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.

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.

Is the market for online EDU affiliate programs too saturated? Well, from our experience this past spring our merchant eLearners did not think so. The affiliate program saw great success with the announcement that it was launching a third installment of its Project Working Mom… And Dads, Too! campaign. Select finalists appeared on the Tyra Banks show and many working moms and dads received financial aid to help them pursue their online education endeavours. After a high response rate and positive feedback,  eLearners recently decided to make PWM/D as a regular offer for affiliates to promote.

While it’s always great for parents to shine on celebrity talkshows, there’s actually a greater reason why PWM/D is a big hit with working parents. It means getting free money to pursue an education at a time when many offline schools are cutting back on financial aid. A recent New York Times article highlighted Reed College’s unenviable task of cutting back on financial aid due to the recession:

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Project Working Mom… And Dads, Too! was given some fantastic TV coverage yesterday on the highly popular Tyra Banks Show. For some time now, the eLearners powered scholarship contest has been buzzing about online. Yesterday, a few select recipients not only received news that they won scholarships, but they also got a chance to meet the supermodel herself! To see video footage of the show, please refer to PWM on Facebook.

If you’re an affiliate that promotes education to your visitors, there is actually still 1 week left to promote this scholarship contest, which offers working mothers and fathers a chance to get an accredited online degree without the debt. This contest will close after April 30, 2009. And, while it may seem like this is a temporary campaign to promote, remember that eLearners is in the business of helping you help prospective students all-year round.

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There’s been a lot of interest lately about education-related affiliate programs, how much they pay, etc. However, there’s more to promoting for an education-focused merchant than just dollars and cents. In the end, it’s about the quality of traffic sent and how many of those potential students referred actually pursue their academic endeavours.

Last month, Statesman.com published an insightful article about the increase in the number of people pursuing online degrees:

Demetria Barksdale tried unsuccessfully to earn a bachelor’s degree at three different colleges while she was in the Navy. It was ironic because she enlisted 22 years ago mainly to finish her education, she said…

Online offerings have been popular with military personnel and rural residents seeking access to higher education. Students like Barksdale say flexibility and lower costs have prompted them to take classes remotely even when traditional campus-based programs are nearby and particularly as the economy has worsened.

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