Stephanie Lichtenstein

Jim Kukral did it again. Thankfully, Jim didn’t shave his head or date the paparazzi like Brit. He is another kind of entertaining that involves Mandals and singing Happy Birthday. What I like about Jim is that he works smarter not harder. The guy knows what people want and how to get their attention. He is great at generating a buzz usually through some form of Social Media. 

Today at noon, Jim showed us a more serious side. He slipped on a suit and told us no more daily flip. Nowadays you can access his expertise in a different way. He wants to make himself available to help your business grow. The new Jim Kukral is The Biz Web Coach.  

Jim launched his re-branding today at noon live on UStream. The only other person that has brought UStream to my attention is Gary V. Who also does a fantastic job of making videos and an avid user of social media tools. I finally joined UStream today. I found it interesting to see everything happening live. The best part was being able to share comments and feedback on the spot with friends that were signed in as well.

A Big congrats to Jim for doing such a great job and for not being afraid to venture into something new. He makes his services afforable to all and the key is that he makes himself very accessible. When you are open to people and live your life with a positive attitude only good things can come from it.

Location: Think Tank October 2007
When: Sunday open discussions
Topic: How to improve ShareASale as a network
Issue: Approval of affiliates, Privacy Issues, Merchant Education

My Summary: How to make the affiliate approval process fair. Affiliates do not want to get prematurely or wrongfully rejected from a program. Merchants want to get more affiliate information but there are privacy issues that come into play. A possible solution is to add a higher level of communication between Merchants and affiliates but making the communication on the affiliate’s side optional.

ShareASale filter/screen all applications from affiliates that come into the network. But some use a site copy content, and try to use the domain as theirs. You should not rely 100% on the network when people can still slip through the cracks. There is a justified level of trust in ShareASale and it is important to protect that trust.

Ideas:
1. A catcher domain explains all different sites and what you do. Ftp add description: ftp comment description and more info is helpful.
2. Can make a place for merchants to rate affiliates which could make it easier to decide which affiliates to approve. Can do a review with numbers to give affiliates a chance for fair ratings.
3. There can also be a level of auto-approve. To be automatically accepted into a program each program can set their own level of approval. Example affiliate must have at least X amount points to be in the program.

Privacy Issues:
Solution: Make a place for merchants to rate affiliates. Ratings will make it easier to approve an affiliate.
Obstacle: Matter of people actually using the rating system and it may take too long to fill out so people might not take the time to use it.

Affiliates Issue: ex. Read the terms of service, make a relevant site, and the merchant still rejects it. Solution: Merchant can auto-approve affiliates that fit into certain criteria ex. By revenue or number of programs they are in.
Networks take: the approval needs to be fair and equal. If merchants only accept top players there will be complaints from new or small affiliates. Should stay away from earnings as much as possible. Maybe the affiliate has not found their fit or niche yet.

Would people be interested in limited vs. full auto-approve? How far do they look into their affiliates? (merchants)
Network: Do not want to recommend accepting full or limited merchants. Merchants may not understand the difference between full and limited may be upset that they did not accept outside the US or limited. Did not want to make automatic decisions and shortening it.
Affiliate: does not want to give full access to her information but does want to share certain information about her and her site.

Solution: Could create a profile with information that will help with the approval process and selection process. Update setting where you can display information like getting ready to launch travel coupons.
Idea: Would be best to explain the relevant site to the merchant.
Con: Then would have to approve too many websites. Hard to verify too many things.

Merchant and Affiliate Communication and Privacy Issues:
Issue: If emails bounce how to get correct contact info?
Solution: Could be an alert on interface: contact info is not working
Network: That should be merchants call.

Communication Ideas, how to share info while maintaining Privacy:
1. There could be a profile page but it can be left up to the affiliate if they want to use it or not.
2. Ability to tell specific merchant this is what I can do. Before approvals.
3. Add box application with description detail listing of what your plan is when you apply for a program. Application note and profile would be great because it starts a relationship with merchants.
4. Merchants soliciting may get less info. There can be two different profiles depending on status. Already existing partnerships can get more info.

Concerns with auto-approve:
Affiliates Take: If merchant has not answered applications in two days the program should be on auto-approve.
Network: Cant make a decision for merchant’s process if its not on auto-approve and you fit into the criteria you will be approved shortly. On the flip side affiliate should take a look at the merchant they are applying for to see if the merchant is good for them to work with or not. Affiliate should decide if they want to work with a merchant or not. Should be their responsibility arms length relationship. Affiliates job to check out merchant and visa versa. Some merchants may look like theyre not going to make it but they might grow and turn out to be great. Affiliate decides if it’s valuable or not.

ShareASale on Merchants

Is ShareASale looking for big player merchants?
No use for any kind of market. Small market was being ignored and we have serviced the small and new market pushing up and the goal is to be a viable competitor. Big programs can be run through ShareASale climbing up the ladder successfully.
Will you ever except BHO affiliates into your program? Big merchants want BHO affiliates.
No, it’s not going to work. I am not going to allow that and I don’t have relationships with them.
What does ShareASale do about an ignorant merchant? Warn them or give them advice?
Don’t want to send a warning letter as first communication. I believe in market affect. I don’t like to push myself on them.
Sometimes merchants need help to do much better.
We have educational sessions. We do have attendance problems. We offer good things for merchants and affiliates but sometimes people don’t take advantage of it.

These are some ideas and opinions that came about a year ago at Think Tank on how to improve the ShareASale network. These are issues that face our industry in other networks and in general. What are your thoughts on privacy issues, approval processes, and merchant education? I know it has been a while since I have posted and this was a long one! Hopefully it was worth the wait.

Location: Think Tank October 2007
When: Sunday open discussions
Topic: Coupon Sites vs. Content Sites
Issue: Who gets the commission?

My Summary: In this opening discussion, there was a mixture of opinions in the group on whether or not coupon sites are good or bad and in different situations who deserves to get the commission the content site or the coupon site? It is hard to come up with one answer since there are so many different cases.

Picture these shopping behaviors: in a commission based store you are asked: “Who helped you?” If one person helped I say “Kelly helped me.” If three sales people helped I say “no one helped me.” How do you decide who gets the commission? In a brick and mortar store sales people will split the commission. Better to work with a coupon site to close a deal instead of opening your own coupon site.

Both sides show concerns: Content affiliates expressed that they spend a lot of time on creating content and then their commission is lost to coupon sites at the last minute when user goes to get a code. Coupon affiliates express that they spend lots of time getting their coupons and if coupon site closes that deal, they should get a %. If the consumer can’t find a coupon they may not even make their purchase.

Paying out commissions?
1. Content site gets the % they always get and coupon site would get an extra separate %.
2. Find a way to track things differently. Right now Merchants decide whether they want use coupon sites or not.
3. Merchants have to pay several people some should be paid commissions and some by pixel.

Who is responsible for making these decisions?
1. The networks should set these standards for the affiliates.
2. The business decision is one for the merchant to make. Whether or not you have coupons is up to Merchants.

What is the Priority?
1. Set expectations but not exact rules.
2. Make sure the user is not mislead by forced clicks.

What is the line between a legitimate click and a forced click?
Ex. User clicks to get Merchant coupon, 2 pop-ups would be a forced click.

FTC rule: before customer takes action must know what is going on, if they do not know then it is illegal. Being truthful will give them a good experience and they will return.

How to avoid this questionable line: place guidelines, link must say go to merchant site instead of saying go here for more coupons.

What is ethical for the industry?
First click should get commission?
What is commissionable traffic?

Is that considered a coupon site…
A. Video product review site from consumer standpoint that displays coupons.
B. Site with all elements and it displays coupons.
C. If an affiliate has a coupon on search related to their review site.

The point is not if it is considered a content or a coupon site.
What matters is: Whether it is a good click or a bad click. 

Marketing offline and online have similar conflicts mostly relating around commissions. All working in one building, the three salespeople can either split it or decide on a case by case basis. Industry wide standard in a network would be impossible. Comes down to merchant issue of treating affiliates fairly if affiliate does not like the merchant program then they should not work with that merchant.

Examples

Ex. for a PPC affiliate a consumer has Shrek pjamas then opens a new window to get a coupon. The PPC affiliate loses the sale when the consumers goes to get coupon.
Ex. There is a coupon site with a link that says “please show me more coupons for this merchant.” And a pop-up window with the merchant site. Yes there is a coupon but there are two routes the coupon site with more info, and the pop-up of merchant. Cookie stuffing or navigation for consumer. If you describe where the link is going is it okay or misleading? Sometimes when the consumers click there ends up being no coupon.

Thoughts on my first set of notes? Thanks for stopping by!

A year ago today I was introduced to the world of affiliate marketing. I began to learn the details and changes by reading online and attending conferences. The times I learn the most, are when questions are brought up in the sessions I have attended. This blog is to share my notes, thoughts, and growth of this past year and years to come. So far I have attended Think Tank, and a couple Affiliate Summits. For those of you that could not attend I hope my notes make sense. Please feel free to share your thoughts. This blog is straight from the discussions I usually write down what people on the panels say and I will do my best not to leave any details out. Some of the posts are old and therefore there may already have been changes implemented in the industry. It is still interesting to read and see how we have progressed in just a year.

I am going to begin posting by going back in time a year. I have a lot of notes to go over. My first conference was Think Tank in October 2007. I wrote so many notes especially on Sunday when we had open discussions. I will try to sum up the notes because I usually write verbatim what people say. I am still debating on how detailed the blog will be and whether or not I want to share names. If you were on a panel then I will definitely use the name but I know some people are more concerned with their privacy. Thoughts?