| If you are generating leads, probably not, if you are | | | | One day they called and said they wanted to kill one |
| running a Cost-Per-Action campaign, where you only | | | | source, oh, too bad, so we just changed the source |
| pay out if there is a transaction, than you probably | | | | code, they came from the same place anyway. |
| do want to use a network. For CPA campaigns, the | | | | Did we actually know how to generate a lead for the |
| two major networks are Link share and Commission | | | | hair guys? No. No idea. Why try and generate a lead |
| Junction. If you have the capacity to pay out a nice | | | | when you can just buy them? So much easier. That |
| premium per sale, it is probably a good idea to work | | | | is the reality of the affiliate marketing networks. For |
| with one of these networks. Your risk is limited and | | | | making a few phone calls, they will tack on a nice |
| their margins and fees are reasonable. | | | | 40% margin. But imagine they did actually generate |
| On the other hand, if you want to generate leads, | | | | the leads, why would you want to outsource the |
| either co-reg leads or full leads, using an affiliate | | | | marketing of your product, better do it yourself. |
| network is a much trickier business. First of all, what | | | | Better to know where your customers are and how |
| is an affiliate network? I had worked in online | | | | to reach them. |
| marketing for over 8 years, and I really didn't know | | | | If you do feel compelled to enter the world of |
| exactly what an affiliate network did. | | | | affiliate marketing, demand transparency. I would |
| That was, until I went to work for one. An affiliate | | | | demand a list of sites where my campaign is running, |
| network is basically a fancy term for a lead broker. | | | | and only allow them to I-frame my page. That |
| The network either has direct offers, or it is picking | | | | means that the affiliates send traffic to your page, |
| up offers from other networks. They hire young | | | | which is shown on their website. This way you can |
| folks with little or no experience to call around and | | | | measure traffic and conversions and see if anything |
| see if they can find someone to fulfill on the leads. | | | | strange is going on. Do not allow anyone to ever |
| Sometimes they will call other networks, or | | | | post leads do you. You are guaranteed to get at |
| sometimes they will call site owners, or list owners, | | | | least 50% garbage. What is garbage? |
| who are the "affiliates". | | | | In the affiliate world garbage means incentivized |
| I have done many things in my life, surveyed, sold | | | | leads, promotional leads, opt-out leads, you name it. |
| cars, taught English, and of course spent ten years in | | | | Scary stuff, sign up for this offer to enter into a |
| this racket. But the slimiest people I have ever met | | | | raffle to go on a date with Beyonce. And your leads |
| were definitely in the affiliate marketing business. | | | | are for trading software. |
| They beat out cars salesman, and barely overtake a | | | | Affiliate people love to talk about the soup, that is |
| crowd I worked with in college who bought bad debt | | | | some garbage and some good leads to keep those |
| from small businesses, paying out only when they | | | | marketing managers happy. Affiliate networks do not |
| collected. But that is another story. | | | | earn their margins. Better to find sites that fit your |
| The margins in affiliate marketing are usually over | | | | target and discuss with them ways they can |
| 40%, and there is little or no transparency. I | | | | generate leads for you. I remember one client, big |
| remember working on a very large campaign for a | | | | franchiser, spent well over 1 million dollars, and used |
| well know hair replacement company. They said they | | | | maybe 40 sources. At the end of the year, we find |
| wanted all leads sourced, but we only had one | | | | out that almost all the sales came from one source, |
| source, one guy produced all the leads, but we didn't | | | | the most obvious one, the one that best fit the |
| say that, so we put different sources on his leads. | | | | target. |