The Affiliate Soup: This Week’s Top 5 Tweets

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2011-06-22

This week’s affiliate soup is piping hot and conversions never tasted so good. If you’ve ever seen Joel McHale’s weekly recap of completely useless pop culture garbage called ‘The Soup’ then you get the idea. Straight from the twitter pipeline is your top affiliate tweets of the week. Condensed and served hot. No fucking gazpacho here, so please don’t burn your poor little affiliate tongues.

Is the Google +1 button pissing anyone else off? I don’t know what it is about that flashy little fucker, but it infuriates me. Anyways, tracking social conversions has been on the radar for quite some time now. Facebook likes, Twitter follows, Google +1 are some of the hot buttons for landing pages. Have you already slapped these social buttons on your landing pages? Are you tracking them? Here’s what I’m getting at…If you aren’t tracking social behaviors then you’re missing out on a massive opportunity for social promotion which will subsequently increase your ROI. While most social sharing buttons can easily be added to your pages by inserting a little snippet of code, you can’t exactly track the engagement. A “Callback Function” is needed to record social conversions so that you can accurately monitor your clicker’s interactions.

Track Google +1 actions here.

Track ‘Like’ actions here.

Track ‘Follow’ events – get the block of code here.

Search engine land provides a kickass article on how to track social conversions on your landing pages. If you want to read more about this post-click marketing delight and get some handy dandy links to APIs and blocks of code, click here.

We fail to fail. That’s right, we never allow ourselves to fail. Not failing is the biggest mistake we can make as marketers. Most of us are apprehensive when it comes to making drastic changes in testing, and we tend to guess which elements will work and which will not work. Turns out that failing to take risks in testing will actually result in failed campaigns. Sound like a bunch of marketing mumbo-jumbo to you? It’s really not. There’s a science involved in our practice and failure is an essential part of the process.

However, it’s very important to pick and choose your failures. Remember when you were little and your parents told you not to bite off more than you can chew? Take the same approach when it comes to testing elements on your landing pages. Test one element at a time, instead of making major changes all at once – which will inevitably lead to failure. You’ll see greater results by exercising more caution in the way you test. Don’t get this concept confused with not testing as often, but learn to test elements strategically and leave the guesswork to Mr. A and Mr. B (a/b testing). Although you’d like to think you’re the Lebron James of marketing, sometimes you have to let technology take the reigns. So, go ahead…Crash and burn. Black out and don’t look back. Hit rock bottom. Fail and fail again. You get the point. Clickz does, too.

Faces don’t perform well in online ads. Who woulda thunk it? All this time our Shutterstock account has been loaded up with bikini-clad women, cookie-cutter business men, and token middle class families. All for nothing? “Only one of the top five ads tested featured a person, compared to three of the bottom performing ads that did, according to a study Yahoo has published called ‘Capitalizing on the Creative Canvas.’” It turns out that competing facial images and unappealing faces distract viewers from key messages, halting the conversion process. It pays to be pretty then? Apparently not. Let’s face it, high contrast designs are the new black when it comes to generating clicks. What to do with the rest of your ads’ features? They suggested placing buttons near elements that hold strong emotional appeal (immediate results, instant gratification, huge savings, or exclusivity). Where do your eyes go when you look at a landing page? Do you scan left to right? Top to bottom? Turns out consumers typically scan pages right to left and middle to top. To find out what kind of ads generate the best CTRs, check out Marketing Vox’s latest conversion-crunching article here.

If your landing pages aren’t converting, you must read this article. I’ve had enough of those articles preaching how to build amazing landing pages <–sorry for the shameless self plug. SEOmoz does a much better job mapping out optimization techniques that will honestly and truly boost your conversions. From heat maps, pre-populating cursors, point of action assurances and testimonials to keyword relevance, ad copy, and driving a single call-to-action. Often times we forget about the importance of human behavior when building out landing pages. SEOmoz takes a consumer-focused approach to optimizing landing pages. For instance, why on earth do we think pages need 88 different selling points to make consumers click a button? A single-driven action will do the trick. It’s as simple as that. Click here for more.

Last but not least and strategically placed at #5. Although affiliate marketing may sound like brain surgery, it’s really not. PPC, CPA, CPC, PPV, WTF. Let’s not take ourselves too seriously here. Smashing’s ‘Users Don’t Read, They Scan‘ cartoon teaches us just that. While developing and executing killer landing pages is a feat in itself, we should take a step back and see that people barely spend 5 seconds on a page before making a decision, so design accordingly. Scanner’s Syndrome I like to call it. Learn how to market and design your pages keeping in mind that people will do the quick scroll down, and that’s that. You didn’t actually think you’d make it through all five tweets without seeing one from Smashing, did you? 😉

Eight PPC Secrets Gurus Teach

By

Pesach Lattin

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2011-06-21

15

It seems to me that so many PPC “experts” are promoting one certain method of how to make money on PPC. On top of that, if you know me, I’m exceedingly pissed about all the “experts” who charge $7,500 for attending some seminar where they rehash all the stuff they’ve stolen from DigitalPoint and WarriorForum. Anyway, in response to that, I’ve decided to give you my own PPC Secrets Seminar all at once without charging you a dime. After looking at a video-tape of one of these experts seminar, I am proud to tell you that I’m covering all their “secrets” for $7,500 cheaper.

1) Always focus on long-tail keywords and stop just focusing on the most trafficked. Ok, this is a pretty easy one that you should really know. Long-Tail keywords are often cheaper, but large groups of them can often make your campaign rock.

2) Create Landing Pages Specifically for those Long-Tail Keywords. Really. Someone looking for BBW Hispanic Dating will appreciate a photo of a larger Mamacita than some skinny-ass white chick. Change up those photos for specific keywords, add phrases for the specific target. On another note, I just can’t really get into the idea of loving really big women. Perhaps someone can explain it to me someday.

3) Steal other people ads. This is what all the gurus do to make money. They look at other ads, steal the ideas, make some money and call themselves gurus. You’d be amazed how many gurus just steal ad ideas from other guys and say “look at this effective PPC ad I made.” They never make the ads (or get the checks that they show on their websites). And most of them can be found surfing the BBW websites.

4) Bidding Wars are Bad. If you get into a war for the top spot, quick move down as far as you can to have positive ROI. You’d be amazed how many times #6 spot is just as effective as #1. Being on top is not always the best.

5) Steal other people’s keywords. Again, a huge trick of the gurus. They use Keyword Compete and then publish the results as their own magic techniques. There is no magic. Magic died.

6) Google Ain’t Special. Really. I don’t use Google myself anymore and rely on the good folks at 7Search for 60% of my traffic. Of course there is Bing, Yahoo and Revelad.

7) Spelling Sucks. Remember that 50% of the US Population can’t find Australia on a map or spell good ‘nuff to fill out a welfare application. Do misspellings plus learn about ontology.

8 ) Learn to GEO Target and make ads that target that geography. Change up the landing page to fit the GEO and make the offer “slightly” different. That means that folks in New York City don’t really care about cow branding tools, but West Virginia might need more dental services.

FREE TRAFFIC GENERATOR HERE

PeerFly has few Peers.

By

Pesach Lattin

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2011-06-13

12

Recently PeerFly was awarded the #2 Network in our Annual Survey of Networks. Their CEO Chad French was pretty damn happy about that, considering he only opened the doors in 2008. We decided that it was about time we sat down with him again and see what he is doing with himself, and what we can expect from his network.

We spoke to you a few months ago; you seemed really excited about the future. How does it feel that half a year later your network has blown up and you’re one of the top CPA networks in the world? It’s been an awesome experience. When I started building the platform for PeerFly in 2008, I had no idea we’d be one of the top networks in less than 3 years time. I attribute our phenomenal growth to my team and the long hours we put in every day to make sure we’re the best we can be. We’re never content with where we are at any given moment so we continue to push ourselves to the next level. If there isn’t a next level, we create one. We’ve done so much in 3 years… watch what we do within the next 3!

What do you think that you are offering that other CPA Networks can’t provide? I believe the advantages we have over other CPA networks are two things: creativity, and in-house development. We have a list a mile long of ideas that we want to implement into PeerFly and future assets that are not found elsewhere. We are extremely inventive and think outside of the boxes box! Myself, and two others on my team, have web-based programming backgrounds with varying levels of skill. So, when we come together and conjure up something super creative, we’re able to easily implement those ideas within our system. We’ve never relied on a 3^rd party to provide value to our affiliates/clients.

Other things we provide that others don’t are several payment schedules based on revenue, several payment methods, daily payments (over a year now), over 1,300 offers in many different verticals, live chat support, a rewards program, and a lifetime 5% referral program.

As you know, fraud is a serious issue. What is PeerFly doing to combat fraud? What types of fraud are you seeing personally? We have been described as one of the most strict and rigorous in terms of fraud and compliance. To begin, our compliance department is composed of two different segments: approvals and traffic. Among other things, all applicants have to verify their phone number using our pin verification system as well as upload a government issued photo ID. If verification passes, they still have to pass another additional 20+ internal points of assessment. If an applicant is approved and becomes an affiliate, our dedicated traffic manager audits their traffic closely and works proactively with our clients to ensure quality is where it needs to be.

We don’t really see “fraud” like we used to when we first started. Rather, we see non-compliant traffic. IE; traffic that may be legitimate but is not an accepted method or type as described on the offer page. Some affiliates just don’t know how to follow directions. However, most of the time we’re able to catch it before it becomes an issue and steer that publisher in the right direction.

We’ve talked about those networks that don’t pay their bills. What is your philosophy about this? Paying our affiliates on time is something else that sets us apart as well. It shouldn’t even be an advantage because that’s CPA network predicate 101! But, unfortunately for this industry, it is. For the first two years we were in business, we had an extremely low overhead that allowed us to save, save, save. It wasn’t until the beginning of this year that we actually got an office. Even with the office, only a couple of us work there – one being part time. We have had no investors and we’ve bootstrapped everything. Our savings has allowed us to continue to pay everyone on time even when our clients are several weeks or months late on their payment. We’ve been fortunate enough to float money without issues and I attribute that to our non-flashy, low budget, saving mentality style.

For networks that have trouble keeping up with payments and are starting to build a reputation of bad payment issues, you need to step back and reassess what you are doing in this business. The #1 priority we’ve had since day one is paying people what they earned, on time. We will make sure our affiliates are paid on time before our own pockets are paid on time. With the power of the Internet, it’s super easy for a handful of affiliates to take your business down because of your bad financial decisions. I’ve seen it time and time again. Always make sure your output is never more than your input or else you will see failure.

What do you think the biggest mistakes most affiliates are making right now? Giving up. Unfortunately, a lot of people equate this industry with a “get-rich-quick” scheme. They get into it looking to make an easy dollar and then give up when they discover it’s a lot harder than they perceived. I believe there is nothing “hard” about this business. You just have to know what you are doing so you can formulate a strategy. The only thing that separates new affiliates from super affiliates is information. That’s it. You don’t need to have any money, special talent, skills, or degrees. We have affiliates who make $20k a day and it’s not because of their good looks! They understand how to take an offer, formulate an action plan and know whom to target.

Are you offering training for affiliates? Why or why not? What specifically? We’re currently developing a whole new interface and website layout. With the launch of the new design we will also be introducing a “Training & Resource Center” which will focus on providing the information our affiliates need to succeed. We want to start doing live Q&A sessions, video walkthroughs, a dynamic FAQ system, message board and more. We don’t think our affiliates should be paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars on coaching programs when we can provide all of it plus more for free.

Where do you think affiliates need to go to learn how to be super-affiliates? I believe our upcoming resource center will prove to be a valuable asset and will be able to take our affiliates from “newbie” to “super” in a short time. Other places to frequent for free guidance in this business are forums like: WarriorForum (http://warriorforum.com), DigitalPoint (http://forums.digitalpoint.com) and reading all the latest industry related blog posts at AffDaily (http://affdaily.com) where lots of industry bloggers provide valuable insights and information.

Do you recommend that affiliates try many networks, or stick with a few proven networks? Why or why not? Stick with the proven networks. There should be no need for you to go out looking for or working with new networks that don’t have any history. If anything, let them prove themselves first. If they seem attractive because of payout claims on a certain offer or the types of offers they have, simply ask the current proven network you’re with if they can get those offers or match those payouts. Nine times out of 10, not only will they be able to get that offer but also beat the payout on it as well. The proven networks have a lot more clout and can negotiate better payouts with advertisers. Not to mention – if you work with an unproven or unheard of network, they are more than likely brokering the offer from a bigger, proven network anyway.

What is your opinion of all the FTC lawsuits? How are you guys protecting yourselves from legal actions by the government, and what do you recommend for affiliates? Our industry obviously needs regulation. I want to help build an industry of value, integrity, and sustainability. Not scams, lies, and falsehoods. Advertising powers the Internet so we really have a bright future ahead of us just as long as we can stay accepted and compliant! I applaud the efforts of groups like the Performance Marketing Association, the Executive Council of Performance Marketing and even the Federal Trade Commission for creating standards and keeping both sides straight.

As for us, we work with our attorney to ensure our practices stay within FTC guidelines. We have absolutely no intentions of going outside the realm of veracity and standards this industry relies upon to grow.

Check out Peerfly here

Top 10 CPA Networks Revealed

By

Pesach Lattin

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2011-06-13

0

I’ve been doing CPA Network Surveys for almost 10 years, and have to say that this year was probably the most successful and interesting surveys that I’ve ever done. In 2004 and 2005, Azoogle was voted by my publication ADBUMB (now ADOTAS), the top CPA and Affiliate company in the industry. Azoogle, now Epic, clearly dominated the space at the time with no major competitor even coming close to what they did in revenue or in influence. However, 6 years later our survey clearly shows that the industry has changed enormously and the field is wide open. No one company dominates the space anymore, allowing anyone to come into the business and create something new and innovative. Perhaps that’s one of the greatest things about our industry.

That is what makes this year very interesting. This turned out to be a race between a 500lb gorilla with $150M a year in revenue, versus the relative newcomer. The newcomer just a year ago wasn’t even a candidate as major player in the industry, but in the last year has grown enormously. On the other hand, the gorilla has been a constant in the last few years, usually named at the top of the list of the most successful companies. So without much ado, here are the top 10 CPA & Affiliate networks overall as ranked by the readers of InsideOV and OfferVault.

10) Adscend Media. Run by part-time college student, Adscend has become one of the premiere content unlocking companies. Content unlocking has its problems, but Adscend believes that it can be a valuable tool in promoting products when working close with the advertisers. If you are wondering how to monetize online content, such as e-books, music, your own short videos of your dog in a tutu, you should learn about content unlocking

9) ClickBank. Clickbank is its own category almost. While it claims to have thousands of products being promoted, it is still dominated by the E-Marketing Business category where affiliates can promote products to other affiliates. Clickbank has made a name for itself for always on-time payments, accurate tracking and a good way to make good money.

8 ) CPAWAY. CPAWAY has become a clearing house for affiliate offers, with almost 1100 offers in their database. For those who are looking to work with one company, and never have to go anywhere else, this is where to start… if you dare to scroll through all 1100 offers.

7) EWA Private Network. Not sure what can be said about Ryan Eagle’s network that has not been said before. While it’s not technically private, Eagle has done an amazing marketing job promoting it as an exclusive network. Whatever you may think about “The Eagle”, he’s proven himself to be a marketing genius, part-time rockstar and tooth-bling aficionado. Plus he’s not going anywhere, and he’ll tell you that to your face if you say otherwise.

6) W4. Named after the IRS form for tax withholding for a new job, this company grew out of the well-publicized destruction of HydraMedia. Now run by a great team of the Walker Brothers and the x-supermodel and super-spy, Abby Whitridge, this has become a mainstay in the industry as one of the most professional teams and companies out there.

5) Convert2Media. Convert2Media is one of the darlings of affiliates, with a huge following on many of the message boards. They have build their company from the ground up, wooing affiliates with huge parties, great gifts and the principle that they are run by “one of the boys.” If you have any doubt how great these guys are, check out this fraudcheck

4) MaxBounty. Despite the Facebook scandal of this year, the Canadian superstar Suave Brothers are still going strong, providing unique offers and great customer service. Anyone who knows these two will probably doubt the claims made by Facebook, and also tell you that the MaxBounty folks know this industry inside and out. They’ve been doing it forever, and will always be in the top 10 networks.

For the top 3 networks, click here

Too Hot Too Handle? Dating Offers That Convert

By

Amy Capomaccio

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2011-06-08

5

Ever since the FTC started kicking ass and taking names, some affiliates have been left with egg on their face. For those who haven’t sold their souls and actually kept their sites compliant with the new FTC regulations, you can rejoice in the fact that the CPA industry is thriving, and dating offers are hotter than ever. If you haven’t dabbled in the dating niche, now is the time to ride it.

Sex sells. It’s the oldest trick in the book, and it still works. The question is, how well does it convert in the world of affiliate marketing? A common misconception about dating offers is that the imagery is what pushes the visitor to take action. But, bodies are bodies, and faces are faces. You’d think images would be the driving force behind conversions, but the headline is equally as important. Looking for a playmate? Fling? Long-term relationship? Visitors know what they want coming in. Make sure you let them know exactly what they are getting, by inserting it in the headline.

This dating offer is a nice mix of modest and raunchy. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, this is somewhat modest for your average online dating offer. When does a conversion occur? When the visitor signs up and confirms their sign up via the link that is sent to their email (double opt-in sign up).

Here’s why this page converts:

Auto populates visitor’s location to personalize experience
Counter in left hand corner builds credibility
Segments user and collects data immediately
Teaser pop-up form is clean, direct, and functional
Imagery is consistent and appeals to both genders

Two Pump Chump

Get your mind out of the gutter. This prude of a page converts upon the completion of page two. I wouldn’t necessarily target this offer to Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, but the 35 plus crowd yearning for stability seems like a match. Do you see it? Look a little closer. The headline – it tells you exactly what you’re getting and the body copy totally supports it. The form is clean and left aligned which is not common, but it works. The fact that sign-up is free is a huge selling point and it could be played up a little more. Nicole and Jason look related, what’s up with that? Incest definitely doesn’t sell.

Here’s why this page converts:

Only first name required which lowers drop-off rates (some folks don’t want their identity linked to online dating.)
Layout balances imagery, call to action, and targeted copy
Verified security logos establish legitimacy
Color palette builds trust and credibility (blue = security) I don’t make this shit up.

I Smell Sex And Video Games

No conversion virgins here. I’m not saying every gamer spends a lot of time sitting in front of their computer, but this dating offer seems to oddly mimic a video game. Coincidence? No way. I’m guessing the target is males 25+. This sight has me looking over my shoulder, and although it’s rather risque, I dig a lot of elements on this page. Segmenting each visitor and providing an incentive to click to the next step is where this page racks up conversions.

Here’s why this page converts:

Intro mimics video game targeting demographic
Geotargets to deliver relevant content
Interactivity captures and engages visitor
100% FREE adult dating tagline

Tell us about your success with dating offers…

FREE TRAFFIC GENERATOR HERE

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FTC Cracking Down on Testimonials: What Affiliates Need to Know

By

Richard B. Newman

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2011-06-01

13

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) continues its assault on Internet-based false and deceptive advertising, including enforcement of recently published guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials. On May 31, 2011, the FTC announced its first settlement with an individual consumer charged with deceptive representations made in relation to a product or service testimonial.

The matter pertains to a “pitchman” defrauding consumers via a money-making scheme by misrepresenting the earning potential of a so-called “wealth building” program called “Winning in the Cash Flow Business.” The defendants allegedly misled consumers about how much money they could make using the program and how quickly and easily they could make it. The initial cost of the program ranged between $40 and $160. Consumers “were later encouraged to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars more on additional products or services, such as multi-day seminars, coaching sessions, and promissory note holder lead lists.”

The Complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and alleges that the defendants’ actions violated FTC Act §5, the Telemarketing Sales Rule (“TSR”), and the Colorado Consumer Protection Act. In 2002, one of the defendants used a thirty-minute infomercial as the primary method to advertise the program. It was broadcast nationwide. The FTC also states that the program was marketed online, as well as through direct mail. The infomercial claimed that consumers could earn substantial income successfully by finding, brokering, and earning commissions on seller-financed promissory notes.

The alleged false and misleading claims included “testimonials” purportedly from consumers claiming to have made “$1.2 million in 30 days,” “$79,000 in a few hours,” and “$262,216 part time.” The FTC and the state allege that this was far from the “typical consumer experience.” One consumer in particular who provided a testimonial in an infomercial reached a settlement with the Agency amid charges that she falsely claimed earning $79,975.01 from one promissory note transaction using defendants’ program and that her total earnings were over $134,000. The complaint alleges that the consumer made this statement, even though she earned $50,000 less than what she claimed. She agreed to a consent judgment prohibiting her from making several types of misrepresentations in the future, and has agreed to cooperate with law enforcers in their case against the remaining defendants.

The Colorado Attorney General joined the FTC in prosecuting this case, both seeking to preclude the individual and corporate entities they control from continuing to make the allegedly misleading claims, as well as consumer redress. The federal and state plaintiffs charged that consumer testimonials in the defendants’ advertising are inaccurate and do not reflect the results that customers are “likely to achieve” if they buy the program. Instead, some of the testimonials reflect earnings claims that were total earnings figures accumulated over several years, rather than in one year. Since the defendants made similar misrepresentations to consumers during sales calls, they also were charged with violating the FTC’s TSR.

What Affiliates Need to Know
With the recent increased state and federal regulatory scrutiny, everyone who markets a product or service online should be on notice – when someone is selling a program designed to help people make money they have to accurately describe how much consumers can expect to make and be truthful about how quickly they will be able to do so.

In fact, the FTC has recently announced that an update to federal advertising rules pertaining to Internet marketing is imminent.

The original Dot Com Disclosures were issued more than a decade ago and do not take into account technological advancements in the Internet, mobile marketing, and social marketing sectors. So, while the FTC continues to vigilantly patrol online marketing and advertising practices, it also appears to be keeping an eye on current technological issues. Regardless of the direction the “revamped” advertising rules may take, one requirement will remain a constant – clear & conspicuous disclosures so that consumers can make fully informed online purchasing decisions. Factors such as the context of the disclosure, its prominence, placement and proximity to the language it limits, are but a few critical considerations that must be mindfully addressed.

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ReactionAds – the only network run by React2Media. React Now!
http://www.react2media.com/contact-us/

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Richard B. Newman is an highly-respected Internet Lawyer and FTC Defense Lawyer at Hinch Newman LLP. He has made a name for himself in the industry having been the lead attorney on several well known cases. He can be contacted at rnewman@hinchnewman.com

“Richard Newman is one of the top, most respected attorneys for Interactive Advertising and Affiliate Law. He has his finger on the pulse of the industry.”– Pace Lattin, InsideOV

Social Media Hacks to Increase Conversions

By

Pesach Lattin

-

2011-06-01

9

Zuck said it best, “By giving people the power to share, we’re making the world more transparent.” Pardon me for saying it, but I know you’re thinking it – how can we monetize the simple idea of online sharing?

Sharing Versus Selling
As the wedding bells ring and search and social tie the knot, there will be many skeptics out there. It could get very sticky, because social media and affiliate marketing are two completely different beasts. One generates conversation and focuses on building and maintaining meaningful relationships, while the other has mastered the art of overnight sales, and online profit prostitution. The trick is finding a balance between the two and playing up their strengths. Challenge yourself and become a master in balancing the act of engagement and sales.

Purposeful Linking Building
First, leverage the conversation generated among social media communities and become an active participant. If you find the right people who want the product or information you have, then you’ve just met your match. Just don’t drop affiliate links to any random user, but build confidence in your brand with a strong social media presence. Next, consistently provide your friends and followers with relevant, useful information and reviews where you can strategically place your affiliate links. Rule #1 of dating? Never be too available. The same thing applies to link building. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Build links where it matters the most. Quality over quantity definitely wins you a second date.

Social Rankings Do Matter
Here it comes. The social media, affiliate, and online user threesome. As you build credibility among your following the more exposure and higher your search rankings will climb. Now, get your o-face ready. Google and Bing both take into consideration social signals in deciding how pages rank. So, tweet big and tweet hard. No really, use Tweet Big. It’s a great tool for finding relevant users (those who will re-tweet your reviews and articles.) Want to generate hype for a specific product? Tweet Big will provide you with a targeted audience that actually wants to listen and share your links.

Connections Increase Conversions
People want to feel like their talking to a face not a brand. That’s why it’s important to show that you’re real. Whether it’s answering questions in a timely manner or actively engaging in conversation, you will come off as authentic and establish the driving force behind your sales – trust. If your product or service has any backbone, being a human is the easy part. Remember to mix it up a bit with your content. If you constantly are trying to push a sale, followers will drop off. Be mindful of the sensitivity factor that’s linked to social networking. People take this shit way too seriously.

Tracking Your Social Media Efforts
If you want to truly monetize your content and increase your conversions, you should be tracking your social media efforts and building your lists. The bread and butter of your marketing efforts should be your emailing lists, so take the time to grow and maintain them. Argyle Social can track how many conversions come from your social media marketing efforts. Unlike many analytics programs, Argyle Social takes into consideration the importance of both engagement and revenue generation.

Don’t Abuse The Privilege
Let the spamming begin. Just kidding. This is where social media and affiliate marketing can literally butt heads. AM says MORE MORE MORE FASTER FASTER FASTER. And SM says, let’s take it slow and get to know each other. Please don’t cheapen the nature of social media by going on a following spree, and certainly don’t whore your brand to anyone or anything that will bite. Remember, you have something they want – a specific product and they have something you want – the power of influence. What your followers say about you matters. Who gives a shit about your feelings? You will, especially when it affects your rankings, quality of content, and conversions.

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Amy Capomaccio is a staff writer for InsideOV, when she isn’t kicking ass at University of Tampa. She’s a huge Christian Louboutin fan and will take donations of new shoes c/o InsideOV.

Proven Landing Page Technique: Social Proof

By

Pesach Lattin

-

2011-05-31

9

For those who don’t know, besides owning several publications (including this one), I’ve owned several advertising networks, created one of the first affiliate networks and was also a very, very successful affiliate. (I’m also considered the inventor of the pop-up, but I don’t talk about that usually anymore). I’ve learned a lot about how to get people to engage at different levels: from selling products through landing pages to selling advertisements to potential CPA networks. During the last 15 years, one technique has worked all the time and it’s a technique that if you learn to master, will always help you improve conversion rates, make more money and become an expert marketer: it’s social proof or social verification.

Social Proof is a phenomenon often categorized also as a type of “Herd Effect.” Simply, when multiple people state an idea, it is more likely for others to agree with that idea than if a single person states the same idea.

This is extremely important to remember in marketing, because if you are going to influence people’s decisions on what to buy or a choice to make, it’s more important to have multiple sources to prove your point than one point. This type of situation in landing pages is often done through testimonials of other consumers basically saying the same thing, over and over again in their own words about the product. When faced with these testimonials, consumers are more likely to buy a product than when faced with a single testimonial, even from a well-known person.

This is plays a significant role also in the words that you use. For example, if you’ve ever watched QVC or late-night commercials, you will often see the presenter announce that “this product is going fast” or “many people are buying this now.” The purpose of this is to lead consumers into believing that other people are buying this product, and if that is the case, they need to get on the bandwagon and buy the product. If these people are buying the product, it must be the right thing to do to buy this product.
Again, it’s a very simple technique: present that other people are buying a product by providing “proof” of their purchase and then satisfaction of the product.

Here are some possible methods of using this technique while building a landing page:

1) Create an exit-pop with information about current purchases. Exit pops are a proven technique for selling a product, but I’ve never seen one that then shows that other people are buying the product. When a consumer leaves, instead of just giving him a better offer, present recent purchase examples in their area and the cities they were purchased. If they see that ten other people in the area just bought the product in the last day, perhaps they too should be buying the product.

2) Integrate with Facebook sharing. This is an obvious technique that works really well – if someone buys the product, allow them to “share” it for a free gift. However, instead of just allowing them to put that they bought the product, present that they and several other people on Facebook also bought the product. Remember that the group testimonials are better than just the one.

3) Email Consumers about an Upsell and that other consumers also did the upsell. For example, after they buy the product and go through possible upsells, email them a day later with an email that states “I’m glad you bought the product, but you didn’t get the such and such add-on. We were curious perhaps what you’d like additionally, so we looked at similar purchases from other people and what they bought.” Present 5 different people with their purchasing choices, but make sure at least 4 of them are the same choice for the upsell. Sign up for iContact and get an autoresponder for free.

Before I let you go, there is one key technique in Social Proof that is very, very important. Consumers must view the testimonials and evidence as being from similar consumers. Make sure you know your target audience and present them with “proof” from those in the same socioeconomic situation as themselves. It should be noted that most consumers see themselves as richer and more affluent than they really are (hopeful thinking?) so always upgrade the message, don’t downgrade it.

Something to think about: Why did Facebook grow so fast, and then Myspace shrink? Honestly, there isn’t “that” much difference. I think a lot of it has to do with Social Proof. Facebook was very, very smart and created like buttons and similar sharing techniques from the start — so people saw consistently that their friends were using Facebook. Similarly, so many news organizations provided additional proof that Facebook was growing, and that Myspace was on it’s way out, even a year before Facebook overtook Myspace. People got on the bandwagon because they thought it was the right thing to do.

FTC Continues Crackdown on Deceptive Internet Marketing Practices

By

Pesach Lattin

-

2011-05-24

13

According to a lawsuit filed May 16, 2011 by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, a renowned Canadian online marketing operation that obtained credit and banking information by offering purportedly “free” or “risk free” trials subsequently withdrew over $450 million in unauthorized charges from consumers’ accounts in five countries (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand).

As set forth in an FTC press release, a group of online businesses under the control of Internet marketing entrepreneur Jesse Willms promoted free trials or risk-free offers on several products, including acai berry weight-loss pills, teeth whiteners, health supplements, work-at-home opportunities, access to government grants, free credit reports and penny auctions. Once the defendants obtained billing information from unsuspecting consumers, the defendants charged consumers for unwanted and unordered products and services.

The FTC’s complaint alleges that the defendants’ conduct violates FTC Act §5 and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA). The complaint also cites the following defendants, Peter Graver, Adam Sechrist, Brett Callister, Carey L. Milne, Just Think Media, Credit Report America, eDirect Software, WuLongsource, Wuyi Source, eDirect Software, Terra Marketing Group, SwipeBids.com, SwipeAuctions.com, Selloffauctions.com, Coastwest Holdings Ltd., Farend Services Ltd., and JDW Media LLC.

The defendants’ penny auction offers, allegedly, falsely indicated that consumers would receive free “bonus” bids. However, consumers who provided credit or debit card numbers to participate in future auction buying were charged $150.00 for introductory “bonus” bids and $11.95 per month for ongoing “bonus” bids. Charges that were, apparently, unexpected and unauthorized.

Further, consumers were told that the “free” or “risk-free” trial offers required only small shipping and handling fees. However, once the defendants obtained consumers’ credit or debit card account numbers, consumers were charged in excess of the nominal fees represented by the defendants. The FTC alleges that the defendants charged for the trial product or the extra bonus products and consumers often were charged a monthly recurring fee, in addition to the charges for the “free” trial.

While the defendants “offered” a money-back guarantee, the FTC alleges that consumers were, more often than not, unsuccessful in canceling the recurring charges or obtaining refunds.

In addition to the false and deceptive advertising allegations, the FTC alleges that the defendants provided merchant banks with false information in an effort “to acquire and maintain credit and debit card processing services from the banks in the face of mounting chargeback rates and consumer complaints.”

—–

Richard B. Newman is an Internet Lawyer and FTC Defense Lawyer at Hinch Newman LLP.

Affiliate Prophecy: Ways to End Mediocre Campaigns

By

Amy Capomaccio

-

2011-05-24

3

Take a whiff. Do you smell it? Mediocrity. It stinks like shit and it’s a plague that has taken over the affiliate marketing industry. So while you’re sitting there cramming elements onto your page, just know that you’re probably losing money. If you don’t keep up with trends and what consumers respond to, the affiliate marketing rapture is in your near future – that’s just how this industry works.

Faking It Doesn’t Feel As Good

Have you ever heard the phrase “Fake it ‘til you make it?” While this works for many people trying to make a quick dollar, you’ll often that taking the easy way out will backfire. I always wondered why people waste so much of their time pretending to be the best product/service out there. Why not just be the best? You can instill confidence in your brand through your content or lack there of. There’s no need to oversell a product, so be careful with the amount of content you use, and make sure it’s targeted.

Shut Your Mouth And Listen

The human mind is malleable and buying behavior changes everyday. So who are you to think that the demographics check you run really cares about a day-to-day scope of your viewer? You can learn a lot by listening. Take Social Mention. It’s free and you can see exactly how people feel about a specific product or service. You can even set an alert so you’ll always be up-to-the-minute with online conversations and consumers’ sentiments.

Scrap Mass Produced Landing Pages

In a world of mass production, landing pages are no different than cars in that they fly off the assembly line and end up in the hands of a hungry consumer. The problem is that a landing page that’s created with this ‘mass production mindset’ becomes predictable and ineffective. Consumers will spot these false prophets and will X out of your page quicker than you have time to repent.

Splash Pages

Love these guys. They’re smart, deliberate, and they don’t f*#$@ around. They’re grossly under utilized and a great way to lure in your viewer. Just make sure you provide relevant options and powerful content and imagery. A nightmare for SEO? Perhaps, but if you can segment your viewers from the get-go, your conversions will be far from smelling like shit.

Browser Beware

When will IE6 be dead? When that day arrives, there will be no choice for that little beast – straight to the fiery depths of browser hell. In the meantime, you should see what browsers your viewers are using and check on your site’s compatibility and load time.

SOURCE: http://blogs.sitepoint.com/browser-trends-may-2011-firefox-4-ie9-growth/

Go ahead, Touch it.

Check out the design and functionality of the iPhone. Plain and simple – it just makes sense. Now, take a look at your landing page and creatives. As a marketer, designer, or writer – you’re already biased, so step aside and let an outsider take a look-see. Remember the average consumer is not as tech savvy as you and they see things much differently. Plus, consumers love the feeling of familiarity, that’s why it’s important to look at websites your target audiences frequent. But, don’t get familiarity confused with mass production – there’s a very big difference.

—–

Amy Capomaccio is a staff writer for InsideOV, when she isn’t kicking ass at University of Tampa. She’s a huge Christian Louboutin fan and will take donations of new shoes c/o InsideOV.

Pace Lattin

Affiliate Network

Alex Zhardanovsky went from Epic to Doggie.

By

Pesach Lattin

-

2011-05-19

1

I’ve personally known Alex Zhardanovsky for a long time – for almost as long as I’ve been in the industry. During that time, I’ve learned several things about him. First, he’s one of the smartest business men that I’ve ever met: he knows how to get things done, he knows how to take the competition out when necessary but also knows how to build bridges. Secondly, he always has really hot women around him. I’m not sure what it is, but wherever he goes there are models hanging on him like flies on flypaper. After his success in building EPIC into one of the biggest online advertising media powerhouses, he moved onto creating Petflow.com an online pet-food shipping superstore. In about a year, it’s become the #1 online petfood solution and if he wasn’t already rich enough, making him a much richer man. Maybe we can learn a bit from him.

How did you originally get started with the idea of Azoogleads?
AzoogleAds was created because we really weren’t happy with the way that publishers were treated back in 2000/2001. There really weren’t many “network” options other than Webclients, Adteractive, CJ/Linkshare, private brokered deals and agencies. There was no real-time repo
rting, no reliable way to know how much you were actually getting paid at the end of the month or if a check was even coming. We were already aggregating several publishers’ traffic and disbursing commissions, and those publishers were asking us for an online interface that they could log into to see stats of how their campaigns were performing. So in early 2002, we built the interface, and launched AzoogleAds in July.

Why did Azoogle use its own system instead of using another CPA system like directtrack?
To be perfectly honest, I don’t think directtrack as a licensed platform even existed back in 2002. I believe that Jason Wolfe (the founder of DirectTrack) was still operating MyCoupons.com at the time, but I could be mistaken. More importantly, we have always believed in building infrastructure that suited us, as out-of-the-box solutions have many shortcomings. At the time we launched, we were unique, so we really didn’t have to look “different” than any other network. In hindsight, the fact that we owned our own technology platform allowed us to execute much faster than many of our competitors, because we could build custom solutions for many of our publishers, when others did not.

Do you think that any company can become a major player in the CPA game using a third party system, why or why not?
I am a strong believer in controlling your own destiny and I don’t think you can do that if you build businesses on top of someone else’s technology. Especially when the technology you are using is consumer-facing.

What do you think about state of the industry fraud wise, with companies being investigated by the FTC, AG lawsuits and so on. What did Epic/Azoogle do that was different to prevent this?
Fraud will always exist, no matter how hard you try to curtail it. There will always be opportunistic individuals, those who the laws of this (US) country don’t necessarily touch. At Epic, we spent a considerable amount of resources on ensuring publisher and advertiser compliance, often at the expense of significant revenues.

Is there any company in the CPA game that you can currently point to besides Epic and say that they are doing a good job? What are they doing right?
I really don’t think that anyone stands out, there are hundreds of networks all doing the same thing. Everyone claims to have high payouts, exclusive offers, fast payment terms, and great affiliate managers. None of those 4 things are important anymore, as they’re listed on every single networks’ homepage. I don’t claim to know what the silver bullet is these days, but anyone running a CPA network needs to remember that it’s a technology-enabled services business, and if you don’t have great relationships with all of your partners, on both sides (advertiser and publisher), then you’re just another me-too that no one cares about.

Do you feel there is still space for new CPA Networks to make money? If so, what do they need to provide to compete?
No matter the industry, there is always room for smart people to make money. The ones that will be most successful in this space, are ones that understand their advertisers and are willing to invest resources in creative design, technology infrastructure and their relationships.

What made you and your partner Joe decide to start PetFlow.com?
If you’re a dog or cat owner, there’s 3 things that your dog/cat is guaranteed to do every day. Eat, poop, and sleep. 2 of those 3 things have to do with the pet’s food. Over 40% of American households have a pet, and under 4% of those households have ever made a purchase online for their pets. For us, that presented a huge opportunity for a pet food replenishment businesses. PetFlow is on fire.

Will PetFlow be bigger than Epic money wise for you? Why?
Yes. The online advertising industry generates $22.7 billion in sales in 2009. The Pet industry generates over $48 billion in annual sales. You do the math 🙂

What is PetFlow’s current affiliate model and relationship? Why did you stop using Commission Junction?
We work directly with publishers an do our own media buying. I still believe strongly in affiliate marketing, but CJ was not a good partner for us. I wrote a post about why we chose to stop working with CJ.

What is the environment at PetFlow like? What are your employees passions and what makes them get up in the morning and go to work?
The environment here is exactly the same as the one we had at AzoogleAds when we started. It’s very relaxed. Everyone knows what they need to do every day and gets their job done. There are no set hours, but everyone is expected to perform to the best of their abilities. Our door is always open to suggestions and we try very hard to keep both our customers and our employees happy. As a budding ecommerce company that interacts with tens of thousands of customers on a monthly basis, we really can’t afford to mess up.

What is your dream car and why?
Audi r8. I own it, and it’s f’n awesome.

Five Tips to PPC Success

By

Alex Becker

-

2011-05-18

2

Ever run around your house destroying everything in your path in a huge panic looking for your keys, phone, etc? As you frantically search every corner imaginable you may have even accused your kids, significant other or anyone in the general vicinity of misplacing it only to find that the item was right under your nose the whole time. Well, if you have had this experience or something similar then maybe you can relate to the topic of discussion on today’s agenda.

In my profession I am often given the opportunity to work closely with many PPC marketers who share with me their experiences, both good and bad. Just recently, I spoke with an advertiser who stated that he was on the verge of ending all of his PPC advertising efforts due to what he believed was bad traffic quality. He said he didn’t want to continue spending money only to see little to no return. The more we discussed his concerns I began to realize that he felt this to be true about many of the paid search engines he had been using to promote his website. When you consider the odds of 3-5 search engines all delivering sub-standard traffic to one specific advertiser, it doesn’t seem to be a very likely occurrence. I am, however; inclined to agree that it is possible for maybe one or two out of five search engines to deliver consistently bad traffic quality. In the case of this advertiser, I would still question why he has not seen better results from at least two or three of the search engines he has tried.

Much like the scenario referenced at the beginning of this article, the solution to most PPC conversion problems is often pretty obvious yet the most overlooked. Many advertisers spend so much time blaming their inability to convert on poor traffic quality that they never even stop to consider the possibility that the problem just may be IN-HOUSE. By in-house I am referring to their own website. Even if it receives the highest quality traffic, a website with a list of unflattering issues will still find it hard to see any real success. Here is a list of the top 5 reasons why many websites fail to reach pay-per-click marketing success:

1. Slow loading pages– Who has all day to wait for your site to load? Not I, and neither do most of your visitors. People are impatient so even if you get a ton of clicks on your ad it won’t do you a bit of good if most of them abandon the site before the landing page is even done loading, so get the lead out!

2. Appearance – Make it easy on the eyes. Super bright text colors and funky font sizes simply scream amateur. Random, irrelevant images and sparse content can drive a potential sale right out the door. Keep it clear, concise and consistent.

3. Deliver as advertised– Let’s see, your ad says you offer the wonder widgets in blue, now that you have a visitor on your site ready to buy them, they are out of stock! Big no-no. Never mislead web surfers into clicking your ad only to have them arrive and not find what they thought you could provide. Can you say “a waste of their time and your money”?

4. Market awareness– Why does the same product or service cost so much LESS on other sites than it does on yours? In this economy, the higher pricing strategy is definitely a bad idea. It’s a great idea to make sure your pricing is just as appealing or more than your competitors.

5. Functionality – How can people sign-up for your service or buy your product if your site doesn’t function properly? Links that lead to nowhere or redirect to unwanted places are almost guaranteed to give your visitors the wrong impression. This is a simple fix that can definitely have a positive impact on your bottom line.

The point is clear. Before simply assuming your ad is not converting as a result of bad traffic quality, consider the possibility that the problem may be even closer than you may think.

Brought to you by 7Search Looking for a new traffic source? You must try 7Search!

Five Revenue and Traffic Generating Products That All Affiliates Must Test

By

Pesach Lattin

-

2011-05-17

16

Too many affiliates are one-hit wonders, learning one system or one tool and going out and only using that tool. So many people are dependent on Google or Facebook as the only source of traffic, and can’t see that there are tons of other ways to drive traffic, most of them a lot cheaper and a lot more effective. While I can’t guarantee that all of these will make your certain product money, I can pretty much assure you that at least two of them will be proven money makers and generate quality traffic with just a little work and time.

1) 7Search
I’ve been recommending 7search for years, because its still one of the top alternative PPC and search engines. For a while however, I have to be honest that the traffic quality was getting pretty bad, but in the last several months my clients and partners have told me that the quality has gone through the roof. One of my friends had a consistant $500 a month spend, but suddenly is spending over 25k a month with the new quality keywords. Here is a great article on how to become profitable while using 7Search.

2) DirectCPV
If you are into creating fast results, DirectCPV is the the contextual cost per view network that everyone is currently recommending. I personally know the CEO of the company, who has been a major player in our industry for a long time – and he’s told me that their inventory levels are growing weekly in large amounts, providing plenty of opportunities for any new affiliates to use their system. According to JohnChow.com, they are a great system that has “great support”, “fast approval” and “very cost effective advertising.” Sign up here.

3) Relevad’s AdBidder
This is a great bidding system that is not being used much by affiliates right now, and has a lot of extra inventory in different categories that are very popular. It has both demographically and geo-targeted campaigns that will work amazing with specific campaigns, but also a great RON platform for the general campaigns. I really like this system mainly because it’s basically unknown to the affiliate media buying community. That being said, there is a great sales person over there who has promised to work with every marketer to ensure their campaign does the best it can.

4) PlentyofFish. Commonly known as Ads.Pof.com or just PoF by “Poffers”, this is one of the top secrets of affiliate marketing. For those that don’t know PoF is a free dating site, that makes all of its income just on the ads. What is really great about PoF is that it’s a lot less strict than Facebook (thus you can use a bit more dirty ads) and that there is less competition than Facebook. Supernarrow targeted offers do really well on PoF. There is also a really good PoF advertising loader by Mr. Green at for only $100 one-time fee.

5) AdOn Network. Out of the desert of Arizona comes AdOn Network, (For years I secretly called it the HardOn Network) which has been around forever but still isn’t on the radar of many affiliates. This is probably one of the biggest opportunities for affiliate marketers – you have to try it. While they have a PPC ad system that is pretty damn effective, (over 3M clicks delivered daily) they also have pop-under advertising that is available that I hear can kick ass. I hear they are about to launch campaigns targeting affiliate marketers, so this may be a secret no longer.

Why try other solutions? Simply, if you have something that is working on one system, it’s a good bet something similar will work on another system. Yes, there are those guys looking to game the system, create fraudulent advertisements and trick users – but they get caught, sued by consumers, put in jail by the feds. Long term solutions aren’t from what the “gurus” teach you, but testing different methods to learn what works. None of programs require much money spent to test them, so it’s a good chance that something will work with just a little bit of trying.

Recap
7Search
DirectCPV
Ads.Pof.com
AdOnNEtwork
Relevad’s AdBidder

Huge Traffic Generator Found here

Four Stupidly Smart Ways to Increase Your Conversions

By

Pesach Lattin

-

2011-05-16

1

You’re not an asshole. You’re just trying so hard to be one. Please refrain from having a Christian Bale flip-out just yet. If you’ve seen The Social Network, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. At the end of the movie, Mark Zuckerberg’s lawyer comforts him by saying, “You’re not an asshole, Mark. You’re just trying so hard to be one.” This is a pivotal statement in the movie, and also a perfect lead-in for one of the biggest mistakes some of us make in trying to communicate with viewers online.

Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe you’re trying too hard to engage?

You’re probably wondering, why would I want to know poor methods of communication? Well, because there are thousands of companies out there right now that are making the same mistake, and chances are you’re either doing business with them or you are one of them.

The bottom line: there are some ideas for effective communication floating around that should be put in a straight jacket and thrown in a padded room, never to see the light of day. In other words, these new theories on how to engage your customers and connect them to your brand are certifiably nuts.

Com·mu·ni·ca·tion: What is it good for?

Absolutely everything!

How do you communicate? Seems like a very simple question. Yuo cmmounictae yb opnenig yuro motuh adn tlakign. The letters can be scrambled but you’ll still understand the concept because you’re familiar with how the words are supposed to look and sound, and obviously what they mean. However, familiarity is not always a good thing, especially with the overall design and content of your landing page. You communicate through your design and what is written across your page. How do you know what 6 billion people want to hear? How do you appeal to mass of people who all have completely different interests, past experiences, and beliefs?

It’s impossible, and that’s why we narrow it down. But, even narrowing it down isn’t personal at all. You can’t communicate to even a group of 10 and hope that they’ll believe a word you say. You’ve never even had a single interaction with these people, so how could you actually know what they want?

That’s why we should let them create their own unique experience and not try to tell them what they need or want. If you think about cell phone apps, they have the right idea using interactivity and straight forward design. What’s stopping us from designing our page like apps? Simple, task-accommodating, and interactive. Think about it.

Buzzwords are NOT Effective Communication

If you’re to take away one thing from this post, it should be the following quote. Apply it to your web design, marketing strategies, content creation, and even the way you do business.

“You can make more friends in two months by being interested in other people than in two years by making other people interested in you.” –Dale Carnegie

Zuckerburg’s lawyer was spot on. Trying too hard is going to backfire. Build your website with the mindset of not trying so hard to make your customers interested. But, be interested in your customer. How do we go about that?

Set your buzzwords free, and let your product do the talking. Quality, convenience, and zero bullshit. Isn’t that how you want it? So why wouldn’t your customers? Start with how you view your brand and how you view your customers. Some of the top creative agencies are doing it all wrong. Here’s how they view their customers…

“Good brands are like people.” “Brands are people.” “Brands need to emulate people.” “People need brands.”

These companies need to get off their high horse already and realize that brands are not people, at all. And, the more you try to make them like people, the more you are hurting your brand. So maybe you need to check yourself into brand rehab, and realize it’s not all about the brand.

I know, I know…but look at my stats! Everyone loves their stats, and if your whacked out ‘brands are people, people are brands’ theory is working out for you, congratulations you’ve successfully referred to your customers as a running number, and life of your brand will be short-lived.

Faking The Sale

Ask not what your customer can do for your brand, but what your brand can do for your customer?

The common sales tactic of putting everything you’ve got to offer on the table is becoming all too familiar. We are trying way too hard to connect with our customers. Why not let them do the connecting?

Click to play!

It’s similar to going on a blind date. How you present yourself is everything. If you talk too much about yourself or try too hard to impress your date, they are going to be uninterested. No one wants to be bombarded, and the same goes for the presentation of your website or landing page.

Instead of focusing entirely on your brand, we should focus more on the viewer and the ways they can connect with your landing page or website. You’ll build a relationship by not trying to build a relationship. Reverse psychology at its finest.

Good Ol’ Fashioned Advertising

Think about all the brands you use on a daily basis. For you, the best part of waking may be a fresh cup of Folger’s coffee. Your bathroom cabinets may be stocked with patriotic-colored tubes of Crest toothpaste. Or perhaps, you get rid of your 5 o’clock shadow with Barbasol shaving cream—because that’s always what your dad used. Why these brands? Because you’ve always used them? Because they’re reliable? Because they serve their basic purpose?

Nowadays, we see gum commercials with sexual connotations—“Dirt mouth? Clean it up!” And deodorant commercials that claim you can win over women with the alluring scent of your antiperspirant. I have to admit some of these are clever and funny, but it’s nearly impossible to cut through the clutter, and the life cycle of these brands normally doesn’t make it past the honeymoon stage.

Do you want to be in it for the long run?

You can, but you need to know how to properly communicate online. Gmail, Video Chat, Texting, Facebook, FourSquare. Methods of communication are only getting creepier and crazier. We are able to find out all about a person’s buying behavior. Plus, we now have multiple ways to reach them. Sounds like a pretty personal conversation. Has technology completely de-personalized our lives or simply made communication much easier? It all depends.

Want to know one of the best ways to communicate? I’ve got three words for you… User-generated feedback. Let your customers start the conversation and watch your brand and relationship grow. Haste makes waste my friend, so make sure you respond quickly. And, remember that quickly nowadays means freakishly fast!

Learn how Autoblogging can make you money

—–

Amy Capomaccio is with ClickBooth.com and writes for their award winning blog, when she isn’t kicking ass at University of Tampa.

UrbanObserver

ADOTAT

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Social Media Hacks to Increase Conversions

Proven Landing Page Technique: Social Proof

FTC Continues Crackdown on Deceptive Internet Marketing Practices

Affiliate Prophecy: Ways to End Mediocre Campaigns

Alex Zhardanovsky went from Epic to Doggie.

Five Tips to PPC Success

Five Revenue and Traffic Generating Products That All Affiliates Must Test

Four Stupidly Smart Ways to Increase Your Conversions

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