If everybody's just copying each other... how do u get ahead? (18)
If everybody's just copying each other... how do u get ahead?
Serious question. Spy tools are great. You can find out what's working and get off to a good start. Add some creativity and then perhaps you're in the green.
But how long before someone else rips your lander?
Unless you have an exclusive deal on an offer/bump in payout or run traffic on sources spyers can't reach how can you build something sustainable if everybody's just spying and copying each other?
Innovate.
There are a lot of precedents.
Think outside the box.
Its easy to make a buck or two copying the same shit everyone else does, thats why this industry is great.
To make serious cash though, you need to add value.
Here are some examples of companies that do direct response advertising, B2C marketing, dont manufacture their own products, and have created $100mm+ businesses.
Diet: Sono Bello, Lapband, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, TrimSpa, Coolscultpting, etc
Muscle: Beachbody (P90X)
Tony Robbins, Dean Graziosi, Fortunebuilders, etc etc etc.
The trick with all of these, is that the LTV of each customer is MUCH higher than the LTV in the affiliate marketing space.
For instance, the average customer in the nutra space is worth $125.
About half of that value usually gets paid out to the affiliate, and 10% goes to product costs, S/H, etc.
Average P/E rate a company purely in AM could be bought for is probably less than 1, because that weight loss customer a company got last quarter, is not worth absolutely ZERO dollars.
For companies like Airbnb, Uber, REI, Walmart, Apple, Tony Robbins, Weight Watchers, Tesla, etc., they have created marketing (a customer experience) that keeps customers coming back to the well with cash-in-hand over and over again.
Their LTVs are through the roof.
And their vision to innovate more is massive.
The trick isnt about creating landers that convert 5% better, thats easy, someone will do it, and you/I can rip them within a week, and reap the benefits.
The trick to get ahead is to innovate.
Read Zero-to-One, great book.
The trick is to create a customer experience, a product, or whatever, that makes that $125 seem like small beans.
Lyft (an Uber competitor) offered affiliates a $20 ride credit to promote them.
I've probably spent over $1000 with them so far this year. So have a number of other people I know.
They created an awesome customer experience.
There are endless opportunities out there.
Make a few million marketing other peoples stuff first.
I hope that answers your question.
If you're in the mindset to constantly create new angles and ads, then you will always be one step ahead. If you are in the mindset to copy other people, you will always be one step behind.
Read this post. It answers that exact question. It's written by Finch.
http://finchsells.com/2014/06/23/dude-wheres-my-margin/
you can get exclusivity on the angle with the advertiser.
however, if you're pushing network offers, then the creative is probably not the best competitive advantage.
Awesome advice guys thank you!
Negotiate a higher pay out than anyone else. Then you're ahead :-)
And. Test. Optimize. Scale up. Repeat.
Think in terms of moats. What competitive advantages can you get over the other guys?
- Higher payouts
- ROI Boosting Scripts
- Exclusivity on offers / payouts
- Exclusives on certain traffic sources
- Data
- Optimization strategies / maintenance strategies.
- Speed of implementation
The list goes on.
- ROI Boosting Scripts -
is it Back button redirect? What else? Who can describe a little deeper? Thanks in advance! )
Originally Posted by dr_ngo
- - exclusivity on offers (exclusivity on a certain traffic source, or even better country/world wide).
- - optimisation strategies (automated)
- - speed of implementation (automated and/or outsourced)
It's highly unlikely you can get exclusivity on an offer unless you are running a tonne of volume...so it's kind of a double edge sword.
The last two points need custom tech and/or employees to make them happen.
Optimisation strategies (automated)
Come up with either an optimising strategy that works on a scalable level. E.g have the ability to automatically change bids on the traffic side based on the data you are buying.
Speed of implementation
Correct me if I'm wrong but this basically means rip campaigns as soon as they get launched, and plaster them on as many proven sources as possible. This is a big budget/Chinese sweatshop play.
If I were starting out today, without a serious budget, or experience hiring/managing staff... There is no doubt I would focus on making automated optimisation strategies my edge.
Interesting Loz, I have been wanting to do something along the lines of automated optimization but haven't really known where to start/find someone.
With minimal tech knowledge, I am not clear on how the system would work. I will need to find someone that can create the system for me once I know exactly what I want, do you have any pointers in where to find someone? Perhaps Goshev wouldn't be a bad shout?
Originally Posted by baggins
E.g launch a campaign, send $100 worth of data to it. Pause. Look at data. Make rules...like if X carrier has this EPC, then make sure bid for that is X% lower than EPC. The more granular you get the more of an edge you will end up having. Document each step. Then once you have proven that works across a few campaigns you can start looking for programmers to hire, or partner up with.
Originally Posted by jjmanno
Originally Posted by Mr Green
But yea getting 100% exclusive is not easy, but you can get a slice of it.
For speed of implementation it means how fast you can execute ideas. Example you think of a new angle - does it take you hours or weeks to implement your idea? It means to look at your processes and make them more efficient. If that includes ripping landing pages faster then more power to them :-).
edit: I think this is the only time me and green ever talk about AM. our conversations are always about traveling lol
delete
Originally Posted by dr_ngo
Originally Posted by jjmanno
Another way to get exclusivity on an offer is, of course, to create it.
But that's a somewhat different story...
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