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View Full Version : My experience with LinkShare



nealrm
08-13-2009, 10:37 AM
Several months past I started an account with Linkshare. I was looking more to fill ad space than really looking for a big source of income. So my goals were very modest. If I brought in $20-$50 a month I would have been happy.

I researched the various advertisers, selected those that matched my site the best, placed the links and verified that they worked.

Four month later, the links have received many hundreds of thousands of impressions and over a thousand click throughs. (These are the numbers reported on the linkshare site) The grand total of my revenue during this time was ......... Zero! It was a big waste of my time.

Has anyone had any luck with this or other affiliate advertising programs? If so, what is the secret?

Spider
08-13-2009, 12:08 PM
I use Commission Junction but carry few ads, rarely change them, keep promising myself to pay them more attention and never do. Earn about $150 every 2 or 3 months.

Also have an Amazon account. Did earn some in the past but, again, don't give books nearly as much exposure on my site as I did and earn very little now.

I know nothing of Linkshare.

vangogh
08-14-2009, 02:06 AM
Hopefully eborg will see this since he probably does the most with affiliates here.

I've done some affiliate marketing, though not with Linkshare. I get plenty of views on my few ads, but not so much in the way of clicks. On some of the products it has led to a few sales and on others it's led to the same 0 you've seen. All I've done though is place an ad without much else. The products where I occasionally add my own thoughts about why I like the product are the ones that have done well.

It could be that the products you've chosen aren't as good a match for your audience as you thought. It could be that the sites you're leading people to aren't good at converting visitor to buyer.

In reading what other affiliates have done to be successful it's usually not to try to sell the product on your site, but rather put the reader in the right frame of mind. Say the product is a vacation package to Hawaii. You wouldn't try to sell the package at all, but instead write a story about your experiences in Hawaii or something in general about how beautiful Hawaii is. Maybe some photos from the area. Then as the person is thinking how much they wish they could go to Hawaii they see your link or ad right there.

Business Attorney
08-14-2009, 11:03 AM
My experience with LinkShare has been the same as yours. I put a few ads on my LLC site just to see what would happen. After tens of thousands of impressions, and hundreds of clicks, not a single sale.

I also have a few books from Amazon on my site. While the number of clicks is relatively small and while it varies every month, my conversion rate is about 5% to 10% (that is, clicks which turn into sales).

The ads I run are standard banner ads and, due to the complete lack of sales, I have not bothered to update them in about 6 months (so some are still for tax software way past the tax season). Because of that, the percentage of clicks to impressions doesn't seem out of line. On the other hand, it is very hard for me to believe that several hundred people could take the time to click on an Office Depot or Buy.com ad and not a single one of them buys a product that day or even during the life of the cookie.

Something doesn't seem right.

Harold Mansfield
08-16-2009, 01:33 PM
Banner ads are tough. You generally don't make a whole lot off of just a general banner even if it is niche specific, unless you are on a CPM deal and have a lot of traffic.

I have a Linkshare account too and I rarely make any money from it, but then again, I haven't really concentrated much effort on it either.

The only success I see is when I post up information about a specific event like a music festival and I place links for discount travel offers to the location, that will generate some click throughs, and occasionally a sale, or sell a specific product.
You generally have to give specific information about the offer, rather than just the obligatory "Affordable package deals to New York" banner.

Sometimes that means (in the case of travel) actually clicking through and seeing the offer, the price, the terms and conditions and using that in your presentation. You cannot rely on general banners alone...you will never get anything that way.

Most of my sales through Linkshare unfortunately are iTunes downloads, which pay the least of anything, and that is only when I feature a new release, especially if it is an iTunes exclusive....no one will just click a general iTunes banner because everyone already knows where it is and can go there any time they want.

Banners don't work well. You have to sell specific products, and you have to actually sell it...with a review, comparison, or a niche site or blog.

Most of my sales come from Ebay. Specific products, cheaper than new, with a definite window for action, but even that has gone down in the last 2 months.

The thing about Linkshare and CJ, is many people go for the most recognizable products and companies, but those don't generate clicks because they are well known, and most people already know where they are, and assume they know what they have to offer and how to find them.

People won't click a general banner just to see what's going on, you have to let them know of a specific offer that they otherwise wouldn't have known was available.

Companies don't do a good job of selling specific products through banners. They rarely update them and most of the materials they make available are more branding, than anything, so sometimes that means making your own banners, not exactly within the TOS (You need approval), but you will wait forever for banners with specific offers.

A good example is, I signed up for Sirius/XM program because they have a Progressive house, Trance station with a line up of very well known DJ's, but Sirius doesn't offer a banner promoting that channel.
They have NASCAR, Howard Stern, Grateful Dead...but I don't blog about any of that stuff, and just a general banner wasn't good enough, so after a bunch of unanswered emails to Sirius, I had to make up my own banner promoting the station, with the DJ's, and show times, and then combined that with the actual Sirius banner that is available.

It worked a little. I now have it on a year old blog post about the station and it still generates clicks and an occasional sale every month or so.

I am not suggesting that you violate the TOS, but you can make your own graphics. You don't have to use any company logos or anything that would be a violation, and just use the available banner, or a text link just under it, or in the vicinity.

That is just an example, but my point is, you have to get more creative than what they make available, because for the most part, the available creatives suck ! They will not convert a sale alone, they need help.
I actually think of the banner as just a colorful link and put what ever I need around it to perk interest in a specific product or deal.

You also need to promote where you have the most credibly and chose wisely. Don't chose a program just because you want to promote it, it should be directly related to the site's niche.

billbenson
08-16-2009, 03:04 PM
Good Post Eborg!

vangogh
08-17-2009, 03:27 AM
Thanks eborg. I knew you'd be able to contribute something to this thread. Makes sense about the banner ads too. We all get ad blindness and you would expect less clicks on banners.

One thing I read all the time and I mentioned it above is that success with affiliate sales is often not about selling the product on your site, but rather creating content that puts people in the right frame of mind and then add a link to the affiliate. You'd naturally want to choose affiliates who have content that can close the sale on their site.

Have you tried that kind of strategy and if so have you seen it working?

Harold Mansfield
08-17-2009, 12:26 PM
Thanks eborg. I knew you'd be able to contribute something to this thread. Makes sense about the banner ads too. We all get ad blindness and you would expect less clicks on banners.

One thing I read all the time and I mentioned it above is that success with affiliate sales is often not about selling the product on your site, but rather creating content that puts people in the right frame of mind and then add a link to the affiliate. You'd naturally want to choose affiliates who have content that can close the sale on their site.

Have you tried that kind of strategy and if so have you seen it working?

That's what I meant by "you have to sell it", maybe didn't put it in the correct words.. I meant that you have to make a presentation of the product.

There's an old set of rules called the "5 Stages of Buying" and it's very applicable. You really have to use common sense about the way that you purchase a product and don't expect others to behave any differently.

Within those 5 stages you have to know where your presentation is on the chain. A quick run down goes something like this:

1. Need
2. Investigation or Information search.
3. Checking Options
4. Purchase Decision
5. After market behavior.

Most Internet marketers want to catch people in stage 2,3, and 4..after they have made a decision that there is a need. That's why review and comparisons work a little better at conversions.
Articles are for the most part stage 2. Even I linger in stage 2 for a while before I decide. There are very few items that I buy at a moments notice, unless they are a minuscule amount $5, $10, even $20.

Where do banners fit into the 5 stages ? Nowhere really. If there is no additional information or presentation that goes with it you haven't created a need, provided information, shown options, or anything. Banners are just branding for the most part. I don't have any concrete numbers on this, but an affiliate program is the cheapest form of web advertising for any company. Most affiliates will make small amounts if any, yet the banners are free ad space that affiliates would have otherwise had to pay for. I don't truly believe that many affiliates on Linkshare, and CJ really think that an affiliate program will boost their revenue much. You can just tell by the lack of creativity they put into their
available materials for affiliates, compared to creatives they use on paid spots.

The best 2 companies with the best tools of any affiliate program are Ebay and Amazon. Amazon also has the lowest starting commissions scale, but they are just a big affiliate themselves. (Amazon doesn't make anything, they just sell it and ship it)

As an affiliate marketer, especially if you are using a well known retailer, you have to assume that you are providing information for the person to just log into the main site anyway when they get ready to buy and bypass you altogether. That's where length of cookies come in. If you are using a retailer with a 24 hr cookie...it's real tough..they are trying not to pay out (IMO), but a 7 day cookie...you will still get the sale if they bypass you and buy within 7 days (provided they haven't dumped their cookies).

I think that's why eBay works so well, because listings and prices change ...it basically says..."if you want this..it's for sale now, at this price and other people want it too". If they are serious, it lights a fire under them to at least bid.

I watch infomercials and "As seen on TV" type commercials all the time. They are the masters of getting people to pull the trigger on the spot on a product they otherwise had never heard of before. The Masters ! "Have you seen this yet ? Look how cool it is !" You have to have one..and if you act now. RIGHT NOW ! I'll throw in some other junk that I was going to give you anyway !"

They are brilliant ! They research buying habits more than anyone, right down to the highest possible price people will spend at a moments notice compared to the perceived value.

We need to incorporate some of that in internet marketing (actually a lot of that) to get people to make a decision just because we mentioned it.

So to me, banners alone are a waste of time. Most times I use them as space fillers, or to connect to another site that I own, or promote something else.

Here is a quick article on the 5 stages of buying on About:
Break the Resistance of Consumer Buying Behavior (http://sbinformation.about.com/od/advertisingpr/a/behavior.htm)

billbenson
08-17-2009, 01:55 PM
RIGHT NOW ! I'll throw in some other junk that I was going to give you anyway !"
That's funny eborg.

Last night I saw an infomercial for a food chopper for $19.95. I've purchased the same thing at walmart for $7.

Harold Mansfield
08-17-2009, 04:47 PM
That's funny eborg.

Last night I saw an infomercial for a food chopper for $19.95. I've purchased the same thing at walmart for $7.

They have been selling that food chopper in many different forms since the 70's. It was one of Ron Popiels big items. It was called the "Slicer Dicer" and "The Chopper".
That's what I mean about how brilliant they are. They can sell people something they weren't looking for, probably don't need, most of the time won't use...and make you wonder how you have lived so long without it...in under a minute. It's art !

vangogh
08-17-2009, 08:23 PM
Thanks for the info. I suspect many people think that only step 4 is relevant which is why so many people don't succeed. They make the assumption that anyone who lands on their site has already made the decision to buy and wonder why they didn't buy it from or through them.

Yeah I would never go for a 24 hour cookie. That's a bit ridiculous. People don't always buy right away. I'd want a 30 day cookie, but I suppose a 7 day one is ok.

By the way are we talking about the slap chop? The same guy who sells the sham wow. He cracks me up for some reason. My favorite line in both those infomercials is something only in the copy at the end. They say "Beware of Imitators" as though there are any. It's a great line though since it implies that they're so successful others are out there copying them.

billbenson
08-18-2009, 12:53 AM
Ya, I think that's the infomercial I saw. They work fine and I use mine. Just like $7 at Walmart better.

vangogh
08-18-2009, 02:10 AM
Yeah $7 is better than $19.95 if what you're getting is the same. Still can't beat that infomercial.

Business Attorney
08-18-2009, 09:51 AM
eborg, thanks for the thought-provoking posts. Rep added!

nealrm
08-18-2009, 02:50 PM
eborg9,
Thanks for the interesting input, it was a good post. While it did not deal directly with the issue on my site, it did give me some ideas. I'm going to try promoting some books from Amazon dealing with home buying and mortgages. This may do better than lighting fixture and kitchen appliances.

Harold Mansfield
08-19-2009, 04:53 PM
Yeah I would never go for a 24 hour cookie. That's a bit ridiculous. People don't always buy right away.
.

This a good point to remember. People almost NEVER buy right away. Going back to the infomercials and "as seen on TV" spots. They have spent years studying how much money people will spend without thinking, having to ask the spouse, or aren't scared to risk if it doesn't work out.

They have down to around $20 ($19.99) or less ...throw in the money back guarantee, and the "extra" gifts and if you sell it right, you will get a good percentage of people to grab their purse or wallet. So does that mean that they don't sell products that are $25 ? No it doesn't..after people have decided that they want the product and that they are getting a good deal, another $6 for Shipping and Handling is usually expected.:)

So then, in that grand scheme of things, if you are hoping to make salesfrom banners on passers by to your website, you need to advertise products in that range of pricing that people aren't scared to spend at a moments notice. This most times means lower priced products, Books, Ebooks, and Music are good examples. Less commission, but a possibility of more sales.

If you are attempting to sell higher priced items, you need to put more into it and get into stage 3 and 4 of the buying phase.
By stage 4, they are looking for the best price, and most reliable service, so more presentation and trigger words need to go into it.

Most people need to think a few times to spend $100 or over. The higher the price, the longer it takes to make the sale, and on the web that means they are actually leaving the showroom and who knows where they will pop up when they return for more information.

Another reason I like Ebay, is I believe people buy on mental credit with Ebay. If they are comfortable with ebay , even more so...but Ebay gives a shopper the opportunity to actually want something, and bid on it without actually having the money available right away. If an auction lasts a week, a shopper knows they have another payday before it's due...if they win the auction. They can actually buy ahead of time....and another reason I like to target single people. If they have any money, they will spend it.

vangogh
08-20-2009, 12:31 AM
Good point about the $19.99 price point. You've probably noticed how you rarely see something on tv selling for $39.99, but rather 2 easy payments of $19.99. In fact a lot of times you never see the full price even mentioned. It's always X payments of $19.99.

Interesting thoughts about ebay. I suspect some of it is also the competitive nature of bidding. People like winning things. In this case winning means having to buy something, but it still feels like you won something. Another thing is people might start the bidding at a low price when it feels like they're getting a deal. Over the course of the week they may start to develop an attachment to the product and don't want to lose out on something they've already mentally decided is theirs.

Harold Mansfield
08-20-2009, 01:02 AM
Good point about the $19.99 price point. You've probably noticed how you rarely see something on tv selling for $39.99, but rather 2 easy payments of $19.99. In fact a lot of times you never see the full price even mentioned. It's always X payments of $19.99.

HSN is good at that also. The "Flex Pay" is a good one. I can't tell you how many times I have been channel surfing and said to myself, "3 payments of $49.99 ? That's nothing. I can do that".

If you watch them carefully, it's brilliant the way the total price is smaller than the "Flex Pay" option price. It's the little things that you don't notice outright as a consumer, but can appreciate the thought that went into it as a business owner.



Interesting thoughts about ebay. I suspect some of it is also the competitive nature of bidding. People like winning things. In this case winning means having to buy something, but it still feels like you won something. Another thing is people might start the bidding at a low price when it feels like they're getting a deal. Over the course of the week they may start to develop an attachment to the product and don't want to lose out on something they've already mentally decided is theirs.

The competition factor has always been a good one for them, especially with collectibles, rare items, and I also noticed that with some concert tickets.

Funny, as I was writing this, Ebay dropped a bomb on it's affiliates today. Changing their payout structure to promote a "quality click" model rather than the straight commission they have been paying.
Got 2 emails from them explaining the move, and it means adjusting a ton to maintain commission levels.

I am seriously considering offering services again to increase my income. Got some ideas...I'll keep you posted.

vangogh
08-20-2009, 12:07 PM
You can learn a lot by watching infomercials and QVC and similar. It's always interesting to read between the lines and try to understand how items are priced and why and how the product is being marketed.

Interesting about the ebay changes. Let us know what kind of services you decide to offer when you know.