WebmasterRadio.FM on Pepperjam Affiliate Network
Do you run a ‘make money online’ blog that promotes offers to webmasters and Internet marketers?
If so, you’ll be interested in Webmaster Radio’s new affiliate program on Pepperjam which pays $12.50 for every refered visitor who subscribes to their $28.73 monthly service. Approval is automatic, cookies last 90 days and trademark bidding is permitted.
Podcast channels at WebmasterRadio.FM include Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, Public Relations, Entertainment, Search Engine Optimization, Conferences and more, with numerous shows listed under each category.
Not that I’m biased, (surrrrre) but one of the best shows going for affiliate marketers is Affiliate Thing, featuring hosts Lisa Picarille, editor of Revenue Magazine and Shawn Collins, the Co-founder of Affiliate Summit, who each week share the groundbreaking affiliate stories and conduct interviews with well-known industry leaders.
If you aren’t already a Pepperjam publisher, click here to join thePepperjam Network today!
Popularity: 9% [?]
Sell Products to Spanish Markets through Clickbank
On March 18th, ClickBank announced its Phase One launch of their Platform Globalization project which allows Clickbank merchants to capture sales from new markets.
The first phase of Platform Globalization includes a currency calculator and the ability to offer products to Spanish-speaking markets. Clickbank has also made it easy for affiliates to identify which merchants in the ClickBank Marketplace are offering Spanish products. See the graphic below.
My search for Spanish language products produced no results, but considering this initiative was launched slightly more than a week ago, I guess we have to give the merchants time to get up to speed.
The new currency converter provides customers with the ability to see the product price in currencies other than USD.
Clickbank also advises that enhancements to their Platform Globalization project will include French and German language capabilities, and the ability to accept orders in currencies other than USD.
Popularity: 14% [?]
Chitika Announces a New Way to Monetize Parked Domains
I don’t know about you, but my Cash Parking Monthly updates from GoDaddy are always pretty meagre. So meagre in fact, that they’re laughable. In January, I made a whopping 53 cents from 10 parked domains and in February, the earnings were zilch.
If your revenue from parked domains is anything like mine, you might want to check out Chitika’s new parked domain solution which looks like a shopping site with product images. The pages include a listing of well known merchants and an easy-to-navigate category listing.
Here is an image of what the display looks like:
For more information about using Chitika’s updated ShopLinc product as a CPC revenue source for your parked domains, see their “A CPC store for your parked domains” post.
Popularity: 11% [?]
BANS to be Updated by April 1st
As a follow up to my post about eBay leaving Commission Junction and setting up their own Partnership program, as well as concerns expressed by BANS (Build a Niche Store) users, here’s part of the email reply that I got from Kelvin…
Hi Rosalind…good to hear from you.
I can confirm that all versions of BANS will be updated as soon after the eBay affiliate transition as possible - ideally on the 1st April.
Best,
Kelvin
Good going, Kelvin. I just KNEW you wouldn’t let us down! 
To learn more about BANS, please read my How to Easily Add eBay Listings to Your Site post.
Popularity: 9% [?]
eBay Dumps Commission Junction
eBay published a press release, portions of which are reprinted below:
SAN JOSE, Calif.,– March 17, 2008 – Today eBay unveiled the eBay Partner Network, a new global affiliate program for publishers driving traffic to eBay. Officially launching on April 1st, 2008, the eBay Partner Network will be eBay’s new in-house affiliate network, designed to more fully align the programs across eBay’s global properties and give affiliates expanded access to revenue opportunities across its platforms.
and…
As part of the move to an in-house affiliate network, eBay and Half.com will no longer run their affiliate programs through ValueClick’s Commission Junction platform. eBay’s Tradera AB, ProStores, Inc, Reseller Marketplace, Media Marketplace, eBay Stores and StubHub will not be affected and will continue their relationship with Commission Junction. eBay affiliates working with other platforms including, Affilinet and TradeDoubler will not be affected.
Affected eBay and Half.com affiliates will be required to move their affiliate links over to the eBay Partner Network by May 1st, 2008. eBay will continue its valued partnership with ValueClick’s technology division, Mediaplex, for ad serving, tracking and other custom projects. More information on the transition process for eBay affiliates, as well as the eBay programs affected, can be found at http://affiliates.ebay.com.
While this is great news for the scores of affiliates who hate Commission Junction and particularly its tracking system, a number of affiliates who are using BANS (Build a Niche Store) are expressing concern on ShoeMoney’s blog over the change.
Although I have yet to hear anything from Kelvin, the BANS developer, I trust he’ll get a new version out in time. Just to be sure, I’ll pop him a note and report back on what he says… will need to make some changes to my own BANS installation over at Roamsters.com.
In the meantime, to learn more about BANS, check out this blog post - How to Easily Add eBay Listings to Your Site.
Popularity: 5% [?]
Where to Place Affiliate Links for Increased Backend Sales
In the following video I discuss where you should (and should not) place affiliate links for increased backend sales. Enjoy!
Popularity: 3% [?]
Amazon’s Video Widget for Affiliates
I just checked out Amazon’s video widget and it’s a piece of cake to use. Once you’re in the Amazon affiliate interface, you just:
- Click on Build Links/Widgets
- Click on ‘Add to Your Web Page’ under Your Video Widget
- Click on Upload a Video
- Browse and Select a video to upload from your computer
- Agree to the Terms
- Give Your Video Widget a title
- Upload the Video and wait for it to process (Refresh the page to check the processing status)
- Play the Video and Click on Add Product at the point you wish to insert the popup
- Enter the name of the product you wish to insert
- Click on the Add Product button beside the product
- Save and preview your video
- Grab the code and embed it on your site
In the example below, I added a book called The Ultimate Guide to Spas and Hot Tubs : Troubleshooting and Tricks of the Trade
Popularity: 4% [?]
Brian Gardner’s Revolution Affiliate Contest
Brian Gardner, developer of the Revolution themes for Wordpress is holding a contest for his affiliates in March.
If you’re not familiar with Brian’s work, I run his Revolution News theme on my travel blog and it was the theme chosen for a blog coaching club that we’re doing now.
Other themes include the original Revolution, as well as Revolution Pro Business, Magazine, Tech and Sports. Most of the themes sell for between $79.95 for a single user licence and $199.95 for a developer’s license and affiliates earn 25%.
The most expensive product he sells is the Revolution All-Inclusive Developer Package for $399.95. It is for webmasters who want to create sites using any of Brians 6 Revolution themes. You will also receive any future Revolution themes as well. With the purchase of this package, you can use any of the themes as many times as you wish.
The March Revolution Affiliate Contest has some pretty nifty prizes including:
- A 4-night Bahama cruise for two plus $500 cash
- Samsung 19″ Flat-Panel HDTV, Revolution All-Inclusive Package or $500 cash
- $250 cash or a Gift Certificate to your favorite online retailer
The contest began on March 1st and goes until midnight on March 31st. To qualify you must
be one of the top 3 sales generating Revolution affiliates during that timeframe and link to contest details from your blog — which, take note, is a very smart traffic generation strategy on Brian’s part!
Popularity: 6% [?]
Chitika Releases Related Product Unit (RPU)
Chitika’s wide selection of ad units got just a little bigger a few days ago, when Chitika announced that it has released its Related Product Unit (RPU) to all its publishers.
The RPU is designed to work exclusively with blogs and news article sites and is a text link format that integrates right in to your content.
According to Chitika, Beta testers of the unit ‘experienced overall revenue increases and enjoyed it’s complete customization features‘. They also state that their publishers ‘love this ad unit because it doesn’t “look” like an ad‘.
You decide. Check out the example at the bottom of this post. Shown is the standard related product unit. Title, text, background and font colors can be customized to match the look and feel of your site. You can also remove the bullets and add channel tracking or an alternate URL.
Chitika ad units include eMiniMalls (as well as one specifically for Facebook), ShopCloud$, Owna, ShopLinc-Linx and now the RPU code.
If you are not yet a Chitika publisher, you can sign up with Chitika to access their interactive CPC ad units.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Jason Calacanis Offends Affiliates during Keynote Speech
After reading a number of posts by bloggers who were incensed and/or infuriated by Jason Calacanis’ keynote at the most recent Affiliate Summit, I listened to his speech on Webmaster Radio, and am convinced that the offended affiliate bloggers completely missed the point.
First of all, Jason is known for having a controversial approach and can be (in his own words) “aggressive” as a speaker. Indeed, he comes across as arrogant, especially when he not only mocks Zac Johnson for posting a pic of his 100K+ check but belabors the point about 100K being small potatoes in the circles in which he himself runs. That part of the speech was a complete yawn. During the later question and answer period Jason says that he thinks the practice is “uncouth” and nothing more than a way to make “poor people” buy into a get rich quick or “ponzi” scheme. Obviously, having posted my own earnings, I disagree with his rationale - but I do get the point.
From the outside looking in, that’s the first impression that most people have of affiliate marketers and affiliate marketing - and it sucks.
The problem isn’t with folks like Zac, Shoemoney, myself and the others who do our best to help others succeed in the business of affiliate marketing by writing copious amounts of good “how-to” information in addition to posting pics of our earnings.
The problem is an endless legion of spammers that try to get rich quick on the backs of people who still believe in the ‘get rich quick’ fairy godmother. The problem is autobloggers, autoDiggers, copyright infringers and other crap site generation specialists who spend their days heaping useless junk on Internet users - and the responsible parties / higher authorities who don’t do much to either clean up the mess or prevent the pollution in the first place.
What’s the solution?
Jason encourages affiliates to think bigger - MUCH bigger - suggesting that many in the community have the stuff that it takes to produce the next StumbleUpon or Facebook. I agree wholeheartedly and have spoken often and at length about the need for affiliates to employ sustainable business practices if they are to succeed in the long-term.
However, if in the process of building a high-quality site and loyal customer relationships, you find that you are completely content while earning a decent income and working only 10 or so hours a week - enjoy! Remember, those who scorn a healthy work-life balance are just jealous.
Your thoughts?
Popularity: 2% [?]
