While it’s in every publisher’s best interest to diversify, doing so all at once without a solidified plan can have its repercussions. Without taking the necessary steps, you may find that you’ve thrown away valuable time and money. To set yourself up for success, focus on the building blocks that will pave the way for long-term growth.
The Testing Period
Before adding additional campaigns or new sources, study your current campaigns at the granular level. You have a solid ROI and are ready to reinvest that income to continue growing. But first ask yourself, “Why?”
-Ad Copy & Content:
Test various banners or text ads to better understand user engagement. Which ads are resulting in increased clicks, and which of those are leading to higher conversion rates? When using a jump/splash page, test various page layouts and designs to identify those same variables. You can test multiple headers, images, and edit content to include or remove hyperlinks while comparing each new test against your most successful test. There are also a variety of social media widgets you can add to increase the number of visitors to your page, such as the popular “Facebook Like Button.” Whether direct linking or providing a jump page, the most important element is that a smooth transition takes place from ad copy to the end offer.
-Traffic Source:
So you have a solid offer, and you’ve identified your ideal package of promotion materials. Next, you’ll want to be sure you’ve fully evaluated and understand your traffic source. If you’re ready to increase traffic, does it make the most sense to increase bid prices or add additional placements/keywords? Evaluate the metrics that will enable you to be competitive while still profitable, and don’t forget to utilize your account manager for helpful info!
-Research the Competition:
The key to diversifying is to do your research. Check multiple keywords across various search engines to view those pages that are top ranked, or browse the top ranked alexa sites to identify which ads are being displayed most often. You can do this on your own or purchase one of the many software programs available to help with the process. Your research will help you put a focus on your end goal, and will familiarize you with the areas you plan to diversify into.
-Targeting:
Can you improve the targeting of your existing campaigns? Reaching consumers who most often respond to your campaigns not only results in higher quality leads, but ultimately leads to increased conversion rates. The strongest affiliate marketers think full-circle, which includes how offers back out for the advertiser in the long run, and in doing so set themselves up for long-term success. Higher quality traffic can often result in specialized payouts, leading to a higher return on investment.
-Now all at once!:
Multivariate testing is the ultimate of all content testing. Whereas an AB split test is a great way to evaluate test results with only one variable change, multivariate testing takes into consideration many different elements and identifies those that yield the highest overall conversion rate.
Diversify
Now that you have the building blocks in place to determine why you’re profitable, use that insight to not only diversify into your next vertical or source, but to also scale the current campaigns you are running. In the end, you will reap the many benefits of long-term sustainability by taking the time to establish a plan. You’ll better understand consumer behavior and what variables lead to improved performance, giving you the necessary knowledge to replicate that success across future campaigns.
This Article Brought to you by: Lauren Simón, Clickbooth Affiliate Strategist
Lauren Simón graduated from the University Central Florida with a Bachelor degree in Marketing and a focus on Sales & Entrepreneurship. As an Affiliate Strategist and experienced member of the Clickbooth Publishing team, Lauren specializes in Media Buying and SEO/PPC traffic. In her free time, she enjoys lounging on Siesta Key Beach or visiting Disney World.
