tools of the trade
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| tools of the trade |
Affiliate marketing today forms a fundamental part of most e-retailers’ strategies. So, what tools does a merchant need to have a successful programme?
Any retailer should have a product feed, either XML or CSV. A product feed basically is a way of providing information about the products on a merchant’s web site in a way that breaks up the information easily, and is standardised. A product feed will probably contain the following information for each product:
Product name
Product URL
Product picture
Product price
Description
Shipping price
Stock status: in stock / out of stock
Affiliates, particularly search affiliates, can use this to promote individual products.
A product feed is made available on a simple URL, and displays content that affiliates can use in their campaigns. You can view a product feed by visiting www.prezzybox.com/affiliate/Data/awin.aspx
Merchants need to create a set of banners and buttons that can be placed on affiliate web sites. At a minimum, the following sizes should be available:
468 x 60 (banner)
125 x 125 (square)
120 x 60 (button)
120 x 600 (skyscraper)
Any retailer should have a product feed, either XML or CSV. A product feed basically is a way of providing information about the products on a merchant’s web site in a way that breaks up the information easily, and is standardised. A product feed will probably contain the following information for each product:
Product name
Product URL
Product picture
Product price
Description
Shipping price
Stock status: in stock / out of stock
Affiliates, particularly search affiliates, can use this to promote individual products.
A product feed is made available on a simple URL, and displays content that affiliates can use in their campaigns. You can view a product feed by visiting www.prezzybox.com/affiliate/Data/awin.aspx
Merchants need to create a set of banners and buttons that can be placed on affiliate web sites. At a minimum, the following sizes should be available:
468 x 60 (banner)
125 x 125 (square)
120 x 60 (button)
120 x 600 (skyscraper)
Having interactive banners, such as gift wizards or product searches, mean that potential customers can interact with the brand before they even come through to the merchant’s web site!
If the merchant or the affiliate network hosts the banners, these can be updated without the affiliates having to do anything. This means that the message can be kept current across all of the merchant campaigns.
Merchants need to consider who will be keeping tabs and driving the success of the affiliate campaign. Merchants might be able to run the programme in-house with current staffing resources, or can hire an affiliate manager. It is also possible to outsource the management of the affiliate programme to an agency that specialises in affiliate marketing.
Lastly, merchants need to keep in touch with their affiliates: the networks have channels for communicating with a large number of affiliates, but it is also worthwhile to interact on some of the affiliate marketing forums in order to keep informed.
What tools does an affiliate need?
Affiliates need to get to grips with the spectrum of eMarketing tactics, and choose what works best for them. Paid search affiliates will focus on PPC tactics, while affiliates running bespoke web sites will probably put a lot of energy into SEO. It depends on where their talent lies, and where they see a gap in the market.
For affiliates, keeping up to date with merchants, other affiliates and the industry is probably the key to growth. That, and finding the time to put it all into practice! Joining forums and keeping tabs with industry leaders will help to do just that.
Some notable affiliate marketing forums:
Webmasterworld: www.webmasterworld.com
Affiliates4U forum: www.affiliates4u.com
If the merchant or the affiliate network hosts the banners, these can be updated without the affiliates having to do anything. This means that the message can be kept current across all of the merchant campaigns.
Merchants need to consider who will be keeping tabs and driving the success of the affiliate campaign. Merchants might be able to run the programme in-house with current staffing resources, or can hire an affiliate manager. It is also possible to outsource the management of the affiliate programme to an agency that specialises in affiliate marketing.
Lastly, merchants need to keep in touch with their affiliates: the networks have channels for communicating with a large number of affiliates, but it is also worthwhile to interact on some of the affiliate marketing forums in order to keep informed.
What tools does an affiliate need?
Affiliates need to get to grips with the spectrum of eMarketing tactics, and choose what works best for them. Paid search affiliates will focus on PPC tactics, while affiliates running bespoke web sites will probably put a lot of energy into SEO. It depends on where their talent lies, and where they see a gap in the market.
For affiliates, keeping up to date with merchants, other affiliates and the industry is probably the key to growth. That, and finding the time to put it all into practice! Joining forums and keeping tabs with industry leaders will help to do just that.
Some notable affiliate marketing forums:
Webmasterworld: www.webmasterworld.com
Affiliates4U forum: www.affiliates4u.com
