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As a publisher, when you place ads near or within content that relates to the offer, you are essentially qualifying the
prospective buyer. This may be as simple as segregating apparel into Men's and Women's sections and inserting offers accordingly,
or placing a credit card banner next to an article about personal finances.
In store merchandising, impulse items are placed near an exit, where consumers wait to check out. This is a sales strategy
you are probably familiar with. The store is highlighting a problem and the merchandise offered solves the problem, causing
you to buy something you didn't originally intend to buy. In online advertising, the sales oriented publisher builds content,
often an article or newsletter, around their advertiser's product to create the same perception of need and then solve the
problem with the product offered.
SheSheMe.com is a Commission Junction publisher that is effectively using contextual selling techniques. Every week, SheSheMe.com
sends "The She She Scene" newsletter to their opt-in list of subscribers, twenty to thirty-something year old women who follow
the latest trials and tribulations of their heroine, "she she me". By embedding product links within the text of the newsletter,
SheSheMe.com strategically increases its conversion rates while providing a value-add to its subscribers: with a simple click,
a subscriber can purchase the great new lip-gloss or beach towel that "she she me" recommends for summer. The format of the
newsletter is especially effective because the reader relates to "she she me" and trusts the product recommendations.
Publishers that implement this strategy stimulate interest, create demand and present a solution. Not every consumer will
respond, but those that do, will often be more prepared to buy. As a result, the publisher may not see a dramatic increase
in their click-through ratio but will often see higher conversions than with non-contextually based offers.
Next Steps:
- Examine your content - is your Web site or newsletter organized so that ads are placed adjacent to related content?
Does the content make your visitors want to click-through to the offers? If not, brainstorm and then document your ideas for
new content that will benefit your audience and create loyalty to your Web site and your offers.
- Implement your ideas one at a time and then test the results.
- Don't forget to make sure that you know who is visiting your Web site or reading your newsletters.
- Examine the ads you are currently promoting - is there a match between them and your visitors? If not, you should
adjust your ads accordingly.
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