Last week the mighty Mr Box of Prezzybox fame asked over on A4U Are we wasting our time doing creative for Affiliates?. Zak was lamenting the fact that his team had put in hours of time to generate Father’s Day banners and content units but as interest from affiliates seemed minimal he also questioned whether the time could be better used.

Zak’s comments resonated as in a blog comment about video creative here on OLD Matt Bailey said that this kind of creative hadn’t really taken off as “affiliate take-up of this has been pretty poor”!

Are affiliates not inspired to get creative?

Well it seems not but are there good reasons for this? On one hand we all want our merchants to provide us with new and up to date tools to promote them, but on the other when push comes to shove we’re not using them – isn’t that just a little strange? It is… but here are just a few possible reasons why!

1. Poor Promotion of New Creative
Login in to any network interface and tell me how an affiliate is supposed to know that a merchant is offering new creative? Ahhh haaaa! How would I know Platform A/Buy.at had just launched video creative? How could I locate Father’s Day banners via Affiliate Window? Would we ever know a merchant has new creative unless we logged into A4U or just stumbled across it? Perhaps networks need to look into better promotion of what’s new and up to date? For example all banners could be dated and tagged appropriately so that an affiliate can find new banners or banners relating to a specific subject.

Or perhaps it’s not worthwhile…

2. Banners/Creative = Poor Conversions & No Incentive
Banners just don’t convert as well as text links, product feeds etc. and it’s quite possible merchants, affiliates and networks aren’t that bothered by them! I still use banners and a good eye catching offer or promotion like a competition, discount, saving or sale, can still encourage clicks. However, there’s usually little incentive, for example extra commission or prizes, for an affiliate to use creative that perhaps is a branding exercise for a merchant.

Is it time merchants started to think differently…?

3. Lack of Dynamic Creative
Perhaps the way banners and creative appear needs to be reinvented? The internet is now running at the speed of Twitter with offers up and down quicker than a Newcastle supporter’s hopes of Premiership survival. Imagine having a 468×60 banner that can be adapted by a merchant at a drop of a hat or even an update on Twitter. This new creative from Crown Bingo is an interesting idea – and perhaps the first use of Twitter in such a way?

Instead of their latest Tweet a merchant could be showing their best seller, a new product, a discount code – anything! By having something more dynamic an affiliate needn’t worry about having to go and change a banner every time something new is uploaded, a merchant can adapt quickly to new market situations, and the consumer (hopefully) becomes less banner blind because the message is changing. Of course dynamic banners need development and perhaps affiliates are being inspired to get creative elsewhere…

4. The Rise of Easy Content Units
Big Idea Media’s Easy Content Units are a major step forward in content unit creative. John, Jason and the team have created a cross network plus Amazon system that allows affiliates and merchants to put together their own product filled banners and creative. Instead of one banner promoting one merchant, an affiliate can target products across a number of merchants. It’s unique, dynamic (cheapest prices) and highly targeted.

With a new Pro-version of the system ready to launch this week and endless opportunities for being creative in terms of the units ECU, merchants and agencies could devise – this is something well worth investigating.

How To Inspire Affiliates To Get Creative!
Networks need to improve ways for affiliates to find new creative!
Merchants could offer incentives for using creative (extra commission)
Dynamic creative through a network could be developed
Easy Content Units may hold the key for all concerned?

As the football season comes to a close, sadly for Zak over at Prezzybox Aston Villa can’t win The Premiership! They started off well, but ultimately they tired and stronger teams emerged to be victorious. And in this year’s A4UAward Blog Nominees this blog is the Aston Villa versus the Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea equivalents of UK affiliate blogging.

With a number of new affiliate blogs emerging (meaning next year this blog could be more like Hull City) I thought I’d look at the other nominees and see why I think they’re top of their game. Perhaps by looking at what they all do well individually it’s possible to give a blueprint for the “perfect affiliate blog” to a wannabe affiliate blogger?

Affiliate Stuff
Kirsty McCubbin provides an incredibly well written and informative blog for all affiliates – newbies to full timers. There are a lot of useful tips and suggestions usually included within her “Ask Kirsty” posts and these are interspersed with tales of travels around the world. Her self analysis of her own sites are insightful and her infectious enthusiasm for the affiliate marketing industry and those working in it comes through. Always willing to help out or offer advice, it’s no surprise that Kirsty has such a popular blog… despite the odd picture of deadly Aussie spiders (scary).

Lee Mccoy
Lee’s site is a must read for everyone within affiliate marketing. Lee is always willing to back up his experiences with stats and data, yet is able to convey any serious message in a well written, entertaining and informative way. Despite the slightly dubious recent rebranding I’d love to see Lee win this year! Lee has also eaten at least a tonne of chocolate just to create a single website.

Lammo.net
Easy Content Unit genius, John Lamerton provides something a little different to the other nominated affiliate blogs and it’s great to see his blog get the recognition it deserves. Lammo.net is very well written and his in depth affiliate marketing guides are mixed in with articles about business and the occasional mention of Plymouth Argyle. John also has the shiniest ever “me” image of any blogger… ever!

Here.org.uk
Double award winner Kieron Donaghue probably has the UK affiliate blog with the most comments and discussion replies. And that probably tells you that his blog is not only incredibly popular but his articles inspire feedback from it’s users. Everyone in AM reading his blog can take inspiration from his ventures, especially those that relate to his latest success Sharemyplaylists.com. Can Kieron make it three in a row? Probably!

So What Is The Blueprint For The Perfect Affiliate Blog?

Well based on the above, the perfect affiliate blog should contain articles to help newbies, an accessible and enthusiastic writer, case studies on your affiliate marketing exploits whilst remaining down to earth, well crafted articles on a variety of business and AM topics, a shiny image avatar and a bumper audience of readers who are inspired to comment based on the quality and consistency of the articles.

What’s quite scary about writing the above is that OLD doesn’t do many of them… but there’s a good reason for that! It just wouldn’t work – and that’s the point.

For all of you wanting to be an affiliate blogger or who are just starting (or about to reembark) on the blog treadmill the message is simple – be yourself! Don’t try and be a Lammo or a Kieron or a Lee or a Kirsty or even a Duck!

Write content about your own experiences in affiliate marketing and be consistent. Most affiliate bloggers fail simply by not writing regular articles. All the blogs above produce top notch content week in week out! Be inspired by the top guys and girls – don’t try and be them! Stand out, be unique and you could be amongst the top UK affiliate bloggers!

So what are you waiting for?

Ah yes.. you want one last bit of good duck advice? If you do decide to give affiliate blogging a go don’t ever be afraid to speak your mind and write from the heart! The rest comes a lot more naturally after that.

It would be great this time next year to see five totally different affiliate blogs amongst the nominations for A4uawards 2010.

The a4uAwards community choice shortlist has been announced and for the second year One Little Duck has been nominated for the best affiliate blog. I’m really pleased about that as I really didn’t think it’d happen this year. A big congratulations to fellow nominees Kirsty (Affiliate Stuff), Lee (Lee McCoy), John (Lammo.net) and Kieron (Here.org.uk). An amazingly strong, consistent and diverse selection of UK affiliate bloggers, which is good to see. Good luck to them all!

If you think that this is the best UK affiliate blog then why not vote for One Little Duck? That’d be cool, but whoever you choose in this category they’ll be a worthy winner! Just make sure you vote in all the other categories too and a big well done to all nominees!

This year I’m going to make the effort and be at the Awards. I’m not a great lover of being tarted up in a tuxedo, but this might well be the last time OLD is nominated as there are so many new affiliate bloggers coming on to the scene! The bad news is that the duck bow tie, last seen at Awin’s event in September 2008, won’t be making an appearance! I’ll be sensibly attired in a proper black tie!

Now how do i get two tickets?

Find out about the A4UAwards

As well as having a duck in our logo, an affiliate blog with the word duck in it and even a blog aimed at things duck related every now and then myself and Jude head off to the Llanelli Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and take pictures of … ducks! The big question is how can I write a blog about photos, ducks and affiliate marketing?

Well.. affiliate marketing is a lot like trying to take pictures of ducks landing on water!

First off you need to set yourself a target!

If at first you don’t succeed! Don’t be put off if your initial attempts don’t go to plan. You might need to tweak a few things to get the results you’re after.

Don’t miss opportunities that may be nearby! Aims and targets are good but keep one eye on what’s going on around you as you never know when a different pathway opens up for you. You may miss out on a golden opportunity if you’re too focused on one prize!

Be patient! Some things in affiliate marketing don’t just happen immediately. You need to have a bit of perseverance, patience, tenacity and even stamina to succeed. Of course there’s also elements of luck and being in the right place at the right time.

When you get a result be happy about it but then try again and see if you can do better. Don’t rest on your laurels.

Finally, get out of the house once in a while. Sitting in front of the computer day in day out isn’t good for the brain or the soul.

Anyway this was just a bit of fun with a few underlying messages about affiliate marketing.

It’ll be back to the Wetlands Centre soon to try and get a better shot… them pesky ducks just seem to know when you’ve switched the camera off!

Over the past year or so a number of merchants have launched video creative. Prezzybox, Firebox, I Want One of Those, Buyagift and Red Letter Days spring to mind. Not all have maintained their enthusiasm for video, whilst elsewhere in affiliate marketing video creative seems to have set up residence with the legend that is “mobile internet will be big next year”.

About a year ago Buy.at set up video ads which incorporated affiliate links for Littlewoods. This was a bit of a false dawn but it looks like they’ve reopened the video case. They’ve partnered with Coull, a service which allows you to make any video interactive!

They’ve already launched creative for Haven Holidays…

… and also for Littlewoods

The result is pretty good!

They’re taking TV adverts and applying interactivity to it so the viewer can click on items and then click through to the merchant and make a purchase. They’re an ideal accompaniment to content or as a standalone advert.

The only thing missing is an option to click on the logos for Haven or Littlewoods at the top of the adverts and therefore visit the merchant without viewing the advert. Hopefully this can be added in the future?

I’d love to see this technology rolled out for other merchants. For example Next have a brand new advert (which is very M&S by the way) featuring their new range and a Gwen Stefani soundtrack. This would be a great bit of creative for a fashion blog!

The key issues with video (creative or otherwise) are time and cost coupled with do they convert?

Taking current TV advertising and converting it to this format removes the need for developing specific video, so that should save on costs so what about conversion rates? Although not specifically affiliate related Coull Case Studies are encouraging. Renault “saw a very high view-to-interaction rate” and Agent Provocateur had “engagement rates greater than 50%.”

If affiliates take this creative on board and it proves successful then it may well encourage more networks and merchants to look at video and rescue it from being left on the same shelf as “mobile will be big next year”.

What do you think? Is this the kind of creative you’d use on your blogs and websites?