Saturday, November 29, 2008
Renaissance for Retail Affiliate Marketing? Part 2 of 2 | Get Elastic
Renaissance for Retail Affiliate Marketing? Part 2 of 2 | Get Elastic: "This is part 2 of an interview conducted by Jeff Molander of Molander & Associates Inc., with affiliate marketing veteran, David Delisle (pictured left). Of course if you missed part 1, you can read it first here.
As we learned last week, veteran affiliate manager and The Partner Maker LLC founder David Delisle recently suggested, “We’ll see affiliate marketing move back to where it began with thousands of small mom-and-pop Web sites each driving a little bit of traffic to marketers.”
We will?! This runs contrary to how most practice the art of online affiliate marketing – especially in the retail segment. Here’s the conclusion of my conversation with David…"
As we learned last week, veteran affiliate manager and The Partner Maker LLC founder David Delisle recently suggested, “We’ll see affiliate marketing move back to where it began with thousands of small mom-and-pop Web sites each driving a little bit of traffic to marketers.”
We will?! This runs contrary to how most practice the art of online affiliate marketing – especially in the retail segment. Here’s the conclusion of my conversation with David…"
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Dot-o-mator: Domain & Company Name Ideas Generator
Dot-o-mator: Domain & Company Name Ideas Generator
Looking for the perfect domain name? Use Dot-o-mator to create potential names, or use the Web 2.0 name generator for some random names. How it works: Enter some prefix words in the left box, and suffixes in the right box (Or choose one of the word lists below each field). Then click "Combine". Dot-o-mator will assemble every combination of the words into the results box; click "Check Availability" to see if any of them are available. If you find one you'd like to save, click on the name to add it to your scratchboard.
There is a max of 15 words in the prefix and suffix boxes (so as not to overwhelm the bulk lookup tool).
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Affiliate Network Contests & Promotions
There are a lot of new contests going on across some of the major affiliate networks that you should know about.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Renaissance for Retail Affiliate Marketing? Part 1 of 2 | Get Elastic
Renaissance for Retail Affiliate Marketing? Part 1 of 2 | Get Elastic
How can marketers work to grow their affiliate programs today in a world that’s already decided “fewer affiliates are better?”
How can marketers work to grow their affiliate programs today in a world that’s already decided “fewer affiliates are better?”
The following is a transcript of an interview conducted by Jeff Molander of Molander & Associates Inc., with affiliate marketing veteran, David Delisle (pictured left) which set out to answer this question. (Also a Get Elastic exclusive):
Advertisers seem increasingly weary of affiliates of all sizes, shapes and colors. Yet the black eye affiliate marketing has earned itself isn’t holding some advertisers back. There are a select few who are bucking the trend – aggressively investing in and expanding their affiliate marketing channel.
What the Semantic Web -- or Web 3.0 -- Can Do for Marketers Whatever You Call It, Get Ready for Greater Relevance
What the Semantic Web -- or Web 3.0 -- Can Do for Marketers
Whatever You Call It, Get Ready for Greater Relevance
Marta Strickland
It's been nearly 10 years since Tim Berners-Lee, who is credited with inventing the worldwide web, expressed his vision of a "semantic web," in which all web data -- and the meaning of that data -- could be read by machines. Since then, much of the slow-moving progress toward this smarter and more powerful web has been courtesy of academics and data librarians.
Recently, however, the semantic web has been enjoying a commercial revival of sorts and is often referred to by the new buzzword "Web 3.0." Given how insane the pace of life is these days, I thought I'd offer a few thoughts on what I've been learning about it.
Since I can already feel the rising tide of negative comments as that version number graces the screen, bear with me for a second. Semantic web is just one of a few things often referred to as Web 3.0 -- others include topics like data portability or mobile web. But I think entrepreneur Nova Spivack offered the most useful definition by simply calling it the third decade of the web (2010 to 2020) and referring to the technology trends that will hit maturity during that time. Most importantly, the next generation of the web will bring us out of information overload and be more relevant and meaningful.
But Web 3.0 is not just about improving the consumer experience. And it isn't some industry ploy to sell you more services. The next-generation web -- the semantic web -- aims to solve some of today's biggest problems in marketing.
So what is it? Well, semantics refers to the meaning behind data. Right now, computers are good at sending data back and forth but not great at discerning the meaning of that data. Semantic web aims to change that. Perhaps it's best explained in describing what marketers can hope to gain from it.
Improving Ads
Has your contextual advertising turned into a contextual nightmare? Current contextual advertising depends heavily on keywords. Sure, it seems safe to buy a word like "feet" -- until your ad comes up right next to a story about severed feet. What if there were a technology that could analyze what is really being said on the page?
By using natural language processing and artificial intelligence, semantic advertising solutions, like Peer39, can look at the structure of a sentence and interpret word meaning and sentiment. Semantic text analysis relies on synonyms and relationships between concepts, rather than rudimentary keyword scanning. Identifying sentiment is becoming invaluable for advertising on user-generated sites such as blogs, where you wouldn't want to place ads on a negative post.
Online advertising has another obstacle to overcome: information overload. We live in a world where information evolves at an alarming rate and, let's face it, consumers trust each other far more than they trust advertising messaging. So how do we dynamically pull smarter and more relevant content into ads?
That's where the efforts like Dapper MashupAds come into play. In addition to pulling from a brand site database, the dynamically generated ads can scan social content sites like Yelp and Flickr for the newest (positive) reviews and photos of your restaurant. It's the power of your brand message only promoted by your consumers.
Improving Measurement
One of the toughest marketing challenges of recent times has been in measuring the success of social media. How do you measure the success of a human conversation? We can measure reach (visits, views, clicks, downloads). We can also measure exposure or buzz (what people are saying about our brand). But it's inside those walled gardens that everything interesting is happening: How strong is the community? Are members active? Are we changing their minds? Changing their actions?
It's the tough nut of the new marketing conversation, but Web 3.0 might be the key to cracking it.
Semantic technology is able to pull together connections between words and phrases. How often is concept "X" said in the same breath as concept "Y"? Measurement tools will be moving away from the tag cloud, and we'll be able to immerse ourselves in the trends of the real conversation, not just the keyword of the day.
Next, there is the dilemma of message velocity; i.e., how far is my message traveling and how fast? Sure, that's an easy thing to do when you are measuring a viral video or widget but what about a conversation? Semantic technology builds on meaning, not keywords. And so it doesn't matter if your followers say, "The new Batman movie is going to be awesome" or "You have to see the 'Dark Knight' trailer"; semantic buzz tools will tie the conversation together.
Sentiment analysis is an increasingly popular tool in the marketer toolbox. And its next generation will look at the entirety of a comment or an article, from whom it came and to whom it was directed. It will use natural language processing and analysis of meaningful relationships to distinguish the "good" comments from "bad."
And what about building a community of loyal enthusiasts? What about creating a relationship with your customers? Companies like Chat Mine measure the connections between members of the community and between people and concepts. By looking at both friending and popular dialogue, it can tell you if your brand brought a community together in passionate conversation.
When O'Reilly coined the term Web 2.0, the marketing world divided into skeptics and enthusiasts. And a wave of start-ups began rolling out under the 2.0 moniker. It's only wise to fear the same for semantic web or Web 3.0. As nightmares of books and white papers race through your mind, it's important to separate the reality from the hype.
The successful technologist won't approach the marketer with buzzwords. He won't throw out phrases like "dynamic ontologies" or "semantic triples." Because good semantic technology is like movie editing -- you aren't supposed to notice it's there but it fundamentally changes the experience. So when someone approaches you about a "smarter" semantic solution, make sure they can answer this:
How will this make my ads more relevant and my metrics more meaningful?
~~~
Marta Strickland is manager of social-media strategy at Organic, Detroit, where she defines best practices on emerging technology trends and discovers new ways to use social media to connect with consumers for brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Bank of America and Geek Squad. She voices her mind and evangelizes the power of social media as editor in chief of the Organic blog ThreeMinds. Prior to Organic, she was interactive strategist for Q LTD, a strategic design consultancy in Ann Arbor, Mich.
So, Organic is using the semantic web to help sell more cars for Chrysler? Might want to consider another approach. - Bucky Lasek | New York, NY
The whole concept of contextually appropriate advertising is a welcome relief. I'm currently serving a software development company that specializes in Agile software development. Think of all the trouble we can get in to with contextually inappropriate search results about how agile people can be!
Jay Aho is Chief Executive of Gen18, a Sales, Marketing and PR Consultancy in Detroit Michigan. Jay can be reached at www.gen18.com or followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jayaho. - Jay Aho | Detroit, MI
Note: Comments submitted to Ad Age blogs are posted automatically and will include the name and location with which you registered. Ad Age reserves the right to delete comments that are insulting or personal in nature. Comments may be used in the print edition at editorial discretion. Comments are restricted to 500 words or less.
Whatever You Call It, Get Ready for Greater Relevance
Marta Strickland
It's been nearly 10 years since Tim Berners-Lee, who is credited with inventing the worldwide web, expressed his vision of a "semantic web," in which all web data -- and the meaning of that data -- could be read by machines. Since then, much of the slow-moving progress toward this smarter and more powerful web has been courtesy of academics and data librarians.
Recently, however, the semantic web has been enjoying a commercial revival of sorts and is often referred to by the new buzzword "Web 3.0." Given how insane the pace of life is these days, I thought I'd offer a few thoughts on what I've been learning about it.
Since I can already feel the rising tide of negative comments as that version number graces the screen, bear with me for a second. Semantic web is just one of a few things often referred to as Web 3.0 -- others include topics like data portability or mobile web. But I think entrepreneur Nova Spivack offered the most useful definition by simply calling it the third decade of the web (2010 to 2020) and referring to the technology trends that will hit maturity during that time. Most importantly, the next generation of the web will bring us out of information overload and be more relevant and meaningful.
But Web 3.0 is not just about improving the consumer experience. And it isn't some industry ploy to sell you more services. The next-generation web -- the semantic web -- aims to solve some of today's biggest problems in marketing.
So what is it? Well, semantics refers to the meaning behind data. Right now, computers are good at sending data back and forth but not great at discerning the meaning of that data. Semantic web aims to change that. Perhaps it's best explained in describing what marketers can hope to gain from it.
Improving Ads
Has your contextual advertising turned into a contextual nightmare? Current contextual advertising depends heavily on keywords. Sure, it seems safe to buy a word like "feet" -- until your ad comes up right next to a story about severed feet. What if there were a technology that could analyze what is really being said on the page?
By using natural language processing and artificial intelligence, semantic advertising solutions, like Peer39, can look at the structure of a sentence and interpret word meaning and sentiment. Semantic text analysis relies on synonyms and relationships between concepts, rather than rudimentary keyword scanning. Identifying sentiment is becoming invaluable for advertising on user-generated sites such as blogs, where you wouldn't want to place ads on a negative post.
Online advertising has another obstacle to overcome: information overload. We live in a world where information evolves at an alarming rate and, let's face it, consumers trust each other far more than they trust advertising messaging. So how do we dynamically pull smarter and more relevant content into ads?
That's where the efforts like Dapper MashupAds come into play. In addition to pulling from a brand site database, the dynamically generated ads can scan social content sites like Yelp and Flickr for the newest (positive) reviews and photos of your restaurant. It's the power of your brand message only promoted by your consumers.
Improving Measurement
One of the toughest marketing challenges of recent times has been in measuring the success of social media. How do you measure the success of a human conversation? We can measure reach (visits, views, clicks, downloads). We can also measure exposure or buzz (what people are saying about our brand). But it's inside those walled gardens that everything interesting is happening: How strong is the community? Are members active? Are we changing their minds? Changing their actions?
It's the tough nut of the new marketing conversation, but Web 3.0 might be the key to cracking it.
Semantic technology is able to pull together connections between words and phrases. How often is concept "X" said in the same breath as concept "Y"? Measurement tools will be moving away from the tag cloud, and we'll be able to immerse ourselves in the trends of the real conversation, not just the keyword of the day.
Next, there is the dilemma of message velocity; i.e., how far is my message traveling and how fast? Sure, that's an easy thing to do when you are measuring a viral video or widget but what about a conversation? Semantic technology builds on meaning, not keywords. And so it doesn't matter if your followers say, "The new Batman movie is going to be awesome" or "You have to see the 'Dark Knight' trailer"; semantic buzz tools will tie the conversation together.
Sentiment analysis is an increasingly popular tool in the marketer toolbox. And its next generation will look at the entirety of a comment or an article, from whom it came and to whom it was directed. It will use natural language processing and analysis of meaningful relationships to distinguish the "good" comments from "bad."
And what about building a community of loyal enthusiasts? What about creating a relationship with your customers? Companies like Chat Mine measure the connections between members of the community and between people and concepts. By looking at both friending and popular dialogue, it can tell you if your brand brought a community together in passionate conversation.
When O'Reilly coined the term Web 2.0, the marketing world divided into skeptics and enthusiasts. And a wave of start-ups began rolling out under the 2.0 moniker. It's only wise to fear the same for semantic web or Web 3.0. As nightmares of books and white papers race through your mind, it's important to separate the reality from the hype.
The successful technologist won't approach the marketer with buzzwords. He won't throw out phrases like "dynamic ontologies" or "semantic triples." Because good semantic technology is like movie editing -- you aren't supposed to notice it's there but it fundamentally changes the experience. So when someone approaches you about a "smarter" semantic solution, make sure they can answer this:
How will this make my ads more relevant and my metrics more meaningful?
~~~
Marta Strickland is manager of social-media strategy at Organic, Detroit, where she defines best practices on emerging technology trends and discovers new ways to use social media to connect with consumers for brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Bank of America and Geek Squad. She voices her mind and evangelizes the power of social media as editor in chief of the Organic blog ThreeMinds. Prior to Organic, she was interactive strategist for Q LTD, a strategic design consultancy in Ann Arbor, Mich.
So, Organic is using the semantic web to help sell more cars for Chrysler? Might want to consider another approach. - Bucky Lasek | New York, NY
The whole concept of contextually appropriate advertising is a welcome relief. I'm currently serving a software development company that specializes in Agile software development. Think of all the trouble we can get in to with contextually inappropriate search results about how agile people can be!
Jay Aho is Chief Executive of Gen18, a Sales, Marketing and PR Consultancy in Detroit Michigan. Jay can be reached at www.gen18.com or followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jayaho. - Jay Aho | Detroit, MI
Note: Comments submitted to Ad Age blogs are posted automatically and will include the name and location with which you registered. Ad Age reserves the right to delete comments that are insulting or personal in nature. Comments may be used in the print edition at editorial discretion. Comments are restricted to 500 words or less.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Twitter, Facebook Fizzle Acquisition Talks - MarketingVOX
Twitter, Facebook Fizzle Acquisition Talks - MarketingVOX:
Houston, we're uncomfortable.
Houston, we're uncomfortable.
Facebook and Twitter have shuttered "several weeks of serious talks" in which Facebook tried buying the microblogging service for $500 million worth of its own stock.
The news was broken by Kara Swisher of All Things Digital. Rumors of Facebook's interest in Twitter first surfaced at the Web 2.0 Summit several weeks ago.
While the idea was dismissed by speculators at the time, it turns out Twitter and Facebook execs were just wrapping up discussions of a potential buyout. Talks were reportedly initiated by Facebook in mid-October.
According to Swisher, discussions dissolved after concerns about integration and related costs were left without a resolution. Twitter was also skeptical about the actual value of $500 million of Facebook stock, pointing to the social network's $5 billion valuation — which would value the offer at $150 million, decidedly too low — and demanding cash in lieu of stock.
At the Web 2.0 Summit, CEO Mark Zuckerberg dismissed reports that Facebook is strapped for cash and may require VC funding. The company lost a co-founder in October — the type of news that always sparks speculation about the prospects of a once-promising startup.
Meanwhile, Twitter oscillates between traffic growth and financial stagnation. It racked up 343% in year-over-year audience growth, making it one of the fastest-growing social networks online.
But despite its popularity with both high-profile influencers and brands, the site has failed to monetize its business model. Last week it began toying with the idea of charging companies that use it for customer feedback or troubleshooting.
Twitter lost its chief architect, Blaine Cook, in late April. In June, Amazon's Jeff Bezos infused the site with much-needed cash to update its infrastructure.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Skype Director of Strategy Talks iPhone App and HD Video
This past weekend Julien Decot, Skype's Director of Strategy, attended the Play Conference. He talked about a Skype iPhone App, Google's foray into Video Chat, and the future of HD Video chat from Skype.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wordpress Affiliate Datafeeds Made Easy with Datafeedr - 5 Star Affiliate Blogs
Wordpress Affiliate Datafeeds Made Easy with Datafeedr - 5 Star Affiliate Blogs: "Wordpress Affiliate Datafeeds Made Easy with Datafeedr
affiliate toolsDatafeeds are an important tool for building affiliate stores but for many affiliates it’s just too much of a technical challenge to convert raw datafeeds into their sites.
Datafeedr is a powerful push-button store creation system that makes it fast and easy for affiliates to set up, manage and update a complete affiliate store WITHOUT touching any techy datafeed files, without having to learn a programming language or hire a programmer.
I’ve been wanting to blog about Datafeedr, but Ros did such a good overview I thought I’d just link to her blog and have her tell you all about it.
affiliate toolsDatafeeds are an important tool for building affiliate stores but for many affiliates it’s just too much of a technical challenge to convert raw datafeeds into their sites.
Datafeedr is a powerful push-button store creation system that makes it fast and easy for affiliates to set up, manage and update a complete affiliate store WITHOUT touching any techy datafeed files, without having to learn a programming language or hire a programmer.
I’ve been wanting to blog about Datafeedr, but Ros did such a good overview I thought I’d just link to her blog and have her tell you all about it.
Easily incorporate datafeeds into your Wordpress blogs…
Finally! Gone are the days of cumbersome flat file (text and spreadsheet datafeed) manipulation and sharing of 4th click revenues with datafeed services… Datafeedr has arrived. HURRAY! Can you tell that I’m excited about this?
Datafeedr by Stefan Everaet and Eric Busch is a slick new solution for Wordpress bloggers who want to easily incorporate merchant product datafeeds into their Wordpress blogs. You can check out the features and benefits here or watch a video on Stefan’s site that shows him installing a multiple-merchant, multiple network store on a new blog. Just the thought of not having to mess around with missing or sloppy datafeed categorization makes this a ‘must-see’.
Skimbaco - The Lifestyle
Skimbaco - The Lifestyle
This blog is a place where you can peak to my life behind the store. Great product finds for moms and children, tips from buying shoes to helping your child to start the school.. I also share my love to modern design, everything Finnish, and offer life wisdom beyond my years. (Really, someone told me than in a blog comment, I didn't make it up).
This blog is a place where you can peak to my life behind the store. Great product finds for moms and children, tips from buying shoes to helping your child to start the school.. I also share my love to modern design, everything Finnish, and offer life wisdom beyond my years. (Really, someone told me than in a blog comment, I didn't make it up).
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Nodalities » Blog Archive » Scott Brinker talks with Talis about Semantic Marketing
Nodalities » Blog Archive » Scott Brinker talks with Talis about Semantic Marketing: "Scott Brinker talks with Talis about Semantic Marketing
10th October 2008, 03:57 pm by Paul Miller In: Executive Briefing, Podcast
sjb_small_photo.jpgIn our latest podcast I talk to Scott Brinker of ion interactive. We discuss the application of semantic technologies to Marketing, and explore Scott’s notion of Semantic Marketing.
Standard Podcast [40:10m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download (278)
Creative Commons License
During the conversation, we refer to the following resources;"
10th October 2008, 03:57 pm by Paul Miller In: Executive Briefing, Podcast
sjb_small_photo.jpgIn our latest podcast I talk to Scott Brinker of ion interactive. We discuss the application of semantic technologies to Marketing, and explore Scott’s notion of Semantic Marketing.
Standard Podcast [40:10m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download (278)
Creative Commons License
During the conversation, we refer to the following resources;"
Nodalities » Blog Archive » Scott Brinker talks with Talis about Semantic Marketing
Nodalities » Blog Archive » Scott Brinker talks with Talis about Semantic Marketing: "Scott Brinker talks with Talis about Semantic Marketing
10th October 2008, 03:57 pm by Paul Miller In: Executive Briefing, Podcast
sjb_small_photo.jpgIn our latest podcast I talk to Scott Brinker of ion interactive. We discuss the application of semantic technologies to Marketing, and explore Scott’s notion of Semantic Marketing.
Standard Podcast [40:10m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download (278)
Creative Commons License
During the conversation, we refer to the following resources;"
10th October 2008, 03:57 pm by Paul Miller In: Executive Briefing, Podcast
sjb_small_photo.jpgIn our latest podcast I talk to Scott Brinker of ion interactive. We discuss the application of semantic technologies to Marketing, and explore Scott’s notion of Semantic Marketing.
Standard Podcast [40:10m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download (278)
Creative Commons License
During the conversation, we refer to the following resources;"
YouTube - MontyPython's Channel
YouTube - MontyPython's Channel
For 3 years you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos and putting them on YouTube. Now the tables are turned. It's time for us to take matters into our own hands.
We know who you are, we know where you live and we could come after you in ways too horrible to tell. But being the extraordinarily nice chaps we are, we've figured a better way to get our own back: We've launched our own Monty Python channel on YouTube.
No more of those crap quality videos you've been posting. We're giving you the real thing - HQ videos delivered straight from our vault.
What's more, we're taking our most viewed clips and uploading brand new HQ versions. And what's even more, we're letting you see absolutely everything for free. So there!
But we want something in return.
For 3 years you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos and putting them on YouTube. Now the tables are turned. It's time for us to take matters into our own hands.
We know who you are, we know where you live and we could come after you in ways too horrible to tell. But being the extraordinarily nice chaps we are, we've figured a better way to get our own back: We've launched our own Monty Python channel on YouTube.
No more of those crap quality videos you've been posting. We're giving you the real thing - HQ videos delivered straight from our vault.
What's more, we're taking our most viewed clips and uploading brand new HQ versions. And what's even more, we're letting you see absolutely everything for free. So there!
But we want something in return.
Fresh Deals Official Website
Fresh Deals Official Website
 | |||||
| "IT'S ON SALE!!!" -- Stay up to date with the latest deals and bargains from 10+ major deal hunting websites like FatWallet, SlickDeals, BensBargains, TechBargains, DealNews, DealCatcher, Deals2Buy, DealTaker, Anandtech, DealsPlus, etc. All deals from your favorite sites are combined in one place for your convenience. Our database is updated every few minutes to make sure that you get the hottest deals in town! | |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| How can we make it better? |
Fresh Deals Official Website
Fresh Deals Official Website
| |||||
| "IT'S ON SALE!!!" -- Stay up to date with the latest deals and bargains from 10+ major deal hunting websites like FatWallet, SlickDeals, BensBargains, TechBargains, DealNews, DealCatcher, Deals2Buy, DealTaker, Anandtech, DealsPlus, etc. All deals from your favorite sites are combined in one place for your convenience. Our database is updated every few minutes to make sure that you get the hottest deals in town! | |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| How can we make it better? |
FreshDeals puts online bargains in your pocket | Webware - CNET
FreshDeals puts online bargains in your pocket | Webware - CNET
November 17, 2008 5:09 PM PST
FreshDeals puts online bargains in your pocket
If you're a regular reader you know I'm a sucker for deals sites. Enterprising iPhone developer Joseph Kiok is too--enough of one to write an app called FreshDeals that keeps tabs on 15 different deals sites to help you find and track the latest bargains.
While something like this would have probably been a better idea pre-economic downturn, one thing it excels at is weeding out the old deals from the new. The sites are refreshed every couple of minutes, and in turn each deal is given a time stamp and a rating from "fresh" to "freshest." The newer a deal the better a chance you have at nabbing it before it expires or the retailer runs out of stock.
There's currently no way to bookmark deals you like, or search any of these sites based on product or keyword, however you can send any item you're interested in as an e-mail--either to yourself, or someone who you think would find it useful. There's also an integrated browser, so you can look at the details of each deal without leaving the app.
In future versions of the app I'd love to see a search tool and, when Apple pulls the trigger on the notifications service, a way to get notifications when a keyword or product you bookmarked goes on sale. You can do this with a customized Google alert and some special e-mail handling rules, but it would be great to get it in a package like this.
FreshDeals is 99 cents and can be found in the app store (iTunes link)
FreshDeals lets you see the latest deals on more than a dozen popular deal-finding sites.
(Credit: CNET Networks)E-Commerce News: E-Marketing: Online Ad Targeting: From 'Maximize' to 'Optimize'
E-Commerce News: E-Marketing: Online Ad Targeting: From 'Maximize' to 'Optimize': "Online Ad Targeting: From 'Maximize' to 'Optimize'
The backlash against ad targeting is somewhat understandable, writes Mike Troiano, CEO of Matchmine, but advertisers rely on some degree of targeting to sustain their business, and customers really hate irrelevant ads. What about optimizing ad targeting rather than maximizing it? he suggests.
Web 2.0 is Here– Is Your Web Infrastructure Ready?
Web 2.0 has paved the way for a new level of interaction between shoppers and retailers. However, without rapid delivery of your rich Web content, the benefits will go unrealized. Maximize the value of your interactive Web site. Read White Paper Now.
When's the last time you heard an online retailer complain that their banner ads were too well targeted? How about an online publisher lamenting the torrent of accurate user data they were able to capture, or for that matter a user who just wanted more of the ads they were getting to be irrelevant to them?
Based on what I expect are some pretty sparse data points on the above, it's easy to conclude that online ad targeting is a function maximized in the interests of all parties. We as an industry have proceeded on this unstated"
The backlash against ad targeting is somewhat understandable, writes Mike Troiano, CEO of Matchmine, but advertisers rely on some degree of targeting to sustain their business, and customers really hate irrelevant ads. What about optimizing ad targeting rather than maximizing it? he suggests.
Web 2.0 is Here– Is Your Web Infrastructure Ready?
Web 2.0 has paved the way for a new level of interaction between shoppers and retailers. However, without rapid delivery of your rich Web content, the benefits will go unrealized. Maximize the value of your interactive Web site. Read White Paper Now.
When's the last time you heard an online retailer complain that their banner ads were too well targeted? How about an online publisher lamenting the torrent of accurate user data they were able to capture, or for that matter a user who just wanted more of the ads they were getting to be irrelevant to them?
Based on what I expect are some pretty sparse data points on the above, it's easy to conclude that online ad targeting is a function maximized in the interests of all parties. We as an industry have proceeded on this unstated"
Behind the Numbers: MySpace and Facebook - eMarketer
Behind the Numbers: MySpace and Facebook - eMarketer: "Free Newsletter
Free Newsletter
Free Newsletter
Behind the Numbers: MySpace and Facebook
NOVEMBER 19, 2008Market research firms such as comScore do not yet measure newly developed types of social networking ads.
Many of the ad formats that social media sites are experimenting with are too new to be tracked via existing measurement techniques.
|
Take display ad views. Facebook’s share of display ad views was 1.1% in June 2008, compared with 15.9% for Fox Interactive Media, which includes MySpace, according to comScore Media Metrix.
However, the comScore data covers only Interactive Advertising Bureau-standard display ads, which leaves out new concepts such as Facebook’s Engagement Ads. These ads do not appear as banners.
“We will be capturing Facebook rich media/engagement ads in future iterations, which should cause FB’s share to increase substantially,” Andrew Lipsman, senior manager of industry analysis at comScore, told eMarketer.
At that point, MySpace will most likely still lead Facebook; it gets more monthly unique visitors and its pages contain more advertising.
But the closer researchers can get to measuring all the advertising activity that goes on within a social media site, the closer we will get to understanding the full impact of social media advertising on consumers.
Agencies and brands from all verticals rely on eMarketer Total Access for analysis and data. Daily articles are just the tip of the iceberg. Find out what you are missing. Learn more about Total Access today.
Affilicon Affiliate Summit Here We Come!
The newest international affiliate marketing conference is next week in Israel and its become a huge first global summit. Performance marketing is rapidly becoming a very big industry in interactive marketing.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
How-To: Using Social Media Strategically (Pt I) - MarketingVOX
How-To: Using Social Media Strategically (Pt I) - MarketingVOX
VS Pink rocks Facebook well 
How-To: Using Social Media Strategically (Pt I)
VS Pink rocks Facebook well
This how-to was syndicated from a four-part series on social media created by Leigh Householder. Read more about her at the conclusion of the article.
Years ago, when we were first talking about social media, it was Friendster and blogs and not much else. People asked, is it really worth investing in? Or is this just something for early adopters? The province of geeks?
But somehow — while we were all busy finishing college or growing our business — the world's most social people took over the Web and made it their own.
The numbers are now not only compelling, they’re trending toward the ubiquitous:
- 86 million Americans use the social Web
- Including 75% of college students
- And 60% of wealthy adults
The problem now isn't whether it's worth it — it's that it's so overwhelming, it can seem impenetrable. Natives bounce from one social activity to another: navigating, publishing, connecting. All second nature.
What follows is a two-part series on using social media to spread your brand message. We'll cover what social media is, and how companies are using it.
What is social media?
As a trend, it's how people use decentralized, people-based networks to get the things they need from one another rather than from traditional institutions, like business or media.
As technology, it's just the tools and services that power those networks. Generally free- or low-cost platforms that can be customized for each person who uses them. To match the examples above, it could be eBay, wikis or blogs.
Seems like a lot, right? You could be customizing a Dogster page to pimp your favorite pooch OR co-building a new internet browser with a few hundred like minds and still comfortably be in the category of social media.
Even given these vast differences in mission, the ways people use social media fall into three basic categories:
Create: Someone once famously asked if social media allows more amateurs to act like professionals OR if it really just gives us ACCESS to more true professionals. Whether it's writing a blog about knitting, creating the next great viral video or building a virtual world, social media meets the human desire to create things – things that will be saved, read and – if we’re lucky – remembered.
Recommend: Where once we trusted the opinion of 4 out of 5 dentists, today we want the opinions of their patients. Social media has elevated both the value of individual reviews and recommendations and the ability of networks of people to elevate the very best content or ideas with little more than the vote of their mouse.
Interact: People to people. Asking questions, hanging out, trading stuff. Interacting. It's the foundation of social media. And, often, just the best thing about it.
How Companies Are Using Social Media
CNET recently reported that 75% of Fortune 1000 companies will launch a social media campaign this year. 50% of those campaigns are expected to fail.
To stay in the right 50% of those campaigns, marketers, customer service advocates and brand czars follow one of four proven models:
#1: Let customers or employees support each other. Build a central hub where they can ask questions, collect ideas and celebrate the brand.
Pros to this method:
- Very authentic way to use the social Web
- Inexpensive to operate AND can reduce customer service/HR costs
Cons:
- Takes a lot of work to seed and build
- The crowd CAN turn on you if support or product development are unresponsive
Make sure you:
- Set expectations: What does success look like?
An example: Blue Shirt Nation
Best Buy's Gary Koelling and Steve Bendt had a fundamentally simple idea: Use technology to enable employees to talk to and help each other.
In their quest, they developed Blue Shirt Nation: an internal communications platform that generates thousands of conversations across the company. The result: more information, more issues, more solutions, more ideas, more impact — and a corporate culture that is beginning to appreciate that buy-in brings out the best in employees.
#2 Activate ambassadors
Some brands have a leg up in social media. Their fans already consider them a part of their personal identities. Think sports fans wearing the team jersey. Google employees who just can't stop blogging about how great their home base is. Proud graduates of well-known colleges proselytizing their campus experience.
For these lucky brands, the best course is simply to motivate fans to bring the brand social by giving them the right tools, soap boxes or, heck, bling.
Pros:
- Builds relationships with your best customers
- Gets real people talking 1:1
Cons:
- Scale is limited to your biggest fans and their personal networks
- More difficult to listen to the conversation about your brand because it is widely dispersed
Make sure you:
- Encourage fans to be transparent about any direct contact they have with you, samples they receive, etc.
An example: Victoria Secret PINK
Most of the top "fan" pages on Facebook are bands and celebrities – not your typical consumer brands.
But #8 is a brand you’ve probably seen a lot of if you spend any time around teenage girls: Victoria Secret Pink.
A quintessential passion brand, the girls wear it, talk about it, are fiercely loyal to it. So it's no surprise that over half a million of them have linked to it from their own Facebook pages and thousands are talking directly to it online.
—
For more examples of how companies are using social media, and to find out how best to use it yourself, tune in for next week's MarketingVOX How-To.
Leigh Householder is Associate Strategy Director at Ologie. She helps clients tell clear, compelling stories that resonate in both traditional and conversational media.
Leigh is also the author of Advergirl.com, an AdAge Power 150 blog. In addition to blogging, she uses social media – such as Twitter, Facebook and wikis – to interact with friends and colleagues, spot emerging trends and facilitate better work processes and outcomes.
Wordpress Affiliate Datafeeds Made Easy with Datafeedr - 5 Star Affiliate Blogs
Wordpress Affiliate Datafeeds Made Easy with Datafeedr - 5 Star Affiliate Blogs: "5 Star Affiliate Programs Blog
Wordpress Affiliate Datafeeds Made Easy with Datafeedr
Monday, November 17th, 2008 at 8:38am by Linda Buquet
affiliate toolsDatafeeds are an important tool for building affiliate stores but for many affiliates it’s just too much of a technical challenge to convert raw datafeeds into their sites.
Datafeedr is a powerful push-button store creation system that makes it fast and easy for affiliates to set up, manage and update a complete affiliate store WITHOUT touching any techy datafeed files, without having to learn a programming language or hire a programmer.
I’ve been wanting to blog about Datafeedr, but Ros did such a good overview I thought I’d just link to her blog and have her tell you all about it."
Wordpress Affiliate Datafeeds Made Easy with Datafeedr
Monday, November 17th, 2008 at 8:38am by Linda Buquet
affiliate toolsDatafeeds are an important tool for building affiliate stores but for many affiliates it’s just too much of a technical challenge to convert raw datafeeds into their sites.
Datafeedr is a powerful push-button store creation system that makes it fast and easy for affiliates to set up, manage and update a complete affiliate store WITHOUT touching any techy datafeed files, without having to learn a programming language or hire a programmer.
I’ve been wanting to blog about Datafeedr, but Ros did such a good overview I thought I’d just link to her blog and have her tell you all about it."
Easily incorporate datafeeds into your Wordpress blogs…
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Datafeedr by Stefan Everaet and Eric Busch is a slick new solution for Wordpress bloggers who want to easily incorporate merchant product datafeeds into their Wordpress blogs. You can check out the features and benefits here or watch a video on Stefan’s site that shows him installing a multiple-merchant, multiple network store on a new blog. Just the thought of not having to mess around with missing or sloppy datafeed categorization makes this a ‘must-see’.
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