Transparency between advertisers and affiliates has been always an issue, especially for affiliates. Absence of real value delivered by networks seems to be even heavier topic for debates. For money that Commission Junction and other ad monsters charge, the value better be much more obvious for both – publishers and merchants. The variety of products on big networks is overwhelming, interface is to complicated, application to programs within the large network like CJ or PPJ can be exhausting. Moreover, they all look like clones to me.
While browsing advertising news, I run across pretty interesting affiliate network that seems to add a unique flavor to the ad network business all together, as well as address issues mentioned above. These guys provide completely different kind of approach to reporting.
While other ad networks offer you exposure to their affiliates, IdeaMama (http://IdeaMamaAdNetwork.com) also helps merchant to build credibility and develop relationships not only with publishers, but also referral partners and resellers who don't have an on-line presence. Hey, take into consideration that thousands of laid off executives are very well connected! I think it’s a great move that they can be engaged in affiliate programs without bothering about building web sites. No other network has an ability to manage off-line relationships and properly serve B2B sector, especially companies with long sales cycle 0 they seem to be left out. Nobody seems to want to run their program on CPA.
IdeaMamaAdNetwork.com seems to handle it. They have an automated software system that enables referral partners to upload contact information of prospects and monitor the status of the leads, closely watching how they are moving through pipeline. It means even if the campaign doesn’t generate immediate sales, publishers can see that in 3 months from now there is a percentage of leads that will be closed and generate high payoff.
Basically IdeaMama provides each merchant with a full-blown, proprietary CRM solution to not only manage their channel partners, but also align the business processes of their entire organization.
Overall IdeaMama’s network is not limited by advertisers and affiliates. Their parent company IdeaMamaClub.com connects merchant with thousands of other service providers and contributors that can help them with innovative creative ideas for new marketing campaigns as well as product development.
So, IdeaMamaAdNetwork has developed a solution and bridges the gap to fill in the missing peace in traffic monetization - transparency between affiliates and advertisers. With their technology affiliates’ guessing game is over – they can see the status of each lead converted from their traffic driven to a merchant, it is due to pipeline management features provided to merchants. Now affiliates and referral partners can observe the sales pipeline and predict the probability, volume and time when new deals will be closed in the next one to six months.
The tracking is achieved with dynamic, fully customizable forms that you add to your web site or a landing page. Leads from each campaign are captured right into a CRM system. Merchants get a 1 year license for a 3 user-CRM system. No other CRM solution is as cost-effective when it comes to partner management.
Merchants would never be charged for any partner that has access to the data that advertisers volunteer to provide. Compare this with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Siebel or other CRM providers that will charge you an additional $40-90 for every added partner account. If a merchant wants to add and manage 1,000 partners, simply being a customer of the network can save them over $700,000 a year! With elite account of IdeaMamaAdNetwork.com advertisers may add an unlimited amount of resellers absolutely free of charge and watch leads bulk-uploaded in the CRM.
In addition, right from this account, merchants can email to all their contacts and acquired opt-in lists and invite them to participate in a particular program as affiliates or referral partners.
So, I really love this new approach to affiliate marketing. It makes a lot of sense, especially in a current economy.
Other networks to consider are XY7, Affiliate.com, but unfortunately they are weak in B2B and don’t offer equal transparency. Alternatively you can run your own affiliate program, but it might end up requiring way more resources then partnering with an ad network to run your CPA campaigns
Author: Serg Marchenko, internet marketing professional and new technologies evangelist.
