Viability of Incentivized Lead Generation

[UnripeArbiter]

I searched incentivized , but still have a few unanswered questions before I feel confident in pursuing this.

(Actually, as far as confidence goes I found quite a few "incentivized offers suck" posts. Oh yeah, and a couple of old threads saying incentivized offers are dying... but those were old threads and they're still around so...)

First, and this isn't the main question, why do they suck? I mean I can see that the traffic will be complete shit for the merchant, but that's their problem. Definitely doesn't suck for the affiliate....I mean it's fucking hella easy conversions. So it only sucks for the merchant not for the affiliate, right?

Which brings me to my main question...

Since they do suck so much for the merchant do merchants consistently pay? I have a feeling once I start generating lots of leads they will cut me off. Although, everything I will be doing will be 100% TOS compliant, I just don't see why they would pay.

I found one incentivized offer looking through COPEAC for Zip-Submit Nintendo Wii Offer. Some of you may have seen it. The date on that thing is from 2006. WHY THE FUCK WOULD THEY PAY FOR INCENTIVIZED ZIP SUBMITS? What the hell?! $1.20 on top of that. But the date is from 2006... so they continue to do it... My head is spinning.

I would like to hear from some people who have experience generating a lot of incentivized leads. Do you actually MONTH AFTER MONTH get paid. I hope so. Please, give me some confidence.

 

[johu]

I'd gamble that that link really doesn't pay... The only incentivized offers that really work out for merchants are those where a user purchases something (and the payout is less than the cost), or a biz opp/membership based lead where it only costs the user $4 up front, but starts billing them $100/month after the trial period (since most people forget to cancel).

 

[UnripeArbiter]

I would gamble the same. So why is it even there?

 

[aim]

Getting paid isn't the issue, especially if you're working with a reputable network like Copeac.

#1 Incentized Lead Gen sucks because you get paid pennies.
#2 Incentivized Lead Gen Sucks because people aren't in the mindset to purchase things typically - hence horribly low conversion rates for merchants, hence the low payout, etc et etc. People are in the mindset to get something for free, not signup for 100 offers.

 

[jbartinla]

There are many offers that incentivised lead gen is very effective for, and working with networks like COPEAC you can talk to your AM and learn more. Traditional lead gen like Mortgage, EDU, Insurance, etc are never a good match for incentivised media, but many zip submits are because of the value of data, and the ability of co-reg companies and freebie companies to monetize that data and traffic.

Nobody wants crappy leads, but data and traffic are a different story. Do some more research, talk to the companies with these offers and you will learn a lot more.

Stay aways from companies allowing you to incentivise traditional lead gen, but you are wrong if you dont think there is a not a lot of money to be made with some incentivised offers.

 

[WeBcYtE]

First, and this isn't the main question, why do they suck? I mean I can see that the traffic will be complete shit for the merchant, but that's their problem. Definitely doesn't suck for the affiliate....I mean it's fucking hella easy conversions. So it only sucks for the merchant not for the affiliate, right?

They suck because everyone wants something for nothing...and most of the leads are fraudulent. You kinda prove my point with your attitude that you should be paid for provide crap leads to a merchant.

Merchants are not paying you or any other affiliates as a charity service - they expect a return on the money they put out. If you send trash, do expect NOT to be paid and if you have no QC on the leads you do send, most reputable networks *should* remove you.

Which brings me to my main question...

Since they do suck so much for the merchant do merchants consistently pay? I have a feeling once I start generating lots of leads they will cut me off. Although, everything I will be doing will be 100% TOS compliant, I just don't see why they would pay.

If the leads you generate result in fraud and/or someone trying to abuse the offer, why should you be paid? On the other hand, if you found a way to ensure that the people completing the incentivized offers are actually legit then you'll get paid.

I would like to hear from some people who have experience generating a lot of incentivized leads. Do you actually MONTH AFTER MONTH get paid. I hope so. Please, give me some confidence.

It's often the people who produce the least that expect the most. Why are you so preoccupied with getting paid? The questions you're asking are so basic that it's quite obvious you're a n00blet...hence you have not done anything that would warrant you being paid "month after month".

Look at some of the more popular GPT websites out there to get an idea of the offers that are currently popular...and stop reading those get rich quick ebooks. You seem to have a misconception that affiliate income means no work all pay.

 

[Rob_TID]

Why are you so preoccupied with getting paid?

I am sorry, but that sentence just deserved to be repeated.... as possibly the dumbest rhetorical question ever asked on wickedfire.

 

[WeBcYtE]

I am sorry, but that sentence just deserved to be repeated.... as possibly the dumbest rhetorical question ever asked on wickedfire.

Gratz, Rob...now the "dumbest rhetorical question" Wickedfire has the "dumbest member" on Wickedfire as a companion. You two make such a cute couple. *tearsofjoy*

Actually, considering how many lazy dreamers sites like this attract, it makes sense to ask that. MOST people want to make more money than they already do - that is not a quality, it's a human trait. Before asking if you will get paid, you should examine what you are expecting to be paid for.

Most people making posts as the OP did here should probably just keep their day job at Wal*Mart. Them shopping carts don't clear themselves out from the parking lot you know...

 

[Rob_TID]

I thought his questions were quite reasonable for a newbie.

 

[WeBcYtE]

That's not surprising...

 

[MaxSteve]

Having seen both the merchant and affiliate side of incentive marketing, I can tell you that incentive marketing still works well. However, just like there is a whole spectrum of quality on standard site traffic, there is that same spectrum of quality with incentive traffic. Some incentive sites deliver total crap, regardless of the campaign they're running. Some incentive sites deliver good quality. Regardless, expectations of both the merchants and affiliates involved need to be managed.

I can tell you that if you are considering building a cash-incentive site using Shiftcode or some other incentive-site-out-of-a-box, you might want to rethink that as these types of sites are on the lower end of the quality spectrum and many networks, MaxBounty included, no longer accept them.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

 

[axxomarketing]

Noobs, pay attention to this post.

Getting paid isn't the issue, especially if you're working with a reputable network like Copeac.

#1 Incentized Lead Gen sucks because you get paid pennies.
#2 Incentivized Lead Gen Sucks because people aren't in the mindset to purchase things typically - hence horribly low conversion rates for merchants, hence the low payout, etc et etc. People are in the mindset to get something for free, not signup for 100 offers.

 

[yoink*gasp*]

That's not surprising...

You really piss me off. Rather than answer this guys questions with any amount of respect for the OP (or for established board members), you have to act like your shit doesn't stink and relate to everyone as if you're better than them. I got news for you: you don't know as much as you fucking think you do.

Do us all a favor and think about the bullshit that spews from your mouth, lest someone with half a brain have to come and remind you to shut the fuck up. Kay, did that sink in at all? Good, now pay attention.

The incentive industry is almost completely seperate from the rest of affiliate marketing. This is being referenced to the OP, by the way, as if I were talking to WeBcYtE (who the fuck spells their name like that AnYwAy?) I'd be sure to mention how much of a douche he is. Anyway, merchants that offer incentive campaigns are well aware that the majority of the leads are going to be low quality, low value leads that likely will not convert.

In fact, a lot of networks wont even accept new publishers that run incentive websites simply because over the last few years the number of publishers that spit out crap (and I mean total crap) leads shot through the roof. Ironically, this is also the same timeline for all of those "get paid to" scripts that started being sold. The reasons for this have sort of been touched on already:

1. New incentive publishers started sending in their leads - The biggest problem with these publishers is inexperience. See points number two and three.

2. The publisher had little/no quality control - A lot of people will join incentive sites to try and get as much money out of it as they can. These people will submit fake information, fake leads, etc. etc. If a publisher doesn't watch its signups, IP addresses, addresses, names, and just about every other type of identifying information, they will get overrun with fraud... FAST

3. The publisher has little/no tracking - With no tracking, there is no way to determine where leads are coming from and whether or not they're legit.

All of these result in the affiliate likely not being paid, as well as their accounts being banned.
​

That all being said, incentive marketing is still around and popular so long as everything is monitored and controlled. It is a fair bit of work, but I personally know affiliates that do $60K+/month with incentive marketing and have been doing so for years. There's obvious value in the industry for the merchant: information. Names, addresses, interests, and other types of qualifying material that are perfect for other types of marketing. So you may only get $1.20 on that first page signup, but consider the fact that it's much easier to generate 1,000 of those signups, and so long as the signups are legit and frad-free, you'll be able to do so for as long as you want.

 

[ChrisS]

You really piss me off. Rather than answer this guys questions with any amount of respect for the OP (or for established board members), you have to act like your shit doesn't stink and relate to everyone as if you're better than them. I got news for you: you don't know as much as you fucking think you do.

Do us all a favor and think about the bullshit that spews from your mouth, lest someone with half a brain have to come and remind you to shut the fuck up. Kay, did that sink in at all? Good, now pay attention.

The incentive industry is almost completely seperate from the rest of affiliate marketing. This is being referenced to the OP, by the way, as if I were talking to WeBcYtE (who the fuck spells their name like that AnYwAy?) I'd be sure to mention how much of a douche he is. Anyway, merchants that offer incentive campaigns are well aware that the majority of the leads are going to be low quality, low value leads that likely will not convert.

In fact, a lot of networks wont even accept new publishers that run incentive websites simply because over the last few years the number of publishers that spit out crap (and I mean total crap) leads shot through the roof. Ironically, this is also the same timeline for all of those "get paid to" scripts that started being sold. The reasons for this have sort of been touched on already:

1. New incentive publishers started sending in their leads - The biggest problem with these publishers is inexperience. See points number two and three.

2. The publisher had little/no quality control - A lot of people will join incentive sites to try and get as much money out of it as they can. These people will submit fake information, fake leads, etc. etc. If a publisher doesn't watch its signups, IP addresses, addresses, names, and just about every other type of identifying information, they will get overrun with fraud... FAST

3. The publisher has little/no tracking - With no tracking, there is no way to determine where leads are coming from and whether or not they're legit.

All of these result in the affiliate likely not being paid, as well as their accounts being banned.
​

That all being said, incentive marketing is still around and popular so long as everything is monitored and controlled. It is a fair bit of work, but I personally know affiliates that do $60K+/month with incentive marketing and have been doing so for years. There's obvious value in the industry for the merchant: information. Names, addresses, interests, and other types of qualifying material that are perfect for other types of marketing. So you may only get $1.20 on that first page signup, but consider the fact that it's much easier to generate 1,000 of those signups, and so long as the signups are legit and frad-free, you'll be able to do so for as long as you want.

Yoink Wins. FATALITY.

 

[WeBcYtE]

You really piss me off. Rather than answer this guys questions with any amount of respect for the OP (or for established board members), you have to act like your shit doesn't stink and relate to everyone as if you're better than them. I got news for you: you don't know as much as you fucking think you do.

Thanks for the news flash. I now know less than I thought I did...but it's still more than...I dunno....you.

Do us all a favor and think about the bullshit that spews from your mouth, lest someone with half a brain have to come and remind you to shut the fuck up. Kay, did that sink in at all? Good, now pay attention.

Can you repeat that?

The incentive industry is almost completely seperate from the rest of affiliate marketing. This is being referenced to the OP, by the way, as if I were talking to WeBcYtE (who the fuck spells their name like that AnYwAy?) I'd be sure to mention how much of a douche he is. Anyway, merchants that offer incentive campaigns are well aware that the majority of the leads are going to be low quality, low value leads that likely will not convert.

In fact, a lot of networks wont even accept new publishers that run incentive websites simply because over the last few years the number of publishers that spit out crap (and I mean total crap) leads shot through the roof. Ironically, this is also the same timeline for all of those "get paid to" scripts that started being sold. The reasons for this have sort of been touched on already:

1. New incentive publishers started sending in their leads - The biggest problem with these publishers is inexperience. See points number two and three.

2. The publisher had little/no quality control - A lot of people will join incentive sites to try and get as much money out of it as they can. These people will submit fake information, fake leads, etc. etc. If a publisher doesn't watch its signups, IP addresses, addresses, names, and just about every other type of identifying information, they will get overrun with fraud... FAST

3. The publisher has little/no tracking - With no tracking, there is no way to determine where leads are coming from and whether or not they're legit.

All of these result in the affiliate likely not being paid, as well as their accounts being banned.
​

*clap* Excellent work restating the obvious...but the flaw of yourself and many other respondents is that they ONLY play the game from one side. You fail to realize that "affiliates getting paid" is not the driving force behind any campaign. Marketers expect some semblance of results from any investment they make in a given form of marketing...and if affiliates are to be paid, they need to provide a certain level of quality - which MANY cannot due to their misconstrued attitude about business.

If you are not providing quality leads to the programs you choose to promote, you are essentially biting the hands that feed you as an affiliate. You will, sooner or later, find yourself very hungry with no food in site. You can understand food analogies, right? I'm guessing you're a fatty.

That all being said, incentive marketing is still around and popular so long as everything is monitored and controlled. It is a fair bit of work, but I personally know affiliates that do $60K+/month with incentive marketing and have been doing so for years. There's obvious value in the industry for the merchant: information. Names, addresses, interests, and other types of qualifying material that are perfect for other types of marketing. So you may only get $1.20 on that first page signup, but consider the fact that it's much easier to generate 1,000 of those signups, and so long as the signups are legit and frad-free, you'll be able to do so for as long as you want.

Any person making $60K per month knows what they are doing...and I can assure you, trying to place yourself in the same class as them is only leading to fail.

To make that kind of money, and many of you reading this never will come close to a steady $60.00 per month, you need to be good at what you do. If you are working with incentivized offers, that means maintaining higher quality standards for your leads. That WILL NOT happen if your attitude is "looking for an easy way to make money".

 

[yoink*gasp*]

Thanks for the news flash. I now know less than I thought I did...but it's still more than...I dunno....you.

Can you repeat that?

*clap* Excellent work restating the obvious...but the flaw of yourself and many other respondents is that they ONLY play the game from one side. You fail to realize that "affiliates getting paid" is not the driving force behind any campaign. Marketers expect some semblance of results from any investment they make in a given form of marketing...and if affiliates are to be paid, they need to provide a certain level of quality - which MANY cannot due to their misconstrued attitude about business.

If you are not providing quality leads to the programs you choose to promote, you are essentially biting the hands that feed you as an affiliate. You will, sooner or later, find yourself very hungry with no food in site. You can understand food analogies, right? I'm guessing you're a fatty.

Any person making $60K per month knows what they are doing...and I can assure you, trying to place yourself in the same class as them is only leading to fail.

To make that kind of money, and many of you reading this never will come close to a steady $60.00 per month, you need to be good at what you do. If you are working with incentivized offers, that means maintaining higher quality standards for your leads. That WILL NOT happen if your attitude is "looking for an easy way to make money".

Fuck you're a total knob.

Though I will agree with the points you made re: easy money and whatnot, don't think for a second that you can't walk into a crowded market and make money.

But please, lets see some unshopped screenies of your earnings. It'd be interesting to see what some retarded half-wit motherfucker like yourself makes, seeing as how you seem to be the end all/be all when it comes to marketing. Nevermind the fact that many other people (including myself) earn high XXX,XXX/yr online, or the fact that many people (including myself) have direct ties to various affiliate networks. You clearly know everything, congratulations. Hey, who am I to argue with someone who must be doing everything (and apparently nothing), all at the same time?

But somehow, with less than 50 posts, you've managed to prove yourself the biggest motherfucker lurking on WickedFire. Wait... I just realized you might not have got any of that sInCe I dIdN'T tYpE lIkE tHiS fOr YoU. There, better?

Do yourself a favor and can your shit little boy, I'd hate to have to fucking pwn your n00b ass (again).

Edit: Nice insult, by the way. Calling me a fatty gets you 10 bonus points for being awesome and spewing trash-talk. Go turn on some Carlos Mencia... sounds like that's the kind of entertainment that gets you off.

 

[WeBcYtE]

Fuck you're a total knob.

Though I will agree with the points you made re: easy money and whatnot, don't think for a second that you can't walk into a crowded market and make money.

Well at least you have a finger or two wrapped around this chicken nugget of fact. Now just dip it in the hickory smoked sauce of reality and...

But please, lets see some unshopped screenies of your earnings. It'd be interesting to see what some retarded half-wit motherfucker like yourself makes, seeing as how you seem to be the end all/be all when it comes to marketing. Nevermind the fact that many other people (including myself) earn high XXX,XXX/yr online, or the fact that many people (including myself) have direct ties to various affiliate networks. You clearly know everything, congratulations. Hey, who am I to argue with someone who must be doing everything (and apparently nothing), all at the same time?

Should I also post "unshopped screenies" of all aspects in which I am better than you?

* Better lawn
* More G.I. Joe figures and vehicles
* Cooler Parents
* Proximity to a Super Wal*Mart

To name a few...

But somehow, with less than 50 posts, you've managed to prove yourself the biggest motherfucker lurking on WickedFire. Wait... I just realized you might not have got any of that sInCe I dIdN'T tYpE lIkE tHiS fOr YoU. There, better?

Oh yeah, you got me there. I guess I should spend less time making money and more time posting unshopped screenies how of much money I wish I were making but never will...but at least my post count would be so high I could pretend to know what I'm talking about and noobs will believe me.

Do yourself a favor and can your shit little boy, I'd hate to have to fucking pwn your n00b ass (again).

Edit: Nice insult, by the way. Calling me a fatty gets you 10 bonus points for being awesome and spewing trash-talk. Go turn on some Carlos Mencia... sounds like that's the kind of entertainment that gets you off.

If you think of my posts as eating a Happy Meal with a friend, and the act of replying is discovering that the Happy Prize you got kinda sucks...but the one your friend got is pretty cool, you can better understand the situation here.

 

[motivebrendan]

Incentive marketing works for advertisers who understand how incentive marketing works.

Many advertisers and networks are successfully using incentive publishers. The advertisers that get in trouble run continuity program under false anticipatations that retention rate through incentive traffic Is similar to search or email – wishful thinking!!!! Unfortunately, it takes these advertisers months to realize sales don't back-out to what they are accustomed to. Advertisers need to employ experienced media buyers or partner with agencies/ networks that understand the process. Advertisers need to either charge more for the product to offset the poor retention rate, or reduce their payout for incentive traffic. Incentive based email or zip submits are difficult for to back out but with the right attention can convert., There are plenty of reputable companies that have made many advertisers a lot of money through incentive marketing with that said, there are many offers that just don’t work for incentive marketing (mortgage leads, education leads,etc) What is the key to making this work? Advertisers must understand the process, have realistic expectations, adjust prices accordingly, and monitor back end conversions closely.

 

[UnripeArbiter]

"You kinda prove my point with your attitude that you should be paid for provide crap leads to a merchant."

I don't believe I should, in fact I believe I shouldn't. That's the purpose of the question. By design, incentivized offers are going to be crap leads. Since merchants know this, I'm merely wondering why they continue this strategy and if the even pay out.

"If the leads you generate result in fraud and/or someone trying to abuse the offer, why should you be paid? On the other hand, if you found a way to ensure that the people completing the incentivized offers are actually legit then you'll get paid."

Totally agree.

Why are you so preoccupied with getting paid?

LOL, isn't that the reason were all here doing what were doing.

The questions you're asking are so basic that it's quite obvious you're a n00blet...hence you have not done anything that would warrant you being paid "month after month".

I'm a n00blet... but it's quite obvious your a b00blet. Not a perky b00blet, a pepperoni b00blet.

No, I haven't done anything to warrant monthly payment, didn't say I did. (except for my typosquatted domain names... petty, I know) I was asking anyone else who does, because they would know if this is reliable or not.

Actually, considering how many lazy dreamers sites like this attract, it makes sense to ask that. MOST people want to make more money than they already do - that is not a quality, it's a human trait. Before asking if you will get paid, you should examine what you are expecting to be paid for.

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." What I'm expecting to get paid for is providing feature upgrades to my service site as incentives. Each and every one will be a member so I'll have all their data. Seems legitimate, right? Doesn't sound too lazy, right? But... the leads are still going to be bad because obviously they aren't really interested in the offer. I don't see anyway of engineering incentives that will create a motivated lead. So that's why I was asking my question.

Anyway, please don't talk in this thread anymore. I'm sure you're grandmaster :bowdown: at all things affiliate, so why bother picking on the n00blets?

Everyone else, sorry I wasted all my time responding to one individual. But it seems you have answered my question, people do get paid reliably if the leads aren't fraud. It's easy to fraud, and I know b00blet thinks those were my intentions. Those were not my intentions b00blet, so simmer down.

 

[Andrew]

Not sure I've seen a thread before with such a mix of flames and high quality posts. Thanks to Steve and others who have bothered to contribute.