By implementing new promotional tools (Ad tag, Direct link and Pop-up), we have introduced new ways to easily and efficiently work with affiliates and optimize traffic at the same time.

Promotional tools can also be very useful if affiliates are media buyers as well. In this week’s blog, we will explain benefits of promotional tools, and how using them helps improve relations with your affiliates.

Ad tag

For starters, let us explain what an ad tag is. It‘s basically a piece of code that is implemented into the publisher site or some other ad server, and enables banner delivery.

How does an ad tag work?

Ad tag connects to our Ad Server, which dynamically decides which banner will be displayed. This promo tool enables affiliates to simply copy a piece of code and put it into their website. That way, affiliates don’t have to worry which banners will be displayed. The system chooses the right banner based on targeting, capping and specific criteria that define what each affiliate is allowed to promote. The banner can also be selected based on automatic optimization.

When a set of offers goes through those elimination criteria, the system decides which banners can be delivered. This is done based on performance prediction. For example, a publisher has a website or a blog and places an ad tag on it. Certain banners will be delivered depending on predicted behavior of end users. Such automatic optimization is possible thanks to the large data sets about users, their characteristics, reactions, devices, locations, banners, offers, and different other entities stored in the system.

Ad tag integration

When affiliates buy traffic from other networks, they can use the promo tool for so-called ad tag or snippet integration. For example, the traffic is bought and sent to our Affiliate Software. Instead of creating a banner in another ad server, affiliate can use an ad tag from Affiliate Software. The third-party ad server will deliver an ad tag from Affiliate Software which will then request a dynamically selected banner from Affiliate Software.

Networks’ dilemma

Not every network will allow this system because it allows a degree of uncertainty concerning the banner that will be delivered. There can be many possible banners behind an ad tag. Also, ad tag provides a simple way to sell traffic to other networks. Publishers often use their own ad server because they like to control what will be displayed on their inventory.

Direct link

Direct link helps affiliate software automatically choose the offer to which the end user will be redirected. The offer that shows up depends on optimization type and filters chosen by the affiliate.

How does a direct link work?

Usually affiliates choose an offer from the offer list they want to promote. What AdCumulus offers is a tool that enables affiliates to promote a set of offers. In other words, affiliates have the possibility to select a number of offers from a given offer list through the direct link. That can be really useful if affiliates are media buyers as well.

What does AdCumulus’ direct link provide?

First things first, affiliates can either choose a category, or concrete offers, or they don’t have to choose anything, but the system itself delivers any suitable offer. If affiliates choose themselves, the software chooses among all given offers from the category. Then affiliates can continue to choose further details. „Choose offers“ option allows affiliates to choose specific offers without worrying about targeting, capping or other criteria; they just have to send traffic. It is a great option for affiliates and networks because they don’t have the fall back traffic – a received traffic that doesn’t match the offer. This is avoided because the system uses elimination criteria, such as targeting and capping, upfront.

It can also be defined in what way the system will optimize the traffic. One can define whether the traffic will be sent to offers by random choice or by: “maximize expected profit”, “maximize CTR”, “maximize revenue” or “minimize payout” criteria.

For example, if a “maximize expected profit” criterion is chosen, offers will be sorted depending on the expected profit. Meaning, the offer which will bring the highest predicted profit for the particular user will have the biggest chance of being displayed. Nevertheless, all the offers have a chance being displayed to the user.

Optimization is everything

The system optimizes the monetization of clicks, better yet; the system optimizes a chosen goal. That goal can be, for example, to maximize conversion rate. If affiliates are media buyers, they can place a direct link into the tool they use for media buying. The other possibility for affiliates is to put the link directly on our Ad Server as a destination if they don’t use some other tool but send traffic from a network to our Affiliate Software.

Pop-up

Pup-ups are also one of AdCumulus’ promotional tools. A pop-up ad is a form of advertising that appears on top of the browser window that users have visited.

How does a pop-up work?

Our system defines some action on a banner script; for example, a pop-up appears every time users click on a website. Pop-ups are used extensively in online advertising and can be quite effective. On the other hand, users often find them obtrusive so it is important to use them wisely.

Love or hate?

Though many internet users initially dislike pop-ups, the truth is that they work. For instance, we can compare them with newspaper inserts. While reading newspaper you have to at least glance at those ads before you can continue reading. The same is with pop-ups. Users will at least see the pop-up for a few seconds before they close the window. That makes pop-up ads more noticeable than other types of online ads.

Be aware of false positives

Affiliates can often see an above average CTR as a result of pop-up ads, though some of that can come from “false positives”, that is unintentional users’ clicks when the pop-up gets in the way of their desired destination. Advertisers can get a better picture of the real effectiveness of pop-up advertisements by keeping track of conversion rates and return on investment (ROI).

Now that you know all the benefits our promotional tools can provide, seize the opportunity and use them for traffic optimization, increasing your campaign effectiveness, and for building your relationships with affiliates! Your affiliates will love it!