AffiliateBenchmarks Report Released
December 7th, 2009
Last month, NETexponent’s research division announced the general availability of its second annual report. The report is based on the results of the most comprehensive survey of the affiliate industry to date. Not only did Affiliatebenchmarks (with the help of key partners such as Commission Junction, Google Affiliate Network, Shareasale, Linkshare, MediaTrust and more) secure over 3500 survey respondents, they also grouped respondents into categories based on affiliate advertising income and experience in the space. This strategy allowed for deep analysis into different profile segments and the unique opportunities and challenges for each.
The 2009 AffiliateBenchmarks report is also the only one of its kind to collect data for the benefit of affiliates rather than strictly for advertisers. The digital advertising industry is evolving and changing by the moment. Because many affiliates are getting into the space on a part-time or hobby basis, it’s important they have an up to date resource of information to turn to for maximum return on their time and resources in the channel. That’s not to say, however, that advertisers can not also benefit from the report. In fact, the insights into the preferences and practices of affiliates today are invaluable for advertisers looking to forge the most lucrative relationships.
One thing that is clearly evidence by the report is that the affiliate industry is growing at an incredible pace. In fact, nearly half of all survey respondents joined the industry in the past two years alone. The growth and momentum in this industry further speaks to the importance of research and education as a foundation for new affiliates to come quickly up to speed on the best practices and leading techniques that are driving success for more established affiliates. This report contains data on which merchant categories will likely produce the greatest revenue for affiliates and the best of all the tried-and-true methods of driving traffic to your site.
What this report provides affiliates is a one-stop shop resource and a wealth of insight on how to grow their businesses and become more successful in their techniques and practices. Affiliates will learn what networks are getting high marks from their peers, what advertising channels are returning high profits, what types of programs (and how many) successful affiliates belong to and why- and much more! More established affiliates can turn to the report as a watermark to learn how their practices compare to those of their competitors.
Response from the overall affiliate and advertising industry has been extremely positive, and we are already looking forward to expanding on the report in the next year. To download the full AffiliateBenchmarks 2009 report, visit: http://affiliatebenchmarks.com/products-page/.
Posted in Affiliate Marketing, Online Marketing, Research by Alex W. | | 0 Comments
NETexponent Celebrates the Opening of our New Break Room!
December 4th, 2009
This week, NETexponent co-founder, Chris Kramer, put the ceremonial scissors to the red ribbon stretched across the sliding glass doorway of our new break room. The scissors, surprisingly neither large nor gold, snipped the ribbon to successfully signify the conclusion of the week-long construction in the office and the official opening of the first NETexponent break room.
Now the area surrounding the refrigerators, water cooler, and coffee machine is enclosed with sky blue walls and smooth sliding glass doors. Upon entering the break room, you can find two shiny white tables partnered with eight contemporary, Swedish-engineering inspired (IKEA) chairs. To complete the new space, we will be installing a full-sized fridge in the near future.
Of course, this event was heralded with an invitation sent out to each member of the team, wrought with reference to KitKat’s early 1990’s “Give me a break!” campaign. Following this theme, the team found a dish (just beyond the red ribbon) overflowing with KitKat candy bars. Within an hour of Chris’ ceremonial ribbon cutting, the new space was bustling with conversation and proved an exceptional investment to the environment of NETexponent.
Showing her support and approval of the new room, Valerie Russo, NETexponent’s Online Advertising Coordinator remarked, “I think the new space will help us all relax better while eating lunch and make us more productive when we’re at our desks.” Undoubtedly, the whole team is excited about the utility of having a break room available where they can unwind and relax during lunch or at the end of the day. The open space is also great for brainstorming!
Check Out The Video
Posted in NETexponent Fun by Alex W. | | 1 Comments
Nick Jr. Boost Affiliate Program Launch!
December 1st, 2009
We’re happy to announce the launch of the Nick Jr. Boost Affiliate Program in the LinkShare Network!
About Nick Jr. Boost
Nick Jr. Boost is an online educational service designed for preschoolers through first graders. Nick Jr. Boost helps children learn through exciting, adventure-based games based on core curriculum subjects like literacy, math, art, and Spanish. Kids will have the opportunity to team up and learn with their favorite Nick Jr. characters, including Blue, Diego, and Dora, in a totally personalized environment.
Product Offerings and Commissions:
• Nick Jr. Boost Subscription Product
- Features:
• Includes a 7 Day Free Trial
• Free Gift with a paid subscription
• Kids earn virtual rewards that they can exchange for digital prizes
• Nick Jr. Boost is a safe, secure, advertising-free environment
- 2 subscription pricing models to choose from:
• $5.95 per month / 12-month commitment
• $9.95 per month monthly
- Commission: $7.00 / subscription
• Action Referral Period: 30 Days
Everyone here at NETexponent is delighted about this launch. If you are interested in promoting Nick Jr. Boost via LinkShare, you can apply here. Or, in the Search Advertiser Box in the LinkShare interface, type “Nick Jr. Boost” or “MTV Networks Inc.”
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Posted in Affiliate Marketing, NETexponent Clients, Online Marketing by Erica M. | | 0 Comments
What is podcast advertising?
November 6th, 2009
At this month’s NETexponent town hall meeting we were fortunate enough to receive a lesson in podcast advertising from our in-office expert Syed Mohammed of online media agency Performance Bridge. Syed has been a pioneer in podcast advertising, managing podcast campaigns for nearly three years. He manages hundreds of placements in leading podcasts each month for a variety of advertisers.
In his presentation, Syed opened by splitting audio content into three categories-1. Podcasts 2. Internet radio and 3. Live-streaming digital radio. For the purpose of this tutorial, we’ll address only the relevant podcast advertising portion of his presentation.
Working with podcasts affords advertisers more flexibility compared to the other types of online audio content. For one thing, podcast advertising uses customized advertising execution where advertisers can have product shout-outs (product name mentions) during the show or have hosts personally endorse the product and product placement. This kind of advertising gives the podcaster and advertisers the ability to place the product in the most appropriate area of the show.
As far as entertainment content, podcasts and podcast advertisements can accommodate talk radio style banter and quizzes or competitions. For the convenience of listeners that want to continue on to the sponsors’ websites, podcasters can post accompanying text links in the show notes or banners. For comparison, live streaming audio is similar in advertisement opportunities, as it offers advertisers the chance to recruit host endorsements, product placement and pre-roll, post-roll and interstitial advertisements.
The advantage of podcast advertising
There is one serious pro of podcast advertising; because of the requirements placed on the audience to download and play the podcast (versus simply stumbling upon a radio broadcast), listeners are conspicuously more loyal to the podcaster and receptive of his or her messages. As a result, the podcaster can engage the audience better.
How to track podcast advertising
Advertisers can track the success of the promotions through some of the typical avenues; they can utilize third party tracking systems or provide a custom URL at the end of the podcast instead of generic URLs. This should be made convenient for the listener, however. For example, instead of adding on to an existing domain, a shorter more memorable domain should be utilized- something like NETexponent.com/podcast. You can also track all click activity and conversion activity from that URL via an Ad-server tag. Finally, by offering a simple unique coupon code during a podcast, advertisers can track which podcasts are driving sales as well.
This is just a brief run-through of the knowledge Syed bestowed upon us, and we were all very grateful for the lesson.
Posted in Online Marketing by Alex W. | | 0 Comments
Top PPC Price Recorded In The U.S.
October 26th, 2009
Last week I read that the highest CPC (cost-per-click) price in the U.S. last month was recorded at $99.44. According to AdGooroo’s Search Engine Advertising Update: Q309, “mesothelioma” sold for $99.44 on Google and $60.68 on Yahoo for the number one ranking. The number one word on MSN was of a different persuasion altogether: “auto insurance comparison” for $55.20 per click.
First of all, if you’re like me you didn’t know what mesothelioma was. The –oma reminded me of melanoma so I knew it was probably bad, but meso- just brought to mind the Mesozoic period and dinosaurs, and I was willing to bet it didn’t mean dinosaur attack. It is, in fact, a deadly lung cancer caused largely by asbestos exposure. Law firms have been bidding on the term because of the increased number of law suits surrounding the issue.
As interesting as that is, $99.44 per click? Is it worth it, even for law firms? What kind of a return would you see on such high CPCs?
You could argue that the possible millions of dollars a law firm could take in successfully representing a mesothelioma sufferer should offset the cost to bring those new defendants to the firm, but there are a lot of variable factors: the size of the firm, exactly how they make their revenue, their budget on these keywords, and how well they convert, for example. Though instinct might tell you a $99.44 CPC is way too high to ever be profitable, AdGooroo predicts the average overall CPC to stay constant through 2010, while keywords drift in and out of the highest price list. “Mesothelioma” may not continue to go for top dollar, but if it and other keywords sell for such high CPCs I would guess that advertisers are seeing sustainable results at the time they are willing to bid at that price.
To make a comparison, let’s say your average CPC is between 60 cents and $2, and your average revenue from a single conversion ranges from $50 to close to $1,000. For argument’s sake, assuming a 2% conversion rate and 1,000 clicks and using the midpoints of the two ranges mentioned, 1,000 clicks cost you $1,300. 20 of those 1,000 clicks will convert, bringing in $10,500 in revenue. Your ROAS is almost 708%. All else being equal except the CPC and the average revenue per conversion, a $100 CPC would require revenue per conversion to average $40,400 to maintain the same ROAS.
Looking at it that way, it seems it could be reasonable to pay such a high CPC. Not every conversion will bring millions of dollars into the law firm, but you know how attorney’s fees add up! It doesn’t seem like such a stretch to rack up $40,000 from a new client.
AdGooroo suggests that the paid search industry is maturing: a lot of consolidation has occurred over the years among engines and even in ad space on each page of search results. As the changes in the PPC industry slow, advertisers have had time to catch up and become secure in their strategies. Most of these advertisers are spending more money on fewer search engines than they did in the past, so if they’ve figured out that a $100 CPC is working why not go for it? Let’s just hope the CPC on this particular keyword drops over time—the fewer people with mesothelioma the better. My prediction for the next keyword to top the list? “Dinosaur attacks.”
Posted in Search Marketing by Leslie V. | | 0 Comments
Total Gym Affiliate Program Launches in Google Affiliate Network
October 14th, 2009
We’re happy to announce the launch of the Total Gym Direct Affiliate Program in the Google Affiliate Network! Affiliates now have the choice to promote the brand on three of the largest networks in the industry: Google Affiliate Network, Commission Junction, or pepperjamNETWORK.
About the Total Gym
The Total Gym provides an entire gym full of equipment in ONE machine. It takes just 10-20 minutes a day to reshape your body into the one you want. With Total Gym, resistance training, cardio, and stretching can all be achieved in just one workout! Individuals from 8 to 80, beginner to advanced, can benefit from a Total Gym!
You also may have noticed that Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley have been endorsing Total Gym on television for over 10 years. Total Gym units can now be found in over 3 million homes!
Product Offerings and Commissions
We kindly ask that any affiliate who is currently promoting the brand in Commission Junction or pepperjamNETWORK continue to do so! All of the programs promote the same great products – the Total Gym 2000, 3000, and the XLS. In addition, all programs offer a 10% baseline commission and a 45-day cookie duration.
Everyone here at NETexponent is delighted about this launch. If you are interested in promoting Total Gym Direct via the Google Affiliate Network, you can apply here.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Posted in NETexponent Clients by Leslie V. | | 0 Comments
Happy Belated Birthday To Us
February 27th, 2009
NETexponent was started in January of 2001 by myself and Chris Kramer which means we just turned 8 years old!
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our work that we forget to stop and celebrate our wins. Today we are taking a short break and celebrating as a team with a company lunch. Nothing extravagant (gotta watch that budget) but a good chance to sit down with our NETexponent family and celebrate.
It is also a good time to thank all those who have helped us over the years. We have had the pleasure of working with amazing clients, partners, and staff. Chris and I would like to offer our deepest thanks to each and every one of you.
“Thank You All”
* I will be uploading some old photos to our Facebook Fan Page so stop by and check em out for a chuckle.
Posted in Meet Us, NETexponent Fun by Peter Figueredo | | 1 Comments
Affiliate Tax Goes Coast To Coast
February 26th, 2009
It looks like California may be adopting a tax on affiliate sales similar to the one approved in New York. California tax law can still be fought so if you work in affiliate marketing and live in California please contact your congressman/congresswoman immediately.
Unless these laws can be stopped it is only a matter of time before all states enact similar taxes. Millions of dollars in additional state revenue (California is hoping for $55million) is way too tempting not to try.
Posted in Affiliate Marketing by Peter Figueredo | | 0 Comments
Amazon Kindle 2 - First Impressions
February 25th, 2009
What does the Amazon Kindle 2 have to do with search and affiliate marketing you might ask? Well I will tell you…
A. NETexponent manages paid search and affiliate marketing programs for leading companies in the audio book and ebook markets. Kindle is an ebook reader and can play audio books. I strongly believe that we cannot effectively market our clients products and services unless we fully understand their market. Kindle has small market share but plenty of buzz and opportunity for fast growth.
B. Kindle has Wispernet, Amazons 3G wireless network that allows Kindle users to connect to Amazon anywhere they go. This technology is a new way for users to shop and the fact that Amazon provides it for free is very interesting. Could this be used for email? web browsing? general e-commerce?
C. Kindle users can read books, blogs, newspapers, and listen to audio books. Ads are stripped out of blogs and newspapers but they could come back and i wanted to see what the experience was like.
D. Finally, I just plain love gadgets and new tech
So…Here are my first impressions
Pre-Kindle 2
I did not own a Kindle 1 so I am not sure how Amazon handled the launch of that product. The first thing Amazon did really well was send an email to me a few days before my Kindle shipped welcoming me to the Kindle family and telling me to get ready for my new Kindle’s arrival by building my library at Amazon.com. It was a nice email, not salesy.
Arrival
My Kindle 2 shipped early and arrived via 2-day shipping when I only ordered via regular 5-day. All in all I got my Kindle 8 days early! Great management of expectations here. Amazon clearly under promised and over delivered. (this is a trick well known to Dell and Zappos customers)
My First Time
The Kindle came pre-charged so I didnt need to wait a while to charge it. (nothing worse than getting a new toy and having to wait to use it) There is NO set-up necessary. Amazon pre-programmed my Kindle with the email and one click account settings associated with the account I used to make the purchase originally. Brilliant! The Wispernet (wireless 3G) service was already enabled and connected out of the box. Pre-loaded on the Kindle was instructions (no need to waste paper on these) and a nice welcome note from belly laughing Bezos
The screen resolution is very clear and it reminded me of an old black and white palm pilot. Nothing sexy about the resolution but it is easy on the eyes so reading long hours would not be an issue. The Kindle itself is really small…it is actually THINNER THAN MY IPHONE. The dimensions are about 1.75 IPhones long and 1.2 IPhones wide.
I quickly figured out how to download a book and bought an issue of The Financial Times, another great NETexponent client. (we love supporting our clients) The purchase only took a few seconds and the download only a few more. I had my first Kindle purchase all set in less than a minute. This speaks volumes about the Wispernet speed. (which I could easily see being used for reading text email)
Speaking volumes is a great transition to another functionality the text to speech option on Kindle, where the device will convert any text into spoken word. You can listen via the internal speaker or through headphones. Our audio book client team was especially interested in this function. I was surprised how good it sounded. It sounded no worse than any GPS device on the market and certainly way better than the Speak-And-Spell voice I imagined.
I was disappointed because I could not find any way to download audio books and play them on the Kindle. I know it is possible but I could not figure out how to do it on my first attempts. If anyone knows how to do this please tell me via comments.
Posted in NETexponent Clients, Online Marketing, Research by Peter Figueredo | | 0 Comments
Search Engine Strategies NYC Features NETexponent
February 23rd, 2009
I am happy to announce that NETexponent CEO, Peter Figueredo, has just been asked to join an SES panel at the upcoming NYC show.
So if you are attending SES NYC feel free to stop by and enjoy his panel (described below) on Wednesday March 25th 4 - 5pm
Dealing With Affiliates: A Roadmap to Success
Join this panel for a no-holds-barred discussion where performance marketing’s top contenders square off. As SEM evolves, marketers find themselves competing head-on with affiliates. Marketers want more leads/sales, increased affiliate-generated leads/sales, and less cannibalization of search campaigns. How can this be achieved in a world filled with increasingly hostile rhetoric on both sides? Join a panel of experts as they break silence on taboo issues and work through the finer points. You’ll walk away with fresh, new perspective and the ability to collaborate profitably.
Moderator:
Jeffrey Rohrs, VP, Marketing, ExactTarget
Speakers:
Kristopher Jones, President & CEO, Pepperjam
Jeff Ferguson, Director of Online Marketing, Napster
Lori Weiman, CEO, The Search Monitor
Peter Figueredo, CEO, NETexponent
Posted in Events, Meet Us, Search Marketing by Peter Figueredo | | 1 Comments
