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?

I’ve spent the last few days in search of 125×125 buttons – in one case a bit too specific (duck related buttons) – but apart from that buttons for generic topics like gadgets, broadband and charity.

But blimey! What a palava and what an amazing amount of time wasting!

Some merchants have 125x125s (hooray), but unfortunately many don’t (booooo). Of the merchants that do have this creative size some of is is woefully out of date (booo some more). For example, Seatwave are promoting Rugby World Cup Tickets – just days before the Six Nations kick off and the mighty Wales look to beat everyone again.

Now costs will be cited as a reason for the lack of standard creative or up-to-dateness! As an affiliate I’d hope that networks are reminding merchants to pull their fingers out and on top of updates and that they’re telling clients “please provide these sizes”.

However, there seems to be little or no standardisation from merchant to merchant in terms of sizing plus very poor housekeeping in making sure that things are up to date – and that’s across all networks. It’s all incredibly frustrating.

Yes I could devise my own or resize the creative that is available – but time is a commodity and given the choice between playing with graphics (which no doubt would need to be given the ok by the merchant anyway) or picking up a 125×125 from a different merchant – guess which is more favourable?

On affiliates4u, recently, there was a discussion asking affiliates why sign up and not promote?

Well the answer is incredibly simple…

… because some merchants do their best to make it as hard as possible to get promoted at even the basic affiliate level of adding a banner. There should be a standard suite of creative (why some can create a 150×150 button but not a 125×125 I don’t know) and that creative should be kept up to date.

As affiliates we want to promote merchants – but please can you try and make it easier for us?