With the right knowledge, merchants have a greater opportunity to manage campaigns. Finding out where programs are successful and where they might need work can mean the difference between a good business and a great one.

Using feedback acquired over the course of several years, Share Results has worked steadily with partners to provide a software solution that meets the needs of merchants and allows them to track program performance results.

The software (available as a stand-alone proprietary product or accessible to merchants who are part of the Share Results network) is equipped with a powerful dashboard tool that allows merchants to view performance statistics at a glimpse, enabling them to get the information they need to measure campaign performance.

The Traffic Report is a reporting option included in the Share Results software. It allows you to pull reports based on several different criteria, all of which are important to the marketing process. For example, a merchant can group their report by “Affiliate ID” to help assess how many affiliates are actually promoting, and whether or not they find value in using the marketing tools provided for their email or PPC campaigns, or banners they place at the top of their site. If you find that the numbers here are low, one area to explore is whether or not you have a competitive commission payout, because you may have great tools, but if the pay isn’t high enough, it may not be attracting enough partners to your program.

Generating a Traffic Report by “Creative ID” allows a merchant to evaluate what tools are generating the most clicks and whether or not they are converting. Merchants who place a registration pixel on their site will help affiliates to see those results in the report, because our software captures that data. The success of a creative may depend on where the affiliate has placed the tool. If it’s in a prime location on their website and you aren’t seeing any sales, then that is a fairly clear indication that interest in your product may be low and may require more brand exposure.

Using the Share Results software to generate a Transaction Report can help to determine how many affiliates are generating sales and just exactly where those sales are coming from. You’ll know that your product or service can convert if you’re seeing sales, but if you see little or no sales over a three-month period, then you need to evaluate elements of your program, like whether or not you have the right affiliates promoting your product or if you have enough dynamic marketing tools to help them promote. If you already have a lot of quality affiliates, perhaps you need to look at increasing brand recognition.

The Referring URL column toward the far right of the Transaction Report will allow you to see which web pages your affiliates are using to promote your products. Knowing exactly where the sales are being generated from can help you learn more about an affiliate’s campaign strategy.

The knowledge of how to measure program performance is out there, and we can help assemble it for you in such a way as it will make sense to you, and help you in your marketing strategies. For more information on how Share Results can help you as a merchant, or as an affiliate, feel free to contact one of our affiliate marketing managers. Or, feel free to email us at merchants[at]shareresults[dot]com.

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.

Executing a successful Q4 campaign is possible for online retailers, even if the season’s shopping activity is expected to decrease due to the poor economy.   Merchants who wish to succeed this year will need to be strategic, and plan ahead.   In today’s edition of the holiday blogging series, we’re going to touch upon 5 tools merchants must have if they wish to execute a successful holiday campaign.

According to a recent article from RBR.com, trends show shoppers plan to pinch pennies this holiday season, while InternetRetailer.com reports more holiday shopping will take place on the web. Armed with this knowledge, merchants can tailor their tools and resources to help them better perform during the fourth quarter of 2009.

Here are some suggested must-haves for merchants who wish to succeed this holiday season:

Must-Have 1: Update Terms and Conditions

It is important to update terms and conditions on a regular basis, especially during a busy holiday season when there are likely to be increased transactions.  This is necessary so merchants don’t find themselves welcoming in sales generated through methods not permitted in their affiliate program in the first place (for example,  incentivization, brand name bidding, or social media links through Facebook and Twitter).  While it may seem like a hassle to update terms and conditions regularly, it is far less of a hassle than the alternative; if terms aren’t up to date, merchants have to have to go back, review transactions, and evaluate if the affiliate used methods that were in violation of program.   In order to avoid this headache, merchants should clarify the promotional methods with affiliates – NOW!

Must-Have 2: Marketing Tools

Linking, Banner and Email Creatives are all marketing tools that can be employed to maximize a merchant’s potential for success in the upcoming holiday season.  Deep or Direct Linking has been effective in allowing affiliates to help close a sale from a potential customer. Currently available in the Share Results software, it is being used by merchants like UGHH to allow affiliates to promote a specific product.  Co-branded Banner Creatives are great sales tools for affiliates to use to promote and attract potential sales. These can include a specific product, a coupon code or even a call-to-action like “Free Shipping”. HTML Email Creatives have been great tools for merchants like Zoobooks, who’ve have great success with email marketers who promote their magazine subscriptions to US families. Having attractive email creative (including suppression files and suggested Subject lines) helps a merchant’s affiliates to target specific demographics.

Must-Have 3: Effective Landing Pages & Secure Shopping Cart

Effective landing pages complete with a secure shopping cart can mean the difference between closing or losing sale.  A secure shopping cart convinces shoppers they’re spending money with the right retailer.  A recent DigitalHome.ca article confirmed that shoppers are encouraged to pay attention to issues like security and Privacy Policy’s of a retailer’s site. Language promoting security of shopping cart on landing page reassures customers that their personal details are protected. Generally, affiliates also want merchants to have secure checkouts as well.  After all, affiliates spend a lot of effort promoting for their merchants, and if traffic doesn’t convert, then that defeats the affiliate’s purpose.  A comprehensive merchant will want to research shopping carts extensively, to find the ones that are most compatible with the given business model.

Must-Have 4: Coupon Codes

You may be asking yourself why coupon codes aren’t grouped in with must have #2, Marketing Tools.  That’s because coupon codes are a niche unto themselves, which can be tapped by marketers all on its own. A recent eMarketer article highlights the popularity of coupons and points out that even the most affluent online shoppers are as likely to try and save a buck this holiday season.  Merchants can use this intelligence to be more selective and offer competitive and even co-branded codes. Exclusive coupon codes can be segmented for affiliates who are known or have potential to be top performers.

Must-Have 5: Affiliate or Account Manager

Given the current economic climate and the fact that shopping activity is expected to be down for Q4, merchants are going to need more than just hot items to woo customers.  Having someone communicate with affiliates to answer their needs, or an account manager to liaise with partners on the merchant’s behalf, is essential for creating dialogue, negotiating better placement of an offer, and answering affiliates who want exclusive promos to promote.  A proficient affiliate manager can help facilitate the process by aligning merchants with the right affiliates, and working with both parties to achieve their desired outcomes; brand exposure, increased traffic, maximized conversions and profitability.

For more techniques, tools, tips and great resources to make sure you’re getting every last drop out of your affiliate marketing campaigns, be sure to come back to the Share Results blog.  Until November 27, Share Results is throwing a big Holiday Blogging Event, packed with all kinds of seasonal information regarding trends for Q4, tips to get the best deals, consumer trends and how best optimize your affiliate marketing campaigns.

We’re excited to announce the launch of the AdditionElle/Penningtons/MXM Affiliate Program in Share Results!

Together, these three sister brands are the leading fashion experts for plus size women.

ADDITION ELLE celebrates the “body confidence” of its plus size shoppers with an exciting array of contemporary and classic fashions. In addition to superb collections of work and weekend styles, Addition Elle carries a beautiful selection of intimate apparel, sleepwear, outerwear and accessories designed to address all of its customers’ lifestyle needs.

Penningtons Featuring a beautiful assortment of classic as well as contemporary styling, Penningtons offers the plus size customer a great selection of affordable career, casual, intimate apparel and accessories that fit her lifestyle.

MXM, a trendy 14+ fashion brand, is 5 years young and has quickly grown in popularity by featuring the latest, hottest looks and trends.

With orders averaging $100 CDN, affiliates can easily promote Addition Elle, Penningtons, and MXM styles to shoppers looking for fashionable pieces at affordable prices. Customers can purchase from all three brands in a single checkout and benefit from a low, flat shipping rate.

Join the affiliate program and take advantage of these three top plus size fashion brands.

Placements permitted in this program include:

• Banner & Text creative
• Content
• Coupons
• Incentivized
• Email traffic
• Deep linking
• 45-day Cookie
• Canadian/American traffic

Affiliates earn 6% commissions on each transaction with opportunities for increased commissions and bonuses. Affiliates are also able to leverage the banners with additional coupon codes that can be accessed through their affiliate portal.

A variety of regularly updated text links, coupon codes and banners are available for use on your website.

If you are a retail affiliate with a strong female audience (especially in the plus size category) and/or are a search, coupon or blog affiliate, you are an ideal partner for this affiliate program.

For more info or to join, please visit:

http://www.shareresults.com/local_affiliate_desc.php?mid=16648

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.

If PPC is part of your affiliate marketing campaigns, (and it should be!) then the Affiliate Custom ID (ACID) Tool is a great feature of the Share Results software that you should become familiar with.

What is the ACID Tool?
The ACID Tool is a Share Results software feature that allows you to add a custom parameter to your links to enable more detailed tracking at the transaction level, and to track the traffic that you are generating directly to a merchant’s website.

What is the Benefit of Using the ACID Tool?
The great thing about using the ACID Tool is that you will be able to instantly identify which keywords are working for you. This information will allow you to tweak your future PPC campaigns, ensuring that you are getting the greatest return on your investment.

Where Do I Access the ACID Tool?
To access the ACID tracking, (1) go to the Share Results Banner Manager, (2) select your campaign, (3) select your creative and (4) add a unique identifier in the addACID text box and click on update.

How Do I Implement the ACID Tool?
Implementing the ACID requires that the additional parameter and value be added at the end of the standard affiliate link.

1) When you create your ACID link in Share Results, it will look like this:
http://www.shareresults.com/t/url.php/cid/[cid]/sid/[sid]/acid/[ACIDtracking]

[cid] = is the banner id generated automatically by Share Results
[sid] = is the site ID supplied by Share Results that identifies the affiliate
[acid] = can be your keyword or an alphanumeric value supplied by the affiliate

2) For the tracking to be PPC compliant, you need to modify the tracking to the following:
http://www.shareresults.com/t/url.php?cid=[cid]&sid=[sid]&acid=[ACIDtracking]
And note, when you are tweaking your tracking (in point 2 above), that you are adding “?”, “=” and “&”. This will ensure that your tracking is PPC compliant.

I Have my Affiliate Custom ID, Now What?
Once you’ve created your ACID, you need to add this URL to the destination URL in your PPC campaign. The keyword that generated the sale will now show up in the Transaction Report of Share Results. To view the ACID, look at your Affiliate CID column, shown below.

Are you getting ready for Q4… and the upcoming holiday season? It’s the perfect opportunity to start using the ACID tool. Log into your Share Results account and get set up with the ACID Tool by implementing this tracking to your PPC campaigns today! Have questions, need assistance getting started? Contact jamie at shareresults.com—he’d be pleased to help!

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.

If you are an affiliate looking to promote products associated with a charitable cause this fall, you may want to consider partnering with T-Shirtmonster.ca. This October, the online t-shirt retailer is working in affiliation with the Breast Cancer Society of Canada to offer fully customizable t-shirts in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness month. ”The Breast Cancer Society of Canada is a registered, national not-for-profit,  charitable organization dedicated to funding Canadian breast cancer research into the detection, prevention,  treatment and to ultimately find a cure for the disease that women fear most.” If you have Canadian traffic, T-Shirtmonster.ca is a great way to promote to your potential customers north of the border who are in favour of this type of non-profit initiative.

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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.

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