Content Locking is an interesting category within internet marketing, or more specifically, CPA marketing. Despite available information, there is still a lot of confusion when it comes to Content Locking. The issue stems from the fact that most of the information on content locking is actually marketing material that is being driven by networks or individuals who, exclusively, focus in on the strengths of Content Locking. There is a popular slice of information that says ‘Content Locking will outperform traditional display by $X amount’ but there is never any qualifying data to support or explain that claim. Will Content Locking always generate a higher CPM than traditional display? If not, under what circumstances will it? The information most of us come across is crafted to entice the average internet marketer to try things out whether or not Content Locking is a good fit for them.
With that said, Content Locking truly can deliver astronomical yields when integrated properly. However, it can have a detrimental effect on traffic when it isn’t. You need to look at the analytical data on your site to determine whether it even makes sense to “test it out” otherwise that test could cost you time and traffic.
Content Locking Today
Content Locking has evolved to a point where it now as a unique identity, outside of regular CPA marketing. We now have the necessary data to identify where Content Locking works and where it doesn’t. More importantly, the era of extreme volatility is now behind us given that most advertisers properly understand Content Locking
In the past, no one “truly” understood content locking traffic so the marketplace saw nearly every traditional CPA advertiser get involved at one point or another. When these advertising networks discovered that the traffic quality of Content Locking was slightly lower than CPA and called for a greater understanding, many of them withdrew. This, in turn, made it difficult to gauge how profitable Content Locking really was since any form of CPA is heavily dependent on a consistent campaign / offer inventory. When ad campaigns turn over quickly, it results in a tremendous amount of volatility.
The next stage in the evolution of content locking came with the misconception all content locking traffic was of low quality and couldn’t be trusted, so ads were at a low point for many networks. Over time, this Content Locking misconception was put to rest as reputable networks drove quality traffic to their advertising partners and a mutual benefit was enjoyed.
Content Locking Stabilized
Today, Content Locking has been removed from the state of volatility that it once existed in. Todays advertising networks understand the pros and cons of Content Locking and can properly manage their campaigns. Good Content Locking networks allow proper testing, whitelisting and screen for specific criteria while working closely with advertisers and this has allowed for the profitability of content locking, as a whole, to rise and stabilize.
Getting Started With Content Locking
Although Content Locking has taken on a unique identity, it is now, often, used as part of a greater CPA Strategy. For a newcomer, the best approach is to look at the different divisions of internet marketing before making a commitment. Examine CPA, PPC and incentive marketing (Content Locking) then determine which aligns best to your skillset. Each is very different. PPC, for example, can be aided by a strong base of knowledge in math and an ability to engage in arbitrage. Someone wanting to engage in content locking may benefit from having a creative side which allows them develop premium content. Then, of course, an understanding of SEO would work best for traditional display or CPA. In the end, internet marketing is the same as anything else wherein playing to your strengths is your best bet for getting started.
About the Author:
Peter Tarr is the CEO of CPAlead. Founded in 2006, CPAlead became known for inventing the Content Locker and since have expanded in to a full service CPA Network which offers a myriad of unique tools and products to their Affiliates. To learn more about CPAlead please visit www.cpalead.com
