The basic premise behind the affiliate marketing model is actually quite simple; a publisher (website) generates traffic and interest from consumers (people who buy things) who then visit a merchant’s (brand that sells something) site.  If something is purchased the publisher will receive a percentage of commission.

This is known as CPA, cost per acquisition.  However, commission can be rewarded for a number of actions, it doesn’t have to be a sale, it could be a consumer signing up to a newsletter, taking a test drive or ordering a sales call, merchants will pay for quantifiable business leads.

There are a number of tools publishers can use to promote merchants; anything from banners and links to phone numbers, special offers and vouchers. This is at no cost to publishers, the affiliate programmes are free on the CJ network (it’s a no brainer really). Publishers can sign up for as many merchant programmes as they wish, these will then be reviewed by the merchants as a form of quality checking.

The advantage of joining a network like CJ is that we will track the campaign by attaching unique id’s to any links used by a publisher. All this can be monitored in the CJ publisher interface, this is where information can be found such as number of clicks and number of sales, allowing for great campaign optimisation.

So hopefully you will have found this little lesson useful, keep your eyes peeled on the CJ blog as we are always trying to provide you with tips to make your marketing world a simpler one/happy place.

If you want to have your say and make sure you’re involved in the research you can take the 2012 survey, there’s an iPad up for grabs as well.

Data will be collated by Affiliates4u only; the findings will be released prior to the upcoming pan-European a4uexpo conference in Barcelona, Spain, on 19th-20th June.

Please can you show your support for all the work we do and vote for us!

We will be there from 5pm along with the likes of Skype, Criteo and Sky who are also sponsoring the event. It’s free to register for yourself and a guest, or if a sponsor then you can bring along up to 10 (we will). Massive thanks should go out to Fiona at Bigmouthmedia for organising what we are sure will be a great event.

Full details of the night and how to register can be found here.

Squawka is a unique sports TV companion web app that is launching in the UK working exclusively with CJ client and leading bookmaker Paddy Power. The free web app provides football fans with every playing statistic they could hope for and also integrates Twitter and Facebook so users can follow conversations surrounding football matches and players all in one place; this all happens alongside team news, lines ups, live action and analysis, results and latest odds.  It’s all kicking off for the European Championships in June.

What this means is that users can access an array of information and insight on different players, in real time.  This means users are more informed and involved in any bets they place with Paddy Power.  There’s more information to be found here; and if you want to sign up you can do so here too on squawka.com

We successfully won the competitive pitch to help build and develop Screwfix’s already successful affiliate programme. Through a consistent strategic partnership with Commission Junction, Screwfix is looking to expand its publisher base and build upon its brand awareness in a cost-effective manner, delivering results and ROI.

John Meaden, senior online marketing manager for Screwfix said “We are incredibly pleased to be reinvigorating our affiliate programme with Commission Junction, during the pitch process the team proved they had the resource needed to deliver an effective affiliate programme and are looking forward to the results that the initiative promises. With designated account managers, Commision Junction provide an excellent consultation service and the team are always on hand which is exactly what is needed as we expand our affiliate platform. Commission Junction also offers an impressive pay per call opportunity, which we are looking to explore further as many of our sales come through the Screwfix call centre, it could be a great way to expand our performance marketing remit.”

Florian Gramshammer, UK country manager for Commission Junction adds “We are really excited to be starting with Screwfix, there is so much opportunity within the channel for the brand and the team has developed some truly innovative ideas to help promote Screwfix to an expanding audience. We are planning an exciting programme with them and are looking forward to helping them increase their reach and deliver their message to the company’s growing market.

Mobile marketing has been a hot topic for years but, with the current ubiquity of smartphones and the leaps and bounds that have been made in the tablet market, the consumer base is now ready to respond. It feels like for the first time the channel really is worth shouting about both in terms of viability and profitability. Affiliates have an important part to play in the mix.

If you’re in any doubt about the power of mobile marketing in the UK, consider the following:

42% of mobile owners now use smart phones
51% browsed the internet on their mobile device in the past week
65% routinely use their mobile devices to find in-store purchases
13% consumers have actually made a purchase via a mobile
A further 19% used their mobile to compare prices and look at product reviews while out shopping.

There some pretty powerful statistics!  Check out the rest of the article here.

To celebrate the programme launch and give our publishers a kick start their promotions, we’re offering a 10% discount on all iGCSEs, GCSEs and A-Levels, all you need to do is use the vouchercode “Spring”, the offer runs until the 13^th April.

If you want any further details then all you have to do is get in touch with me at rcowie@cj.com, we’re always here to help.

SupersonicAds is a provider of in-social-game brand and direct response advertising solutions.  This includes video, brand engagement, and direct response campaigns which run to over 500 games, publishers, and social networks.  Their expertise runs across branded content, direct response advertising and mobile engagement as well as being fully integrated with the Facebook credit programme.  This means that brands can use this to build their presence on the social network.

If you’re an advertiser and you think you’re interested in social gaming then do contact the team at CJ, and if you’re a publisher and you want your offering featured on the CJ blog then please do get in touch as well.

This technology used to be pretty hard to come by, it was expensive and out of reach for most developers and brands, however, as time and money has been invested in the platform it’s becoming increasingly popular and is being used in incredibly innovative and engaging ways.  At the CJ innovation day last week we were privy to a new publisher who has developed augmented reality into an exceptional new kind of publishing software. Imagine being able to take a photograph of the high street you’re about to walk down to do your shopping and being presented with the special offers, deals and discounts at shops, restaurants and bars all the way along the road. It would make shopping around and disappointed purchasing because you found a better bargain two shops down a thing of the past. This is soon to be a reality, an augmented reality, with ‘Virtual Mob’. 

Jaws also dropped around the room when Virtual Mob, as if by magic, presented a 3D car from a piece of paper. They then opened the cars doors, changed its colours and even took the car for a test drive. It certainly showed the impact some of their branding campaigns can have.

In my opinion, the best element that virtual mob offers is augmented reality paired with geo location; there are so many features of mobile marketing which can help consumers and geo location is one of those that can turn a passer by into a customer and helps to bridge the online / offline gap.  We plan to have augmented reality on the CJ network in the next couple of months and are looking forward to hearing more about virtual mob.