Commission Junction - Publisher case studies.

Pedro Sostre Case Study

LEADING PUBLISHER PEDRO SOSTRE SEES THREE KEYS TO SUCCESS: Providing Value to Customers, Partnering with Advertisers and Taking Advantage of Commission Junction's Sophisticated Reporting Capabilities

A brand consultant since 1998, Pedro Sostre helps companies establish and maintain their identities online. An accomplished designer, marketer and entrepreneur, Pedro has worked with companies including CBS Sportsline, the NFL, Reebok, Motorola and BMW Motorcycles. But perhaps what makes his experience of most value to his clients is his management of a number of his own Web sites. Having launched an aggressive affiliate program in 2000, Pedro and his company, Sostre & Associates (www.sostreassoc.com), have 25 active domains, and Pedro has become one of Commission Junction's top performing publishers.



	"Commission Junction not only has the best network of advertisers out there, but the best reporting capabilities as well." Pedro Sostre

Pedro's success can be credited to three equally important strategies:

provide value to customers
partner with the right advertisers
take advantage of Commission Junction's extensive reporting capabilities.

By focusing on specialty markets such as book clubs, audio books, travel, financial services and cosmetics, Pedro gets to know his audience and tailors his Web sites to address their needs. Examples of his sites include: freebookclubs.com, itravelmag.com, look-your-best.com, equestrianmag.com, and bestcreditsolutions.com. "Your site needs to be attractive and valuable to existing and potential customers. Make sure they have a good experience once they are there," advises Pedro to new publishers. In Pedro's experience, Web pages that are easy to navigate, have current offerings and updated content are all keys to managing a successful affiliate site.

Making his sites convenient and useful is a crucial first step, but Pedro also knows his relationship with the advertisers is just as important. He looks for advertising partners that treat publishers as a valuable extension of their marketing team. How can an advertiser take that approach? "Easy," says Pedro. From offering a competitive commission structure to communicating openly and frequently, there are many ways to demonstrate the degree of respect that high-performing publishers should garner. But perhaps most important to a successful advertiser-publisher relationship is a dedicated account manager that keeps the partnership close. "The right account manager can take an average program and make it a great one," he says.

Finally, Pedro understands the power of information. "Commission Junction not only has the best network of advertisers out there, but the best reporting capabilities as well. The reporting features are easy to use and the interface is very user friendly." The sophisticated performance information provided by Commission Junction is widely recognized by top publishers in the industry as one key to their success. For example, many publishers take advantage of the EPC, or earnings per 100 clicks, metric. A relative rating that illustrates the ability to convert clicks into commissions, this is an exclusive ranking of the CJ Marketplace that rates publishers, advertisers and individual ads. Informing affiliates' decision about which companies and advertisements to publish, an advertiser's EPC shows how well that advertiser converts traffic into actual sales or leads. It also helps track what creative is most successful and what is not working. For further performance insight, Commission Junction's EPC metrics are published in two forms, 7-day and 3-month summaries.

Implementing the three keys to success in every Web site he manages places Pedro firmly amongst Commission Junction's top performers. "Great publishers like Pedro make our network the best in the industry," says Kerri Pollard, director of publisher development for Commission Junction. "We wish every publisher would follow his practices as they are truly great examples of how to run a top-notch program."

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