Tag Archive for "News"
 |
AvantLink Newsletter September 22, 2009 Vol 1, Issue 3 |
Merchant Newsletter
Now that summer is behind us it’s time to start focusing on Q4, and the busy holiday shopping season that’s quickly approaching. From now through the end of 2009, some web retailers will drive 30%-50% of their Affiliate revenue for the entire year. Get started now optimizing your program so you can take full advantage of the season of spending.
The general theme of this newsletter is how to most effectively prepare your Affiliate program for Q4. We will offer segments of relevant articles, as well as links to the full content. We also have some exciting news about a new Affiliate PPC keyword monitoring tool. The Paid Search Review tool has already seen substantial use (and press!), and it’s a free service for existing AvantLink merchants.
Table of Contents:
1. Management Tools Review Sessions
2. Merchant (Self-Managed) Deal Feed
3. Optimize Your Existing Affiliates
4. AvantShare 101
5. Paid Search Review Keyword Monitoring
6. Affiliate Testimonial: Somewhat new to the affiliate scene..
Management Tools Review Sessions
Over the course of the next four weeks we will be offering Management Tools Review Sessions online using GoToMeeting.com. We’re initially planning three 45-60 minute sessions, starting at 11am MST on the following dates:
- Monday, September 28, 2009 (11am)
- Monday, Octber 5, 2009 (11am)
- Monday, October 12, 2009 (11am)
During these sessions we will cover some of the Affiliate management tools available to all AvantLink merchants, including the self-managed coupon/deal feed for Affiliates, Affiliate tagging and group administration, best practices for managing ad lists, communication, recruitment and more. If you are interested in joining in on one of these sessions, please contact Gary Marcoccia (gmarcoccia/at/avantlink.com) and he’ll get you penciled in. Note there are 15 participant slots available for each date.
Merchant (Self-Managed) Deal Feed
One of the most powerful management tools we’ll be looking at closely during the tools review sessions is the Dynamic Coupon/Deal Feed that’s available in the account interface. In a nut shell, this is a self-managed deal feed that you control with one click via ad configurations. It’s a popular tool with Affiliates, and program managers can syndicate a special offer or “deal” to hundreds of Affiliate sites instantly. Dynamic Affiliate integration options of the coupon/deal feed include RSS and Javascript. And we also offer daily updated database files for those who would prefer the raw data.
Here is a snippet from a recent post in the category “Merchant Q&A” of our network blog.
Merchants, you’ll want to be sure you flag any special offer, deal or coupon for inclusion in our Dynamic Coupon/Deal Feed. You can easily do this by flagging “Yes” in the ad configuration field for “This is a coupon/deal campaign:”. Once you select Yes the form will provide an additional field for the offer code, if you have one. If there is no offer code then you can leave it blank. Also note that you do not have to include an offer code in the actual ad text, it you include in the “Coupon Code:” field. We will auto embed the code in that case.
Optimize Your Existing Affiliates
There is a very straight forward process to engaging and activating your existing Affiliates who have yet to send you traffic. You should follow these simple steps first and foremost when optimizing your program for this holiday season. After all, your active Affiliates came and applied to your program. So at one point at least, they showed interest. Maybe all it takes to find your new top-performing Affiliate is reaching out to your inactive list person-by-person with an email.
To access a list of Affiliates who are active, but not yet sending traffic. Follow these steps:
- Login, and click on “Affiliates” in the main menu.
- Click “Affiliate Program Applications”.
- Filter “Affiliate Status:” to “Active”.
- Sort the “Recent Traffic” column header (click that twice and all Affiliates tagged as “No” for recent traffic will filter to the top of the list).
You might not realize that we have an active Wordpress blog at AvantShare.com. Our network blog URL is AvantShare.com/blog. And we also have a category for merchants at AvantShare.com/merchantblog. At the top level we’re feeding RSS headlines from both the AvantLink and merchant blogs. Our network’s blog archive goes back to November of 2006, with nearly 400 posts. There is also a growing representation of merchants who maintain their primary Affiliate news outlet via AvantShare.
To effectively grow your Affiliate program recognize the value of distributing news, promotions and special offers through one of more communication channels besides email…like a blog or social media sites. This process of Affiliate program branding will not only engage existing and prospective Affiliates, it will help to establish your business as an authority for your category. Keep the news & info flowing, and over time the best Affiliates for your program will find you!
We have One-Off or Packaged Service Levels that can help you brand your program, and acquire new Affiliates.
Paid Search Review Keyword Monitoring
You now have the ability to monitor specific keywords/phrases Affiliates are using in paid search marketing campaigns! Introducing the Paid Search Review tool, bundled with any service level making it a free service. By default, we will monitor merchant names and domain names.
For example: Grim Reapers, GrimReapers.com.
This default configuration will help you, as well as AvantLink staff, maintain Affiliate compliance with our terms of use. Program managers can also monitor whatever additional keywords/phrases they would like. It’s just a matter of going to the Notification Center and building your keyword watch list.
Affiliate Testimonial: Somewhat new to the affiliate scene..
Here is an excerpt from an email we received from Brian at Sure Solutions. Brian has been helping us test some new Affiliate technology…
We are somewhat new to the affiliate scene. I spent more than a month researching, reading forums, crawling the abestweb site reviewing tools and trying to choose some providers for different technologies. I am very pleased that we decided to work with Avantlink first and we feel quite lucky that Brownells was in your network. The combination of quality affiliate content that is contextually correct with our published content is without a doubt a home run. Your tools are excellent and your responsiveness to our requests have exceed all my expectations.
Brian Johnson
AmmoLand.com
|
AvantLink Newsletter January 15, 2009 Vol 1, Issue 1 |
Affiliate Newsletter
Introducing the first AvantLink Affiliate Newsletter. In our newsletters we will feature technology news, promotional opportunities, new merchants, industry insight and much more.
Anyone interested in being featured on our Affiliate network blog? If you have something good to say about your experience on our platform, send us your Affiliate Testimonial and we’ll consider publishing it with links of your choice. Email your AvantLink contact or use the site form to find out more.
Affiliates, this newsletter will be distributed bi-monthly, and we’ll also send out a periodic email featuring compelling merchant promos for the high-profile shopping days. You can manage your contact settings by clicking on “Account” from the main menu, then “Contact/Payment Information”.
Table of Contents:
1. AvantLink Screencast Series
2. Flash Ads for Affiliates
3. Best Practices: Link Building for Datafeeds
4. Affiliate Tools: Affiliate Link Encoder
5. Welcome our New Merchants
In late 2008 we produced a series of screencast tutorials for Affiliates and merchants. We have already covered a lot of important topics, and there are more to come. You’ll find that each screencast tutorial/how-to has a permalink in the Tutorials category of our Affiliate network blog.
Below is a list of the version one Affiliate and merchant screencasts from AvantLink. These screencasts will also be accessible via our YouTube account.
| Affiliate Screencasts | Merchant Screencasts |
Get your Flash Ads here! Did you know that there are several merchants now offering Flash Ads in AvantLink? Flash is one of five pre-configured ad types merchants can offer you through our platform. Other advertising types include banners, text, html and video ads.
Merchants can now easily integrate Flash banner ads into their ad list by simply uploading a compatible .swf file (1MB size limit)*, which we’ll store and serve to Affiliates through one line of Javascript. Affiliates can then embed flash ads by pasting this Javascript on their site pages or blogs.
Rich media such as Flash has been measured as a more effective ad type, converting at higher rates than static or animated banner campaigns.
Best Practices: Link Building for Datafeeds
It’s getting easier and easier to add product catalogs to your site(s) using any number of different tools and scripts. In fact, we have some of the most robust Affiliate tools right here at AvantLink. But remember more datafeeds does not necessarily mean more sales. Adding the feeds is the easy part.
Below find tips on how you can help product pages get good search engine placements, and some of the best converting Affiliate traffic on the web. This article assumes the use of our Web Service Datafeed Client, but the link building techniques can be used with any Affiliate datafeed.
The most successful Affiliate sites have authority, and good standing in the search engines. A vast organic presence on the SEs takes hard work, dedication, perseverance and original/useful content that naturally gains links over time. But you already know all this, so now the question might become: How would I pass that authority on to my product level datafeed pages?
There are a number of ways you can help the crawlers get to and index these pages, but let me first mention that each Datafeed Client subscription you configure allows you to target that feed to specific categories, product groups or even brands. So consider this when working out your strategy. For example there is no real need to publish the entire Backcountry.com datafeed on your ski related site, when you can just utilize their Ski category.
Affiliate Tool: Affiliate Link Encoder
In October of 2007 we rolled out the Affiliate Link Encoder (ALE). This is an innovative tool and concept that converts direct-to-merchant links to Affiliate tracking links. The ALE conversion takes place on the end user’s browser, and does not change the html source code of the web document. v2.0 of the ALE was released in November 2008, adding a new layer of technology that matches and converts keywords in addition to URLs.
If you’re a blogger or forum owner, you can add one line of javascript to a page or site template and instantly convert all direct-to-merchant links (or even keywords, now with the ALE v2.0!) to Affiliate tracking links. This will track any transaction back to you as the referral, and rightly earn you a sales commission. Of course, the merchant will have to be in the AvantLink network for the ALE to work properly.
This saves you from the need to log in to the network and generate a tracking encoded link everything you link to a product or merchant. There are other creative applications of the Affiliate Link Encoder. For more information browse the list of articles and discussions below.
- Introducing the Affiliate Link Encoder
- New Innovative Tool – Affiliate Link Encoder
- Installing the Affiliate Link Encoder on a WordPress Blog
- A must have for forum owners…
- Attn: Bloggers & Forum Owners
- Affiliate Link Encoder v2.0
- AvantLinks’ Advanced Link Encoder – One Cool Tool
Below is a list of the latest merchants to launch on AvantLink (November/December 2008). Click here to browse all merchants.
- Tahoe Mountain Sports (Outdoor/Recreation), 7%-11% commission
- Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works (Outdoor/Recreation), 8% commission
- SteepandCheap.com (Outdoor/Recreation), $5 new customer bounty
- Tramdock.com (Outdoor/Recreation), $5 new customer bounty
- Chainlove.com (Outdoor/Recreation), $5 new customer bounty
- WhiskeyMilitia.com (Outdoor/Recreation), $5 new customer bounty
- SnowboardFusion.com (Outdoor/Recreation), 8% commission
- deLa Flowers (Special Occasion), 20% commission
- Muttropolis (Pet Supplies), 7%-12% commission
- HaberVision.com (Eyewear), 10% commission
| © COPYRIGHT 2009 Avant Marketing Group. |
|
AvantLink Newsletter January 2, 2009 Vol 1, Issue 1 |
Merchant Newsletter
Introducing the first AvantLink Merchant Newsletter. In our newsletters we will highlight our latest technology releases and network news.
We recently posted a comparison of our features/functionality vs. what other networks offer. If you are in more then one network we encourage you to take a look at how we stack up against our competition. If your other network(s) aren’t keeping up, email us about special incentives for going exclusive with AvantLink.
Merchants, this newsletter will be distributed quarterly. In part with each issue, we’ll solicit your targeted promos to be featured in seperate network-level distributions to our opt-in Affiliates. Including your special offers in our Promo Newsletters will help increase sales and recruit new Affiliates. More info…
Table of Contents:
1. Feature Your Valentine’s Day Promos
2. AvantLink Screencast Series
3. Value Proposition for Merchants
4. Affiliate Testimonial: Why AvantLink?
5. Affiliate Tool: Affiliate Link Encoder
Feature Your Valentine’s Day Promos
One of our new features for 2009 includes a “set” of newsletter distributions that are scheduled to go out to both Affiliates and merchants. These newsletters will include a bi-monthly publication for Affiliates, a quarterly publication for merchants (this being the first) and several promo-specific newsletters centered around the highest profile shopping days of the year.
We are now soliciting your Valentine’s Day Promos for inclusion in our first Promo Newsletter, scheduled for distribution on Monday, February 2nd. Including your Valentine’s Day promos in this newsletter is FREE, and it will help you increase sales and attract/recruit new Affiliates to your program.
If you’re interested in having your promos featured the deadline for submission is January 20th. Please email support/at/avantlink.com or any AvantLink representaive. Make sure and use “Valentine’s Day Promos” as the subject line, and include the following for each offer: Specifics of Promotion, Start-End Date
In late 2008 we produced a series of screencast tutorials for Affiliates and merchants. We have already covered a lot of important topics, and there are more to come. You’ll find that each screencast tutorial/how-to has a permalink in the Tutorials category of our Affiliate network blog.
Below is a list of the current Affiliate and merchant screencasts from AvantLink. These screencasts are also accessible via our YouTube account.
| Merchant Screencasts | Affiliate Screencasts |
Value Proposition for Merchants
In uncertain economic times merchants need to be sure their online marketing dollars are spent wisely. AvantLink runs on a true performance marketing model with no nickel/dime fees or monthly minimums. Couple this with many additional platform benefits, and it’s the best deal going for serious web retailers.
Read AvantLink’s Value Proposition for Merchants from Scott Kalbach, CEO
If you’re responsible for your company’s online marketing, chances are that you will or already have been asked to analyze where best to spend your online marketing dollars.So how can AvantLink help, and why should I invest my marketing dollars in AvantLink’s performance marketing Affiliate network?
- True performance marketing.
- Thorough network level Affiliate screening.
- Industry leading support.
- Innovation.
- Brand protection.
Affiliate Testimonial: Why AvantLink?
We often receive emails from Affiliates and merchants alike that offer support and encouragement for our efforts. We take great pride in these testimonials. If it’s agreed to in advance, we publish these testimonials on our blog. The following is quote from Dave MacLeay of Trailspace.com.
Why AvantLink? In a nutshell: they have robust, reliable tools for datafeeds and reporting, outstanding personal customer service, and a great philosophy and approach to the business. They’re more flexible and nimble than any other network I’ve worked with, and are very responsive to new ideas from both merchants and publishers. Rather than trying to enforce a top-down, network-centric relationship, they really seem to understand that their role is to facilitate, enable, and support productive relationships between merchants and affiliates.
Affiliate Tool: Affiliate Link Encoder
In October of 2007 we rolled out the Affiliate Link Encoder (ALE). This is an innovative tool and concept that converts direct-to-merchant links to Affiliate tracking links. The ALE conversion takes place on the end user’s browser, and does not change the html source code of the web document. v2.0 of the ALE was released in November 2008, adding a new layer of technology that matches and converts keywords in addition to URLs.
The simplicity of the ALE tool (pasting of one line of javascript on a web page or site template) has enabled high-powered blogs and forums to instantly monetize years worth of archived content that may include direct-to-merchant links.
There are other creative applications of the Affiliate Link Encoder. For more information browse the list of articles and discussions below.
- Introducing the Affiliate Link Encoder
- New Innovative Tool – Affiliate Link Encoder
- Installing the Affiliate Link Encoder on a WordPress Blog
- A must have for forum owners…
- Attn: Bloggers & Forum Owners
- Affiliate Link Encoder v2.0
- AvantLinks’ Advanced Link Encoder – One Cool Tool
| © COPYRIGHT 2009 Avant Marketing Group. |
Merchants, email us your planned Valentine’s Day Affiliate Promotions and we’ll feature them FREE in our first Promo Newsletter. Deadline for inclusion in this distribution is Monday, January 20th.
You can email support/at/avantlink.com or any AvantLink network representative directly. In your email include “Valentine’s Day Promos” as the subject line, and the following for each promo listing: Specifics of Promotion, Start-End Date
In 2009 we are rolling out a lot of new features (and improvements) to AvantLink’s existing platform, and one of those features will be network distributed newsletters, the first to go out right after the new year. There are three “sets” of network newsletters, and they will include:
- a bi-monthly Affiliate newsletter (to include info on new merchants, new/upgraded Affiliate tools & functionality, best practices, industry insight and more)
- a quarterly merchant newsletter (to include latest technology releases, new merchant tools, platform management tutorials and more)
- a promotional-based newsletter (to include special offers for Affiliates from seasonal milestones and holidays throughout the year)
Our first Promo Newsletter is scheduled to go out February 2nd, and it will feature Affiliate promotional opportunities for Valentine’s Day from all participating AvantLink merchants. Then additionally throughout out the year we’ll be distributing Promo Newsletters centered around the following high-profile shopping events:
- Mother’s Day Promos (distributed first week in May)
- Father’s Day Promos (distributed first week in June)
- Back To School Promos (distributed mid August)
- Black Fri/Cyber Mon Promos (distributed mid November)
- Holiday Promos (distributed first week in December)
Merchants, these distributions will be exposed to many high-value Affiliates, whether or not they are actively promoting you. By submitting your special offers for inclusion in our Promo Newsletters you will increase sales and attract new Affiliates. We will be sending out reminder notices a few weeks in advance of each of these Promo Newsletters.
Here is an important note to all AvantLink merchants. Actually, any merchant should have a look at NewsForAffiliates.com. It’s a high-profile news distribution channel for anyone managing an Affiliate program. From their About page…
NewsForAffiliates.com provides a venue for all merchants to communicate news about the affiliate programs to affiliates. All for free, all the time. Information is money, and here we attempt, with our merchant partners, to provide you with all the information you need on each participating program. All information is provided by the affiliate manager of the specific merchant.
For several years we’ve been using a number of web distribution channels (including our blog & ABW) for AvantLink news like Affiliate technology releases, new merchant announcements and more. And one thing is for certain, the more high profile channels you can hit with your Affiliate program news, the better. The program branding and exposure merchants get from posting promos, etc. through a channel like this is incredibly valuable. In fact, the end result from content distribution like this is exactly why we offer our Branding Package for Merchants service level. So take full advantage of this killer opportunity to have your own login, and post all your Affiliate program news at NewsForAffiliates.com!
If you would like a login email Jamie Birch at jamie/at/jebcommerce.com and he’ll get you squared away.
RSS Feed
