NETexponent Launches New Research Division AffiliateBenchmarks
November 12th, 2008
It gives me great pleasure to announce the launch of the newest division of NETexponent – AffiliateBenchmarks. AffiliateBenchmarks will focus solely on marketing research and education in this niche space. The goal of this division is to produce research studies that will benefit the affiliate marketing community while maintaining its own unique identity. We mentioned our survey effort in previous blog posts and provided more detail on questions asked, etc. This survey will be the inaugural survey for this new division and we will continue to launch research papers on a periodic basis.
Peter Figueredo, NETexponent CEO, brought a great deal of learning and knowledge to the table during the creation and launch process of the survey. During his tenure at Nielsen Media Research as a Research Analyst Peter learned best practices for survey creation and data tabulation, just to name a few. In addition to Peter and myself, Sal Conca, and Leslie Van Buren contributed a great deal of time and energy during various stages of the project. Their expertise was definitely utilized to its fullest during this process.
Affiliate survey results will be available for the next 30 days FREE of charge at AffiliateBenchmarks. After the initial 30 days, the survey will be available for purchase for only $199.00 If there are any questions regarding the survey, please feel free to contact us.
Posted in Affiliate Marketing, Online Marketing, Research by Erica M. | | 1 Comments
Annual NETexponent Pumpkin Decorating Contest
October 31st, 2008
Every year at Halloween our team flexes their creative muscles and come up with some interesting ways to decorate these mini pumpkins. It is especially challenging because the darn things are so tiny!. However, every year the team still comes up with some interesting ideas.
This year’s contest winner was Cristina and her Dirty Martini Pumpkin - Congratulations Cristina! Enjoy your prize.
Everyone at NETexponent hopes you have a very happy halloween!
Posted in Affiliate Marketing by Peter Figueredo | | 2 Comments
Google Affiliate Dashboard Report Released
October 29th, 2008
The folks at Google Affiliate Network (formerly Performics) have just released a new report for advertisers. The Google Dashboard report gives a great executive summary of your affiliate program with top sites, graphs, and much more. This should save advertisers the trouble of logging in to the system to monitor progress and could be a valuable report for upper management. I cannot post a screenshot since the report is a PDF and contains confidential data but here is the detailed description. It’s a really nice looking report and very useful. I hope the report frequency can be updated so we can receive these daily or weekly.
Monthly Dashboard Report
The Google Affiliate Team would like to introduce your Monthly Dashboard Report. The Dashboard summarizes your affiliate program performance, providing the actionable insights you need to truly understand and impact effective. The Dashboard will be sent via email directly to you.
A variety of reports from your account have been generated and conveniently laid out in a two page format providing a snapshot view of your program. This data will provide valuable insight into program strengths and weaknesses as well as where to look for future opportunities.
Attached is the first Dashboard for your account. We have provided a brief description of each report contained in the Dashboard and highlighted areas that deserve monitoring in order to maximize the use of the data.
Twelve Month Program Performance – Provides a monthly performance breakdown with a year over year variance percentage included. Be aware of months with high variance percentages (positive and negative) and understand why those variances occurred.
Weekly Sales Production (Line Graph) – Compares weekly sales performance of the current year with that of the previous year. The graph shows seasonality and year over year growth. Monitor the graph for unexpected results.
Weekly Sales Production (Spreadsheet) – Data used to form the Sales Production Line Graph. It can help determine sales lift year over year and may indicate a good performing promotion, etc.
Publisher Business Class Pie Charts – The first pie chart shows percentage of Active publishers (driving visits and/or sales) by business class for the current month. The second chart shows percentage of Productive publishers (driving sales) for the current month. The third chart shows the amount of sales by business class for the current month. These pie charts can be compared to the suggested publisher business class mix to determine what classes are lacking and which can be optimized.
Monthly Revenue Concentration – The graph shows how many publishers drove what percentage of total sales. It can be used to develop future communication and activation strategies. The goal is to have a large number of top performing publishers contributing a high percentage of sales.
Top Publishers – The data shows your account’s top twenty publishers by sales volume. Ranking and variance figures as well as conversion rates are also included and will be valuable information as you analyze each of your top publisher relationships. The report is also useful as you develop publisher specific strategies.
Active Publisher Growth - Provides a comparison from this month to last in terms of Active (visit driving) and Productive (sales driving) publishers. The data can be used to measure the success of productivity campaigns and will serve as a red flag if the figures start to decrease.
Publisher Portfolio - Shows sales volume by business class as compared to the percent Active and percent Productive publishers. You can quickly see which business class of publisher is generating the most sales for your program and which relationships may need to be optimized.
Posted in Affiliate Marketing by Peter Figueredo | | 0 Comments
Vote For The Affiliate Marketing Pinnacle Awards
October 28th, 2008
Cast your vote before October 31st for your top choice in each of the following areas:
- Affiliate of the year
- Affiliate manager of the year
- Exceptional merchant
- Affiliate advocate
- Best blogger
- Affiliate marketing legend
Posted in Affiliate Marketing, Awards and Honors by Peter Figueredo | | 0 Comments
Ad Network, Vertical Ad Network, Affiliate Network – What’s the Difference?
September 18th, 2008
At NETexponent we get asked this question a lot. There are so many to choose from and it seems like everywhere you look there is a new network and they all claim superiority. So how can an advertiser and/or publishers choose the right one for their business? The first step is knowing how ad networks, vertical ad networks, and affiliate networks differ.
In his article published in the inaugural issue of FeedFront, our CEO and Co-Founder, Peter Figueredo shed some light on the subject by comparing each side by side.
In a perfect world networks would be…
- Transparent - telling you who you were working with always and what those sites are earning
- Safe for your brand – keeping your ads off of inappropriate sites
- Innovative - offering robust technology options for publishers
- Targeted - allowing advertisers to segment and target easily
- Informative - providing full access to campaign reporting and not hide any metrics
- Responsive - offering great client service and account management
- Unselfish - allowing advertisers to connect with publishers directly and keep relationships on their tech platform rather than their role as middlemen
Posted in Affiliate Marketing, Lead Gen, Online Marketing by Erin M. | | 0 Comments
Have You Seen This Man…at CJU?
September 15th, 2008
If you are attending CJU in Santa Barbara this week and see this man…
Please say “Hi”
Sal Conca will be representing the NETexponent team at Commission Junction University. (lucky guy) If you have a hard time tracking Sal down you can always visit the NETexponent table during the CJU Expo session. Be sure to pick up some free pens (the smoothest pens you will ever write with).
Enjoy the conference and safe travels to all.
Posted in Affiliate Marketing, Events by Peter Figueredo | | 0 Comments
Affiliate Summit Recap - Day 3
August 12th, 2008
The final day of Affiliate Summit was pretty light in the morning since most people partied a little too hard the night before. I am proud to say that our team was at the booth bright and early and ready for action. What better way to kickoff the day than to attend a panel session on “The Future of Affiliate Marketing.”
The panelists were:
- Stephanie Gay, Director, External Channels, American Express
- Chris Kramer, Co-Founder & Media Director, NETexponent
- Kim Riedell, Vice President, Client Development-East, Commission Junction
- Steve Schaffer, Founder & CEO, Vertive, Inc.
The panelists tackled several big issues such as where growth will come from in the future, the importance of holistic strategies to affiliate and other online media, the opportunity for affiliate marketing to capture more of online marketing budgets, the value of relationships, and much more. The audience was extremely engaged in the discussion and questions were fielded throughout the session. Overall I heard this was the best panel of the entire conference and I would tend to agree. (although I am a bit biased)
After this great session we had lunch with our friends from Advanta. It was great to sit down to a nice meal and share our conference stories.
Random Thought: Personally I love that NETexponent has awesome clients. We are truly lucky to work with clients who are smart, fun, honest, and thoughtful. Whether it be clients introducing us to other potential clients (Thanks Alyssa) or sharing a laugh over a beer (can’t wait to do it again Megan) or stopping by the booth to brighten our day with a smile and word of encouragement (see you back in NY Seema) or how about when your client takes YOU to a Boston Red Sox game with “sick” seats (David, TJ, and Jarrett) or especially when they greet us with a big warm hug (David you rock)…NETexponent clients are a rare breed and truly valuable to us. Thanks!
After a few more booth visits the team and I called it quits as the exhibit hall was shutting down. Erin, Teresa, Erica, and Sal stayed to pack up the booth and start the long ride home. (Thanks guys!) Lorrenn and I caught the Bolt Bus back to NYC (in fact I am writing this post on the bus and using their great free wifi) and Kramer is at the Red Sox game with our friends from Advanta.
I must close this recap with my Thanks to the wonderful NETexponent team who truly made this event a success. The team worked hard, worked long, and made clients and publishers happy. Generic thanks is not good enough so…
Thank you Erica for your spirit and enthusiasm which is truly infectious
Thank you Erin for your mastery of the English language and your help in promoting the event
Thank you Leslie, who did not attend, but organized the entire booth creation
Thank you Sal for driving and networking your butt off
Thank you Lorrenn for interviewing with the affiliate summit camera crew and spilling stuff at the bar
Thank you Teresa for orchestrating some great meetings and sharing your fear of mascots (I may get in trouble for putting that one on the blog)
It was a good Affiliate Summit and we are already looking forward to Vegas in 2009
Check out some other great Affiliate Summit Recaps here:
Posted in Affiliate Marketing, Events by Peter Figueredo | | 2 Comments
Affiliate Summit Recap - Day 2
August 12th, 2008
Day 2 started off strong with some Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and breakfast sandwiches, plus munchkins for the team. The booth was looking good and our staff was looking better, we were all ready for the exhibit hall stampede. Unfortunately, the morning had less traffic than I hoped for in the exhibit hall area. I quickly realized this was because Newark mayor Corey Booker was giving his keynote address. While not providing much affiliate marketing insight, I heard his speech was extremely inspiring. I chose to bang out a few emails during this quiet period at the booth and catch up on work. (as you saw from my last post)
It wasn’t until noon that the exhibit hall began to drive some good traffic. The NETexponent folks were all chipping in to build and strengthen relationships with key affiliates on behalf of our clients. Everywhere I looked I saw folks talking about promotional opportunities, commission structures, consumer offers, creative selling ideas…etc. We get asked a lot about the value of a booth at Affiliate Summit and the answer is easy. Affiliate marketing is all about relationships. We have an advantage since we have been in the game longer than other agencies so our relationships are wide and deep. However, we actively nurture those relationships on a regular basis. There is no better way to build strong bonds with people than through face-to-face meetings and Affiliate Summit is one of the best ways to access the best and brightest in our industry. Many folks think we have a booth to promote NETexponent and while that is partially true, the main focus of our booth is to promote our clients. We don’t even have our own business cards on the booth, rather we opt for business cards that promote our clients’ programs. I highly recommend this event for anyone looking to strengthen their affiliate marketing relationships.
Many of our clients also attended the conference so that they could strengthen their own relationships with affiliates and I applaud them for it. Among our clients in attendance were
- Seema from Audible
- Alyssa from Cardscan
- Megan from MyVu
- Kassie from Britannica
- David from Advanta
- TJ from Advanta
- Jarrett from Advanta
- Samia from Advanta
- Kelly from Advanta
(phew those Advanta folks almost outnumbered the NETexponent team)
It is very refreshing to see our clients take an active interest in these affiliate events.
So I stopped in and out of the booth and had several meetings throughout the day with partners, clients, affiliates, and friends of NETexponent. I certainly realized the value of comfortable shoes. Frankly I don’t know how women wear high heels to conferences.
After a long and very very productive day the team gathered for a nice dinner at the Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center in Boston. But first we said hi to Chris Kramer’s adorable daughters Colvin and Marley.
The restaraunt was great and had a spectacular view of Boston. Everyone was very happy with their meals and I enjoyed our bottle of 2005 Hitching Post Highliner Pinot Noir almost as much as my plate of warm homemade cookies at the end.
A few of us visited the Partner Fusion party for late night networking and while folks like Sal and Lorrenn had the energy to stay out…I hit the bed around midnight and tried to rest up for Day 3.
Posted in Affiliate Marketing by Peter Figueredo | | 0 Comments
Affiliate Summit Recap - Day 1
August 11th, 2008
Day 1 of Affiliate Summit is officially complete. It was great to wake up and take a run around the Boston 
Seaport Hotel area. Plenty of beautiful views and not too many tourists. I quickly got lost and decided to shorten my 7 mile run to 4 miles, guess I can make up for it today. (but probably not)
The rest of the NETexponent crew arrived mid-day and it was great to see their smiling faces. I love our little family. First order of business was to setup the booth. Thanks to the hard work and preparation of our Media Coordinator, Leslie, our booth looks amazing. (Thanks Leslie!) I should also thank Sal for driving most of the team up to Boston.
After the booth setup it was off to the Affiliate Summit meet market. It still feels strange to go to “The World Trade Center” but the convention space is really nice. The 
parade of flags leading up to the entrance is very nice and I could not help but think of the Olympic opening ceremony.
The meet market was jam packed. If you are claustrophobic then this was not the place for you. Plenty of companies were out representing their services and affiliate programs. Our client MyVu did a great job of showcasing their new player, MyVu Crystal. I loved watching Finding Nemo on this great product.
The meet market was so hectic that some of our older citizens needed a rest. (just kidding Chris…I was resting too)
Everyone was in high spirits and the amount of networking was better than expected.
After the Meet Market we had some fun with the MyVu folks at the hotel bar before heading to the ShareASale boat party. Brian Littleton and the SAS crew never fail to disappoint. The party was tons of fun and we had our fill of food and drinks until the early morning.
I hear applause signaling that the keynote session has just ended so I must sign off and prepare for the booth rush. More great updates to come from Affiliate Summit Boston.
Stay Tuned!
Posted in Affiliate Marketing, Events by Peter Figueredo | | 2 Comments
Affiliate Summit Day 0 Recap
August 10th, 2008
Saturday was jam packed and a great day.
The Affiliate Classroom Live event was a great opportunity to meet with affiliate managers and help them address their challenges. I listened to Heather Paulson’s wonderful presentation on advanced affiliate marketing strategies and then spearheaded three round-table discussions. Thanks to the Affiliate Classroom team for organizing this event and asking me to participate.
Immediately after the AC Live event I ran into the PMA working session. As a PMA (Performance Marketing Alliance) FAB (Formation Advisory Board) member I was happy to see the meeting was a mix of FAB members and non FAB members who are interested in helping to get the PMA off the ground. Some notable celebrities include:
- Sam Harrelson
- Brad Waller
- Beth Kirsch
- Michael Coley
- Peter Bordes
- Brook Schaaf
- Lisa Riolo
- Lisa Picarille
- Durk Price
- Rachel Honoway
- Anik Singal
- Rebecca Madigan (who did a great job organizing)
and others.
The meeting went a full 4 hours and much was accomplished. We are still working to finalize many areas so I cannot reveal our decisions here but I encourage anyone with questions to attend the PMA discussion session at Affiliate Summit.
Performance Marketing Alliance Q&A
Session 2c
Location: Classroom C - Harborview Ballroom
Time: 1:30pm-2:30pm(This Session is Open to Full Conference Pass Holders Only)
Open discussion regarding the formation and plans for the Performance Marketing Alliance.
Luckily I had a little down time after the PMA so I enjoyed a Dirty Martini while watching The Olympics in the lobby of the Westin. (I highly recommend their dirty martinis)
Then it was off to the Affiliate Dinner event. Unfortunately, I did not pre-register and the event was packed. I thought I could just walk in and pay or at best leverage my friendship with Brook Schaaf to get in. Brook had a packed house and told me he would text me if someone did not show up. (which he did but I did not see until later) So I was planning to have a quiet dinner alone at the Seaport Hotel bar. Luckily I didn’t have to because within a few minutes of sitting at the bar I was joined by Peter Bordes of Media Trust and Relevantly Speaking. Shortly after that I was joined by Howard and Steve from Vertive. Then Beth Kirsch also stopped in. Before I knew it we had our own Affiliate Dinner going on and it was great.
Closed out the night with some drinks at the Buy.at party and even more affiliate friends.
Busy day and the conference has not even started…phew
Posted in Affiliate Marketing, Events by Peter Figueredo | | 7 Comments
