At the end of this past October, eLearners brought a final close to one of their most popular education campaigns yet. The Career Stimulus Package was one of a few exclusive offers within their affiliate program in Share Results and was a huge hit with affiliates actively promoting since its introduction this past summer. Over the last several months we’ve made mention of CSP via our blog, mailers and newsletters to Share Results affiliates.

Just in case you missed all the news, the initiative was all about giving women and men in the US the chance to  boost their careers and overall lifestyle. Participants gained access to online college opportunities to further their education, which was wonderful for those who may have only achieved a high school diploma. The campaign also aimed to assist prospective online students the chance to benefit from financial aid opportunities with a number of reputable online colleges. Furthermore, companies like ELance, Orbitek, spud!, and Entrepreneur Media Inc. were part of a list of companies offering paid internships.

While CSP is no longer available, remember that eLearners is still offering other great edu opportunities through their portals like Criminal Justice and Entertainment Industry Degrees. They are also running their very popular Project Working Mom… And Dads, Too! A monthly campaign perfect for moms and dads who are working and need some financial help to go back to school through an online college.

In the meantime, please check out some video footage from the CSP campaign. It’s a great example of how Americans were impacted by this project.

To learn more about eLearners, feel free to check out their merchant page by clicking here.

Share Results is excited to announce that we now have three employees who have received Google Analytics accreditation. This means that businesses can work with Share Results to maximize SEM efforts and set up analytics campaigns- as well as growing a company’s business through Google and other search marketing opportunities.

The Analytics accreditation is proof of proficiency in using Google Analytics, and qualification remains current for 18 months. In order to receive the accreditation, individuals must complete the mandated Google training sessions and score 75% or higher in the Analytics exam. Receiving the Google Analytics accreditation means that Share Results is now qualified to set up Google Analytics for client websites, offer in depth analysis of statistics and set up conversion tracking and goals on client websites.

If you’re seeking out opportunities for branding and acquisition though paid search, contact Share Results to develop an online strategy.

Last week we posted the first of a two-part interview with online education merchant eLearners. In addition to getting some great insight from them about the online education industry, we learned what popular degrees that students have been gravitating to and how eLearners has dealt with the ever increasing interest in the online edu affiliate marketing sector.

This week, we continue that conversation and find out what type of edu affiliates are preferred for their program and more…

Q: Tell us about the diverse education offers available to affiliates who join eLearners. What would you say is your most successful campaign to date?

A: OnlineStudentFinancialAid.com has had a long history of success and continues to be a dominant force, and Project Working Mom has been an instant hit, generating national press coverage, but we prefer not to dwell on past successes. We continue to work on innovative new campaigns to reach new demographics; The Career Stimulus Package just launched this summer, and the response has been overwhelming.

• Did you know that OnlineStudentFinancialAid.com can be promoted in Spanish to online users?

Q: What are some of the biggest misconceptions affiliates have about the eLearners affiliate program?

A: One of the biggest misconceptions is that we are just looking for a high quantity of leads. Our main focus is actually making sure our leads are of high quality and continue to enroll.

Q: With all the different type of affiliates who partner with eLearners, what promotional methods would you say do best in the program?

A: All promotional methods, whether SEO, display, PPC, etc., have their own strengths and weaknesses, but all serve a purpose within our program and add a specific value.

Q: What are the key elements do you look for when affiliates apply to your affiliate program?

A: When looking at sites to partner with, we look for (in no particular order) unique content, a good layout, a high page rank, good traffic, high ranking on key search terms, etc. In general, we are looking for something that doesn’t necessarily look like it is set up for just lead generation, but has a larger purpose.

Q: What would you say are the top 3 common inquiries from prospective students that affiliates should know when promoting to their audience?

A: Some common inquiries from prospective students include tuition prices, financial aid/scholarship options, school accreditation and even the location of the school offices so that students may be able to take care of things in person if needed.

Q: Based on your experience in the industry, what would you say are some of the forthcoming trends affiliates should expect to see in the overall online edu market?

A: Social media seems to be something that people are starting to make a big push for.

Q: What kind of exciting campaigns can affiliates expect to see from eLearners’ affiliate program in the forthcoming months?

A: I can’t reveal all our secrets just yet, but we definitely have some exciting things coming in the next few months…

Update: The Career Stimulus Package campaign has indeed been a big hit with online users; however, this offer is only available to be promoted until October 31, 2009.

If you have any questions about Career Stimulus Package or any other eLearners opportunity, please don’t hesitate to reach us via eLearners(at)shareresults(dot)com.

The popularity of online education affiliate programs has grown exponentially over the last few years with a few online edu lead aggregators playing a leading role in offering a wide variety of academic opportunities that benefit both affiliates and prospective students alike. eLearners, Share Results’ highly popular online education advertiser, has seen major growth within the online edu industry, and, naturally, increased interest from affiliates looking to promote online degrees from land-based colleges in the United States.

We took some time to chat with eLearners about their widely-recognized affiliate program in Share Results. In the first part of this merchant interview blog series, eLearners gives new affiliates the inside scoop on the online education industry, the most sought after degrees by students, and how they’ve adapted to the growth in online degree opportunities.

Q: For novice affiliates out there who are just entering the online edu space in affiliate marketing, can you explain exactly what eLearners is?

A: eLearners.com is the premier destination for anyone in school or considering furthering their education. We service all phases of the life cycle of a student —  from prospecting for students by connecting them with colleges, to introducing them to resources such as financial aid and scholarships, to ensuring enrollment and retention, to providing a safety net for current students who need support, to helping them move on to their next degree.

Q: What distinguishes eLearners from other online edu aggregators out there?

A: What makes eLearners unique is that we are more than just an aggregator, since our focus is applied more towards the entire life cycle of a student, but in addition to this, we work with over 200 fully accredited schools (more than anyone in the industry) while simultaneously carrying a strong reputation for quality and a reach that is unmatched.

Q: Studies show that land-based operators are seeing a drop in the number of student applications, but also another challenge is the availability of financial aid. How has eLearners been affected by this trend?

A: We actually work with a number of schools that provide financial aid options, and these schools have seen a great response from prospective students. What we have done on our own, though, to meet this trend head-on, is develop a series of scholarship programs to reach a multitude of demographics. Two of our scholarship programs, Project Working Mom and the Career Stimulus Package, respectively, have already given away a combined $6+ million in scholarships in 2009.

Q: How does the number of school applicants compare to two years ago? What valuable feedback from schools can you pass on to affiliates who partner with you about the wealth of online edu applicants?

A: The number of prospective students continues to grow year by year. Online degrees have become increasingly popular, and traditional schools have recognized this trend. Traditional campus schools understand that a virtual campus is now a necessity in order to maintain a competitive edge.

Q: Based on trends you are seeing, what would you say are the most popular degrees and subjects of study in the online edu space?

A: The online education space is ever-changing, but three areas in which I have seen pretty consistent interest are healthcare, business and criminal justice.

Q: What would you say distinguishes eLearners’ affiliate program from other online education affiliate programs out there?

A: We pride ourselves on the happiness of our partners and being available for them, so a high level of customer service is always our priority.  Our industry reputation, competitive payouts, unmatched selection of schools/programs and high conversion rates are what tend to attract people to our program.

Q: Some affiliates think that the education sector in affiliate marketing is too saturated. What do you think of this perspective and how has eLearners coped with the ever-growing online edu sector of affiliate marketing?

A: Especially with the recession, this arena has seen quite a bit of growth over the past year. We see it as a plus because this just means we have more potential partners to work with.

Next week in the second part of our blog series, eLearners will dish on the biggest misconceptions about their program, the three things student look for from online education, and what it takes to become an affiliate of their program…

In the meantime, if you have any questions about the eLearners offers that are available, please feel free to reach us via eLearners(at)shareresults(dot)com. If you have inquiries about any of our other education affiliate programs in Share Results, please email us: affiliates(at)shareresults(dot)com.

Explain to us, what exactly is Nero and when did they first launch their company?

Nero began as Ahead Software in 1995 and launched Nero Burning ROM shortly after. Since then our goal has evolved and Nero has become the premium creator of liquid media technology. Our core mission is to provide consumers with the freedom to simply enjoy their music, photos, and videos, regardless of hardware or file format, by taking a unique platform neutral, standards-based approach to solution development. In essence, allowing users to create and distribute their content anytime, anywhere and on any device.

When did Nero decide to branch into the affiliate marketing space?

We’ve been actively working with our affiliates since 2006.

What trends have you seen since entering the performance marketing space?

What we’ve seen is a move away from companies just signing up with affiliates without much thought. Lately, affiliates and merchants have been actively seeking true partners to complement each other and a move away from strictly content affiliates toward value added partners such as coupon, and search affiliates.

Read More…

In an economy like this one, any kind of savings oriented offer is a great opportunity for affiliates. Indeed, back to school coupons are proving very popular.

Well, recently I got a chance to ask Mike Allen of Shoppin-Bargains.com a few questions. Mike told us about the verticals he likes to focus on, and also shared his thoughts on the affiliate marketing industry and trends such as social media.

Share Results: What verticals do you focus on?
Mike Allen: I focus on most retail verticals as well as some services like travel.

SR: What do you think about the growth of the affiliate industry in the coming years?
MA: Apart from some kind of radical governmental intervention that puts punitive barriers on affiliate marketing (e.g. some state’s interpretation of nexus for tax purposes has harmed the industry in select states), I see no reason why the affiliate industry should do anything but grow. Affiliate marketing creates a win-win situation and works with the creative aspects of human nature. For that reason, innovation and performance are rewarded which further reinforces the affiliate relationship.

SR: Do you use Social Media for driving traffic? If so, which channels do you use (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and how (e.g. community building, retention, acquisition)?
MA: I am involved with social media on a limited basis. I tweet some deals and make some of ours available via Facebook. My experience has been, however, to make the tools available to my shoppers and let them do the sharing.

SR: What are some of the trends that you see emerging in affiliate marketing in the coming years?
MA: I think real consumer reviews will become even more important as a proxy for being able to physically handle a product or look a sales clerk in the eyes to determine honesty. I also think product and price comparison tools will become increasingly useful as consumers expect more value in a competitive space.

Affiliates are often used primarily for customer acquistion, but they also have a lot of potential to help merchants retain customers. In the latest episode of Coffee with Nicky, our CEO, Nicky Senyard, discusses how merchants can work with their affiliates for retention purposes, and convert one-time buyers into repeat customers.

Education is a potentially lucrative vertical during times of economic slowdown. As consumers face lay-offs, they start considering other career options and looking into furthering their education.

We recently had the chance to ask Gen Tanabe of SuperCollege.com about how the company is using social media and where they see affiliate marketing headed in the near future. A portal that helps consumers get into and pay for college, SuperCollege.com offers college and scholarship search functions, forums, and a variety of expert pieces that college applicants can use to find a college that’s right for them and the resources to finance their higher education.

In another installment of this interview on the 5 Star Affiliate Programs Blog, Gen discusses how community, content, and affiliate reporting and management are behind the success of SuperCollege.com.

Share Results: What verticals do you focus on?
SuperCollege: We are exclusively focused on higher education including graduate and adult student learning.

SR: What do you think about the growth of the affiliate industry in the coming years?
SC: We like the pay for performance model. As a mid size website, we don’t generate 100 million pages views a month, and with declining CPMs, we have found that display advertising is making up less and less of our overall revenue. Affiliate revenue, on the other hand, is growing and when the offers are targeted, we see it easily outperforming display ads.

SR: Do you use Social Media for driving traffic? If so, which channels do you use and how do you use them? To build community? Retain customers? Acquire new customers?
SC: We do use both Facebook and Twitter as part of our social media strategy. To some degree this has come at the expense of our blogs which we no longer update as often. We find that we are getting more response to short messages sent out through real time channels than posting a blog entry.

SR: What are some of the trends that you see emerging in affiliate marketing in the coming years?
SC: Our hope is that more advertisers join programs like ShareResults. It’s nice to be able to work with a small number of affiliate networks and choose the best offers for your users. We often test new offers and having them all within the same network makes this type of testing extremely easy.

So we hope the future brings more automation to the process of optimizing offers. It would be great to get away from individual tracking links and just place a single piece of code on all pages that can be controlled from a dashboard. Right now affiliate advertising is still time intensive and optimization usually requires a person crunching some numbers. We love to offload this process of the affiliate network!

Children are one of those expenditures (and blessings) that fuel a consistent demand through (1) the love their parents feel for them and (2) constantly out-growing and wearing-out things. Well, recently I got to interview Dave Newman, Affiliate Manager at TheCuteKid.com, one of the largest online baby photo contest sites.

Dave told me that affiliate marketing is so important for TheCuteKid.com that as much as 50% of its acquisition is driven through its affiliate program, and TheCuteKid.com devotes about 1/3 of its marketing budget to its affiliate program.

The interview is posted on the 5 Star Affiliate Programs blog. In it, Dave discusses a how TheCuteKid.com deals with affiliate management, social media, branding, SEM, and CRM.

TheCuteKid.com’s affiliate program is one of the newest ways for affiliates (especially those using PPC) to earn revenue share from their traffic in the baby and family market. Affiliates sending visitors to TheCuteKid.com will receive a $12 commission when that visitor makes a valid contest entry payment. There is a 120-day cookie and referred visitors get a free membership.

With over 4 million new babies born a year, The CuteKid.com site targets over 120 million families in the US market alone. Anyone with a baby or young child can enter a variety of photo contests through TheCuteKid.com, and members also receive more than $70 worth of free products upon contest entry. Members can even vie for monetary prizes, as well as the chance to win in the annual $25,000 College Tuition Fund.

Meet Austin Hill (@austinhill), one of the founders of Akoha (@akoha), a web-based game with reality-based play (very cool). The company is trying to make the world a better place by changing the way people think about acts of kindness, and that goal recently got them invited to present at Ted 2009.

We caught up with Austin at the last Podcamp Montreal, and sat down with him to discuss the potential revenue streams that the company is considering. After all, Akoha and it’s staff still have to eat.