Welcome to 12PM.com – High Noon Performance Marketing

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Bill

I suppose this should begin with the usual “Hello World!” greeting that a new WordPress installation shows as the first post. This is a “Hello” venture along with the re-purposing of some existing activities.

Noon or Midnight

Noon or Midnight

Hi Noon is a term often given to the time of day recognized as 12PM. At least it is for those not confused by the AM and PM designators. Conventional wisdom designates the 12PM time as Noon and the 12AM time as Midnight. Technically, neither are absolutely correct – because Noon is when the sun is at it’s zenith, the highest point of its travel in the sky as the earth rotates beneath. It is exactly at the “Meridian.” So there is really no Post Meridian or Anti-Meridian at this designated instant in time.

So, what’s all that got to do with Performance Marketing? There is no “instance” in time when Performance Marketing is as it’s zenith – it occurs ALL the time (morning, noon and night), and in all parts of the world. 12PM happens 24 times each day as dawn appears to chase the night during the sun’s relentless circling of planet Earth. Performance Marketing is fluid, dynamic and ever-evolving. What worked well at yesterday’s zenith may not work today and may, or may not, work tomorrow. Only time will tell. :)

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What is the main incentive that appeals to affiliates?

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Bill

“What is the main incentive that appeals to affiliates?” I saw a question similar to this on a recent (affiliate marketing wannabe) forum post. But it was a serious question – albeit posted by an ESL poster. There is an easy (on the surface) answer for a question such as this – Money. In fact, there was a response similar to: “Money. Long green. Cash. Moolah. Dough. Benjamins. Jack. Wad. Bucks. Ducats. Pesos. Dineros.” (Yes, that was me. <hanging head in shame> as he slowly shakes his head back and forth.)

Yes, Money – is one important consideration. But there are other factors to consider -0ne of which I consider the “reputation factor.” Consider the network with which they are affiliated – or are they an independent (indie) program (and the inherent obstacles in going with that scenario).  What do their numbers look like – EPC, conversion ratio, reversals, average order value (AOV), etc. There are many factors involved, indeed. What are the products – are they a “need” or a “want” item? Need items are purchased – want items are dreamed about and sometimes purchased. Are they targeting women or children? Men are among the “least desirable” critters to market to online (unless, of course, the items are for the guy’s Jeep – heheh). Items needed by women and children are usually good sellers – or at least have the potential to be good sellers (unless the site on which they are being sold is crap).

Feel free to comment with questions…

Posted in Marketing, Performance Marketing | 2 Comments

Importance of Cookies in Performance Marketing

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Bill

If you are the publisher you need to be aware of the tracking duration offered by the advertisers/merchants with whom you choose to work. We commonly refer to this as Cookie Duration or, simply, Cookies. Some, big brands (mostly?) offer very short or even no tracking gap. That means if a customer you refer doe not make a purchase during that first visit you DO NOT get commissioned for that sale.

Many people do make up their minds and complete a purchase on an initial visit but, in my experience, about 20 percent do not. What brought this topic to mind was a “for instance” I noticed as I checked network stats this morning for sales activity from yesterday. My last three sales (yesterday) at AvantLink.com, back-to-back-to-back, were all successful because of Cookies. The first had a period of five days from the customer’s first visit to the visit where they completed their purchase and the second had a period of 19 days and three separate visits to my site. The third sale had a tracking gap of 27 days and – get this – a total of 12 separate visits to my site before the customer finally pulled the trigger on his/her 13th visit.

While investigating merchants to promote (on my sites and on your sites) we do need to be cognizant of the Cookies being served up to us as part of the merchant-affiliate agreement. 30 days is adequate – anything less favors the merchant and hurts “our” bottom line. In my example from “yesterday” – had the tracking gap been only 15 days – I would have “lost” being commissioned for two out of those three sales.  BTW, that last sale had a commission of $50.89.

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Checks: A Dying Vertical, Very Much Alive

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Bill
This “performance marketing for a niche market” article was originally published in the August, 2011 issue of FeedFront Magazine.
 

Feedfront Magazine ArticleAre you wanting to get involved marketing the lucrative checks vertical but afraid to invest time and resources in a “supposedly” dying industry? Let’s set the record straight. Continue reading →

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