zip/email submit offers?

webdev · #1 (**permalink**) 10-08-2007, 07:30 PM

How to drive traffic to these zip/email submit offers? These offer payout $1-$3. Is it a good to drive ppc traffic to these offers considering low payouts? How are the conversion rates? What methods do you use to drive traffic to these offers?

Is there a way we can put the email/zip form on our landing page and post that to the advertiser to get paid instead directing the user to their landing page?

ppcFanatic · #2 (**permalink**) 10-08-2007, 07:50 PM

Hey webdev,

Not sure what you mean by zip/email offers. Can you send us an example?

webdev · #3 (**permalink**) 10-08-2007, 09:27 PM

offers like these ones

http://www.myfreemobilephone.co.uk

or payday loan offers which only ask for email or zip. Payouts are like $1.50. Im using copeac.com network.

How do you promote offers like these. I'm guessing the conversion rates to these offers is high since it only ask to fill out info.

Any info regarding this would be great?

ssmorgan · #4 (**permalink**) 10-09-2007, 02:11 AM

Hi Webdev, how are ya!

I have come across some of these offers through another CPA network.

For some reason, I have always avoided them. Some tend to be a little bit scammish... they say you will win a free iphone, free xbox, ps3, or $500 gift card, and they only ask for email and zip. But after that, the customer would have to fill sponsored offers... So they usually give you 3 lists of offers... the customer would have to sign up for 1 or 2 offers from each list. (In the link you sent, scroll to the bottom, it explains a little how it works).

As you mentioned, you get paid once the customer submits very few fields (email and zip, or email and name, or area code and email, or something like that), so it seems very lucrative. But because of the nature of the offers/payout, the key is in traffic, so they tend to be marketed through mass email marketing.

I would not recommend using PPC for most of these, since most people do not search for obtaining a free mobile phone, or a free playstation... they wouldn't search for that, because they know that it would be too good to be true... if that makes sense.

Now, I do not want to discourage you from going after these, because in principle, they should work... but be careful... test! test! test! Start a PPC campaign with a small budget and see how it works. There are some good offers, though, so look through the list and think about which ones someone would search for, and then test it with PPC.

Hope this helps.

Sherif

webdev · #5 (**permalink**) 10-09-2007, 06:06 AM

Hey Sherif,

great suggestion. i didn't think ppc would be a smart choice for these. Im promoting once these on my site now.

i have AM. hopefully they will help choose a good offer to promote via ppc. has anyone worked with copeac network?

webdev

ssmorgan · #6 (**permalink**) 10-09-2007, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webdev

i have AM.

I am a little slow (probably due to lack of sleep, I think), but what do you mean by AM?

Quote:

Originally Posted by webdev

has anyone worked with copeac network?

I have used a similar affiliate network before, but I have never used copeac before, but based on reviews, it seems like it's a pretty good affiliate network. What are your thoughts on them?

webdev · #7 (**permalink**) 10-09-2007, 06:40 PM

Am as in Affiliate Manager. I have a affiliate manager. Not sure what their role is but i have heard that they help you a lot in your ppc venture buy giving winning keywords and stuff. My my AM said she doesn't have any keywords thou she gave a list of search offers i can promote. someone of them email/zip offers.

So i hear a lot people make money from dating offers. DO you recommend promoting short form dating offers? what is the best way to promote a dating offer via ppc? own landing page or redirect straight to merchants page? No matter what keyphrases i put in goggle, i see tons of ads on dating. So how do your compete with all these people?

ssmorgan · #8 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 01:46 AM

Lisa can probably fill you in on all the responsibilities of an AM (see, I am cool, I am using the lingo

)

As for the dating niche, I think it would be great if you can promote short form dating offers. Usually this means that you get paid when someone creates a free profile. The CPA is usually between $3 and $5, which is great since your site visitor would not have to buy anything. Azoogle, as well as other networks, pay you for offers like that. Most networks pay the affiliate when the customer subscribes. Also remember not to be restricted by affiliate networks, many sites offer an independent affiliate program (they run it in-house).

I personally would use a lander for something like that.

You're right, there are a ton of people promoting dating offers right now (i am beginning to wonder if this niche is becoming as competitive as the make-money-from-home niche... probably not, but it's still pretty competitive).

Unfortunately, there is really no straightforward method to outdo the competition... the best way is to do research, be patient, and do more research... if you see an opportunity, jump at it!

When I say "research" I simply mean to think of specialized niches, evaluate the competition, going to forums online and see what people in the niche are talking about, what are their concerns, issues they discuss... then come up with a list of unique keywords, then go back to Google... use the words they use and see what comes up.

And don't be quickly discouraged. Be patient. Keep looking into the niches, and I guarantee that you will find a profitable niche/sub-niche!

A lot of people make a lot of money in dating offers! While it's competitive, a lot of money can still be made there... just be careful, because as with any niche, a lot of money can be lost too.

I think I may have shared it in a different post, but start here:

http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/...gservices.html

There are a list of growing dating niches... maybe it will give you some ideas. I would consider several of these niches... after you conduct your research in those niches, focus on one niche, and go for it!

lisa · #9 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 09:34 AM

Good advice, Sherif.

And as he pointed out, I used to be an Affiliate Manager but I have to be honest. I didn't push PPC too much for my affiliates. Only a very small percentage of my affiliates used PPC (VERY small) and those that did complained of the money they lost. Plus it wasn't something I was experienced with so I wasn't a big help when it came to that.

I used to recommend Andrew Goodman's books on PPC and other resources that may help, but I always focused on the content and articles when it came to training my affiliates. Just like you said, Webdev I would give some keywords to start with but it's really all about finding those small, specialized niches like Sherif said.

I know some PPC gurus find programs that allow affiliates to bid on their brand name. Most companies do not allow affiliates to bid on the brand names. But if you belong to CJ, the programs tell you which keywords you can bid on and some people specifically look for companies that allow you to bid on the company's name and products.

For example, SiteSell allows you to bid on the keywords SiteSell and Site Build It! because their policy is that they don't compete with their affiliates. If you can bid on the brand name you could give yourself an extreme advantage because you can post your ad as if you are the official company.

For example, let's say the product name has a product called Keyword Plus and you bid on that phrase. You can post an ad that says "Keyword Plus - The Official Site" Instantly you build credibility because surfers think it's the official site of the product. I've heard of a lot of PPC folks having great success when they can bid on the company's name and products.

Think about it, if someone searches for a product or company name they already know about the product/company and could be looking for the company's homepage so they can buy. So I see why this method would convert well. The issue is usually finding those programs that allow you to bid on the brand/copyrighted names.

ssmorgan · #10 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 09:56 AM

That's very true, Lisa!

I've read this multiple times... when people are searching for the product name, they know exactly what they are looking for... and they are probably ready or close to making a purchase.

Unless of course, another affiliate marketer is searching for the product name to evaluate the competition (but they are really not supposed to click on your ads).

Of course, there are several reasons why people lose a lot of money using PPC (maybe we can start a new thread about PPC mistakes), but the rule for me is, if my adspend is approaching the amount of the commission, and I have 0 conversions, it's time to pause the campaigns and think!

webdev · #11 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 03:43 PM

oh man so much info sink in

heheh

Okay so, i picked a site i want to promote. Now, im searching for keywords. Seems like any longtail keywords i pick that has to do with dating has tons of sponsored ads. The competition is too much.

So, i started testing with some long tail keywords. To my surprise, it asking me to raise the bid to .35. So i did just to test it out. Next it tells me, my ad is not showing on the first page. So i raised to $1.00. I know this not the smartest move but right im just testing things out.

So now, im off to finding other keywords with cheap bidding. Im using google adword tool and keyword discovery for finding keywords.

I think, most of the successful keywords that people come with are their own. But its hard. Once i think of a keyword, I run in through a keyword tool then i get side tracked with others similar keywords that come up and I just lose confidence in the keywords i thought of.

ssmorgan · #12 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 08:22 PM

The keyword bid going up when you use a long tail keyword is counter-intuitive from a logical standpoint.

But I wonder if the following would explain why your minimum bid goes higher... (I am speculating, so bear with me)...

One of the factors that Google uses to determine the minimum bid is how optimized the page is for a particular keyword.

From their standpoint, they want to deliver accurate results, so if someone is searching for let's say "dating website for single parents", Google wants to make sure that their sponsored ads would link to a page relevant to the keyword searched...

But if your landing page is primarily optimized for "dating" or "dating websites" in general, Google may charge you more to bid on a longer tail keyword (such as "dating website for single parents") because from their standpoint, your landing page is not specific enough to the keyword. This may also explain why they decide not to show your ads on the first page.

Does this make sense?

So, I would create a landing page that's SEO optimized for one of your long-tailed keywords, and dedicate a specific adgroup to that long tailed keyword and variations of it... and see if that helps with the minimum bid.

If you feel my response above was convoluted, please let me know, and I will try to clarify what I am trying to say!

As far as getting distracted with other keywords... don't worry, that's normal, just test the good ones with different adgroups and find out which of them are the winners!

webdev · #13 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 10:01 PM

The AM im talking to said that dating sites convert well when linked directly. So a landing is not needed. I see almost all sponsored links go directly to profile form page (dating advertisers landing page).

But maybe you need a landing page? But when i think about making a landing page for dating signup, i don't even know where to begin. Is it gong to be a regular sales pitch page? What would i say in it? What about making it look like the advertisers page? I can't do graphics like that. I would to hire someone? Any thoughts?

ssmorgan · #14 (**permalink**) 10-11-2007, 02:08 AM

webdev,

My goal would not be to compete with 100s of other affiliates to have someone sign up for a free profile through my link... this is too general, and it's probably a very competitive/crowded area, especially in the dating niche.

You know why it's crowded? Because it's easy! If you target people who want to explore a new dating website and you tell them in your ad copy that this new site or that new site is the best one yet... it wouldn't be too hard to convince them to sign up for a free profile, right?

Well, in theory, it's really great, but when 1000 other affiliates are doing the same thing, it gets harder to compete with others, especially if they can afford to spend more on advertising... that's why I feel a landing page is necessary here, because it will help you stand out and target a specific target.

But again, if I see a quick opportunity, I would definitely jump on it. I have definitely made some money by direct linking. In the dating scene, if you find a specialized niche without a lot of competition, definitely put up an ad with direct link to the affiliate. This is a good way to quickly test a niche before you invest time on a lander.

In the dating niche, I try to find what bothers all these people signing up for a profile... what problems they would be experiencing, what scares them, what motivates them to buy anything, etc etc.. and I would try to go after those specific needs.

As an affiliate, I feel that my first priority is to help someone (i.e. my customer)... not to make money! Of course I have to be smart about it, because I don't want to end up being broke... but if your focus is to help people by creating a useful guide, resource, or article, I guarantee that you will make the commission.

In summary: iIf I see a lucrative opportunity, I take it! But I mostly try to find a specific burning need that someone has, and my job as an affiliate is to help them put out the fire!

I hope I didn't make things more complicated.

webdev · #15 (**permalink**) 10-12-2007, 08:00 AM

ssmorgan, that's a good advice. Its just that I'm focusing more on trying to generate sales/leads with ppc than anything else. There is so much to learn and think about like keywords, landing pages, bids, what to promote and such and its hard to focus on quality.

I'm just trying to experiment to see if can make any money. I have heard form super affiliates that anyone can generate $10 profit a day but the discouraging thing is that i can't even seem to make that.

I know i'm missing a big chunk of the equation and i appreciate all your help Sherif. I think i need a formal training in this subject. Someone who can sit down with me in person and walk me through all this.

I think im take lisa's advice and go back to content building rather than focusing on ppc. Because content works and you don't have to invest any money (just time) with this method.

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