Category: Monetization

  • HyperTarget Attends Affiliate Summit East

    HyperTarget Marketing Participates in Affiliate Summit East:

    “Meet Market”

    Director Eric Evans and the HyperTarget Marketing Team Discuss Pay-Per Call Marketing

    Sunday, August 2, 2015 New York, NY
    The New York Marriott Marquis
    12:00pm-6:00pm in the Westside Ballroom Salon 1-4 & Foyer

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
    HyperTarget Marketing
    213.973.9905
    info@hypertargetmarketing.com

    New York, New York – HyperTarget Marketing director Eric Evans and his support team will be hosting a table at the Affiliate Summit East 2015 Meet Market in New York City. This exciting event will bring together some of the newest and most respected companies working in the affiliate marketing space. Those in attendance will learn about the advantages of pay-per call marketing over other affiliate programs, as well as gain insight as to how the industry has changed in light new developments. Also, conference attendees will be able to hear these panelists discuss their expertise with pay-per-call campaigns and their thoughts on what has made their pay-per call advertising campaigns successful.

    Pay-per-call marketing emerged as an advertising solution to pay-per click, in which advertisers pay for qualified impressions on a per-call basis. The goal of pay-per-call marketing is to generate qualified calls (calls with a legitimate interest in a product or service), which can in turn reward publishers and ad networks appropriately. The pay-per call industry has experienced rapid and extreme growth, especially as users and begin to rely more on mobile phones for interfacing with brands, a trend that has been recognized and accounted for by major search engines. Come meet the team and discover what HyperTarget Marketing can do for you.

    About HyperTarget Marketing: HyperTarget Marketing is a lead generation and call marketing solutions company based in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 2009, HyperTarget was an early adopter of pay-per-call marketing and has a passion for helping businesses get highly qualified inbound call leads.

    Find out more at www.affiliatesummit.com/15e-conference/

  • Generational Bias May Not Be Founded

    “Know your audience” is the marketing industry’s equivalent to Socrates’ directive “gnothi seauton” (though perhaps marketing could use a little more self-awareness from time to time).

    Know your audience. It sounds like a simple imperative, especially when big data allows us to see trends that in the past would have seemed unfathomable or strictly hypothetical. This understanding is even more available when we consider all the interactions that occur publically across different social media platforms, providing direct feedback on our marketing efforts.

    Understanding your audience is essential during the brainstorming process before launching a marketing campaign. However, from a practical standpoint it is necessary to know where that audience resides. Traditionally choosing a platform for a particular marketing campaign has relied heavily on demographics, such as using print media and television for Baby Boomers and social for Millennials. But as hinted at in our previous post on multi-pronged marketing, and expounded upon by Liane Dietrich in her recent post on Marketing Land, this arbitrary division of different platforms should come to an end.

    We (Were) the Future

    Oldmancafe
    (via Unsplash.com by Jeff Sheldon)

    Liane writes, “Cross-device behavior is often seen as being associated with Millennials. This young, tech-savvy demographic group of digital natives is known for using multiple platforms to connect with brands, research, and shop for products.” As a member of Generation-Y myself, I understand the point that she makes here. I use Twitter for social interactions, LinkedIn for business networking and Netflix for entertainment. Not only that, my entire career has taken place sitting in front of a computer screen (a little sad, but true).

    Often times the driving force behind this level of engagement across different platforms comes from a generational desire to do things better, more efficiently and to not heed the warnings and advice of earlier generations (for better or worse). In fact, old media in some ways has been dubbed “old” because of its association with its primary demographic. I remember one time when I wanted to get a new bed. I mentioned something about it at a family dinner to my grandmother. One week later, she came back to the house with a bundle of newspaper clippings of different beds. Little did she know that earlier that week, I got a bed off Craigslist, ordered sheets from Ikea and had a custom pillow made on Etsy.

    Change is Happening (Not Where You’d Expect)

    Whether due to the increasing integration of “things” with the internet, increased exposure, or negative feedback like the situation described above, the demographics of those using multiple platforms is changing. According Liane, a study done by ComScore reveals that people over the age of 55 are now the fastest growing group of multi-platform adopters. So it high time that we abandon our preconceptions about where our target audience is. We live in a global society, but it is important to not forget about the generational diversity that exists across different marketing platforms.

  • Mobilegeddon’s Importance for Marketing Campaigns

    On April 21st Google launched an algorithm change that affects all sites that are not mobile friendly, which has been deemed by many as “Mobilegeddon”. Please remember being mobile doesn’t just mean phones, but all types of tablets are included in this change as well. Since affiliate marketing and online marketing in general is essential for generating leads, if you aren’t up to date on which algorithm changes are pertinent to your site you could suffer a huge loss on your Google search positioning.

    Why This Algorithm is Important

    Google created a “mobile friendly test” that allows users to enter a site URL and check how mobile friendly that site is. On the whole, if your site doesn’t pass the Google test then the Googlebots will see your site as a less reliable source. However, Google did state that if your site is the most relevant option for users that it will still show even if it is not mobile friendly. Sites that are more suitable for all web-linked devices will definitely get a boost in their rankings.

    This tool actually gives a breakdown of all issues that occurred from trying to load that site via mobile. Below we have included a screenshot showing exactly what you will see. The tool shows exactly how Google sees your page and if your site is not mobile friendly it will include a link explaining how to convert your site. It also shows each issue with your site specifically such as small text, page is too wide for mobile, and links are too close together – thus not very clickable, as shown below.

    HTMMobileFriendly

     

    NotMobileFriendly

    Benefits of Mobile

    Obviously, anyone could explain that social media traffic has greatly increased in the last 5 years alone, which means mobile marketing is importance. It isn’t only effective for the younger populous. Approximately half of the 65+ generation is using social media. This means that having a mobile website isn’t just about gaining the attention of young folks, but also older generations. Your web presence doesn’t have to be “hip” and flashy to be effective, it just needs to be simple and concise for everyone. In fact, an article from Pew Internet & American Life Project says that while young generations are moving away from blogging, more and more senior generations are moving towards blogging. This study also showed that most young adults are moving to “micro-blogging” which mainly consists of much shorter status updates instead of content rich blogging.

    For Your Marketing

    Google’s updates are oftentimes reflective of society. Mobile is important. Users have shown it is important and Google has solidified it. Google algorithm updates are updated to benefit search engine users and can be used as potential sign posts for what users want and how businesses can adapt to these needs. For example, mobile has been emphasized in the most recent update. If you have little to no mobile marketing, now might be the time to adopt a pay per call campaign, MMS (multi-media message service), mobile games and banner ads, or QR bar codes. The Google algorithm is constantly changing to adapt to user needs. Besides rankings and SEO, Google algorithm updates (like “Mobilegeddon”) can have impacts on your business, both positive and negative.

  • Is Affiliate Marketing Worth It?

    In a single word, yes. This type of campaign may not be for every marketer. This type of strategy can take some time to build up a proper clientele, but has proven to provide a significant increase in traffic and sales. So, go into any new partnership well educated about your particular niche market. We will go over some basics if you are just getting started with affiliates.

    Cost Effectiveness:

    Let’s start with the biggest “elephant in the room” – cost. Affiliates are usually only paid  a commission percentage when they actually drive a sale to your site. The merchant you are working with will pay out a commission based on the work provided. So, if you are considering marketing with an affiliate company you won’t have to worry about extra hidden expenses. However, you of course would always want to make sure you are doing extensive research on the company to make sure they are reputable and their prices & vision align with your marketing strategy.

    Start Small:

    This type of marketing can actually be quite lucrative especially with smaller businesses. It is easy to become discouraged when comparing to larger niche businesses. Keep in mind that if you have a smaller market niche, then the hard part is already out of the way. You have created a product or service that others do not have leverage over. Use this fact to your advantage and target affiliates that align with your strategy. Your marketing merchant should be able to help you outreach to those in and around your community and express rare value in advertising a smaller company.

    Look at the Big Picture:

    Creating relationships with affiliates (as long as they are dependable ones) is always a good idea for expanding your circle of consumers. Be cognizant of the fact that affiliate marketing could potentially have a negative effect on a company’s search engine optimization if done incorrectly. The end game shouldn’t be how many sites you can affiliate yourself with, but what quality sites you can partner with. With consistent algorithm updates from Google, one can be sure that those geniuses will find a way to weed out the bad content from the good. If you are putting your company name on quality sites you can be sure that quality consumers will be finding and passing along the information.

    Be Prepared:

    Affiliate fraud of course is always a concern when marketing this way. However, if you are patient and make business choices with direction this shouldn’t be a problem. Be direct with your partners, test out any business venture before starting it, and follow through with regular check ups to make sure your needs are being met. There are also several technical ways to prepare yourself for fraudulent behaviors depending on your business.

    Feel free to check out the articles referenced in this article for more useful information about affiliate marketing and how to avoid affiliate fraud.

  • Optimize for Maximum Gold Online This March

    We are all guilty of spreading our efforts too thin at times. It’s St. Patty’s Day and everyone will be busy gearing up for parties, making corned beef and cabbage, while still carrying out their daily routines. Unfortunately, there are no leprechauns to make life any easier. In the marketing world, it’s easy to try everything at once to get your business off to a running start (or perhaps you need a fresh face to your ads). However, this can prove to be very exhausting, discouraging, and ultimately ineffective. You may be lacking some very key ideas in order to save yourself some heartache and effectively advertise at the same time.

    Where to Market Online?

    It would be easy to say your marketing campaign should stretch from one corner of the web to the next. However, this wouldn’t necessarily be effective marketing. It is true that social media is the next big key to marketing success, but putting a business’s ads on irrelevant sites does not mean more business. A company is much more likely to receive new and continued business if you are sharing your web presence on related sites.

    How to Market Online?

    No one said it was going to be easy. A business that does their research will be a profitable one. If you can research and find all types of sites that fit within your area of expertise you will have an entire network to build upon. Once you have found relevant sites, communities, blogs, and all types of social media, market to them all. Build a campaign that encompasses and includes as many mediums as possible.

    Marketing Campaigns

    Plan out exactly what you want to accomplish by reaching out to your audience. Effective marketing campaigns are simple and concise. Include an easy to understand call-to-action that intrigues customers and makes them want to share, comment, and like. Make sure that it is easily accessible for them to do so. No one wants to fill out a giant form in order to participate. Catch people’s attention by thinking outside of the box and doing something you maybe wouldn’t normally do.

    Social Media Planning Apps

    Once you have created a “network” the best possible thing to do is stay organized. Daily interaction is what keeps marketing tools fresh in the consumer’s minds. Use every possible tool at your disposal to your advantage. Schedule time each day to reach out to the community on each one of your social media apps and/or make sure to write a comment on a relevant blog. Any kind of daily community involvement is always beneficial to your business. There are many different project managing apps available to keep it all straight.

  • Lead Generation To-Dos in the New Year

    Performance marketing has taken over the marketing world. It is rare that you would find a business that does not utilize some form of performance marketing. Lead generation is one of these useful performance marketing tactics. Lead generation is the formation of consumer interest about the products and services of a particular business. Lead generation can then be used in a multitude of ways depending on your marketing motivations. Creating lists for emails or online magazines, generating a compilation of potential sales leads, or building a rewards/loyalty program are just some of the ways lead generation can be used. The following is a list of important to-dos to keep in the back of your mind for the New Year.

    Genuineness and Transparency

    Customers want two things from businesses. 1.) To know exactly how the business operates and what type of service they should expect. And 2.) for marketing to feel genuine. No one likes shady business and marketing tactics. When businesses are transparent, they are extending an arm of trust to the consumer. Customers would rather have a genuine interaction with marketers and ads, and have the ability to get information or quick answers. Being transparent and genuine is vital for lead generation for creating consumer interest.

    Efficiency and Communication

    When you have inbound leads it is important to respond and connect with them quickly. Today’s world moves at a quick pace. It is no longer acceptable to try your hardest or be as quick as you can. Customers expect efficiency, and when businesses don’t deliver the end result could be a poor recommendation or a negative online review on Glassdoor. Communicating with the customer efficiently is something that should be practiced by every business, especially in the lead generation industry.

    Content and Engagement

    Content is still king. It has been shown time and time again that people want information. Basic and pamphlet type sites will not generate consumer interest. By providing quality content for potential customers, businesses are engaging with their audience. Social media has proven that people expect businesses and brands to engage with them (just look at the increasing popularity of AMAs). Content and engagement can be very beneficial for lead generation.

    Lead generation is not going away. Not yet. Lead generation can be a powerful tool for your business if done correctly. Make sure you aren’t depriving your marketing strategy of potential successes and keep up on new strategies and tactics in the coming year.

  • Important Things for Performance Marketing in 2015

    Performance marketing and affiliate marketing has been a rapidly growing in the past several years, making the use of search engine marketing more important than ever. Content and social media are great mediums that must be used in the coming year, and it is more important than ever to have a mobile optimized and efficient site.

    Distribution of Content:

    Having great and plentiful content is one thing, but consumers need to see it. Furthermore, the right people need to see your content. Content is meant to provide value. If your content is not being distributed or seen by the appropriate audience, it will do you no good. Any good marketing campaigns should address this. Most pay per call marketers can help businesses distribute their content.

    Social Media:

    Social media has been taking over the web and is changing how businesses operate. Not only does a social medium impact your search results, but social media can influence recommendations, and you now have the opportunity to promote your business through Facebook and StumbleUpon Advertising or Promoted Tweets on Twitter. Social shares and influence relate to social signals, which are slowly appearing as ranking factors.

    Mobile Marketing:

    The mobile phone industry has been booming. Just look at Apple’s iPhone 6 sales. This is indicative of what consumers use to access business information and contacts. Your marketing campaign should include mobile optimized plans in order for potential customers to contact you by phone. Ease of access can translate into quick wins, while difficult user experiences can lead to negative reviews and high bounce rates (where users spend short periods of time spent on your website and leave almost immediately).

    Efficiency:

    Do you have a 404’d page on your site? Does your site take more than a few seconds to load? It is absolutely vital to make sure your website functions correctly and helps to provide a smooth user experience. Checking your website speeds and updating your software regularly is a great practice. Metrics such as unique vs. repeat visitors, bounce rates, and landing page conversions can help you to determine what might need fixing on your site.

    2015 is here.  Now is the time to make sure your marketing campaign and online strategy is enhanced to ensure your business has the best year yet.

  • Google Penguin Changed Virtually Everything – But This Key Concept Still Reigns

    Google Penguin Changed Virtually Everything – But This Key Concept Still Reigns

    One of the best and most cost effective ways for online performance marketers to get their message across to potential clients is to ensure that they are easily searchable on Google. But while this goal is easy to execute in principle, it can be nothing short of a Herculean task in practice. Due to continuous, and often devastating, updates in Google’s search algorithm, a site which is on the front page today may be relegated to page seven tomorrow. But if there is one trend which seems solid and bankable, it is that Google likes quality original content.

    Here comes the Penguin

    In late 2013 Google released its latest search algorithm update, affectionately called Penguin 2.1. While the update was meant to target spammy sites for downgrades in the overall search ranking results, many legitimate sites also got hit. In order to make sure that your organic search methods comply with the update, and ensure that your online performance marketing goals are met and exceeded, follow these recommendations when creating online content:

    Focus on valuable unique content

    The purpose of Penguin 2.1 was to essentially reduce the search rankings of unhelpful webpages, and increase the search rankings of pages which tend to offer the searcher relevant and valuable information. One of the best ways to preserve, and even increase, your search engine rankings is to consistently ad new, unique, and high quality content to your website.

    Avoid the very appearance of spammy links
    If you are advertising your website with spammy forum comments, blogroll spam, or even blog comments signature spam, your site may suffer wrath of Penguin 2.1 or future updates. Immediately analyze your links critically, and remove any unnatural links which may trigger a downgrade in your positioning.

    Challenge Google at your own peril

    As can be seen here in a story related to popular website rap genius, trying to manipulate Google’s search algorithms can be a dangerous exercise. If you are looking to try to exploit Google’s search methodology for your own benefit, be warned: you may get slapped. Instead of going head to head with Google, especially in a blatant and public manner, it is far better to focus on producing the kind of content which will cause your web pages to rank well organically.

    The Bottom Line

    Trying to master Google rankings is tantamount to trying to hit a moving target. But, considering the internet itself is little more than a massive collection of content, those who focused on producing the best content will generally have the fewest worries. This is because it is the job of search engines to continue to seek better ways to deliver their customers with the most relevant search results. The more you focus on offering your product or service in a way which is genuinely helpful to your site’s end user, the more likely you are to consistently rank well and avoid falling victim to future search engine algorithm updates.

  • Build A Steady Income With Recurring Billing

    Build A Steady Income With Recurring Billing

    One of the easiest and best ways to cash in on all the hard work it takes to make a sale is to base your sales model on recurring billing. The two types of products and services which are easily billed on a recurring basis are those which generate automatic sales (renewals and reorders) and automatic income (residuals.) These two recurring billing models are really two different ways to achieve the same goal, but they will be treated separately here. Additionally, these two areas are not always to cut and dry, and there is bound to be some overlap in certain products and offerings.

    Reorders and Renewals

    Reorders and renewals refer to products which can be automatically delivered as the customer is automatically charged. Examples of these kinds of products would an automatic shipment of vitamins with automatic billing, or a magazine subscription with monthly billing. When there is a physical object being delivered, it is easier to think of the process as “reordering,” though the customer may not have had to actually place a new order. Renewals would refer to a monthly subscription such as a membership to a website. The period of renewal or reorder may be monthly or even yearly, depending on the product and the offer.

    Residuals

    Residual income refers to doing something once and receiving income from that action well into the future. Artists, such as musicians and movie stars, are often paid for years when their music or movies are purchased down the line. So, in this case, it is possible that very little work goes into earning the residual, as sometimes residuals are earned for decades with absolutely no additional work by the producer. One good thing about residuals is that they can often be sold or transferred.

    The Benefits of Recurring Income

    The top reason affiliate marketers should get into products which give recurring income is that this sales model helps the marketer earn more over the lifetime of a product than selling it on a “one-time” payment model. For example, if you sold razors to men with the one-time model, your customer may purchase 10 razors now, but then buy from a competitor next time. But with the recurring model he would automatically purchase 10 razors per month from you, and even come to depend on and expect their delivery.

  • 5 Tips For Website Monetization That Your Competitors Don’t Know

    5 Tips For Website Monetization That Your Competitors Don’t Know

    Everyone knows that creating a website and a blog is essential for a business. But even the most exciting content-rich and user-friendly websites on the internet aren’t worth much if no one visits them. Search engine optimization is a great way to get people to find about and visit a site, and it certainly is effective to a certain extent. No one would argue that. But in order to develop strong website monetization, a comprehensive strategy is needed. Here we will take a look at some monetization strategies that your competitors probably don’t know.

    1. Don’t Rely On Display Ads

    Display advertising has become one of the more fundamental methods to monetize. When you visit a website, more than likely you notice the ads that run along the outer edges of the page or that are even sometimes placed in the middle of a block of text. This method is good if a website is already generating a steady and consistent flow of traffic, but can be problematic if the site is a paid site as the abundance of ads could annoy subscribers and make them take their business elsewhere.

    Instead: Focus on Putting Ads into the Content

    Your first focus should be creating really good content. As people read and digest what you have to say to them, they will naturally become curious about whatever names, products, services, etc. you list. In other words, don’t be too anxious. Make world class content and place your ads in the content itself – in the form of simple links. Your audience will do the rest.

    2. Don’t Try to be Slick

    People are getting wise to all the tricks webmasters use to try to get them to click or take an action. This can honestly cause your readers or site visitors to lose faith in you if you seem to fit into that category.

    Instead: Be Obvious

    Level with your readers. Tell them “Hey, this is a cool product/service that I use all the time. I think you should check it out. Besides, I get a few cents if you give it a look. Come back and let me know what you think about the product/service in the comments.”

    3. Don’t Waste Your Subscriber’s Time

    Lead Generation is another great way to make a website profitable. Admittedly it isn’t always popular with web users because all too often site owners set up an auto-responder series and then lose contact. Or, they seemingly spam their subscribers with veiled pleas for a purchase.

    Instead: Give Your Subscribers a Reason to Love You

    Put a poll on your site asking your subscribers what they’d like to read more about. Ask them to rate your last newsletter and give feedback on it. Offer your subscribers an opportunity to craft content for your newsletter, and hold contests to judge which content your subscribers liked the best.

    4. Don’t See Ads as a Static Deployment

    Ads on websites come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. But they don’t come in much variety as it relates to placing or creativity. Too many webmasters see ads as something to be deployed, not employed.

    Instead: Look for New Places for Your Ads and Spice it Up!

    Going back to the last point for a bit, you can crowd source your ads! Why rely solely on your own creativity? Ask your community to help you develop new an interesting ad ideas and designs. And while you’re at it, place ads in the comments section too. Most people put ads in the same old tried and true locations. If your site generates lots of traffic, try placing some context appropriate ads in the comment discussions.

    5. Don’t Make Assumptions about Your Market

    Most dedicated bloggers and webmasters will choose to enter a field which is of interest to them. However, the writer’s or webmaster’s interests do not necessarily reflect the interests of the audience as a whole. It is important not to make assumptions about your audience.

    Instead: Take Time to Interact with and Get to Know Your Audience

    Knowing your audience is essential to having steady traffic to your site, and is one of the key elements in maximizing your site’s monetization. Once again, ask your audience what they want, and they will tell you. Properly done, they will essentially instruct you how to market to them. You just have to listen.

    For more helpful tips on how to increase page views and maximize your site’s monetization visit our site today!