Learning to use datafeeds will improve your niche sites, give you access to more product information and generally help boost your web business. Increased traffic and more sales happen when you keep content unique and fresh, so don’t plan to just plug and play – learn to pick and choose what products and what information will match up with your topics. It works!

There’s more to handling datafeeds than just finding and downloading them:

• Find available feeds, sort categories and download what you need. Then manipulate the information inside.
• Loading those products to the server for your site or creating a post with the images and links.
• Pulling the information into a post template so displaying the feed is “automated”.
• Updating feeds when information changes

What is a datafeed exactly?

The easiest way for me to visualize a datafeed is to see it as a spreadsheet. Even though it is usually presented as a CSV file, that just means commas or tabs are separating the data you would normally see in a spreadsheet cell. You can upload a CSV file into a spreadsheet and, conversely, you can save a spreadsheet as a CSV file.

A datafeed is an inventory sheet of the merchant’s products. Each row (think spreadsheet) represents one product. If the product comes in different sizes, different colors, different anything – each choice will have its own row.

The cells going across the row are for the various bits of information you need to display that product on your site: Name, Landing Page, Large Image, Thumbnail Image, category, Retail Price, Sale Price, etc. There are many ways a network can choose to accept datafeeds; each network usually sets up the template criteria so they are uniformly structured.

How do I get a datafeed from ShareASale?

I marked the Links tab and the Datafeed choice with red dots in the image above. You find these tabs in your ShareASale dashboard as an affiliate. You can also find the same Datafeed choice under the Merchants tab, labeled: Find merchants with Datafeeds.

Make some selections to narrow the results:

And then choose a merchant with the number and type of products you’re looking for:

Now let’s take a look at that information graph – Using a different merchant for the following details – don’t get confused, I just wanted to show you more than one!

Full bar gives you lots of info, but it’s too small to really see, so I’ll break it up into 3 pieces for an up-close look right below this image:

Let’s take the first part – from the far left. We see the merchant name, a link to the profile page and some basic details in case you’re deciding whether or not to join:

The second part, moving from the left to the center, gives us more program details (CPC, cookie duration and AutoDeposit) and some important information about the feed. The green circles tell you how many of the SAS datafeed enhancement features this merchant uses. You can also see how many products are in the feed and when it was last updated.

This last piece – the far right of the graphic – is what you’re looking for so you can download or find a specific product. I duplicated the green circles and the number of products so you could find your place, and then on the far right you see 3 choices: Download as a csv (comma separated values) file, or Search Products, and Apply for FTP access, which is a box you check if you want to transfer the file via FTP now or in the future:

Let’s look at Download as csv first. Very straighforward. Click that option and you’ll get this instruction:

The image above tells you that: 1) Once you save this file and open it, you will have to replace USERID with your own affiliate number. Just in case you don’t know your affiliate number, it’s right there (I’ve hidden mine under the gray bar). 2) When your computer asks open or save?, choose Save. Then you can open it with the program of your choice. I use a spreadsheet to open, but remember it’s a csv file, so you have to look for it with *all files instead of just xls or xlsx files. 3) One last thing. When you’re opening the file, your computer will ask you about the format of the data. Data is separated by TABS and not by commas, as you would expect in a csv file. Good to know when you see the options!

Before we stop and let you rearrange your spreadsheet data to suit your site, I want to show you another way to use the datafeed. This way is great for beginners and small sites where 1 or 2 products in a category is plenty. These instructions also show you what it looks like when you get to the datafeed info via the Links tab.

The image above is from the LINKS tab for the merchant OnlineSports. You can see banner choices, text links, coupon deals and datafeed all in one place for the same merchant. In this example, OnlineSports’ datafeed has 102,000+ products. I think we’re going to have to do some search narrowing:

If you look near the Search box, you’ll also see an opportunity to download csv file. This is a great feature for narrowing your results until you get exactly what you want and THEN downloading the file!

We searched for baseball and got way too many, so we narrowed it to youth baseball and as you can see, there are now 50 products showing up that pulled from the entire OnlineSports datafeed. For each product, you see an image and an opportunity to get the individual link if you want, or add it to your “basket”, which is a feature SAS uses to make gathering things easier for affiliates.

If you’re only going to incorporate a few products, the “get link” feature is what you want. When you click it, you’re going to see the various ways the link can be written for you. Text only, large image, thumbnail image, with and without price, merchant name, etc. I hope you can see now that you don’t have to be a technical wizard to find the right products to feature on your site. Learn a few more tricks with datafeeds and you’ll be able to manipulate whole categories of inventory for your niche.

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Announcing The K-DEER Affiliate Program in ShareASale!

Snow Consulting is so proud to announce that we are now managing the Affiliate program for  K-DEER in SAS!

Founded by Kristine Deer, this incredible line of Yoga clothing is known for its amazing fit for EVERY body shape, their strict environmental standards as a company, and their amazing community attitude with involvement with more than 20 charities. They truly are Active Wear that Gives Back!

But What makes K-DEER a great fit for your Affiliate program?  Well, it’s the same things that make it a great company.  K-Deer was created with the idea of comfort, confidence, and sexiness for EVERY woman in the Yoga Studio.  Today, K-DEER’s reach is so much farther!  K-DEER supports a diverse, body positive community offering an inclusive size range from XS-4XL. They believe that not every athlete has an athletic body – but everybody should feel comfortable in their clothes!  K-DEER’s Leggings are designed to stay put, and not fall down.  They compress, smooth and elongate.  They stay cool and dry, they are meant for all day wear and won’t lose their shape.

While the reputation of this products quality could stand alone, K-DEER is also well known for their charitable contributions.  With more than 20 charities benefiting from the sale of each of their trademark “Stripes” Yoga Leggings.

Offering competitive commission, first sale, and multiple sale incentives,  and a product your readers love – K-DEER is not a product your subscribers will want to get to know – they already do! 

*October Bonus Alert*

For active affiliates with no prior sales:
$5 bonus after your first sale
$10 bonus after 5 sales from October 3rd through October 31st

For active affiliates with prior sales:
Generate $1,000 in sales within the month of October and receive a 2% commission increase on all valid October sales

*Note: The bonus will be applied based on activity after voids are processed. Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions about these bonuses

Now is a your opportunity to partner with Snow Consulting and K-DEER! Click here for all the exciting details or to join this program.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Do you have a website, blog, or social media outlet?  Chances are, if you do, you have heard someone talk about affiliate marketing (also known as Performance Marketing) as a way to make money.  But, what is affiliate marketing and how does it work?

If you are new to the affiliate marketing World, it can seem dark and mysterious.  And if you have heard of affiliate marketing, you may have heard some of the horror stories of the early spammer days.  Affiliate marketing is much, much more.  Let’s try to shed some light on that was once dark and mysterious.

What is an Affiliate?

Affiliates are the ones that work to introduce their visitors to the merchant’s brand. They can do this by writing a post about a new product or promotion for that merchant.  They can also feature banner ads or offer special coupon codes that might drive their readers to make a purchase from that merchant.  If a purchase takes place through that affiliate link, the affiliate earns commission for that sale.

How does affiliate marketing work?

The basics of affiliate marketing really revolves around an affiliate performing some sort of action and then receiving monetary rewards for that action.  Most affiliate programs work on a revenue share basis.  This simply means, the affiliate drives a consumer to make a purchase and the affiliate receives a portion of the sale as commission.

The merchant generally tracks these sales thru an affiliate link.  The affiliate link can be found within the affiliate’s own account within the network (ie, Shareasale, CJ Affiliate, Pepperjam, Rakuten Affiliate Network, formerly LinkShare, and others).  The affiliate will place their unique affiliate link within their blog post or any other personal method of promotion.  (website, blog, social media outlet).

Have you become an affiliate and need help finding your affiliate links?  Check out these tutorials.

Getting Links
at ShareASale

Deep Linking
at CJ Affiliate

Creating Product Links
at Pepperjam Network

 

Fall is a time for change.  The cool winds start to blow and the colors of the leaves begin to change.  This calls for changes in our wardrobe.  So, what do the latest fashion styles dictate for Fall 2017?

According to Elle online, three of the hottest fashion trends will be Plaid, Buttons, and the color Red.  It has been quite a few years since the color Red has made its way into the fashion trends.  So, what an exciting year this will be!

We have many fashion merchants that you can choose from here at Snow Consulting.  So, we wanted to show you some of what you could find that would be on trend from these brands.

 

Plaid

 

FewModa:   Some plaids can be overwhelming but this sweater offers a minimal print, that is just enough to keep it in today’s fashion wants! This stylish winter white plaid would be a perfect transitional piece going thru Fall and into Winter 2017.

Get more information about the FewModa affiliate program.

 

 

 

 

 

SheIn: This colorful plaid long-sleeved dress is both classic and trendy.  This particular dress can go from office to office party.

Get more information about the SheIn Affiliate Program.

 

 

 

 

Whurk.net: This beautiful long-sleeved blouse combines a few of the latest fashion trends; Plaid, Buttons, and Ruffles.  The blouse is also figure flattering and perfectly feminine.

Get more information about the Whurk.net Affiliate Program.

 

 

 

 

Red

 

 

FewModa: So nice to see this color make a come back!  This Classic Red Dress has been updated with an asymmetrical hem line.  This is a perfect way to bring a classic into the latest trend.

Get more information about the FewModa affiliate program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROMWE:  The figure flattering swing dress in red would be a perfect addition to any Fall 2017 wardrobe.

Get more information about the ROMWE affiliate program.

 

 

 

 

SheIn: This beautiful red sweater offers the flirty elegance of flared ruffle sleeves.

Get more information about the SheIn affiliate program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TheClosetLaboratory: This beautiful off-the-shoulder blouse combines some of the hottest trends.  Not only is it red, but it also sports a high-low hem line and cascading ruffled sleeves.  This is one wardrobe addition that is sure to please.

Get more information about TheClosetLaboratory affiliate program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whurk.net: This ruby red sleeveless top would be perfect on its own, or worn as a dressy shell under a blazer.  This top can make the transition from work to evening easy.

Get more information about the Whurk.net Affiliate Program.

 

 

 

 

 

Buttons

 

 

FewModa:   Simple clean lines keep this classic trench coat in high demand.  With the button detail and belt to hug the waist, this coat is ready for Fall of 2017.

Get more information about the FewModa affiliate program.

 

 

 

 

 

ROMWE:  This short trench coat brings a feminine silhouette with draw strings at the waist.  The buttons set this trench coat apart from the rest bringing it in line with 2017 Fall Trends.

Get more information about the ROMWE affiliate program.

 

 

 

SheIn: This beautiful and sleek sleeveless sheath dress can be an instant wardrobe changer.  You can pair it with a light jacket, a 3/4 sleeve sweater, or even dress it up with a fancy bolero jacket.

Get more information about the SheIn affiliate program.

 

 

 

 

 

Whurk.net: This classic cable knit sweater features a fur lined hoodie.  The buttons are prominent and classy.  Keeping this as a wardrobe staple that is also trendy enough for Fall 2017.

Get more information about the Whurk.net Affiliate Program.

 

If you have any questions about any of our fashion merchants or any of the items listed in the Fall 2017 Fashion Guide, please reach out to any of us on the Fashion Team.

We wish you all the best with promoting Fall 2017 fashions.

Lessie Purpera, Tanya Smith, and Teena Duliba
Affiliate Marketing Managers
Fashion Team