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| how do affiliates promote merchants? |
how do affiliates promote merchants?
Affiliates are online marketers who are paid on a performance basis. Every type of marketing strategy will be found in the affiliate world, and affiliates can often be seen at the forefront of breaking technology and applying it to marketing strategies.
The basic aim of an affiliate is to send targeted traffic (that means customers who are very likely to perform the desired action) to a particular merchant’s web site. Affiliates may promote as many merchants in as many industries with as many tactics as they wish, but usually affiliates will start to specialise.
Most of the tactics will be the same as those that the merchant employs, but will reach a different part of the Internet population. Effective tracking takes care of any overlap, and will help a merchant to adjust their spending for a most effective ROI.
The main types of affiliates can be broken up as:
Personal web sites
Content and niche sites
Email lists
Loyalty sites (points or cash back or charitable donations)
Coupon and promotions sites
Comparison shopping (see also PPC advertising)
Search affiliates (search arbitrage)
Affiliate marketing came to the fore as a way for personal web sites to make money, though this now forms a small part of the marketing mix. Affiliate marketing does still provide some income for these web sites. However, we will focus on those endeavours which are created purely for affiliate marketing.
Content and niche sites are web sites created specifically around a topic, and any products promoted will carry affiliate tracking. For example, an affiliate might create a site dedicated to digital cameras, with tips and downloads to help you get the most out of your camera. It could review a number of different cameras, and offer links to purchase those cameras online. All of those links will be affiliate links.
Affiliates are online marketers who are paid on a performance basis. Every type of marketing strategy will be found in the affiliate world, and affiliates can often be seen at the forefront of breaking technology and applying it to marketing strategies.
The basic aim of an affiliate is to send targeted traffic (that means customers who are very likely to perform the desired action) to a particular merchant’s web site. Affiliates may promote as many merchants in as many industries with as many tactics as they wish, but usually affiliates will start to specialise.
Most of the tactics will be the same as those that the merchant employs, but will reach a different part of the Internet population. Effective tracking takes care of any overlap, and will help a merchant to adjust their spending for a most effective ROI.
The main types of affiliates can be broken up as:
Personal web sites
Content and niche sites
Email lists
Loyalty sites (points or cash back or charitable donations)
Coupon and promotions sites
Comparison shopping (see also PPC advertising)
Search affiliates (search arbitrage)
Affiliate marketing came to the fore as a way for personal web sites to make money, though this now forms a small part of the marketing mix. Affiliate marketing does still provide some income for these web sites. However, we will focus on those endeavours which are created purely for affiliate marketing.
Content and niche sites are web sites created specifically around a topic, and any products promoted will carry affiliate tracking. For example, an affiliate might create a site dedicated to digital cameras, with tips and downloads to help you get the most out of your camera. It could review a number of different cameras, and offer links to purchase those cameras online. All of those links will be affiliate links.
Seasonality is also a key time for content sites. Web sites can be created specifically for Christmas, Mother’s Day and many more key retail seasons.
Some affiliates run large opt-in email lists, and they market particular merchant offers through their email newsletters. Some renegade affiliates would use spam email to promote merchant offers, but as affiliate marketing has matured, there are usually terms and conditions to prevent such promotion.
As affiliates earn a percentage of a sale, some affiliates “split” this with the customer and create cash back or points based shopping sites. There are also some that donate a percentage of the commission to a charity.
Some affiliates run large opt-in email lists, and they market particular merchant offers through their email newsletters. Some renegade affiliates would use spam email to promote merchant offers, but as affiliate marketing has matured, there are usually terms and conditions to prevent such promotion.
As affiliates earn a percentage of a sale, some affiliates “split” this with the customer and create cash back or points based shopping sites. There are also some that donate a percentage of the commission to a charity.
Some of the most successful affiliate marketers are those who promote various merchants through paid search: PPC advertising on search engines. As these affiliates seek to find the highest Earnings Per Click (EPC) for the lowest Cost Per Click (CPC), this is also referred to as search arbitrage.
Affiliates will find any means possible to promote offers. As new products and platforms become available, marketers and affiliate marketers find new ways to make them work. Some other examples of affiliates promoting merchants include:
Toolbars and other browser extensions
Social network applications
Affiliates will find any means possible to promote offers. As new products and platforms become available, marketers and affiliate marketers find new ways to make them work. Some other examples of affiliates promoting merchants include:
Toolbars and other browser extensions
Social network applications
All that is required is that the click-through to the merchant’s web site is tracked.
Note :
Arbitrage is the practice of taking advantage of a price differential between two or more markets.
It’s a term that is usually used in financial trading.
Some might say that search affiliates trade in PPC adverts - their revenue is the EPC - CPC.
It’s a term that is usually used in financial trading.
Some might say that search affiliates trade in PPC adverts - their revenue is the EPC - CPC.
