49Above Marketing Inc. Latin America launched
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 | 49above Updates | 1 Comment
We are happy to announce that as of Monday this week our new office in Mexico City is in operations to serve the Latin American market. Please visit our Spanish website for all your marketing needs in Spain, Latin America or southern parts of the United States you wish to serve in Spanish.
49Above Business Development Manager Lorena Dominguez, overseeing the latin american sales department, is an industry veteran and can be reached at +52 558.421.6037 in Mexico and is waiting for your call.
Visit the Latin American web site here: 49Above Marketing Mexico
Affiliate Marketing Q & A with Sarah V. Bundy
Friday, May 8th, 2009 | Industry Interviews, affiliate marketing | 2 Comments
Sarah V. Bundy
As you may know, 49Above founder and leading director Sarah V. Bundy is an Affiliate Marketing expert. She is very well known and highly respected in the industry. Over the years, she’s made connections with high profile industry leaders and learned a great deal about affiliate marketing.
Because affiliate marketing is still relatively new, we’re always bombarded with questions about it. To answer some of the most common ones, we’ve interviewed Sarah V. Bundy:
What is affiliate marketing?
Very simply, it’s a form of online marketing, similar to having an online sales force, where affiliates receive commissions based on performance. By joining a merchant’s affiliate program, the affiliate promotes a product or service and receives a commission based on the desired action being completed, like a sale or form completion.
Only a small percentage of businesses are incorporating affiliate into their marketing mix. Why is this?
Affiliate Marketing is still either a new or unknown concept to many businesses. The businesses that have incorporated an effective affiliate program into their marketing mix earlier on are usually technically more advanced or more up to date with the trends of online marketing. They have done the research to see how they can lower their costs and increase their sales through a performance based marketing model and thus turn to affiliate marketing. Now, lots of businesses are starting to hear about how effective it is now and are looking for expert guidance or management, which is smart.
But it’s becoming more popular.
Yes. Businesses are seeing results from this very lucrative marketing channel. Their costs decrease as their sales increase leaving room for higher margins or more incremental sales. For any business owner, this is an attractive model to follow.
It’s also becoming mainstream, so the more businesses that find out about it, the more want to give it a try. The affiliate marketing industry, though still small, is growing. There are now several affiliate marketing conferences held annually worldwide making it easier for people to learn what they need to about getting involved in the industry.
How do you know if affiliate marketing will work for your business?
At lot of it will depend on your product, your price, how much flex room you have with your margins, your ability to deliver your products quickly and efficiently and the quality of your website. Affiliates want to join programs that have a high commission payout, a high average order size, good tools and an attractive conversion rate. They also want to be taken care of so having a dedicated affiliate manager is key.
Something else to consider is whether your target market IS online or not. You need to know where your demographic shops. If they’re not online, you might want to consider keeping your marketing efforts away from an affiliate program for now.
Will websites that sell only one product work for an affiliate program?
Yes, they can, it depends on the affiliate program and the product. Will every affiliate program work? Not necessarily. You will need top quality affiliates who know how to get results active in your program. If you don’t then it might be worth spending your marketing budget on other online strategies or seeing what you can do from an offline perspective. For the most part though, you could potentially have an affiliate program for anything.
How do you get started? Do you need external consultation?
If you don’t already have experience in affiliate marketing or know the industry well, I would recommend doing your research by talking to several OPMs (Outsourced Program Management Companies or Affiliate Managers), attending conferences or asking questions online. You can sign up for free affiliate forums where people in the industry hang out to work together,
keep up to date with industry events and issues and help each other. Otherwise, we would also be happy to help anyone who has questions.
A good forum to learn from is ABestWeb where you will find merchants, affiliates, networks and OPMs and Affiliate Managers to communicate with. Each manager has their own style. I recommend doing your research to find one you like, feel comfortable working with and that has a history of producing solid results.
When should you expect results?
An affiliate program takes time to launch and build. You need to build tools such as banners, text links, datafeeds, coupons and more while sourcing good affiliates to join your program.
Once these affiliates are signed up for your program it’s a matter of getting them set up, active and fully participating in your program. From there you want to continue to maintain your strong relationship with your affiliates, provide them with new information and tools to help them sell better. Also, look for fraud or misconduct in your program and help train the less experienced affiliates so they can get results too.
A realistic timeframe for launching a successful affiliate program is between two - four weeks.
It usually takes about 6-12 months for an affiliate program to really get rolling and become profitable, however you can start to see results within the first 3 months of the program being live. Just keep in mind that the returns are usually going to come around the six months mark.
Generally about 5-10% of your affiliates will generate about 90-95% of your affiliate sales revenue, but everyone is important and can contribute something. Also, you never know when someone who’s new ends up boosting their sales over the course of the year so they become one of the top perforating affiliates in your program as well.
My recommendation is be patient and keep recruiting top performing affiliates who want to work with you. Improve your program so it is more attractive and performs better for affiliates.
If the tools they need are not available to them then it’s the job of the affiliate manager to get them what they need fast, before they lose interest and move onto another program that’s not yours. Be consistent and focused, open to change and suggestions from your affiliates and keep pushing forward.
Why is choose 49Above?
The team at 49Above has been in the industry for over 10 years. We have great connections and have maintained friendships with some of the top performing affiliates in the world.
We understand the industry and we have a solid track record of producing exceptional results for the programs we manage. We have brought a 1500% increase in sales to one program and had a 98% close rate at a conference for another.
We love the affiliate marketing industry and try to be involved as much as possible, helping people understand the benefits of having an affiliate program, speaking at conferences, hosting Podcasts and we continue to work to support and make the industry better.
Additionally we offer great packages to our clients who are looking for an “all in one” online solution as we also specialize in Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing, Pay Per Click (AdWords) Campaign Management, Social Media, and Website Usability and Analytics.
We are the only company in North America that we are aware of who can service all of these strategies fluently in German, Spanish, English and Persian with more languages being added each year. This allows our customers to have an experienced and fully “all in one” marketing team who can reach growing markets which others cannot.
Most importantly, we are fun to work with, passionate and extremely hard workers. We take pride in what we do and bring that to the table with each of our clients we work with, no matter who or where they are. Our focus is on getting the best possible results for you.
To find Sarah online, visit her blog or follow her on Twitter.
IVEE
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 | 49above Clients | 1 Comment
49Above is proud to be working with IVEE!
IVEE brings you runway inspired activewear for women! Beautifully designed pieces are made with premium performance materials and eco-friendly Bamboo fabric. Glamorous sportswear for woman who easily moves from yoga, pilates, dance or the gym to coffee/lunch with effortless yet polished style. Feel comfortbal and look fashionable with IVEE.
For more information or to checkout the IVEE Look Book, please visit IveeStyle.com.
49Above at the 2009 PopVox Awards
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 | 49above Updates, Industry Events | No Comments
2008 PopVox Awards
We mentioned last week that 49Above is nominated for the 2009 New Media BC PopVox Awards in the category of Best New Start Up. We’ve received so much support from friends, colleagues and our clients but some are still wondering what the PopVox awards are all about.
Fear not, we’re here to explain!
“PopVox (from vox populi – L. voice of the people) is the people’s choice awards held during Vancouver Digital Week. The PopVox Awards recognizes all major sectors of the digital media industry and celebrates its creativity, talent, and achievements.”
The 2009 New Media BC PopVox Awards honour the best of BC’s Digital Media Industry and we’re thrilled to be nominated! So once again, thank you for your continued support, we hope to see you at the awards gala on Wenesday May 13, 2009.
49Above
Social Media Marketing: Getting Started
Monday, April 20th, 2009 | 49above Updates | No Comments
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve noticed the Twitter hysteria by now. It seems like everyone is on Twitter these days, from celebrities to CEO’s to stay-at-home moms. Everyone’s got an opinion and isn’t afraid to share it!
Most business love the idea social media, they want to “get into” social media. But why? To have a Twitter account just for the sake of it is not enough!
Social media marketing is the utilization of a verity of tools, to connect and communicate with a targeted market. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, these tools allow the business to control the flow of information, and the frequency of communication. The integration of social media in the marketing mix can create a rich and layered stream of communication between the business and its target market.
A common social media misconception is the expectation of direct results, for example a direct increase in online sales. This is the wrong approach to social media and many businesses end up disappointed and frustrated as a result. Social media marketing cannot be measure by standard business metrics such as conversion rates. It’s an ongoing process, an ongoing line of communication which can strengthen the brand, increase customer loyalty and better control the flow of information. When implemented correctly, social media marketing has the power to create a strong brand presence among the target market, indirectly influencing sales and other important business metrics.
So before you dive in headfirst , explore the social media world and understand your place in it! Having trouble? You can always come to us for advice!
49Above Nominated for Best New Start Up!
Monday, April 13th, 2009 | 49above Updates, Industry Events | 3 Comments
Vote for 49Above!
It’s not easy starting up a business, especially during the current economic climate! But at 49Above, we’re up for the challenge because we’re passionate about what we do, and we love our clients! We’ve worked really hard over the past year, we’ve achieved great results and now we’ve been recognized!
49Above is thrilled to be nominated for the 2009 New Media BC PopVox Award for Best New Start Up! Winners will be announced May 13, 2009 at the PopVox Awards Gala.
We would love you to vote for us, it takes just a minute and will make our day!
We appreciate your vote & thank you in advance for your support!
49Above team
AdFinity
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 | 49above Clients | No Comments
AdFinity is an industry leader in performance-based online direct marketing, delivering full-service, results-oriented solutions. AdFinity was established in 2006 with the goal of bringing scalable and affordable marketing capabilities to the masses!
AdFinity can be found online at AdFinity.com
NerdSeven
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 | 49above Clients | No Comments
NerdSeven boasts a very impressive collection of the planet’s most amazing gadgets, gizmos, tech, toys and treats. They’ve combed the Multiverse in search of the best of the best and brought them all to you in one convenient Earthocentric location!
Check them out at NerdSeven.com or follow them on Twitter!
MPGreen: A New Kind of Fuel Additive
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 | 49above Clients | No Comments
49Above is proud to be working with MPGreen!
MPGreen is a highly concentrated fuel additive that keeps both engines and fuel clean through the use of powerful chemical agents. This leads to better fuel efficiency and reduces harmful emissions that contribute to global warming!
MPGreen can be found online at MPGreen.com or on Twitter!
The Affiliate Tax: An End to the Affiliate Industry?
Monday, March 30th, 2009 | affiliate marketing | No Comments
As you may know, with 49Above being one of the leading affiliate marketing agencies in North America and many of our clients and affiliates being located in the United States, even here in Canada the affiliate / advertising tax that is going to be introduced in several states could be hugely damaging to our industry.
To date, 49Above has introduced many of our clients to affiliate marketing, and the results have been astonishing!
Until recently, online business strategies and sales, including affiliate marketing, have been free of regular sales taxes and business laws. This relatively simple business model has enabled many individuals, usually stay at home mothers and entrepreneurs, to enter into the affiliate market and make a decent living. This line of business has proven to be very profitable for merchants and affiliates alike and has been growing at a steady rate over the past few years.
Recently though, the state of New York has complicated matters by passing an affiliate sales tax, and many other states are following suit. Hawaii, North Carolina, Tennessee, Minnesota, Connecticut and California are currently considering implementing their own version of the law. In California for example, Bill AB 178 imposes a sales tax on all retailers engaged in business in the state. This includes online businesses and affiliates by definition. But what’s a stay-at-home mom of three to do when this is her only source of income for her family?
Although laws concerning online businesses are inevitable, critiques of the state sales tax movement are urging legislators to consider the consequences of such bills being passed. One of the largest criticisms is the increased confusion in dealing with different state tax laws as opposed to a standard federal law. In addition, many of the large online merchants have threatened to end affiliate marketing efforts due to the new tax. The online affiliate community is worried these new laws will mean lost revenue and lost jobs, and ultimately an end to the affiliate industry! This doesn’t only affect the United States, but the companies in Canada and all over the world who are managing them.
We are working with the affiliate communities to raise awareness about the current situation. One of the key ways is by showcasing the impact of these laws on individuals. By putting a face to the industry, affiliates, affiliate managers and those utilizing this very lucrative form of marketing, hope to raise awareness of their cause and stop the passage of these types of bills.
As always, we love to hear your thoughts on this current situation! How are you personally being affected by these laws? What are some ways to governments can compromise with affiliates to come to a mutually beneficial agreement? Please tell us what you think.