I sat down with John Ardis, Valueclick’s VP of Corporate Strategy (who’s company owns affiliate network Commission Junction) to talk turkey about the current state of the market.  I challenged John by making statements like, “there’s very little if any innovation in affiliate marketing” and “affiliate marketing budgets are being cut — consistently.”  John admits that some advertisers build a sense of resentment with affiliates over time — based on customer ownership issues and strong desire for incremental sales.  John speaks plainly and boldly to the issue.  That’s why I love the guy

After having helped get it revved up, I’ve been beating up online affiliate marketing for the last few years.  That’s not to say that its proponants haven’t hit back — they have.  From long-time affiliate and affiliate manager, Lee Gientke to my good friend John Ardis of Valueclick Corporation (VCLK) there’ve been a handful of people good enough to argue my points… and argue them well.  Here’s John…

Comparison shopping is a “necessary evil” for retailers. Now… with that as our backdrop Brian Smith gives you the straight dope on how to improve results from comparison shopping engines though “data feed optimization.”  Think of Web site SEO for your product data feeds. Brian is founder of Simplefeed and a leading comparison search analyst (www.comparisonengines.com).  He provides his candid advice on how retailers can drive more sales at reduced cost and simplify otherwise complex processes.

Brian also discusses what’s on the horizon and gives online retailers hope that this rather stagnant industry IS making advances and will create new value for online sellers.

If you’ve ever wanted to meet a self-made, behind-the-scenes e-commerce superstar here’s your chance.

Watch this interview with my good friend, Lisa Papageras of Universal Screen Arts and you’ll discover how to build a multi-channel ecommerce business from the ground up — without losing your health & happiness.  Learn how this one (Super) woman quietly built and manages a remarkably profitable, integrated family of Web sites all while keeping her sanity, managing her family life and zooming her career.

Lisa manages over Art & Artifacts, Signals, Wireless, Bas Bleu, What on Earth and Support Plus digital brands.

Think about it: Despite the popularity of social media, the world remains remarkably unknowable.  Extracting value from tools like Twitter requires people to use them in ways that their creators don’t encourage!

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UPDATE:  I’ve clarified my thoughts per Wayne Porter’s thoughtful response.  Thanks, Wayne!
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Stop debating if Twitter is a time suck or should be measured for ROI. It IS worth your time at work or at play – IF you choose to make it worthwhile.  Marketers, it’s up to YOU choose to create-and-measure BEHAVIOR Twitter drives.  Nobody’s going to do that for you!

When we question “the value of Twitter” we should focus on the real issues — does it improve our lives and businesses or just complicate it?  If it complicates — hey, it’s BY DESIGN! (ours, not Twitter’s)

New rules for Twittering

“Fire your followers, hire your friends…”

“If you follow more than a few dozen people at the same time, you are a fraud.”

Some are suggesting new rules.  I like ‘em.  Why?  They force the REAL issue.  They beg the questions.

• Should you measure your personal or business success using measures like number of followers?
• What are such measures worth in comparison to others — others that tie to your business/personal goals?
• When tweeting are we gunning for better “engagement”, increased good will, more reach — or should we strive to drive meaningful interactions… behavior… business outcomes?

To Twitter or not: how to decide

Twitter should make life easier not more complex.  The fact that we’re STILL debating its value is a sign.  As Wayne Porter points out, Twitter is failing to provide value for most users… and there’s a reason why.  Users.  Us.  Human nature.

Again, extracting value from Twitter requires us to use it in ways that most of us (and Twitter) don’t encourage.  Consider Jan…

“The number of followers is not a score. It’s a statistic. Like ‘minutes used on your phone plan’ or ‘number of claimed dependents’… With every additional person you ‘follow’ the average ‘attention value per followed person’ decreases.”

In other words, do the math… and consider the outcomes (or lack thereof!).  He goes further and echos Porter…

“If you follow more than a few dozen people at the same time, you are a fraud.”

We hear more but know less

What has typical use of so-called “social media “created?  Low value, argues Jonathan Salem Baskin who suggests that given all the hyper-connectivity the world remains effectively unknowable.  Consider Jonathan…

“We have infinite access to the world as rendered via the Internet, but the content we gain comes with a loss of confidence and veracity.  We see and hear more, but know less…”

This,  I suggest, is what typical use — corporate and personal — of “social media” has given us.

Marketers Awake!

Today’s business environment (uh, nobody is buying!) demands more from marketers than ever before.  The answer on how to use Twitter seems clear: Use Twitter to drive behavior.  On a personal level the answer seems equally clear — use it to help build deeper relationships.

Here’s a guy who’s hard core when it comes to soft selling.Meet Rok Hrastnik, International Web Director for Direct TV Goliath, Studio Moderna (think infomercial / home shopping company Guthy Renker of Eastern Europe).  One day Rok got tired of watching his Web sales just puttering along or — for some brands — dwindling due to competitors intercepting his customers (while on way to making purchase) using search ads.

His response was nothing short of becoming a full fledged publisher to the masses — people who he knew wouldn’t be customers in near term.  His bet paid off – as they began to BUY when he mixed  direct calls to action into his content marketing fold.

Rok is a guy who comes from a world where selling takes 30 minutes.  Think about that for a minute.  Talk about opportunities for customers to tune out!  Rok’s industry (informercials) has mastered the TV-delivered, content-focused sale.  Period.  Now Rok and his crew are mastering the Web — like no other direct tv company I’ve found here States-side.  Listen and learn from Rok, a true innovator and entertainer!

Learn more about how to get started TODAY in content marketing by checking our my Content Marketing White Paper (PDF).

“I think there’s going to be a revolution this year,” says Tim Ash, landing page optmization expert, CEO of SiteTuners and Author of “Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions.”

Web retailers continue to leverage affiliate Web sites as they try to create additional distribution.  Tim says affiliate networks will now be expected to provide more value to the equation.  Hmm.

Tim says he’ll soon announce an alliance with a network that gives advertisers and affiliates the ability to create on-demand landing pages that can be rapidly optimized for maximum revenue yield.  Innovation!  But will Web retailers — who find themselves competing with their affiliates — embrace this idea?  Should they encourage affiliates to, in effect, beat them to the optimization punch?

I recently assembled and moderated 2 panels of experts to answer this question — including my trusty side-kick-always-there-to-tell-me-I’m-not-necessarily-right-colleague, Lee Gientke.  Each panel had a wide range of experienced pros and I was able to capture a bit from OrangeSoda.com’s Gientke (who has always moonlighted as an affiliate throughtout his long career).

Lee also presented along side of  Stephen Fuller-Rowell and FitForCommerce’s Danielle Savin in lovely San Francisco at Online Market World, a Web marketing conference run by super Internet researcher/conference producer, Lisa Morgan.

Lately, I’ve spouted off about how the cost-per-action/performance based marketing industry is busy shooting itself in the foot and how to improve affiliate marketing.  It set off a bit of healthy debate about the future of affiliate marketing.  Performance marketing IS simple and that IS what makes it so adored and widely adopted… BUT.

Thanks to Carsten Cumbrowski… who’s one of the brightest critical thinkers (in an industry that too often chooses to look past serious deficiencies).  Carsten is one of the few who’s always out there asking questions and pushing for improvement.

Hey, Carsten… you should consider joining me on a panel discussion some time soon!