| Evolving Marketplace |
Page 1 of 2 As affiliate marketing evolves, it is crucial that publishers change with the times. Just as the consumer changes, and the affiliate marketing industry adapts, so must the savvy publisher - otherwise you may find yourself out of business. In this article we will look at how you as a publisher can be successful in evolving with the ever powerful consumer, as well as the ever changing industry.
On the cover of the December 2006 issue of Time Magazine, the publication announced its person of the year. However, unlike years past when celebrities or political figures graced the cover, the 2006 cover announced the likes of someone who had never before been chosen: YOU - "You control the information age, welcome to your world." This announcement solidified a shift of power online - it now belongs to the average person, the consumer, who is increasingly harder to reach, harder to engage, harder to persuade and harder to satisfy. So what are these consumers doing online and how can you evolve to meet their needs? A study by IPSOS Insight titled Online Activities of Broadband Users in the US 2006, found that 34% of broadband users download/view streaming video, 37% read blogs, 81% shop online, and 86% use search engines. By tapping into these trends you can position your business for growth. VideoVideo is the hot new thing, with 34% of broadband users downloading and viewing streaming video in 2006. Video Web sites are garnering more and more attention, and for publishers looking to get into the video space there are two choice options. First, you can go to the source. For example, placing ads at the end or beginning of videos hosted on a Web site is a great branding opportunity. A second opportunity to incorporate video is to use video advertisements - short clips actually demonstrating a product in use. Think outside the box, banners and links don't always need to be in the pre-role or post-role - they could be displayed on the actual player itself to gain more visibility. While not many advertisers have such ads available in the CJ Account Manager™, if this is something you are interested in incorporating reach out to each individual advertiser and see if they can provide you with video content. While video is still in its early stage, people realize it has huge potential, and for you it's only a matter of realizing how to monetize it. BlogsConsumers today love to blog. Blogging provides an outlet for consumers to share information, ideas, and opinions. More and more publishers are creating blogs - user generated Web sites - about specific topics or issues. Blogs can incorporate text, links and images about any given topic and provide an outlet for consumers to share their opinions or information about products or services. Publishers are becoming experts in the blogging field, leveraging the consumer desire to interact and share information or reviews with their ability to insert affiliate links and generate revenue. Consider how you can use blogging to generate more revenue for your program. Shopping ComparisonShopping comparison Web sites are ever popular with today's impatient consumer. Why visit Web site after Web site searching for the best deal on a certain product when with a shopping comparison Web site you can find the best deal with the click of a button? Shopping comparison sites search far and wide for the best deal on the consumer's desired product - then allow the consumer to click through and purchase the item. This one stop shopping experience saves time for the consumer, and the frustration of searching site after site. Incorporating shopping comparison into your business model is a smart move, and to further monetize this one stop shopping experience consider creating a hybrid model. Incorporate a percentage back to the consumer, or a percentage of the purchase donated to a charity. With more and more shopping comparison sites popping up, taking a unique spin with a hybrid model can attract users and loyalty. |
