Your Attention Please.....

The other day, I found a unique PR product on the web. I wasn't sure how I stumbled on it.

Ever retrace your conversation and laugh at how it got from topic A to topic B? Like how did discussing the funny new VW commercial turn into a debate on world peace? My Internet experience was a lot like that.

My history showed I landed on the PR site by clicking an ad on econtent.com. I got to econtent.com from an ad in an e-newsletter. I don't know how or when I signed up for the e-newsletter.

Two clicks on affiliate ads and I was on to a different topic.

Affiliate advertising is a pay-for-performance online marketing. Unlike SEO (Search Engine Marketing) and paid SEM (Search Engine Marketing) customers from affiliate sites may not set out looking for your product. They may not have even known it existed. Some just had a problem or a need and an online or email ad led them to your solution. Some affiliate sites are copyrighted content, some are public forums, some are just a list of ads. There many different payment models. The most common are PPC (Pay-Per-Click) and PPS (Pay-Per-Sale). I favor the later. It avoids click fraud issues (see my last tip).

Is affiliate marketing a good choice for you? It is for many Fortune 500 brands. In fact, for some companies affiliate marketing manager a full-time position. So, I think it's at least worth considering.

A good place to start your homework are two of the leaders in affiliate marketing networks: LinkShare
(linkshare.com) and CommissionJunction (cj.com). Using a respected 3rd party monitor like these helps you find reputable affiliates and minimizes fraud. They can also advise you on the best practices and pitfalls. Google also has an affiliate network called AdSense. I've not studied it, but I've heard good things.

Doesn't matter if you market B-to-B or B-to-C, there are options that can fit your needs.

I like how affiliate marketing combines branding with measurable results. I don't like how it influences easily distracted people.

I'm sorry. Where was I?

- Phil Sasso