Archive for June, 2010
April showers didn’t bring May flowers but it’s not all bad news for marketing followers
The June Consumer Reports Trouble Tracker Index measuring financial difficulties faced by consumers in the past 30 days, worsened, rising to 63.5 from 53.0 in May. The most troubling increase is in missed mortgage payments, which reached 3.9%, its highest level since tracking began in April 2009. The latest numbers show consumers have taken a step back facing increases in financial difficulties and a soured employment picture, says the report.
Some of the key findings include:
In June, more consumers reported difficulty in affording medical bills or medications versus the prior month,and faced lost or reduced healthcare coverage
* The Employment Index has dropped, pointing to an increase in the ranks of the unemployed, at least temporarily. The decline was led by the proportion of Americans that lost their jobs in the past 30 days
* Despite the high job losses posted in June, 7.4% of Americans reported starting a job in the past 30 days, well above May, and achieved its highest level recorded since April 2009.
* Consumers have scaled back their interest in shopping as well. The past 30-Day Retail Index for June, reflective of May activity, is 10.8, unchanged from the prior month
* May’s next 30-Day Retail Index, reflective of planned purchases for June, is down slightly from the prior month. Per capita spending for the index categories in the past 30 days was $234, down slightly fromay ($248)
The Consumer Reports Index report comprises five key indices: Sentiment, Trouble Tracker, Stress, Retail and Employment. Here are the key findings:
Posted by eBrand Media Research Department in The Economy, Trend Tracker on June 29th, 2010
10 Free Tips To Help You Create Your Own Money Making Affiliate Program
1. View your affiliate program as a partnership between you and your affiliates, and make it your priority to develop good relationships between you and your affiliate sales force.
2. Answer any questions your visitors or affiliates have about your affiliate program in a fast and friendly manner.
Remember that nothing will turn your affiliates or visitors off of your affiliate program faster than an unanswered email. Your affiliates must know that you take them and the effort they make to promote your business seriously.
3. Track all of your affiliates’ sales accurately and fairly.
Your affiliates should be able to earn commissions on their referrals even if their referral comes back months, or even a year later and makes a purchase.
Posted by eBrand Media Research Department in Affiliate Marketing on June 17th, 2010
A rather entertaining email exchange with a Craigslist scammer
Recently, we decided to list one of the extra laptops we have on Craigslist. We quickly received three email regarding the item. Two of the email we’re supposedly from women. Each had a local telephone number under the signture. When we probed further asto whether the sender was local; each replied with a version of the story you’ll read below. We strongly suggest that you never engage with these people. However, we decided to reply in our “Officer Jones” alias because we wanted them to feel the feelings they create in others. We wanted them to feel a little fear. We didn’t know if we could “touch” the people who “created” these automated email but based on the exchange below with one of the scammers, and the fact that we have not received anymore email, maybe we did.
Please be aware that this person uses a couple of profanities.
Posted by eBrand Media Research Department in Ethics on June 16th, 2010