Does that mean that you can't join that affiliate program and use Adwords instead of a page on your own site to link to them?
There's quite a few that won't let their affiliates bid on their brand names - although there's a lot a people making money from sending adwords traffic to affiliate sites....I guess you need to check out the T's + C's of the program you are looking at.
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Just noticed - And welcome to WebmasterWorld :)
How do you find that out? In the T&C of some of them there's no mention of bidding on anything, or adwords, or any talk about any method other than "a link from your site".
Just from reading a few sites - I don't really have any specifics....sorry - if the T+C's aren't too clear - you could emailing them to confirm what's OK....
You shall not create, publish, distribute, or permit any written material that makes reference to us without first submitting such material to us and receiving our written consent", and "You agree that you will display in your site only those graphic or textual images (indicating a Link) that are provided by us."
I often skip these merchants unless there is some regulatory reason that the creative needs to be approved. (Insurance companies sometimes claim regulatory issues require this) The affiliate is in the business of generating sales and not providing free branding for a company. Expensive media campaigns are for branding.
If the merchant does not have a stated keyword policy, it may work well to just go for it. If they have a problem with it, they will let you know but it is a good idea to read whatever policies they do have so you get off on the right foot.
>If the merchant does not have a stated keyword policy, it may work well to just go for it.<
I seems to me that creating an adword ad would violate the above policy unless I got the ad approved first. What do you think?
P.S. I'm sure it's very obvious, but I'm a rank newbie in this area, total experience a few hours...
If you use AdWords for affiliate programs, remember you are spending your money, and you want to have as much freedom as possible to try different things.
So would you (a) go ahead and create adword ads and ignore that rule, or (b) create adword ads and send it to them for approval, or (c) forget that company? Assume that it looked like a good opportunity.
Personally, unless I thought the program had a ton of potential, I'd skip it.
Before I joined the affiliate program that I belong to, by reading the TOS I wasn't sure if they allowed affiliates to advertise with adwords. I emailed the company which replied that advertising with adwords was fine. I am the only affiliate of this company that I know of which uses Google Adwords, and I have been making a fair amount of money with my Google Adwords campaign.
Chris H.
Oops, it's early in the morning and I should read more carefully, Chris! (chrisinbc)
Also, because whether you can or can't use trademarks from one company to the next I usually always go after them unless I see a bold don't do this within the program description. If the SE's don't decline the ad fine. If the company calls and says don't do it I pull the ad and say I wasn't sure if I could/couldn't. I've never had them blackball me or be rude on the phone.
Moral of the story: Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Almost forgot. Welcome to WW chrisinbc.
If you have anything else running, it can negate a lot of work.
Unfortunately some don't put it in bold and proceed to throw you out of the program if it was buried somewhere in find print in the TOS.
If you have anything else running, it can negate a lot of work.
Agreed, it's taking some risk. But I personaly have not found merchants or their AM managers to be nasty people. Nor have I done anything blatantly malicious to them. They can see that. The few times I've gotten calls they were very polite - as I am as well. One merchant asked how they should go about getting an auto block on their TM at the SE's.
Moral of the story: Merchants appreciate profitable affiliates.
