The FTC made it clear this year that they were not going to take crap, according to confidential insiders in the industry, it was made clear to clickbank that they needed to take notice of the FTC and make changes.  We reported last month that Clickbank was under pressure from the FTC for the “make money” crowd of offers, and because of that changes their Clickbank Guidelines. Since then many affiliates and executives in the industry have taken notice and been talking about the issues with Clickbank in general, and what issues they have been facing.

[pullquote]What are the Issues with Clickbank?
Scammy Offers
Terrible Refund Rate
Horrible Customer Service[/pullquote]

One DigitalPoint poster recently wrote about clickbank, “I am starting to dislike Clickbank because most of the products are just useless….affiliates are out there learning how to lie and cheat people…”  Users replied with comments like ” Yup, most digital products promising money are hyped up scams,” and “Always promote products you believe in. If affiliates take a strong stand against those low quality products, they will disappear automatically. Unfortunately that is not happening.” Other message boards on the net and blog articles have started to pop up, posing the same questions and problems. This got me thinking, so I asked affiliates what issues they had with ClickBank and why they  stopped working with Clickbank.

1)      Scammy Offers.  More and more affiliates are realizing that they could be held liable for the Scammy offers, and worse when it comes to the “affiliate business” or “make money” offers they do not like scamming their fellow affiliates. More and more affiliates see that long term commitment to affiliates will generate better business.

2)      Terrible Chargeback and Refund Rates. While it’s great that Clickbank offers a refund policy on all offers, many affiliates said this was becoming a huge issue. As more and more of these offers were being promoted, more and more of the people who purchase these products know that they can test the product out for 30 days and if they don’t like it, or can’t figure how to use it, they can get a full refund. This created issues where they would promote a product for 30 days, seem to generate significant money, and then suddenly get refunds coming in on the last few days of the period.

3)      Horrible Customer Service. Perhaps one the biggest complaints from Affiliates were that Clickbank customer service is horrendous. They do not really answer questions well, and often it takes days to get an answer. On the chargeback side, they will not reveal any information about the refunds or chargebacks, and why there were refunds.  In some cases, vendors stopped supporting a product, then chargebacks were through the roof – affiliates felt that they should have some recourse against the vendor for costing them money. Clickbank’s policy is not to reveal the name of the vendor, or contact information.

Is Clickbank losing its Mojo, or is this just another cycle in any business with up and downs?  What are your experiences with Clickbank lately?

Email marketers will likely feel a bit of déjà vu here but at the risk of sounding like an echo I’m going to say it.

The Wild West days are nearing an end for SMS marketers.

In particular I’m referring to rules, best practices, etc. that exist and are evolving due to the increasingly popular practice of using SMS as a marketing medium.

For those who are not already utilizing SMS messages for marketing purposes I’ll start at the beginning. 

There are many ways that SMS might fit into your marketing strategies.  One way that is gaining momentum is to use it for list management.  Owners of databases of consumer or business opt-ins know what I’m referring to but if you’re not familiar with list management it simply means that through some activity, either purchasing lists or building them via interaction with consumers or businesses, a marketer has the permission to contact those in the list with advertisements.  Email and postal mail traditionally have dominated this part of our industry but with its amazing ability to reach people in real time SMS has all the makings of a new king of the hill.  It is important to note though that buying mobile phone number opt-in lists is not permitted since permission contained within the opt in cannot be transferred one from party to another.  For list management that involves multiple parties sending advertisements to the opt-in list it’s necessary to do your homework ahead of time to ensure that each party will be messaging compliantly.  A good rule to follow is what works for email does not necessarily work for SMS in terms of compliant uses of an opt-in database.

Once you have a compliant opt-in list of mobile phone recipients, other popular uses for SMS in marketing include sending one time messages, subscriber content, or alerts.   Recurring messages sent  to subscribers may be based either on a paid subscription or a free subscription.  The differences between these marketing practices and those of the list management sector of SMS are numerous and important in terms of the relationship each has with the current best practices, specific carrier restrictions, and laws.  The point at which disclosures are made to the mobile phone owner and the manner in which opt out policies are shared are the same in most cases but other specific requirements vary too much to cover here.

In order to gain better insight into the laws and best practices already being applied to commercial uses of SMS I spoke with Richard Newman of the law practice Hinch Newman LLP, an Internet attorney with a great deal of experience in privacy law and Michael Becker, Managing Director, North America at the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA).  Of course it’s understood that these conversations were a courtesy and no professional advice is being offered by either Richard or Michael.  Now that that’s out of the way let’s move right along.

For anyone not familiar with the MMA, their goal is to help foster growth in mobile marketing while informing marketers of every manner of important aspects of the space including best practices for SMS marketing.  I asked Michael the obvious question first, that being which approach is best to opt a mobile phone number in to a list of SMS message recipients.  His response was clear and concise.  Whether the opt in is initiated by phone or on the Internet you must have a text message from the mobile phone confirming consent.  This affirmation from the mobile phone owner is a requirement, not an option if you wish to be compliant with best practices.  Michael went on to tell me that all of the mobile carriers are auditing SMS programs regularly so abuses will not likely go unnoticed for long.  He also pointed out that opt ins for SMS are covered by more than just the MMA’s best practices.  Prior permission to contact a mobile phone is also effectively covered by CAN-SPAM.

Finally I asked him to summarize the MMA’s position.  “It’s very important that the marketer get an opt-in from the mobile device and respect the consumer’s personal space.  The MMA has put in place best practices to assist marketers in doing just that.  Many brand marketers who are doing this and have a clear strategy are seeing great success with their opt-in rates.  One thing we need to realize is that mobile is different than other mediums in that it’s potentially comprised of eight different engagement media the phone user may consume and is a big part of the decision making process for consumers.  What is needed for future growth and sustainability of the channel is education.”

Please click on the link if you are interested in learning about the upcoming MMA Fundamentals Workshop. 

Though some of the material presented might apply more for marketers who are running branded SMS campaigns you never know what the list management crowd could pick up from it.

In tackling more of the legal aspects of opting mobile phone numbers into text messaging databases Richard Newman was extremely helpful.  Here’s what Richard had to say:

Regulatory agencies are actively monitoring the mobile marketing environment and there are numerous, seemingly fragmented, industry standards (MMA, DMA, CTIA, etc.).  Various state and federal statutes/regulations apply to mobile marketing including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule and Do Not Call List, and CAN-SPAM.  Focusing on the TCPA, it is an opt-in only regime and prohibits marketers from utilizing automated telephone dialers to make calls and/or send messages to wireless devices unless prior express consent is obtained.  A text message is considered a call under the TCPA.  Opt-in consent is obtained by providing clear and conspicuous disclosures about how to consent and that by consenting, the recipient agrees to receive text messages from the sender.  Disclosure that the recipient may be charged by his carrier for receiving messages is also necessary, as is disclosure of additional charges or fees.  Consent may not be obtained via negative option.  Recent court opinions regarding the TCPA have included that the TCPA applies whether a text is sent to internet-to-phone or phone-to-phone, and that a consumer need not incur data charges in order to maintain a claim.  In 2008, Timberland and GSI Commerce settled TCPA class action claims for $7 million, based upon unsolicited wireless text messages.  SMS advertising is not regulated by any specific state law.  However, general false advertising and unfair and deceptive trade practice statutes do apply.

The costs of violating the TCPA are significant and the Florida AG has been very active in enforcing the proper disclosure of material terms, including settlements with Verizon and Sprint.

What all of this appears to boil down to is that SMS marketing from a legal and best practices standpoint is pretty defined already.  But from my perspective, having been an SMS list manager, the real challenge for marketers new to the space is in understanding precisely what is OK in terms of the marketing practices used after the opt-in and what is permitted in terms of the identity of the text message sender or senders.  It’s most cloudy when you look at it from the perspective of a list manager since there are subtle elements to consider such as who actually can exercise the rights contained under the permission from the mobile phone owner.  If your company is serious about entering this growing space or maintaining a presence in it then it’s absolutely necessary that you seek guidance on a regular basis from those who are at the forefront of defining best practices and also those professionals engaged in defending companies whose rights to market via text messaging have been challenged in court.

If you should wish to contact Richard Newman for this type of advice you may contact him via the Hinch Newman LLP website.  You can also reach Michael Becker at the MMA via email at Michael.becker@mmaglobal.com.

NOTE: SITE IS NOT LOADING, ARE THEY CLOSED?

INTENTclick is an exclusive performance network by Kontera Technologies, distinct from Kontera’s premier brand network. INTENTclick contains content rich sites in specific performance driven categories, and is able to deliver to these sites the highest monetization levels available in the market.  We use advanced algorithmic yield optimizations, unique in-text ad formats, and the best semantic content analysis from Kontera. If you are managing a large affiliate business focused on Better Income or Saving Money related offers then INTENTclick is the right choice for you.

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Founded in early 2006, Amped Media is an established Affiliate / Lead Generation Network aimed at offering a better solution for performance marketing publishers and advertisers. Consistently launching new, exclusive, and high converting campaigns; Amped Media is here to ensure clients have exactly what is needed to remain competitive in a fast-moving marketplace.

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We know what it takes to succeed in this industry as an Affiliate. This is why we do our best to provide you with the tools necessary to get the edge over your competition. Our discussion forums, campaign tools, Affiliate support, competitive payouts, and performance incentives are designed to keep you motivated and make as much money as possible.

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Facebook, hoping to grow their advertising base has announced huge changes to their ad guidelines that will allow previously banned categories to advertise on their platform. One of the biggest changes it that now Casinos can advertise on the site, but only to those over 18 years old.

Similarly, some online casinos that target only those outside the US may do so with special permission of Facebook’s ad team.

Additionally, Dietary Supplements, banned because of the crazy affiliate Acai craze that targeted Facebook users, are now allowed.  This however is limited to products that Facebook considers safe and excludes anything with Ephedra, HGH, Melatonin and of course, Steroids.

Similarly, certified online Pharmacies may not advertise, as long as they receive prior approval from Facebook.

The reversal on the decision to allow Pharmacies comes a day after search Giant Google settled with the US Government for $500M for allowing the promotion of illegal pharmacies on Google searches.

A bit change in the guidelines is now that they layout specific examples in the help center of prohibited an allowed ads – which has always been an issue for many Facebook advertisers who had ads removed, and often their accounts canceled with no feedback on the reasons why, or anyway to find out what happened.

So much to do, so little time.

“What should I do, Ana? Is it still a good time to jump into Twitter? Should I stop using Facebook? Do I need to start paying more attention to Google+?”

Social media is nothing new to any marketer.

We all know its power for networking, traffic generation, keeping up with the industry news, and even letting your family and friends know that you are still alive and kicking.

However, the choices abound and the time is short.

Whether you’ve been using social media for your business for a while or are a complete newbie to it, now, with Google+ on the scene, is as a good time as ever to take a closer look at which social media platforms to keep and which ones to give a boot in the rear.

Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ – let’s start with Facebook.

Facebook Traffic Generation

Can’t take a step in any direction these days without stumbling upon discussions as to whether Facebook will endure the introduction of Google+.

Facebook itself seems to think that it’s got something to worry about. Just take a look at all the recent updates it’s been rolling out like red carpet at Oscar’s.

My advice here is forget about the hype.

Remember, it doesn’t really matter whether FB is here to stay or not. The only thing that should matter to us is whether it PRODUCES TRAFFIC and whether the traffic is targeted enough to make it worth your time.

Here is how we are going to check for that: Google Analytics.

From your GA dashboard, go to Traffic Sources ==> Referring Sites.

Here are my top 5 referring sites as of the writing of this post:

Notice that Facebook is the fifth largest source – behind both Google+ and Twitter.

However, let’s not judge the book by its cover.

You want to take a closer look at all the statistics to REALLY see if Facebook is worth its salt – and this goes for every traffic generation source you are analyzing.

1. Compare visits per page with the overall number of visits per page for your entire site, as well as how it stacks up against the other sources.
2. Take a look at the average time on site – do your Facebook visitors stick around or flee your site like a rat off the sinking ship (by the way, this might indicate the problem with your site, not the traffic source).
3. Percentage of new visits: doesn’t really indicate how qualified the traffic is, but does give you an insight into how good you are at expanding your reach. You want your readership to grow, don’t you?
4. Bounce rate: once again, this number can certainly tell you how targeted your visitors are (after all, can’t sell a burger to a vegetarian, right?), but also might mean that you need to make some changes to your site. After all, if you are targeting your social media visitors as best as you can, yet they still don’t stick around when they pay you a visit, they simply might not like what they see.

Looking at my numbers, my conclusion is that it’s way too early to write Facebook off. It still produces a healthy amount of traffic and that traffic seems to be better qualified and has some good sticking power over the other sources.

Once again, see how YOUR Facebook visitors measure up against your other sources of traffic.

Just because the numbers point to a certain conclusion on my site, doesn’t mean you’ll get the same results when analyzing your stats.

Now that you have an idea of what YOUR Facebook traffic is worth to you and your traffic generation, here’s something just for fun: a friend of mine Sean Si of SEO-Hacker.com polled a few bloggers like Kristi Hines, Rand Fishkin, Dan Christo, and Zarko Zivkovic on the merits of FB vs Google+: Should you use Google Plus over Facebook?

Twitter Traffic Generation

Twitter, Twitter, Twitter…

I have a love-hate relationship with it – always did.

I was a late bloomer. Just didn’t get it for a long time.

Then I got it. My traffic from Twitter was incredible. My largest source of referral traffic.

Where’s the “hate” part?

Too noisy. Too spammy. Too impersonal.

However, as I told you above: forget about your personal feelings and analyze each traffic source for what it is – how much traffic it brings you and what quality that traffic is.

Follow the steps above to see whether your Twitter traffic is worth its salt.

By the way, f you want to learn more about how I drive thousands of Twitter users to Traffic Generation Cafe, read my post on how to get Twitter followers.

Here comes the kicker though: did I just say that Twitter has been my largest referral traffic source?

What about the Google Analytics screenshot above?

Glad you asked.

Here are the facts; you come to your own conclusions.

Here’s a GA screenshot of my referral traffic source before I got on Google+, which was on August 1.

Just to give you a frame of reference, I am writing this post on August 18 – that’s when I took the previous screenshot that shows Twitter below Google+.

I didn’t do anything different as far as my Twitter traffic generation is concerned. Yet, take a look at the numbers…

Which leads me very nicely into discussing our third social media traffic source: the new, the shiny Google Plus.

Google Plus Traffic Generation

I know of many bloggers who are waiting to see how Google Plus holds up first before they jump into it.

One of my readers recently complained that in her niche (work at home moms), no one is rushing to use it at all. And that’s true across the board.

Yet look at the numbers from my GA.

Would you like to add some 1000 visitors to your site in a matter of 18 days?

I don’t hear many no’s.

The very nature of any referral traffic source is this: they are all fly by night.

They only bring you traffic if you work at them. The minute you stop, the traffic dries up.

Google Plus brings traffic. Right now.

So why aren’t you a part of it? Who cares if it’s still around a month, two months, a year from now?

Another cool thing about Google Plus: it’s so uncrowded right now that it’s much easier to get noticed by all the right people in the blogging world than it is on any other platform I know of.

Most bloggers are on Google Plus and they are not using social media people to run their accounts for them – just yet.

Which means face time with some of the biggest names in blogging.

Can’t pass this up.

Word of caution: use your senses, would you? Don’t act like it’s a free for all and start harassing everyone – I’ve seen some people do it and it ain’t pretty.

Spam is spam even when it comes with the best intentions.

And to learn more about using Google Plus to generate more traffic, check out my Google Plus tutorial.

Marketing Takeaway

Which social media platform is the best traffic generator?

You tell me.

Follow the traffic trail and find out for yourself what works for YOU, YOUR site, and YOUR niche.

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You’ve all seen the logo – the As Seen On TV, usually referencing some late night commercial with a guy screaming at the top of his lungs that without the special knife, you’re not going to be able to cut an onion. Despite the jokes about this method of advertising, it’s one of the most effective ways of launching new products and has made tons of people very rich. While a lot of affiliate marketers don’t understand how to work with this type of product, it’s can be an extremely lucrative and successful product sell for those who have insight into it.  Here’s some great offers right now from that category and some great tips on how to promote them.

These types of product have one great thing: brand recognition. While some of you might not care about the best product on how to enhance your boobs, (Great offer from Peerfly) there are tons of people out there who love these products and actually watch the late night and looong cable tv commercials. Even though a lot of people use the phone or internet after calling that commercial, a great deal of them don’t immediately respond.

There are lots of studies that show that it takes as much as 5 times for a customer to see a product, learn about a product to make a sale. Thus, they may have expressed interest, but late at TV while switching through channels, perhaps looking for some softcore Skinemax Porn, they aren’t going to order the Cardio Cruise in order to get their flabby ass in shape.

Contextual Advertising Works Wonders
Perhaps one of the most effective means of targeting these users is through popping the offer up on contextual relevant pages.

Companies like DirectCPV, a major Contextual CPV company are great at using this method.

There are three ways to use contextual to target As Seen on TV consumers:
1) On sites about the product. Those people who are on a content site reading about the product, if they get a pop about the product right then and there, you might have a quick sale.
2) A site that sells the product. Sometimes you can actually give a BETTER price than some of the sites that sell it, allowing for the consumer to want to go through your link.
3) A similar product. Just because I’m browsing for spray on Jeans by Levi, doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t take a look at these Curve Control Jeans.

Targeted Email List Building Kicks Ass.
I’ve been saying this for a while now: always try to capture emails so that you can market to consumers later. Simply put, no matter what product you are promoting, you need an option for consumers who don’t buy immediately, to express interest in learning about products later. If they are reading about fitness programs and you have links to products, also have an exit pop that tells them that you’ll send them a free guide.

Then a few days later, since you know they are interested in these type of products, send them a special offer to Beach Body (also found on Peerfly).

From there, gauge their interest by clicks and opens – and retarget those who clicked on the product with similar products. You’ve build a targeted list from the start, and you know they are interest in this type of product. The As Seen on TV product base is perfect for those type of consumers who have ASKED you to receive more information – they want it!

The best list building product still remains AWEBER. It’s simple, cheap and FREE TO TRY OUT!. If you combine this with pops, email subscriber fields in your content, you’ll start collecting email address without even trying.

These are just two great methods of how to promote As Seen on TV offers – and there are many more proven solutions!  I highly recommend for any affiliate to look at possible offers, think outside the box and learn how to target an audience that is really interested in the products.

Through List Building and Context Advertising, you’ll learn fast what works and what doesn’t.

Find these offers and more at OfferInspector.  Simple search, no registration, no spam.