Ravi's Rants

Rndaom, Yet <Well Formed/>

  • Ravi’s Favorite Movies

The Power Of A Brand (Revisited)

9/9/2009 By Ravi Jayagopal Leave a Comment

Did you know that the incredibly famous Nike “Swoosh” logo was created by a graphic design student desperate to pay for a dress for an upcoming party, for a stunning total of $35 (at $2/hour)?

I watched a Nike documentary recently, where they interviewed  Philip Knight (one of Nike’s Founders), “His Airness” Michael Jordan, and the legendary designer of all (or most?) Air-Jordan shoes.

Knight talks about how when he first met the folks at Wieden+Kennedy (the media company that helped launch Nike as an international brand, with mainly remarkable marketing), he told them that he didn’t believe in advertising!

There is a clip at the end where LeBron James, one of the highest paid basketball players in the world today, says he grew up watching Michael Jordan, and how he and every single kid he knew felt that if they wore the same “Air Jordan” Shoes that they saw Jordan wearing in the commercials, they too could “soar in the air” and make all sorts of magical moves on the court – Just Like Mike.

Did the kids know deep, deep, deep inside that just wearing a specific brand of shoes won’t make you a better player? Of course, they all did.

But did they still convince themselves (and their parents) against reason and common-sense, that the shoes were really what counted? Of course, they all did!

How much did the association with Michael Jordan help Nike become the sports-wear-juggernaut that it is? Probably a LOT.

That just proves one thing: When you have a really strong brand (remarkable shoes, remarkable computers, remarkable prices, remarkable advice), people are much more likely to  buy your products – AND your recommendations – without thinking too much.

My hero Seth Godin recently recommended a book called “Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions“. All he wrote was, (paraphrasing) “It’s remarkable, just go buy it”.

Had never heard of the author. Didn’t read any reviews. Didn’t care about the price.

I just went and bought it  – just because Seth Godin thought it was good (yes, he has worked hard to build that level of trust, and I’m sure he knows better than to dilute it by recommending purely in return for money (say, commercial endorsements?).

If you read only one book this year, then make sure it is this one.

Filed Under: Adsense, Branding, Customers, Inspirational, Interesting Facts, Marketing, Ravi's Rants, Remarkable, Seth Godin

Google Launches Affiliate Network

7/2/2008 By Ravi Jayagopal Leave a Comment

Performics > DoubleClick > Google Affiliate Network

Google finally completed it’s DoubleClick Performics merger and started operations as the “Google Affiliate Network” on June 30th.

They’re now accepting applications from Advertisers, and knowing Google’s famous processing lag time, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get an application in right away.

I just did, and I guess I’ll finally be able to promote my products using the affiliate network rather than PPC.

Here’s the official email from Google announcing the launch:

We are pleased to introduce Google Affiliate Network . Effective Monday, June 30, 2008, DoubleClick Performics Affiliate will operate as Google Affiliate Network. The integration with Google’s brand is a reflection of efforts to quickly assimilate our business and teams, as well as reinforce Google’s commitment to the Affiliate channel. Together with our new colleagues at Google we are creating new opportunities for monetization, expansion and innovation in Affiliate Marketing.

Within the next couple of weeks you will see some exciting changes to the user interface reflecting the new brand. The platform will continue to be hosted at www.ConnectCommerce.com, but will eventually migrate to a google.com product url.

As noted in earlier communications, DoubleClick Performics’ Search operations are being spun off and sold to a third party. While many advertisers have relationships with both DoubleClick Performics’ Affiliate and Search, there have always been separate account teams and product-specific specialists servicing clients’ search and affiliate programs. These teams remain intact. While the formal separation will occur when the Search business is sold, the businesses are functionally separate today.

We are proud of what we achieved as Performics and this name change signals a new milestone. Google provides world-class resources and enables us to continue to attract the best talent to support our advertisers and publishers. Now as part of Google we have an exciting and unprecedented opportunity to advance our industry. We remain committed to ensuring you receive the quality service you have come to expect from us.

We appreciate your business and look forward to doing great things together.

Sincerely,

Chris Henger

Group Product Manager
Google Affiliate Network

Filed Under: Adsense, Advertising, AdWords, Google, Industry News

My Chat With A (Rather Clueless) Google AdWords Support Specialist

1/3/2008 By Ravi Jayagopal Leave a Comment

My question was very simple: I wanted to know how I could promote products using CPA (Cost Per Action) on the Google Network and allow publishers who have access to “AdSense Referrals” to promote my products by placing a piece of code on their web sites, and when someone clicked over to my web site and purchased one of my products, the publisher would get a piece of the sale.

Classic “Affiliate Program” stuff – where this time around, I wanted to be the merchant, and not the affiliate.

I contacted a Google AdWords Specialist on chat – who turned out to be not as much as a “specialist” as you would think they would be.

Read the chat transcript below to see how long it takes for the rep to even understand my question, and give out a meaningful answer. It is painfully obviously that I know more about Google Products than her!

But I am glad that she eventually gave in and deferred the question to a “technical specialist” (read: someone who knows their $hi#).

Completely unedited except for minor reformatting for readability, and removing of private content.

Chat Information: Thank you for contacting Google AdWords. Please hold a moment while we route your chat to a specialist who will help you with your question: “”.
Chat Information: AM has received your message and will be right with you.

AM: Hello Ravi. Thanks for contacting Google AdWords. I’m happy to help you.
AM: Could you clarify what you mean by referrals?
AM: Ravi, are you there?

Ravi Jayagopal: yes
Ravi Jayagopal: I meant, how would I advertise through Adsense Referrals?
Ravi Jayagopal: I’m currently using Referrals as a publisher
Ravi Jayagopal: I want to advertise my product through Referrals, so that publishers can promote my product, and then I would pay them a commission based on sale
Ravi Jayagopal: you there?

AM: Well, I am actually an AdWords specialist so I am really not familiar with AdSense Referrals.
AM: However, you can find out more at https://www.google.com/adsense/static/en_US/Referrals.html?gsessionid=N8x_KdsMNys.
AM: Referrals Help Center
AM: In the Help Center, there is a Quick Start guide.

Ravi Jayagopal: I don’t want Adsense referrals, actually
Ravi Jayagopal: I want to “advertise” – so wouldn’t that fall under “AdWords”?
Ravi Jayagopal: Publisher -> Adsense
Ravi Jayagopal: Advertiser – AdWords
Ravi Jayagopal: No?

AM: Yes Ravi, but you asked about Referrals.
AM: Referrals is not a part of AdWords.
AM: It looks like you already have an AdWords account.
AM: What do you have questions about in particular?

Ravi Jayagopal: Ok, here’s my question: Right now, as a “Publisher”, I pick out referral ads and display them on my site, and I make money when my visitor clicks on those referral ads and goes on to buy something. With me so far?

AM: Yes Ravi.

Ravi Jayagopal: Ok, now I want to put my “Advertiser” hat on and promote my product so that “other” publishers can promote “My” product through the referrals network
Ravi Jayagopal: how would I become an “Advertiser” and promote my product?

AM: Through the Content Network.

Ravi Jayagopal: Ah, that’s what I wanted to know
Ravi Jayagopal: So is there a way to say “Referrals” when I put my ad out on Adwords?

AM: You do already have an AdWords account with the email address <>.
AM: All you will need to do to appear on other sites is to opt into the content network when you create your campaigns.
AM: We don’t use that term.

Ravi Jayagopal: But when I opt-in to the “Content Network”, it automatically becomes just a PPC campaign right?

AM: We call your advertisements ads and we call our publisher sites ‘the content network.’

Ravi Jayagopal: I don’t want it to be PPC, but a CPA item

AM: You can also create a CPM campaign.
AM: Cost Per Impression if you’d like.

Ravi Jayagopal: not CPM. I’m talking about CPA – cost per action
Ravi Jayagopal: which is what Referrals is – CPA.

AM: That is not an option right now Ravi.

Ravi Jayagopal: then how are all these advertisers on Adsense Referrals?

AM: Again Ravi, I’m not familiar with AdSense referrals.

Ravi Jayagopal: Is there someone higher up who can help me with this question? Because it is definitely not an AdSense question – because AdSense is for Publishers

AM: If you want to contact the AdSense team to ask them about that, you can email them directly at adsense-support@google.com.

Ravi Jayagopal: and I am talking as an Advertiser

AM: Ravi, they will only be able to tell you what I am telling you, that you can create advertising campaigns that you’ll pay on an impression or click base.
AM: Those are the only options right now for our advertisers.

Ravi Jayagopal: So how are these advertisers advertising on a CPA basis? That’s what I want to know
Ravi Jayagopal: If you don’t know the answer, I would appreciate if you could put me through to someone who does
Ravi Jayagopal: But don’t tell me I’m asking the wrong question

AM: Please hold on just a moment Ravi.

Ravi Jayagopal: Ok, thanks

AM: CPA is not an option at this time in your account Ravi. I just checked with our technical specialist.

Ravi Jayagopal: Why? And when would it be?

AM: It’s a limited beta right now. If you give me the best email address to reach you at, I can email you if it does become available.

Ravi Jayagopal: ok…thanks…it’s <>

AM: You’re most welcome.

Bottom-line:
You cannot yet sign up as an “Advertiser” and promote your products through Google “Referrals”. It is in limited beta, and unless you were invited to be part of the beta, you would have to wait until they open it up to others.

As much as I love Google and probably qualify as a “Google FanBoi”, I have to say, Google sucks at most things not handled by their machines (read: Human Beings).

Filed Under: Adsense, Advertising, AdWords, Customer Service, Google, I Don't Get It, Industry News, Ravi's Rants, Un-Remarkable

Adsense For Video (YouTube) Is Here

10/10/2007 By Ravi Jayagopal Leave a Comment

My “Video Unit” link wasn’t available yesterday when the announcement was first made.

Was able to see it today.

“Linked” my Adsense account with my YouTube account.

Got the confirmation from Google in a few minutes (they do warn that it could take up to 12 hours).

Created my “player”, got the code.

The ads load asynchronously, and they seem quite on target from the other sites I tested so far.

Way to go Google!

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Filed Under: Adsense, Advertising, Google, Industry News, Ravi's Rants, Technology, Video, Web2.0, YouTube

Membership Sites: Not Easy To Monetize. Proof? NY Times

9/25/2007 By Ravi Jayagopal Leave a Comment

In this era of the open web, it is hard to monetize information that you can easily get elsewhere.

Want to read about what’s going on with the presence of Iranian dictator Ahmedinajad in NY City? Just Google-News it up (yes, that’s different from Googling it up), and you’ll get all the latest relevant news stories you can handle, in reverse chronological order.

So why would people pay for accessing the NY Times?

Not too many would, and not for long, figured the NY Times – and finally opened up the gates.

It’s official: the “Adsense Model” is in.

Open up your content, make money from ads. This same model didn’t work for most sites just a few years ago, in what I call the “Pre-Adsense Era” in my book. But now, it can work for all sites – whether you are NYTimes.com with millions of impressions, or a LinkOverLoad.com with just tens of thousands of impressions.

Usually I never follow NYTimes links that show up in many of my searches, because I know that 4 times out of 5, I will hit a password-protected story. But today, knowing that they have removed the wall, I read a very interesting article about the new model of outsourcing, a glimpse of which I had gotten earlier looking over the shoulder of someone reading the NY Times paper on the subway.

If you want to charge for your content, make sure your content is not easily available, not easily validated, or that there is too much information that cannot be easily made sense of.

Filed Under: Adsense, Advertising, Industry News, Internet, Ravi's Rants

Next Page »

About Ravi Jayagopal

Ravi Jayagopal

Ravi Jayagopal is a full-time entrepreneur living in sunny San Diego, CA . He is the Co-Founder & Co-Developer of DigitalAccessPass.com (DAP), the premier Membership Plugin & Content Delivery Platform for WordPress. Check out his Podcast about Membership Sites & Online Courses, at SubscribeMe.fm. Ravi is also the creator of CoolCastPlayer.com, a pretty and powerful podcast player plugin for WordPress. And creator of S3MediaVault.com, S3 Video Player for Amazon S3. Ravi first started selling online in 1997. Check out his book "Subscribe Me: Making, Marketing & Monetizing Online Digital Content with Membership Sites, Online Courses and Subscriptions"


Ravi is also the host of the "Subscribe Me" podcast at SubscribeMe.fm

Contact Ravi

Don't Miss a Post!
Free Updates
By Email

 

Recent Posts

  • I Create For Creators
  • Skyscraper
  • Do you prefer listening to a podcast that is edited? Or nah?
  • Pirates Keep Out
  • Sands of Time
  • Proud Quitter
  • MYSTERY: Guess what I’m trying to highlight in the picture?
  • Radio is (almost) dead
  • If your want your neighbors to start mowing their lawn
  • Disney Slow Pass

Archives

  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • August 2018
  • March 2018
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • August 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • March 2015
  • November 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • May 2013
  • January 2013
  • September 2012
  • April 2012
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • September 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • November 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • March 2005
  • February 2005
  • January 2005

    follow me on Twitter

     

    Want to give credits to your members just like Audible.com does? Then checkout our Credit Storeplugin.

    No Business Like E-Business

    Available at: NBLEB.com & Amazon.com

    Digital Access Pass

    DigitalAccessPass.com is an incredibly powerful Membership Script for WordPress. It has an inbuilt "ContentResponder", Affiliate Program, Email Autoresponder, Email Broadcasting, and more.

    Links

    • DigitalAccessPass.com
    • NBLEB.com (book)
    • Ravi's Favorite Movies
    • S3MediaVault.com
    • Techiiies.com

    Categories

    • Adsense
    • Advertising
    • AdWords
    • Alerts
    • Amazon
    • App Store
    • Apple
    • Atom
    • Automation
    • Blog
    • Branding
    • Business
    • Business Tools
    • Change
    • Code Snippets
    • Competitors
    • Content Creation
    • Content Marketing
    • Cool Sites
    • Cool Stuff
    • Copywriting
    • Coupons
    • Customer Service
    • Customers
    • DAP
    • Digital Access Pass (DAP)
    • Downloads
    • E-Business
    • Email
    • Entrepreneurs
    • FaceBook
    • Famous Quotes
    • Feeds
    • Firefox
    • Free
    • Free Software
    • Funny
    • God
    • Google
    • Hosting
    • How-To
    • Humor
    • I Don't Get It
    • Industry News
    • Inspirational
    • Instagram
    • Interesting Facts
    • Internet
    • Internet Marketing
    • iPad
    • iPhone
    • iPod
    • Jargon
    • JavaScript
    • Life
    • Live
    • Marketing
    • Mashups
    • Microblogging
    • Microsoft
    • Mobile Apps
    • Mozilla
    • Online
    • Online Reputation
    • Online Services
    • Paid Software
    • Peer-to-Peer
    • Penny-wise
    • Permission
    • Personal Tools
    • Philosophy
    • PHP
    • PHP Code
    • PHP Scripts
    • Ping
    • Podcast
    • Podcasting
    • PPC
    • Pricing
    • Product Development
    • Productivity
    • Publicity
    • Purple Cow
    • Radio
    • Ravi Recommends
    • Ravi's Rants
    • Remarkable
    • RSS
    • Scripts-n-Software
    • SEO
    • Seth Godin
    • Side Hustle
    • Sitemaps
    • Social Media
    • Spam
    • Steve Jobs
    • SubscribeMe.fm
    • SubscribeMeBook.com
    • Technology
    • Technorati
    • This Versus That
    • Timepass
    • Tools
    • Torrents
    • Twitter
    • Un-Remarkable
    • Uplifting
    • ventriloquism
    • Video
    • Video
    • Viral
    • Virtual Reality
    • Web2.0
    • Webmaster
    • WordPress
    • WTF
    • YouTube

    If this were a membership site, it would be Powered by DAP