬀerent types of domain names

» special, unique, content via social media channels

- those that could be more brandable, and not the big

» a new blog or more blog categories

hyphenated exact match domains we used to love 2.

By doing this you are creating a consumer destination

you add in more aﬃliate revenue streams and more

site that Google will love, as it is a valuable part of a buying

related content. In this way you can truly add value to

process. It also means, by default, you have to create a brand

the consumer journey

to ﬁt it all under. Which brings us nicely back to Google?

For example, imagine you have a travel website, pro-

Looking at ways you can add in more oﬀers and deals

moting holidays in a speciﬁc vacation spot. Your revenue

by adding content will help build your traﬃc from an in-

stream is via a travel company that earns you commission

creasing number of sources and drive more natural traﬃc

on booked holidays.

and increased sales.

ff22_full.indb 28

Now, you could add in travel insurance, car rental deals,

Jason Hulott is Director of SpeedieConsulting and helps merchants grow their aﬃliate activities via SpeedieAﬃliates.com.

01/04/2013 07:16:39 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Hedging Bets:

irsc lH

has always been staying on top of the trends. At recent trade shows, we have noticed a growing trend

Yet lack of proper registration has never been a deter-

among aﬃliates moving away from traditional marketing

rent for companies with dollar signs in their eyes. In a recent

opportunities (e.g., diet and skin care) toward more proﬁt-

lawsuit, the CFTC charged the Ireland-based “Intrade The

able, and often riskier, territories, like online trading.

Prediction Market Limited” (Intrade) and “Trade Exchange

But for aﬃliate marketers in the online trading market, the risk may not be worth the reward.

Network Limited” (TEN) with oﬀering commodity option contracts to U.S. customers for trading, including option

Online trading is a niche that boasts one of the highest

contracts on whether certain U.S. economic numbers or

base cost-per-acquisitions for aﬃliates, sometimes as much

the prices of gold and currencies would reach a certain level

as $200 per transaction. Compared with spread betting or

by a certain future date, all in violation of the CFTC’s ban on

traditional broker-based trading, trading stock futures at-

oﬀ-exchange options trading.

tracts large audiences not limited to skilled investors alone.

While online trading may be an attractive option, aﬃliate

Given the size of the audience and low competition

marketers need to hedge their bets against future liability by

among aﬃliates, online trading, particularly binary options,

taking decisive action before entering into relationships with

has become an attractive alternative to traditional forms of

online trading ﬁrms in risky, and often unregulated, markets.

online marketing.

For now, it seems that regulators like the CFTC have

Simply put, binary options means “two options.” The sys-

focused their attention on the actual ﬁrms oﬀering these

tem oﬀers traders a simple choice whether an asset will close

trading options. However, the CFTC has been sending cease

above (a “call option”) or below (a “put option”) at the end of the

and desist letters to aﬃliates in this space as well. Aﬃli-

day. Lately, there seems to be a great deal of confusion regard-

ates working in such risky markets must know the ﬁrms for

ing the legality of binary options trading in the United States.

which they are working. Some online trading ﬁrms may say

The question is not so much whether binary options

they do not accept U.S. customers, but saying it is very dif-

are legal in the United States, but whether the ﬁrms oﬀering

ferent than actually representing and warranting that fact in

them are listed on a proper U.S. exchange and are properly

a contractual document with their aﬃliates and indemnify-

registered with and regulated by the Commodity Futures

ing aﬃliates from liability.

Trading Commission (CFTC). Currently, Nadex is a regulated

The best bet for aﬃliates working in this space is to hire

U.S. exchange, which is designated by the CFTC and permit-

the right attorney to ensure that these representations and

ted to accept U.S. residents as members.

warranties are always in writing.

Rachel Hirsch is an associate at Ifrah PLLC, a law ﬁrm in Washington, D.C.

ff22_full.indb 29

c he

he key to long-term success for aﬃliate marketers

by Rachel Hirsch

Aﬃliates and the Unregulated Markets

01/04/2013 07:16:40 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Performance Marketing Summit

Recap

by Shawn Collins

he inaugural Performance Marketing Summit was held March 12, 2013 in New York City. The conference took place at the Baruch Col-

lege Vertical Campus, where we held the very first Affiliate Summit in 2003. This time around we did a very different type of event from the sort of Affiliate Summit we just had in Las Vegas with over 5,000 people, an exhibit hall, Meet Market, four keynotes, and dozens of sessions. The Performance Marketing Summit was limited to 200 people in one room, and we focused on networking and education. All sessions were just 18 minutes long. Scott Allan, SVP Global Marketing at Rakuten LinkShare, did a great job as emcee for the day, and also wrapped up the show with a presentation. After lunch, we all had some birthday cake to celebrate Affiliate Summit turning ten years old. During the afternoon, we had a period of time when anybody in the crowd could jump in front of the microphone and give their elevator pitch. Dozens of folks took us up on it, and it was great to see the people going over to them later on to network. The conference finished up with a networking party that was scheduled for an hour and a half, but had to be extended, because nobody wanted to leave. Thanks so much to all of the folks who came out to attend, speak at, and sponsor Performance Marketing Summit. Stay tuned for information on us bringing it to other cities.

ff22_full.indb 30

Shawn is a Co-founder of Aﬃliate Summit and Co-Editor-in-Chief of FeedFront Magazine, and you can follow him @aﬃliatetip on Twitter.

01/04/2013 07:16:45 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

Your Industry

Needs You Now by Missy Ward

n 2012, through generous pledges from a multitude of companies in the performance marketing industry, the Performance Marketing Association (PMA) succeeded in

The Facts: » Aﬃliate Nexus Tax Laws were passed in 9 states: AR, CA, CT, GA, IL, NY, NC, PA, & RI. » The PMA successfully stopped legislation that would have added Illinois to the above list. » Aﬃliate Tax Legislation is beign introduced in 9 other states: CO, FL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MI, MN & UT. » In 2012, the PMA raised and spent $340,000 to defend your business and our industry. » The PMA estimates that 76,000+ performance marketing businesses that resides in the 9 states where these laws were passed, have had their incomes devastated.

having the Aﬃliate Nexus legislation declared unconstitutional in Illinois. Much to our dismay, the state has ﬁled an appeal (al-

the legal expenses against anti-performance-marketing

though our Counsel feels strongly that their case is very weak).

legislation and provides the assistance needed to keep the

We are at a time-sensitive and critical point.

PMA in a position to inform and advocate on behalf of our

On February 22, 2013, the PMA ﬁled a 61-page response

industry.

to the state of Illinois.

Your contributions signiﬁcantly help the PMA advocate

If the PMA wins the appeal, it will be a signiﬁcant blow to

for businesses that make up the performance marketing

the states that have yet to enact Aﬃliate Nexus Tax laws, as

industry. Whatever amount you can contribute plays a BIG

it will be upheld that these kinds of laws are unconstitution-

part in our ability to protect your business and our industry.

al. Furthermore, it will send Congress a very clear message

Please visit thepma.org/contribute and make your

that they must act to solve this problem once and for all. If the PMA does not ﬁght the appeal, the law is NOT ruled unconstitutional and other states will quickly emerge with similar legislation. This could implode our entire industry.

time-sensitive contribution to the Performance Marketing Fairness Fund today. We also need you to support the Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA) in the US Senate, which was re-introduced

While the PMA wants to continue to advocate for the

by Senator Dick Durbin and his co-sponsors on February

performance marketing industry, we are at a pivotal point,

14th. This bill would make the Aﬃliate Nexus Tax problem

where we need your help, too.

go away once and for all. The PMA strongly supports this

Through sizeable contributions from companies who have stepped up to help fund the legal expenses against the Aﬃliate Nexus legislation, we have gotten this far. We need you to side with those who are helping us continue to ﬁght. We need your dollars. We need your voice.

legislation. Additionally, if you reside in any of the states where there is risk of an Aﬃliate Nexus Tax, please join the PMA Google Group for your state at thepma.org/google-groups so that we can enlist your help when we need you. Lastly, if you’re ready to play a key role in helping to set

Without you, performance

standards or foster the growth of the performance market-

marketing fails, and no one wins.

ing industry, I urge you to join the PMA so that your voice

A contribution to the Performance Marketing Fairness Fund, administered by the PMA, helps ﬁnancially support

will be heard. Can I count on your support?

Missy Ward, Co-Founder of Aﬃliate Summit, Inc. & 2012-2013 Board Member of The PMA.

ff22_full.indb 31

01/04/2013 07:16:46 p.m.

· Issue 22 · April 2013

5 Proﬁt

Ways to

J en Go o de

ou have a blog; you’ve been writing for a few years and have hundreds of posts featuring your favorite topics. Maybe you’re an outdoor sports enthusi-

with Existing Content

by Jen Goode

ast sharing stories about your latest adventure. Or maybe you’re a foodie regularly exploring new recipes and writing about your ﬂavor experiences.

about the things you do and use throughout your adven-

Whatever your topic, there are usually products or ser-

tures and include aﬃliate links to these items. You could

vices that you’ll see, use and talk about to your readers. In-

also include links to travel related services, vacation pack-

stead of simply adding a standard link to these resources,

age services as well as entertainment deals and oﬀers.

use an aﬃliate link. You might ﬁnd you can make some extra money doing what you’re already doing.

Watch for Deals If you’ve already added aﬃliate links to current articles

Here are ﬁve ways to add aﬃliate links to the content you already have.

and product reviews, add extra aﬃliate links just by watching for deals on products and brands you feature. Keep an eye on the promotion emails aﬃliate managers send out

Link to What You Love

and then add these purchase opportunities to your own

When writing about a product that you love or a photo

site oﬀerings.

you’ve included has a product you’ve used, this is a great place to add an aﬃliate link. For example, if you’re always

Add a Reading List

showing oﬀ pictures of shoes, do a little research, ﬁnd a

A great complement to any site is a suggested reading

merchant with an aﬃliate program that carries the same or

list. Include various resources your readers will appreciate

similar shoes and share that link in your article. Show your

including books, audio books, and videos. Each of these can

readers where to get the items you both love.

be found in various aﬃliate programs and your readers will love the extra insight you’re sharing.

Share Your Materials Lists

Think beyond the banner and start adding aﬃliate links

How-to or tutorial type content is often written with a list of materials readers need to have on hand to follow the

to the content you are sharing. Talk about the products and services directly and recommend them to your readers.

directions. Oftentimes, writers will include links to the mate-

Go back into old content and update it a bit, add any

rial. You could earn an aﬃliate commission if you change out

new information you have and include aﬃliate links to key

your standard resource links for aﬃliate links.

products and services you’ve already mentioned. Don’t reinvent the wheel and start a new site just to promote aﬃli-

Complement Your Conversations

ate oﬀers.

Share links to products and services that ﬁt well with main topics. If you’re writing focuses on your travels, think

ff22_full.indb 32

Sometimes the best success can be found in content your readers already love.

Jen Goode is an aﬃliate and owner of JGoodeDesigns.com, an art and design studio.

01/04/2013 07:16:47 p.m.

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01/04/2013 07:17:18 p.m.

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01/04/2013 07:17:19 p.m.