Experts Edge with Henry Whitfield

Lead generation expert, Henry Whitfield joins the conversation out of Toronto, Canada. The current Head of International Business Development at ClickDealer, part of the Global Digital Marketing Group (GDM) which is a leading performance marketing company with data-driven solutions for global advertising. 

Having been on the front line of digital marketing, lead generation, sales, and business development for well over a decade now, Henry guides us through today’s digital battleground, covering high-growth strategies for lead generation, campaign creation, and much more.

Check out the full video below

Please tell us about yourself and what you do?

I have a background in journalism, which over time, morphed into media buying, SEO, and digital marketing. For the last seven years, I’ve been working on the network side of performance marketing, first at F5 Media, and most recently at ClickDealer, where I head up their International Business Development. This includes managing our international and domestic affiliate programs. 

At ClickDealer, I’m able to work in a lot of different verticals and a wide range of traffic channels. Strengthening affiliate relationships are at the heart of what we do. We work hands-on with affiliates and media buyers, connecting them to the best possible leads, and vice versa.  

What are some of Click Dealers’ top services? 

The ClickDealer platform has a built-in tracking/reporting suite with cutting-edge tools and features for both publishers and advertisers. Full control over the suite means we can instantly update and refine our offerings, responding quickly and staying on the pulse of the latest industry trends.

As far as verticals go, our specialty lies in Online Dating offers. It’s what we started with and it’s the bread and butter of what we do. 

We launched our SmartLink technology a few years back, which has proven to be successful in Online Dating. The technology allows publishers to access thousands of offers with just one link, and on the same account, Advertisers are able to monetize their dating inventory to full effect. You can read more about ClickDealer Smartlink here.  

Over the last 18 months or so, we’ve also been growing Lead Generation as a core service. With a focus on evergreen verticals, in line with home service/renovation, insurance, finance, legal, etc across North America and Europe. 

The goal here is to provide our clients with actionable leads that drive sales. We want to empower publishers and advertisers to grow and maintain sustainable businesses, whilst giving them the freedom to step away from “churn and burn” campaigns with short-term effects. 

Could you summarise what lead generation is?

Of course. In its simplest form, lead generation is the act of driving real products and services to real customers. A performance marketer should always be looking to generate organic leads, based on actionable, tested data and reports. 

How has lead generation changed in the last decade? 

The industries that spring to mind when we think of lead generation, are usually evergreen. This means there is always a high demand for customers and with that, the continued efforts made to generate leads stay mostly the same. 

Innovation has strongly developed on the technology side. These advances allow digital marketers to be more transparent about their lead generation, follow up immediately, and drive better sales.

As we adapt, we’re able to analyze and understand what a good lead is truly worth. No longer just a name and an email, performance marketers are now able to pass on so much more information than they have before. 

Over the last few years, the Ad Tech industry’s fraud detection ability has grown massively. These advances have become hugely beneficial to both sides of the buyer spectrum, where the software is able to pinpoint exactly where the fraudulent traffic is coming from and immediately block it from entering into the network.

Could you share a strategy for marketers using Lead Generation? 

When it comes to lead generation, creating a multichannel approach is key. Find the scenarios that generate multiple leads in the shortest possible time frame. For example, you could be running Facebook ads and capturing emails at the same time. With a growing email list, you could then start sending prospects to a website with quality content that will drive organic traffic. You always want to be bringing back clients for the long run with a well-positioned brand. This creates a multi-channel approach, able to bring in both organic and paid leads 

What are your main tips for starting out in digital marketing? 

Patience. You’re not just going to generate leads overnight. Take your time and get a lasting strategy in place. Be sure to continuously optimize and get as much feedback as you can. 

Understand the process of what an advertiser is looking for and put a core focus on quality over quantity. 

Dont get too tied to one traffic channel. A multi-channel approach is a better way forward for media buyers and affiliates. It’s said that for every traffic channel added, you’re potentially building an additional 20-30% ROI. This comes from expanding and building off of your existing customer, product, and demographic knowledge. 

Do your research. Understand the product/service you’re trying to sell and make sure you have a transparent message from your first impression, all the way through. 

If you’re new to the game, the first thing you should be looking at is what your competitors are doing. So many more businesses are on new platforms. Look at what your competitors and other main brands are doing well in order to replicate and refine into your own strategy. 

When it comes to paid advertising, try checking out your competitor’s ad library on Facebook. Look at tools like SimilarWeb to which search terms are being used to find your competitor’s offers. Spread your budget evenly, being careful not to spend too much on one campaign. Reserve budget for testing and optimization. 

And lastly, one of the biggest mistakes performance marketers make is retargeting too early. Make sure you build up your list of leads first before you start retargeting them. This may take a few months, but it’s worth the wait. 

Can advertisers still make money on Facebook? 

We love to say “it was easier back then”, but in truth, the technology we have at our disposal today makes online advertising simpler and less time-intensive than ever before.   

The painless setup and lower barrier to entry mean more small/medium businesses are on Facebook than ever before, and the competition can be stiff. 

That said, there is no reason why a savvy marketer cannot carve a nice niche for themselves in the tidal wave of advertising that is Facebook: 2021. Any marketer who is willing to hone their craft and understand their competition can (and does) compete. If you’re able to invest your time and embrace the platform for what it is, you can be successful. 

How do you start an ad campaign? 

Before starting a new campaign, ask your affiliate manager for the latest industry insights to get you on your way. Use their wealth of knowledge to find the right offers to promote. Additionally, sign up and check out forums like AffLIFT and STM Forum for actionable insights and tips from active affiliates.

Don’t just rip and run someone else’s ad copy. Make sure that your ads are original, hard-hitting, and well-written. Just because you’re seeing a certain type or style of copy on a platform doesn’t mean it’s working the way it should. You can also head over to sites like Fiverr and hire copywriters to write your ads by the hour at affordable prices.

Split your ad campaigns. Change up a few elements here and there in terms of CTA buttons, copy, font, background, etc, and see which brings in the most clicks at the end of the month. And, as always, make sure your paid advertising budget is able to stretch across the creation, testing, and optimization stages of your campaign. 

What verticals are the best to go after right now?

There are a few obvious choices for evergreen verticals. eCommerce and drop shipping seems to be more and more popular as people turn to online shopping. At-home fitness products have been massive over the last year and a half. Online dating continues to be big, for people needing that social interaction, especially during the height of the pandemic. 

A few months ago, crypto was going wild and everyone was running crypto/finance banners. As a performance marketer, you should strike a balance between following the shiny trends and sticking with proven verticals/offers. As a general rule, try and build out a multi-vertical approach wherever you can and be ready to pivot where consumer behaviours change.

Which online advertising tools/software do you recommend? 

SEMRush is a great tool to see where your competitors are getting leads. The software also gives you the ability to analyze display ads. If you’re an affiliate marketer you should always be using a tracker. Red Track, Voluum, and Binom are currently some of the best in the market. And, as mentioned earlier,  the best information comes directly from your affiliate manager. They have a world of knowledge at their fingertips and know what works from hands-on experience. 

Any final thoughts?

Always focus on quality and transparency in lead generation: 2021. Move away from the grey and blackhat techniques. Run your campaigns as transparently as possible. Taking the time to learn the ins and outs of online advertising can be the catalyst you need to rapidly increase your ROI. 

You can reach out to Henry on his company Instagram account (@thehenrywhitfield),  head through to their website (clickdealer.com) to learn about lead generation, online dating, and more.   

ClickDealer is also getting to the end of their 6-month long Nitro competition, where anyone who signs up to the platform will be entered into a draw for a host of incredible prizes including a brand new Porsche.  For more information on how to enter, head over here. 

That’s it for this edition of Adcash Experts Edge. Catch you on the next one. And, if you haven’t already, check out super affiliate Tom Bell’s Affiliate Strategies and Techniques, or race to page one with SEO expert Craig Campbell’s, Ultimate Website Ranking Guide. 

 

Crash Course with Tom Bell,  register an Adcash publisher/advertiser account today, and boost your returns for 2021. Get access to an all-in-one advertising platform that generates and supplies…

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 By for now.