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Commerce content and the power of the partnership economy

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Originally published on FORTUNE

According to a recent impact.com study, building successful commerce content-focused collaborations that generate more revenue is an increasingly common practice at top publishers. Home

commerce content

Asย commerce contentย teams solidify themselves as bona fide revenue generators for publishers, their place in a larger ecosystem of brands, affiliates, social influencers, product ambassadors, and nonprofits continues to take shape. Experts define this ecosystem, and the people, services, and technologies that make up its connective tissue as the โ€œpartnership economy.โ€ Itโ€™s a loop of collaborations based on expertise, influence, and authority, in which all parties receive payments or other incentives.ย 

publishers

When publishers understand how it works on a deeper levelโ€”as well as the tactics employed by its most successful practitionersโ€”they build successful collaborations that generate more revenue. According to an impact.com survey of 200 digital media executives and professionals, commerce content and the partnership economy are booming and here to stay. According to these respondents, their profit margins have grown, the volatility of their businesses has decreased, and nearly 90% of them expect sales to grow in the online direct-to-consumer category. Seventy-eight percent of respondents also say that commerce content will contribute to a more significant portion of their companyโ€™s revenue in the future.

Publishers

When publishers understand how it works on a deeper levelโ€”as well as the tactics employed by its most successful practitionersโ€”they build successful collaborations that generate more revenue.

Consumers have the power

The first step in understanding this growth is to look at the consumer, says David A. Yovanno, chief executive officer at impact.com. Specifically, look at how theyโ€™ve been disrespected. โ€œThe consumer has not been honored since the beginning of media,โ€ Yovanno says. โ€œThere were just fewer channels and choices. Advertisers dominated the entire experience and jammed their messages through.โ€

But now the tables are turned: Consumers, says Yovanno, are the ones with the power. They control how they source information, be it from large publishers or micro-influencers on social media. This informs their buying decisions, and it presents an opportunity for brands: By identifying the content providers that specific customers or audiences trust, they can leverage that trust to build awareness, leads, and sales.

That could mean a sneaker brand identifying a fitness influencer with a dedicated audience and partnering with themโ€”if the influencer is willing to vouch for the productโ€™s quality. Technology can be used to identify these potential synergies and partnerships, and the goal is clear to all the players involved: Generate revenue while maintaining the hard-earned trust of consumers.

The role of trust in the modern consumerโ€™s purchase decisions

Trust is a self-perpetuating tenet of the partnership economy. Content providers need to maintain it with audiences in order to keep them coming back. Brands need to maintain it with customers in order to stay in business. And content partners need to maintain it to keep their partnerships strong.

For publishers, partnering with merchants who provide high-quality products that align with their audiencesโ€™ interests is crucial. According to Leilani Han, head of business development and partnerships at the New York Times Companyโ€™s e-commerce vertical, Wirecutter, finding high-quality merchants is paramount for growth.

โ€œWe work with merchants who are as focused on customer service as we are on reader serviceโ€”thatโ€™s the key to our mutual success,โ€ says Han. โ€œ[What] we bring to the partnership [is an] ability to drive new customers, deliver higher than average order value, and [provide] the stamp of approval that comes with a voice.โ€

According to impact.comโ€™s Yovanno, Wirecutterโ€™s participation in the partnership is working: The site has seen revenue growth of 470% year-over-year.ย 

A data-driven partnershipย 

So, how do publishers create these types of partnerships? One way is to share data. According to the digital media executives surveyed by impact.com, brand sales data (41%) is one of the most effective tools in targeting their commerce content to consumers. Itโ€™s followed by third-party audience data (32%), user data from affiliated brands (31%), and wish list data provided by retailers (18%).ย 

This flow of intelligence is the result of strong partnerships. When partners share appropriate data about clicks, conversions, article tags, headlines, bylines, the date a consumer accessed a story, and how the consumer was referred to it, it helps all parties make better decisions.ย 

โ€œData is at the core of many decisions, including but not limited to content coverage, optimization, and digital products,โ€ Han says. โ€œItโ€™s an incredibly important signal for us to understand whether we are delivering on our mission of being as helpful as possible.โ€

The partnership economy is growing, and itโ€™s here to stay. But Yovanno says the pertinent question isnโ€™t whether the partnership economy will last; itโ€™s whether publishers are equipped to take full advantage of the growing e-commerce landscape. The principal aim for publishers, he says, should be both a commitment to honest reporting and careful consideration of the consumer, โ€œThink about your audience before you decide to partner with a brand or advertiser.โ€ย 

Even if a brand is willing to provide a big commission for driving sales, it means nothing if they arenโ€™t providing a quality product. Readers wonโ€™t buy it, Yovanno says, and a publisherโ€™s authenticity suffers. Instead, he insists, โ€œa great partnership is one that makes sense, pure and simple.โ€

Want this great info in ebook form? Downloadย Content Partnerships 101: Why you need commerce content โ€” especially now.ย ย 

How Do Brands Pay Influencers? A Comprehensive Overview

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How brands pay influencers

How do brands pay influencers?

  • ย 
  • How do brands pay influencers?

  • According to a Mediakix study, there are an estimated 3.2 million to 37.8 million social media influencers in the world. This range represents millions of unique individuals who need more than a one-size-fits-all payout structure to compensate for their work. While influencer payments often come in the form of gifting or paying per post, there are other ways brands can pay their influencer partners to create strong, sustainable partnerships.

  • ย 

    How do brands pay influencers?Free guide: Seven ways to pay influencers today and tomorrow

    Interested in how influencers are paid? For a deeper understanding, take a look atย Seven ways to pay influencers today and tomorrow

    Learn all about influencer payment, ROI, and the cost of influencer marketing. blogbysammy

    Get my free guide

    How do brands pay influencers?

    As the adage goes, โ€œIf you do what youโ€™ve always done, youโ€™ll get what youโ€™ve always gotten.โ€ If youโ€™ve been using the same approach to influencer marketing for all influencers, then it may be time to diversify your strategy. Blogbysammy

    What works for one influencer may not work for others. To remain flexible and successful, itโ€™s time to rethink your payment methods.ย  Read more

    Assess your social media influencer business goals

    Before implementing anything new to your influencer marketing program, take stock of your goals, and desired outcomes. This will enable you to achieve:

    • Greater impact and audience engagementย 
    • Trust and authenticity from influencer insights
    • Metrics that help you understand your partnerships and create payment structures from those goals and metrics
    • Long-term relationships with partners who perform well
    • blog by Sammy

    Five examples of payment structures for influencer marketing campaigns

    After reflecting on your goals, consider these five influencer payout formats and see which one aligns the best with your objectives.

    1. Gifting.ย Incentivizing quality content creation to drive traffic and engagement with giftsย 
    2. Performance-based results.ย Creating a scalable model with revenue-based rewards
    3. Affiliate network.ย Driving traffic through customized links
    4. Fixed rate with performance bonus.ย A hybrid fixed rate + percent-of-sale approachย 
    5. Content licensing.ย Paying influencers to create content for the brandโ€™s useย 

    Example 1: Brand awareness through giftingย 

    When brands pay via gifting, they expect influencers to create quality content that drives traffic and engagement. Through gifting, brands can measure:

    • Reach
    • Views
    • Comments
    • Likesย 
    • Shares

    Gifting works best with micro- and nano-influencers as they donโ€™t command as much of a premium for their content. When working with macro-influencers or with celebrities, gifting may still be part of the equation, but it may be combined with other partnership and payment agreements.ย 

    Example 2: Performance based influencer payment

    For brands focused on driving engagement on their social media accounts, gifting might not be the way to incentivize engagement goals.ย 

    When brands tie payment to performance, they can compensate influencers based on the number of clicks, conversions, and revenue driven to their site. This payout structure is the most cost-effective because it enables brands to reward their partners promptly and fairly, connecting payouts to revenue goals.ย  blog

    When brands pay based on performance, they can structure their influencer payments around:

    • Clicks
    • Revenue
    • Conversionsย 
    • Likesย 
    • Shares

    Tracking all these metrics fairly and transparently is crucial to creating solid partnerships. Brands need a platform that tracks this programmatically, such as impact.comโ€™s partnership management platform.

  • How do brands pay influencers?
  • ย 

    Example 3: Affiliate network influencer campaigns

    For brands who wants to drive traffic to their site with customized tracking links, an affiliate network is the ideal approach. blog

    The metrics that affiliate networks track are:

    • Conversions
    • Revenue
    • Average order value

    When brands process payments based on performance from custom links, they can smoothly and efficiently pay influencers and maximize the ROI of their spend.ย 

    Example 4: Fixed-rate with performance bonus

    A fixed-rate model is a hybrid model that enables brands to pay influencers a fixed rate plus a percentage of sale. The combination payment structure creates a higher ROI for both the influencer and the brand. The influencer has incentives paid for every sale or action taken by their followers through the bonuses, but they also have the fixed rate to demonstrate the brandโ€™s commitment.ย 

    Brands can construct a bonus system in several ways, for example:

    • Clicks
    • Conversions
    • Order value
    • Specific product sales

    If youโ€™re looking to drive sales and engagement at scale with a payment system that rewards only genuine, quality results, then this might be the best route for you.

    Example 5: Content licensing

    When brands need content for their different social and web channels, having social media influencers create content with an agreed-upon content licensing fee is a good way to go.ย 

    Under this type of agreement, brands leverage great content while the influencer generates some income. Licensing fee agreements cover what the influencer will create, where the brand can use it, and for how long. These agreements can be tracked by integrating content licensing as a payment model into a partnership management platform such as impact.comโ€™s partnership management platform.ย 

    Types of posts, influencers, and goals will impact your influencer marketing strategy

    Ultimately, when it comes to paying influencers, brands have a variety of options. They can choose payment structures that align their influencer marketing goals with company goals and reward the outcomes they need. When brands understand the outcomes they want to achieve, they can partner with influencers who will meet the metrics to help get them there.ย 

    blog by SammyFree guide: Seven ways to pay influencers today and tomorrow

    Interested in how influencers are paid? For a deeper understanding, take a look atย Seven ways to pay influencers today and tomorrow

    Learn all about influencer payment, ROI, and the cost of influencer marketing.

    Get my free guide

    Now that youโ€™ve mastered the fundamentals of influencer payment,ย schedule a demo to learn how impact.comโ€™s partnership management platform can help your brand strategically manage influencer campaigns and how it connects influencers and creators with the worldโ€™s leading brands.

Earn cash for taking free paid surveys while influencing the next generation of products, services and much more.

The global commerce platform

Start from Zero Review: Is Maxwell onto something?

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Books for Entrepreneurs , Being a startup Entrepreneur means that thereโ€™s a 20% chanceย you wonโ€™t make it past your first year โ€” yikes!

In this review, we look atย Start from Zeroย by Dane Maxwell.

This is aย playbook for building a profitable business regardless of expertise, capital, or other perceived hindrances โ€” including a lack of ideas!

Whatโ€™s even better is that itโ€™s neatly summarized into a 15-minute read.

Enough rambling, letโ€™s get into it! Books for Entrepreneurs

1. About the author

Dane Maxwell , Books for Entrepreneurs

Dane Maxwell

Before digging intoย Start from Zero, itโ€™s crucial to look at Dane Maxwell to understand why heโ€™s a credible source.

In his book,ย Start from Zero, Maxwell makes a compelling case forย how thinking like an entrepreneur can benefit youย โ€” even if you donโ€™t own aย โ€œsoftware as a serviceโ€ย (SaaS) company.

While there is a 20% chance of failure, theย majority of businesses grow out of fast and cheap attempts.

So, why not take the opportunity toย learn from someone elseโ€™s mistakes?

You might be wondering how thatโ€™s beneficial to you?

The simple explanation is that these entrepreneurs learned all the necessary hard lessons thatย gotย them their successful companies in the first place.

Instead of hype, youโ€™ll benefit from aย comprehensive bookย filled withย actionable lessonsย that you can apply to your own business.

We recommend this book for entrepreneurs just starting out and those with an existing business aiming to scale their product revenues.

So, letโ€™s take a look at exactly what Dane Maxwell had to endure to get his business booming.

1.1. The beginning stages

The beginning stages ,Books for Entrepreneurs

By age 22, Dane Maxwell had already started 22 different businesses.ย One for every year he had lived.

Thatโ€™s especially notable, consideringย most people donโ€™t even launchย oneย businessย at any point in their life.

Pretty impressive, right? Well, yes and no.Books for Entrepreneurs

After all, anybody can start a business just as quickly as they can bring an end to it.

Still, to launch companies so lavishly at such a young age tells you something about Maxwellโ€™s ambition and determination.

While the majority of these companies failed, they did so quickly and cheaply enough to allow Maxwell to learn and apply vital lessons to the start-up businesses that followed.

Some of those businesses even offered enough success to sustain Daneโ€™s dream (which weโ€™ll get into in a bit).

1.2. Crucial lessons

Crucial lessons

Maxwell developed some essential insights during his early experiences buying and selling websites while making money withย Google AdSense.

These insights came down to theย two following lessons:

  • There is no one way to do somethingย โ€” Dane focused his energy on passive income above all else in his business
  • Donโ€™t purchase your own freedomย โ€” In the case of a deal-gone-wrong, donโ€™t try to buy yourself out of it

These lessons also made Dane realize that selling software was greatย if his clients only wanted certain components of what he was trying to sell.

While his business offers were great, his customersย never wanted to buy his product as a whole solution.

With so much experience being an entrepreneur, Maxwell realized that he needed toย fulfill a need from the customerโ€™s perspective, instead of just creating something and convincing people they needed it.

The above insight was a game-changer for Maxwell, as he now understood that he didnโ€™t need to be an industry expert.

In fact, the ideas didnโ€™t have to be his own, nor did he really need to know what he was doing.

What he needed to do, however, wasย listen intentlyย to his clientsโ€™ needs andย solve their problemsย by being a facilitator.

1.3. Passion for the business and education-based market

Throughout his time as an entrepreneur and business builder, Maxwell developed a passion for education-based marketing.

Maxwell teaches many of his apprentices toย clearly define whoโ€™s going to be interested in their productsย (target market) and thenย find a way to captivate that audience.

From there on out, the focus is onย providing clients with valuable and actionable content to build strong relationships and trust.

Itโ€™s through this finely tuned framework that Maxwell makes the selling of products and services a fluid and simple transaction โ€” from business owner to client.

Whatโ€™s best of all about this method?

Well, the fact that itโ€™sย mutually beneficial to both partiesย makes this a killer strategy to include.

1.4. Where is he now?

Dan Maxwell businesses

Source:ย DaneMaxwell.com

Maxwell runsย The Foundation, which heโ€™s said is one of his favorite projects.

He spends most hours of the day and night on the project. How? Well, thereโ€™s a catch to this job โ€” itโ€™s not like any other โ€œstandardโ€ one.

Maxwell wanted to create a business based on principles that would benefit his own well-being and that of others.

Through the work he puts intoย The Foundation, Maxwell gains immense fulfillment and pleasure.

This is becauseย itโ€™s an exact business model of what he wantsย to be doing โ€” helping people out and getting their businesses on the right track.

One of the key takeaways fromย The Foundationโ€™s framework is thatย you can start with nothing.

Withย zero ideas,ย limited money,ย andย little to no experience, you canย stillย create something special.

This idea ofย starting with next to nothing is the crux of Maxwellโ€™s book,ย Start from Zero.

2. Summarizing Start from Zero

Summarizing Start from Zero

Source:ย Goodreads.com

Start from Zeroย is an interactive book thatย requires your committed participation to best absorb and leverage its insightful lessons.

Maxwellโ€™s work aims to take youย from having nothing to building meaningful business and incomeย streams.

It gives you the tools and insights to do so byย teaching you to think like an entrepreneur.

As such, Maxwell has laid outย 7 unique adventuresย for his readers:

2.1. The three little rocks thatโ€™ll keep you afloat

In this adventure, youโ€™ll gain knowledge that precisely illustrates how youโ€™re going toย manage jealousy.

As an entrepreneur, youโ€™re going to have moments of envy, where people are outperforming you.

Itโ€™s aย natural feeling, but you canโ€™t allow it to overpower you. Rather, you must find a way toย use it to your advantage.

In this adventure, Maxwell will also highlight the cardinal rule of successful entrepreneurship.

This mantra, when applied correctly, will be your shield from being poor, lazy, and doing business the dumb way.

Maybe that last part is a touch blunt, but thatโ€™s what we like about Maxwell.

He cuts through the fluff and nonsense and tells you how it is.

Donโ€™t sweat the disadvantages

This adventure is calledย โ€œlearn what you donโ€™t needโ€.

Maxwell highlights how most entrepreneurs arenโ€™t irrefutable geniuses with all the answers to their problems.

Most entrepreneurs are going in blind without a shred of expertise โ€• they hire great teams to get over the hump.

The paradigm shift that Maxwell focuses on in this adventure is that you mustย stop noticing the barriersย in your way.

Instead, he brings your existing advantages to light and shows how you can make the most of aย not-so-greatย situation.

2.3. Discovering your needs

There areย characteristics and strengths you must developย if youโ€™re intending to evolve as an entrepreneur.

It wonโ€™t happen if you canโ€™t deal with mitigating factors, such as a weak self-perception or fear of taking risks.

In this section of his book, Maxwell utilizes his teachings toย transform what you think of yourself. He also hones in on how youย manage feelings of fear.

When you handle those crucial elements of your mindset, everything that follows will seem automatic and natural.

More specifically, in this section, youโ€™ll understandย how to overcome the inhibitionsย that might otherwise hold you back.

Being an entrepreneur is more than just running a business. People buy from the person,ย the brains behind the idea.

If you have a good idea and encourage trust amongst your customers but still donโ€™t feel good about yourself, then whatโ€™s the point of it all?

Best Books for Entrepreneurs

You have toย continue to grow as an individual to be an entrepreneur.

Here are some ways you can do exactly that:

  • Build good, healthy habits
  • Continue to learn from those in the industry
  • Never give up a learning opportunity
  • Donโ€™t become complacent, even if youโ€™ve achieved success
  • Stay focused on your personal life philosophy

And donโ€™t forget,ย a healthy mind = a healthy business.

2.4. Four distinct brains

Four distinct brains

Source:ย StartFromZero.com

Maxwell discussesย 4 different kinds of brains in this adventure. Books for Entrepreneurs

Interestingly, he points out thatย most entrepreneurs can succeed with only 2 or 3 of these brains.

Thereโ€™s a catch: 3 can bring you success, but developing all 4 will give you results beyond imagination (especially in terms of your bank balance).

Here are the โ€œ4 brainsโ€ he discusses:

2.4.1. Surveyor brain

Imagine being able to see the income streams in everything.ย 

Where other people might see materials, ideas, problems, or noise, envision yourself seeing pathways for income.

To us, that sounds like the entrepreneurial dream โ€” the Surveyor brain to a tee.

2.4.2. Tiller brain

This brain acts as aย perfect complement to the Surveyor, as you figure out how to scout the surveyed landscape.

Meaning, after youโ€™ve seen a revenue stream, this brain helps you figure outย how to collect, making things a bit more concrete.

2.4.3. Planter brain

Itโ€™s hard to imagine being a thriving entrepreneur without being able toย plant scalable product seeds from scratch.

Of course, Maxwell points out that itโ€™s possible to miss out on one of these brains, but lacking in the thorough and masterful Planter brain seems like a tremendous setback.

2.4.4. Gardenerโ€™s brain

Maxwell helps you develop your Gardener brain and attempts to aid you inย avoiding those activities that waste your time.

In their place, youโ€™ll end up gardening andย growing revenue with valuable, streamlined actions.

2.5. Seven vital skills

Seven vital skills

Much of Maxwellโ€™s teachings revolve aroundย cutting through the nonsense and focusing on whatโ€™s most important. Books for Entrepreneurs

Out of the hundreds โ€” if not thousands โ€” of skills you could learn, Maxwell extracts the 7 skills below.

He firmly believes the followingย skills are what will help you sell, outsource, learn from mishaps, and be an authentic owner that leads from the front:

Itโ€™s easy to see why these skills would be beneficial.ย  About us

Theyโ€™ll essentially aid you to grow onย 4 levels.

2.6. The 4 levels of entrepreneurial growth

Dane Maxwellโ€™sย Start from Zeroย is genuinelyย meant to stick with you throughout your journey as an entrepreneur.

As such, when youโ€™ve mastered all the skills in the above adventures, you donโ€™t simply put the book away to collect dust.

This adventure gives you a map to help youย keep your eyes on the prize throughout your evolutionย as a business owner and entrepreneur.

Here are 5 ways that you can measure your entrepreneurial growth:

1. Look at how much youโ€™re earning

This is one of the easiest ways you can track your growth.

Simply have a look at your financial statements and compare them to when you started out.

You can easily track your earnings by usingย systeme.io!

2. Evaluate customer satisfaction

Even if your company isnโ€™t doing that well on the financial front, you still have the opportunity to see what your customers think.

If customer satisfaction is high, then there may be a good chance of financial success in the future.

Simply work a bit more on your marketing strategies.

3. Consider how much your company has grown

An easy way to measure company growth is by looking at your reach, brand affiliation, product production, amount of leads and customers, and the number of additional employees hired.

4. Evaluate employee satisfaction

One study shows thatย happy employees are 13% more productive.

The idea behind this is the sense of accomplishment your workers are getting and how well theyโ€™re progressing.

Make sure these needs are met, and theyโ€™ll continue to be the worker bees you need to sustain a thriving business. Books for Entrepreneurs

5. Look at where youโ€™re positioned in the market

Measuring your success based on your market position requires you to keep a close eye on your competitorsโ€™ performance.

Make sure to track customer satisfaction through surveys, keep your social media updated, and look at all your sales reports.

Whether youโ€™re a total newbie or a seasoned entrepreneurial veteran,ย these tips and Maxwellโ€™s map will keep you on the straight and narrow, so you never lose your laser focus.

2.7. Examples of real-world success

Itโ€™s all well and good for Maxwell to talk about the theories thatโ€™ll help you thrive as an entrepreneur,ย butย have any of his tips ever worked for anyone?

In this adventure, thereโ€™s aย list of 15 individuals who followed his teaching and transformed themselves into total rock stars.

It acts as someย necessary proofย in the pudding, so to speak.

3. Our final verdict

Our final verdict , Books for Entrepreneurs

Weโ€™ll give Maxwellโ€™s work an A-minus.

The problem with any book of this nature is the misconception that it can work for everyone, and Maxwell โ€” being a salesman โ€” falls into this trap.

His journey isnโ€™t going to be a hard-fast success for everyone, and merelyย getting this book wonโ€™t turn you into a six-figure earner. You, on your own, are going to have to learn these lessons. Books for Entrepreneurs

Still, Maxwell providesย insightful guidanceย throughoutย Start from Zero.

If you commit to his teachings, it will most certainly pay off during your entrepreneurial journey.

Once youโ€™re ready to start this journey, you have tools out there likeย systeme.io that can help run your entire business, all in one place! Books for Entrepreneurs

What is Artist Ecard.com?

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How do I upload Music

What is Artist Ecard.com?

ArtistECard.com is a multi-application platform, designed for entertainment professionals and record labels/management companies to promote talent and their related work. With ArtistEcard, you can build your own website and create a digital press release [EPK], create mobile applications for an iPhone and an Android, as well as create a Facebook application. Best of all you only need to enter information onceโ€“when you create a profile. Once the profile is ready, your information is synched with the rest of the ArtistEcard applications. ArtistEcard allows you to customize backgrounds for free, and offers an easy-to-use content control panel that lets you make changes anytime. Fast, easy, affordable; no programming skills or designers required.

How do I upload Music

Who uses Artist Ecard?

Record labels and entertainment professionals such as artists, musicians, bands, actors, photographers, models, DJs, and other creative talent. How do I upload Music

What types of accounts do you offer on Artist Ecard?

There are two accounts on ArtistEcard: the Artist Account and the Record Label Account.

What is an Artist Account?

The Artist Account is designed for one entertainment professional, such as a musician or a band. An Artist Account offers a full line of associated products.

What is Record Label Account?

The Record Label Account is designed to manage multiple artists from one account/one login. It offers the same features as an Artist Account,

What is subdomain?

A subdomain is a name that you choose that will be displayed after artistecard.com/ . For example: artistecard.com/yournamehere. You can choose any word and can change it later.

How do I use Artist Ecard as my website?

You can purchase a custom domain name within your admin area on ArtistEcard. Just go to โ€œConfiguresโ€ section under the Dashboard and choose โ€œDomainsโ€. Once a domain is chosen your Press Kit URL will be updated in a few hours. How do I upload Music

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