There are a number of things you should look for when deciding which networks to promote. Here are six areas I consider before putting energy into a new network.

1. Reputation
How often is the network spoken about on the Internet? Are the media and blogs portraying the network negatively or positively? Why? Reputation and brand are very important. Reputation is an indicator of how they operate and perform. All networks say they have the best of whatever they may claim but how truthful is it really?

2. Ask About Tracking and Reporting
Which tracking software does the network use? Is it an in-house system or third party software? Do they have a backup system? How do they generate and create subID reports? Also, ensure that the network software is secure and updated on a regular basis.

3. Request a Temporary Account Prior to Joining
Before joining a network, ask for a temporary login or account. This gives you a chance to view the interface and explore offers, payouts, and more importantly to test reporting/tracking. You do not want to join a network and find out they do not have the offers you want to promote. Even worse that their tracking and reporting system are not recording everything accurately.

4. Diversity of Offers
How wide of a range of offers do they have? How concentrated are they? Some networks are solely on particular niches, such as UK offers, credit loans, and insurance. Others may have a wide variety of items to promote, from infant diapers to fashion and clothing. There are also networks who cater to a little of everything but do not have a huge list of offers in each niche. You will need to ask yourself what type of offers you want to run.

5. Talk to the Managers
Is the affiliate manager friendly when you speak to them? Are you able to small talk while on the phone? How many people did you talk to after signing up? You want to talk and get the feel from the affiliate manager or team members of the network. Accessibility is also important – are you able to reach representatives from the network via email, phone, IM, Twitter, etc.? Access and responsiveness will give you a sense of security and comfort when promoting an offer via the network.

6. What are the Methods of Payment?
Check to see how you will be paid: PayPal, wire transfer, check, etc. If by check, how is it delivered? How often are you paid? Weekly, bi-weekly, daily? What is the quota for such payments? Can you get direct deposits? Inquire about the fees for the direct deposits, if any. And if you are located outside of the United States, do they securely ship checks or direct deposit internationally?

Take these steps to perform due diligence on a network, and you will limit risks and headaches down the road.

Ian Fernando is the Founder of IANternet Media LLC and Blogger/Affiliate Marketer at IanFernando.com.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 4 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue4.pdf
FeedFront issue 4 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/category/issue-4/

The basics that every advertiser and publisher should know

I recently attended ad:tech San Francisco, which boasted nearly 15k attendees. I enjoyed catching up with old friends, having brainstorming sessions over drinks, and even accepting an ad:tech finalist award for “Best Affiliate Marketing Campaign” (congrats to Schaaf Consulting who was the category winner).

However, my major take away from the conference was that our industry is flooded with affiliate networks, ad networks, and vertical ad networks, as evidenced by the volume of booths in the exhibit hall claiming to be the leading network. While the growth in the ad network space is certainly not new, it has exploded over the past 12-18 months.

The growth of vertical ad networks makes lots of sense, since many advertisers are frequently looking to tap into relevant niche websites. Where ad networks include a broad mix of many websites (for example, advertising.com), vertical ad networks are much smaller, but highly targeted to particular content areas (for example, traveladnetwork.com).

Why Should You Care?

Publishers need to cut through the noise and decide which type of network (or combination thereof) to associate themselves with. Advertisers need to build strategies to effectively utilize an optimal mix of these marketing channels.

Value to Publishers

All three of these marketing channels offer publishers access to many leading advertisers through a system that streamlines the process of:

• finding advertisers
• launching campaigns
• tracking performance
• receiving payments

Where they are different requires a closer look:

Value to Advertisers

The ability to easily run ad campaigns across a multitude of websites speaks to the scale offered by these channels and highlights one key advertiser benefit offered by these marketing channels.

Many sites that appear in these marketing channels would never make it to a media plan on their own, because of their limited audience and reach. However, they can work with leading advertisers through these channels and reap the rewards of those relationships.

Here are some differences:

Summing Up

If you decide to explore any of these channels, do your homework first. While there are a number of benefits in doing so, there are also pitfalls, such as how to ensure your ad network buys do not poach your affiliates etc., but I will save those for future articles.

Peter Figueredo is the CEO and Co-Founder of NETexponent, a performance marketing agency that is efficient, evolving, and ethical. Their suite of services includes Affiliate Marketing Management, Media Partnerships, and PPC Search Marketing.

Download issue 1 of FeedFront at http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue1.pdf.