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LinkShare January News
LinkShare now offers you the capability to post a video, widget, flash, or any other kind of clickable object using our new ad format, Flex Links. A new web service for you, Automated LinkGenerator. You can view Transaction Inquiries in the Run Reports tab, check out this month's Inside the Interface. With Valentine's Day approaching, get ideas to boost commissions with our suggested advertisers.. |
Flex Links
| By Ian Rosenwach,
LinkShare Corporation
LinkShare now offers you the capability to post a video, widget, flash, or any other kind of clickable object using our new ad format, Flex Links. Flex Links convert Advertiser links embedded in virtually any kind of object into tracking links for you. This allows the Web's most popular advertising content to serve not only as a great sales tool to increase conversions, but also as an opportunity for you to provide valuable content to your users.
 Here are some examples of how LinkShare Advertisers have been using Flex Links:
- TigerDirect — created a Flex Link widget that provides a video overview on how to use their site. Within the actual Flex Link, users can navigate products and search the TigerDirect site.
- NASCAR Superstore — created several Flex Links that feature their top product categories and consumer offers. Users can navigate through several pages of products within the Flex Link.
- Beatport, a digital music retailer, created their music player as a LinkShare Flex Link. Their publishers can now add the Beatport player right on their sites, and feature the most downloaded tracks for their visitors.
- ShopNBC — leverages their existing product videos as Flex Links providing users with a rich and interactive shopping experience. ShopNBC offers Flex Link product videos for watches, jewelry, apparel, and more!
If any of the Advertisers you're partnered with offer Flex Links, you'll see a new option in Link Types as seen in the screen shot below:
Pick up Flex Links today and provide your users with a rich and interactive shopping experience!
Publisher Help Center
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Automated LinkGenerator
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New Web Service For You
LinkShare is pleased to announce that you can now access our Automated LinkGenerator Web Service! Automated LinkGenerator is a Web Service that allows you to create LinkShare affiliate links for any page on an advertiser’s site. With Automated LinkGenerator, you can create links on the fly without even having to log in to the LinkShare interface.
To create an Automated LinkGenerator link, you send a URL from the advertiser's site to LinkShare in the format specified below. The URL can be sent through a browser, a tool like wget or curl, or an automated script. For each URL provided, LinkShare returns a click link. Publishers can request up to 1,000 links within an hour. Please note that Automated LinkGenerator only works for Advertisers that have enabled the Linkbuilder feature. Make sure you have a relationship with one of the Advertisers below before using Automated LinkGenerator with their links.*
Find detailed guidelines on how to use Automated LinkGenerator here http://www.linkshare.com/rc/Automated_LinkGenerator_Affiliate_Guide_V1.0.pdf
Additional LinkShare Web Services include the Merchandiser Query Tool and Link Locator Direct. Link Locator Direct is a feature that allows publishers to download a feed of the various creative for all merchants programs that you are participating. The feed supports both SOAP and REST forms of the web service. See the guidelines here - http://www.linkshare.com/mrc/LinkShareLLD_2.pdf
With the Merchandiser Query API, you can run a query against the Merchandiser data for Merchants that you are partnered with. More information can be found here - https://ssl.linksynergy.com/php-bin/affiliate/account/merchandiserqueryapi.shtml
About Web Services
Web services applications are accessible using SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and REST. Web Services use HTTP with XML for communication. These are ubiquitous technologies and any device capable of using these technologies is able to both host and consume Web services. Web services concepts are simple to understand and with the addition of various tool-kits provide a low barrier to entry and easy software development.
Please contact webservices@support.linkshare.com with questions on using LinkShare Web Services.
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| Inside the Interface
Transaction Inquiries
LinkShare's Transaction Inquiry forum allows you to submit information about sales referred by your site that do not appear credited in your reports. Merchants are notified of all inquiries that you submit. All Transaction Inquiries submitted will be kept in a log for your reference, as well as to check on status.
- Click on the Run Reports tab of the LinkShare interface.
- Click the Transactions Inquiries link.
- Click the Submit Transactions Inquiry link.
- Fill out the form fields as seen below, and submit.
You can also view your Transaction Inquiry Log, located in the Run Reports tab of the interface.
The reports are downloadable.
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Valentine's Day Promotions
Valentine's Day is the second most popular time to give greeting cards. This Valentine's season, you can forecast heart warming commissions through our wide range of gift-related advertisers. Some shopping figures: Men typcially spend an average of $100 on gifts for women while women spend less than $60 on gifts for men, children, grandchildren. Here are some recommended online advertisers for the occasion.
| Valentine's Promotions |
Suggested LinkShare Advertisers |
Flowers: |
1-800 Flowers, American Blooms, Blooms Today, Fleurop, Flower.com, From you Flowers, Internet Florist, Pro Flowers |
Gifts: |
Mondera, Ice.com, Frederick's of Hollywood, Fragrance.net,
Giftbaskets.com, GourmetGiftBaskets.com, Hallmark.com, Occitane, My wines Direct, Passionup, The Body Shop, Things Remembered, Wine.com |
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