Kikabink News

Okay maybe “trash” is exaggerating (although see my example below!). Still, Internet marketing blogger Yaro Starak makes a good argument that you can (and probably should) write a product review that reveals the flaws of a product… and still expect to sell it through your affiliate link.

Yaro explains that while most Internet marketing product reviews are sales pitches - and that part of his motivation in writing product reviews is to sell products - by explaining the negatives as well as the positives, he ends up selling more.

I’m reminded of a product review I wrote on another blog a year or so ago. I called the product lame… and I still got an affiliate commission out of it! I’m not sure whether someone forgot to clear their cookies… or really did want to buy a lame product… or dismissed my product review… but it just goes to prove anything’s possible!

In any case, Yaro indicates that it IS possible to write genuine product reviews AND sell products if you follow these four guidelines:

1. Pick products you’re interested in that are relevant to your audience.

2. Write a thorough review after studying the product.

3. Build up credibility as a trusted source in the industry.

4. Build a large audience so that when you say something, enough people listen.

This is pretty much the approach we take at Kikabink News. I will say, however, that apart from the strange example above, we won’t write promotional product reviews UNLESS we genuinely endorse the product.

(No, I DON’T believe you can trash a product and sell it!)

Bottom line: if you plan to run a review site, be sure to discuss the cons as well as the pros of a product you review. Chances are you’ll build up more credibility and, in the long run, more affiliate sales.

Source: Yaro Starak, “Why Writing a Bad Review is Sometimes a Good Idea”, Entrepreneurs Journey, November 11, 2008

Good blog post by Alice Seba. She reiterates a point that just doesn’t seem to be emphasized enough: that the best affiliate programs are NOT necessarily those that pay the highest commissions.

This should be obvious, shouldn’t it? I mean I could give you a rock to sell and offer you a 90 percent commission on it… but does that mean you’ll be raking in the big bucks anytime soon?

Ms Seba recommends looking past an attractive commission rate to consider such factors as the:

Dollar amount per sale - how much money will you actually make on the sale? For example, 10 percent of a $1,000 product will generate more cash ($100) than 50 percent of a $50 product ($25).

Conversion rate - is the product a hot seller? A product that consistently sells for $50 and offers a 10 percent commission may offer better *real* returns than an equivalently priced product offering a 40 percent commission. Simply because the first product actually sells, while the second does not.

One time or recurring commission - if you are promoting a membership or subscription program, will you get a commission only on the initial sale or on the recurring membership or subscription dues? Obviously the latter is preferable.

Source: Alice Seba, “Myth: Affiliate Programs with the Highest Commissions Are Best”, Internet Marketing Sweetie, September 15, 2008

Adgregate Markets has released a service called ShopAds which allows companies to process secure credit card purchases within display ads.

Using the ShopAds technology, someone who views a ShopAds supported banner ad on a given publisher’s website can potentially order a product or service within that ad… without being redirected off the publisher’s website.

Like other widgets, ShopAds can be shared on social network profiles and other pages. However, what’s truly innovative is the ability for them to appear within any Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) standard display ad unit.

ShopAds are Flash-based and, unlike JavaScript based transactional ad units, don’t rely on a secure host site to ensure secure transactions. Rather, the secure, encrypted shopping carts inside ShopAds are portable into any HTML environment, including social network pages and blogs.

When a sale is complete, the ShopAds system confirms the transaction with a “thank you” and sends the buyer a tracking number via email. Buyers may continue shopping or return to the original widget screen, which can host large catalogs with potentially millions of products.

I think ShopAds has huge potential for advertisers/merchants and publishers/affiliates. Not to mention customers, since it overcomes the “inconvenience barrier” of having to click away from a website in order to inspect, or indeed buy, a product.

Source: Fred Aun “Allowing Web Users to Transact Through Ads”, The ClickZ Network, September 9, 2008

Want to place your affiliate link on a merchant’s video? Want to place your website link at the end of a royalty free video you’ve acquired?

Now you can. Introducing Overlay.TV, which enables you to overlay such content as text, links, custom images, and clip art onto a streaming video.

To use Overlay.TV you must first provide the source URL of the video you want to modify, which Overlay.TV streams from the original host. After loading the video, you can add your own content as part of a new layer, which you can set to fade in or out at particular times.

Another appealing feature of Overlay.TV is the ability to add links from numerous affiliate programs that Overlay.TV has arranged. You get a 50 percent share of any commissions generated, with Overlay.TV getting the other half.

Despite some definite attractions, I’m not entirely sold on Overlay.TV. What concerns me is the ability for unscrupulous individuals to place their affiliate or other links over other people’s videos. While the video owner would have a basis to sue for copyright infringement, technological difficulties have, to date, deterred this from happening on a large scale. Overlay.TV may, unfortunately, make this a whole lot easier…

Source: Jason Kincaid, “Overlay.TV Helps You Customize, Monetize Streaming Video”, TechCrunch, September 4, 2008

Shawn Collins has released the top 10 affiliate programs for June 2008.

The list is based on the number of click-throughs each program received in the Affiliate Tip Affiliate Program Directory. The top 10 are as follows. Be sure to visit AffiliateTip.com for full descriptions of each program.

1. Shopzilla
2. Hydra Network
3. zZounds.com
4. AzoogleAds
5. eHealthInsurance
6. Advanta Bank Corp
7. Orbitz
8. The Scholastic Store Online - Scholastic Inc.
9. Amazon.com
10. LinkConnector

Source: Shawn Collins, “Top 10 Affiliate Programs for June 2008″, Affiliate Marketing Blog, July 2, 2008