Publisher Advice

Publishers should explore selling audiences instead of media packs:

• Audiences sell at a premium because audiences are easier to quantify and brands are used to paying through non-CPA models on platforms like Meta and Google for audience-based targeting

• Propositioning media capabilities around the characteristics of the audience and the impactfulness of media in engaging them can justify pricing that exceeds a media pack alternative

Example:

• A category placement may sell for £500 as a one-off buy

• A placement that targets a particular ICP and generates an attractive amount of daily impressions can be positioned as allowing brands to speak to valuable consumers every day

• Impressions could be divided and sold across multiple brands at a fixed daily rate such as 5 brands paying £100 per day

• Selling audiences and moving to a recurring style of billings could help publishers increase their billings and the consistency of cashflow

Lock CPA reductions behind an IO

• New and existing brands could be sent a listing agreement that states CPA decreases must be mutually agreed

• This could help to protect cashflow as unexpected CPA cuts can change the trajectory of the business and disrupt investment plans

• Cuts may also demoralise Account Managers who have a bonus linked to billings

Impressions have value

• Publishers often list brands for free and even if they don’t, the CPA model means brands gain impressions free of charge in most cases

• Impressions are valuable because they quantify awareness. They may also inspire a direct website visit or search engine query where the publisher contribution isn’t trackable 

• Impressions could be sold as part of an annual listing fee on the basis of estimated impressions a brand is likely to gain each year

Evidence your AI impact and charge for it

• If your content can be proven to help brands win references from generative engines then that is worth something. The same can be said for content that ranks highly on search engines

• An SEO and GEO product could be launched that charges brands a recurring fee for content that search and generative engines are likely to reference

• Once content ranks or is referenced then it should be difficult for a brand to stop recurring payments out of the risk the content will be repurposed for a competitor

Don’t undervalue influence in post-campaign analysis

• When reporting into brands, take the approach of other channels and highlight impressions, engagement, changes in consumer behaviour, and other metrics. Sales shouldn’t be the only determining factor in how publisher media is assessed

• Timing matters too. An editorial, for example, may experience a negative ROAS in the short term; however, if the content is picked up by search and generative engines it could eventually lead to a significantly positive ROAS in the long term

Take the time to understand a brand’s problems and offer a bespoke solution

• Each sales email, call or meeting could start with the question ‘what are the challenges your affiliate channel is facing?’ and ‘what are the challenges your business is facing?’

• The responses can then inform the approach to audience, targeting, timelines, media and proposed commercials with a focus on delivering a solution to a problem

• Offering to solve a problem rather than sharing a media pack should offer greater value to brands and increase the likelihood of them investing in media

Get more help with affiliate marketing by purchasing our book, *Affiliate Marketing for Brands*; all profits support the APMA. Amazon – https://amzn.eu/d/0aXXU8wc