In every lifecycle in the growth of a company there are moments that define a company’s evolution and future. As Jim Collins said in his book Good to Great, there are stops along the journey when people get on and off the bus. This is a healthy natural occurrence in a company’s growth.

That may be the case. But in this case, its never easy to say “all the best” to someone who is part of the fabric of the MediaTrust family and one of my closest friends. I think I have spoken to Jivan more that my wife most days (lets keep that between us:)).  Jivan Manhas,our acting VP of Sales and fellow founder, has decided to step away from day-to-day operations of the firm he helped me co-found six years ago. After he completes his transition, Jivan will continue to support MediaTrust as a close friend, advisor, and shareholder of the firm.

Jivan explains:

“Subsequent to our recent merger with Bardon Advisors. MediaTrust is well positioned for continued growth going forward. Given the strength of the combined leadership team, as well as some of the new business we have lined up, now seemed like a good time for me to step away. I know the company is in good hands and we are well positioned to take care of our affiliate marketer and affiliate publisher partners. And that is important to everyone in the MediaTrust family, and to me as co-founder — and as a current and future shareholder!”

As part of the transition, we  will be winding down some of our operations in Toronto as we are optimizing and focusing the company for its next evolution of growth as a performance marketing platform. We will be looking to fill several key sales, product, and operational roles in our growing New York and greater Los Angles locations. As we build out our “MT East” & “MT West” centers of excellence in the two most influential digital media and adverting cities of the US, look for some new announcements regarding exciting technology releases, advertising partnerships, and new team members.

If you’re an affiliate marketer who hasn’t been living under a rock, you’ve likely heard the exciting news that MediaTrust has acquired search and CPC network Bardon Advisors, which will allow MediaTrust publishers to run pay per click campaigns through the existing MediaTrust platform. With the addition of CPC, MediaTrust now offers three performance marketing metrics for their campaigns: CPC, CPL and of course, CPA. This acquisition continues MediaTrust’s shift from a traditional CPA network to a diverse performance marketing platform that offers publishers a myriad of transaction types.

Interestingly enough, the most common question that I’ve received in the last 48 hours has been ‘How does CPC work’? For publishers who have cut their teeth on the CPA mold, CPL has been a reasonably simple transition. CPC however, is a slight departure from the CPA model in that it requires both less time and more time at the same time from the publisher. Let me explain…

While on the surface it would seem that a CPC campaign would be far simpler to convert than a CPA campaign, CPC campaigns still require publishers to prove their worth on the back-end. For this reason, publishers are typically set up on a hard click cap of 500 clicks per campaign. This affords MediaTrust the time to measure the quality of the clicks being sent to the campaigns’ landing pages. Here’s a high-level of how the CPC model works:

1- Publisher creates compelling ad copy.

2- End user clicks on compelling ad copy and Publisher gets paid pre-determined CPC amount.

3- End user reaches a landing page comprised of various links.

-        This is where quality CPC publishers differentiate themselves from any ol’ publisher looking to make a quick buck.

4A- End user clicks away from the landing page.

4B- End user clicks on one of the links on the landing page MediaTrust collects revenue.

MediaTrust will pay the referring publisher regardless of the action occurring in step 4, however once the 500 clicks have been used up, publishers who refer mostly 4B end-users will be the ones that MediaTrust continues to work with. So while publishers will make the same amount of money for sending clicks to the landing page during an initial testing phase, the difference lies in the quality of the traffic being sent, which will determine the sustainability and profitability of the partnership.

I can’t stress enough how important it is for publishers to create a strong call to action for end-users to click on one of the links on the landing page, as opposed to simply encouraging them to click on the link that is in front of them. To paint a picture, let’s say an end-user is seeking information on local chocolate factories. Wouldn’t it make sense that this end user would be far more likely to click on one of the links on the landing page if he’s been brought in by creative that reads “Click here for a list of the top chocolate factories nearest you”, as opposed to coming in from creative that reads “Love chocolate? Click here!”? This is where CPC is similar to CPL and CPA – the most creative publishers will continue to rise to the top of their industry (as well as the top of paid results and earnings charts). So keep those gears turning, and contact your publisher manager for more information and advice on how to effectively become a CPC marketer.

UPDATE: this post was authored by JORDAN KRAVITZ. Apologies to all, especially Jordan for the  incorrect attribution!

We are thrilled to announce our acquisition of Bardon Advisors and to have Keith Cohn join us as our President. This further expands the breadth and depth of our capabilities as a performance marketing platform. The MediaTrust platform now offers diverse transaction types (CPC, CPA & CPL) and tools such as our Conversion Solutions & Landing Page Rotator.

We believe the future of online marketing is platform-driven ecosystems that are open, modular and agnostic. Similarly to how at the heart of the Google ecosystem is a search platform, there is a performance marketing platform at the center of MediaTrust. We are looking to drive our segment of the internet marketing forward by delivering an innovative technology platform to empower our advertiser, marketer and affiliate publisher partners with the best-of-breed performance marketing solutions to drive traffic, leads and transactions.

Keith Cohn is the President and partner we have been searching for for over a year. He is equally as passionate about digital media and marketing, and has a track record in building digital marketing companies. Keith understand how to create value for brands, agencies and publishers by creating customized programs across all performance marketing channels. Helping brands understand and transition into performance driven advertising is a critical success factor for the future of the performance marketing industry.

And a quick FYI: In the upcoming months, we will be announcing several new products for publishers and advertiser that leverage CPC transaction capabilities. We now own a tremendous amount of sites, traffic, and (most importantly) data that we can leverage to make every aspect of our platform  smarter in targeting, optimizing and converting consumers, interactions, and transaction.

Our platform has migrated from being the typical “traffic-in/ traffic-out” affiliate network into a platform that powers the entire performance marketing value chain and “connects impressions to performance”. We have a very robust product road map and will continue to innovate and deliver technology to advance the performance marketing industry. We look forward to our continued collaboration with our business partners and industry so that we can evolve and grow as a community.

You can see the full press release and further information HERE and whats going on with coverage on Revenews , 5 Star Affiliate Programs , Adotas and Paid Content

Dear MediaTrust Partners,

We are pleased to announce some exciting news. MediaTrust has acquired search and CPC network Bardon Advisors .

We are very excited about this news, as Bardon’s team and technology allow us to broaden the MediaTrust platform to offer pay per click campaigns for our advertising and publishing partners. This means our advertisers and publishers can choose from three performance marketing metrics for their campaigns:  CPL, CPA and now CPC. The acquisition further expands our platform capabilities as we evolve to a diverse technology-driven performance marketing platform that handles every transaction type and includes best-of-breed tools for our partners to increase ROI. These tools include the recently released Conversion Solutions and our proprietary landing page rotator optimization system.

With this acquisition, Bardon Founder and CEO Keith Cohn will be taking the position of President and a seat on the board of directors of the combined entity. Cohn comes to MediaTrust with more than 20 years of leadership experience, building brands and businesses for start-ups and large established companies. Prior to launching Bardon Advisors, Cohn was President and CEO of Vendare Media, an Idealab & venture-backed Internet advertising and media firm. From 2000 to 2006, he led Vendare Media from a pre-revenue, fledgling Internet start-up into a $120mm a year diversified marketing firm with an emphasis on lead generation and other forms of performance- based marketing.

We are very much looking forward to working with Keith and the great team he has assembled. We are also looking forward to working with you to see how our broadened offering can help you reach your business goals.

Your account or publisher manager will reach out to you in the coming days to schedule some time with you to walk through the new offering. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us with any questions. Also, we have assembled an FAQ to address some of your questions.
Regards,

The MediaTrust Team

MediaTrust named #3 on mThink online advertising bluebook Top 20 Performance Marketing Networks and Exchanges

On April 17th, mThink came out with their first performance marketing network rankings of 2010. Needless to say, we’re excited that we’re in the top three.

We have a lot going on that should help us win  the number 1 spot. Along with winning the business of more exclusive tier 1 and tier 2 brand advertisers and agencies, we are continuing to introduce new technologies for advertisers and publishers, as well as fine tune our processes to make sure all of the partners in the MediaTrust ecosystem are safeguarded from a compliance perspective.

By the way, stay tuned: We’ll have some exiting news soon that should get the market talking!

As far as details on the award:

“In March, 2010, Revenue Performance surveyed over 1,000 publishers, advertisers, agencies and networks. The factors identified by the vast majority of respondents reflect the value placed on trust and reputation right now. Over 80% of respondents picked tracking accuracy and trust as the most important factors when choosing a network partner, with fraud prevention running a close third.”

An Agenda For Change and The Evolution of Affiliate Performance Marketing

I am honored to have been selected as one of the keynotes at the Performance Marketing Leadership Summit. The summit is taking place today at Ad:tech in San Fransisco. The agenda includes many industry thought-leaders gathered to participate in a very important discussion. We will be discussing how we effect change and evolve our segment of internet marketing so that larger brands , budgets and  agencies become more deeply involved the affiliate performance marketing space.

We are at a critical inflection point in our industry and have the opportunity to grow substantially IF we address key issues and come together as a unified industry segment. Think about it: There is no where else to go as digital marketing moves from CPM to CPC to the back end of the internet marketing funnel which is 100% transactional advertising.

We can either keep going in the direction we are heading in (MediaTrust says ‘no thank you’) which is to remain the red-headed-step child of internet marketing. Or get our act together and do what it takes to mature and realize the full potential of Performance Marketing. Basic laws of business tell us that we need to evolve. (This evolution is also the core of one of the best business bibles ever written: ” Good to Great” by Jim Collins–if you have not read it then get it!)

That being said, we need to work together to realize our full potential. Events like these are critical so that we can have open presentations and discussion about technology, fraud, transparency, compliance & industry standards.

I hope everyone will join and get involved in helping shape the future of our industry. I will post insights on the summit and the presentations and encourage those who are unable to make it… affiliate marketers, publishers, advertisers, merchants , networks and agencies no matter how big or small to get involved in the comments. We need everyone’s participation and input.

SUMMIT INFO : HERE shows the agenda , roster of speakers and companies attending

Top Industry Leaders Examine, Explore and Debate:Compliance, Fraud & Transparency What’s Keeping Tier 1 Advertisers Away Monday, April 19, 2010, 12 Noon PST Intercontinental Hotel – San Francisco, CA 888 Howard Street | San Francisco, CA 94103 Grand Ballroom A – Third Floor (located 1 block from the Moscone Center) This is a Free Event – Lunch will be served; Networking & Cocktails to follow Summit
Our industry is being attacked!  By fraud, by transaction processing woes and by Compliance issues.  It seems everywhere we look there are challenges that require us to alter the way we do our business plans and strategies.Add to that, the fact that as an industry we have been unable to draw in more than a handful of Tier 1 advertisers into the Performance Marketing channel.  Mostly due to the factors listed above.  Simply put, they look at Performance Marketing as a channel where the risks outweigh the rewards.  In order for us to grow, we will need to change that perception to the advertiser community. There is something you can do to help change that.  Offervault is presenting the Performance Marketing Leadership Summit.  This event, which builds on the first Leadership Conference held during AdTech NY in 2009, attempts to bring together Performance Marketing executives and advertisers into an open and honest forum regarding the issues we all face in today’s Cost per Action environment.
	Keynote Speaker: E.J. Hilbert President, Online Intelligence, Epic AdvertisingFor many in this industry the term compliance usually means lost profits, cease and desists, lawsuits and government intervention.  But, compliance is far broader when done properly means exactly the opposite.  Compliance is a catch all term to address legal concerns but is also anti-fraud, anti-abuse and brand protection.  Under that definition, compliance has moved from an add-on to the corporate culture and become a requirement for business success.		Featured Speaker: Peter Bordes MediaTrust Founder & CEO Attracting top tier advertisers (and their budgets) is a concern for our entire industry. No one knows this better than Peter. As a thought leader and long time player, Peter has been able to attract top advertisers and retain them for the long haul. He will reveal the strategies MediaTrust has been using to motivate them and keep this elusive group coming back for more.

I’m not in Austin yet, but I wanted to give you an update on what you can expect during our coverage of SXSW Interactive. Several people have reached out via email to setup a time to chat in Austin. Why haven’t you? You can reach me via email at: sparent AT mediatrust DOT com or by sending a tweet to either @AmericanCliche or @MediaTrust. Let’s get together in Austin!

Maryland Affiliates Call to Arms! Your Voice is Needed!

Affiliates please take the time to participate in this fight that threatens our industry and your livelihood. No matter what size your affiliate business is your voice is needed and does make a difference. An advertising tax bill has been proposed in Maryland, and a hearing has been scheduled for March 17th. If this tax passes, we estimate over 100 advertisers will terminate their affiliate programs with Maryland publishers.

The Performance Marketing Association is the central hub of all of our initiatives and is leading our industries charge to fight this unfair and ill-conceived tax.

“Our effectiveness in fighting legislation that directly harms the income of affiliates will depend on your support. The PMA will be coordinating a targeted grassroots campaign, and we need help from all Maryland affiliate marketers.”

You can learn more about this issue here:

http://www.performancemarketingassociation.com/blog/category/state-legislation/maryland/

You can register your support on the PMA site:

http://performancemarketingassociation.com/advocateform.html

You can also join a group formed for Maryland affiliates: http://groups.google.com/group/pma-md/

Our strength is in our numbers!

If you Twitter please use #NoAdTax to help spread the word in your tweets and Tweet this post ASAP
You can also reach out to the PMA

Rebecca Madigan
Executive Director | Performance Marketing Association
o: 805.445.9700 (PST)

We know it’s a Monday morning and you’ve tons to knock off the to-do list today, but if you could take a minute (literally a single minute) and take a quick a survey, we’d appreciate it.

The survey is from mThink’s Revenue Performance Magazine. You may remember that we were named #1 Performance Marketing Network in 2009  in RPM’s Blue Book. We’d love to try and repeat that success, but we need your help. Just take a minute to complete this survey and help us toward our goal!

SXSW Interactive starts in just a few short days. During that time, some of the smartest minds in technology, social media and digital marketing will be descending on Austin. Are you one of those people? If so, please make sure to get in touch with me. My hope is to meet and connect with people that want to help others become better marketers. To me, that means social media tools, video technology, search engine insight, metrics gathering, media buying and about two dozen other things that I haven’t thought of yet.

Now, I’m just spit-balling here, but my goal is come back from SXSW with a boatload of information that I can use to help those in the performance marketing industry grow their business. So, if you’re open to sitting down with me for a few minutes to talk, shoot a video for Relevantly Speaking, or just grab beer and brainstorm – I’m in!

Email me at: sparent AT mediatrust DOT com or reach out to me via Twitter @americancliche.

Safe travels to Austin.

In the spirit of innovation here at MediaTrust, we’re announcing some cool new features around landing page stats and optimization.

First, we’ve developed a new landing page report which allows users to view statistics for each landing page on a given campaign. After sending traffic to multiple landing pages, users can view and compare conversion rates on each and determine which one is performing the best. Using the highest performing landing page will increase commission without the need for any new distribution.

Second, for those users that segment their traffic source with a sub ID, a landing page filter has also been added to the Sub ID Report. As conversion rates can vary for each segment, this feature allows even more in-depth and accurate reporting to help increase commission.

In addition, lead adjustments are now displayed in a new summary at the top of the Sub ID Report. This allows publishers to see things like bonuses, as well as items like chargebacks or items scrubbed for fraud. This is in alignment with our goal of increased transparency.

Finally, all of our reports are now running off a brand new data warehouse, so they should all load statistics noticeably faster.

Hopefully these improvements continue to make your experience a a MediaTrust Publisher smoother and more profitable. Do not hesitate to contact your publisher manager if you have any questions. Still not a publisher? Sign up now!