As a marketer who’s always looking for ways to stay ahead of the curve, I’m constantly scoping out new tools that can help take my strategies to the next level. That’s why I was eager to give Linkby a try.
After spending some time getting familiar with it and putting it into action, I want to share my thoughts on this growing platform.
In addition, I couldn’t find much information on the internet. There’s been some chatter in affiliate slack groups for opinions, but nothing I found helpful.
Hence, I wanted to provide a real perspective from an affiliate manager on the platform.
What is Linkby?
Linkby is a new affiliate tool that helps marketers automate the content process.
It comes with an intuitive dashboard and powerful features like URL shortening, analytics tracking, and smart targeting.
The platform’s goal is to make it easier for online advertisers to get editorial coverage on a pay-for-performance model via clicks.
Brands have the power to influence the timing, extent of coverage, selection of publishers, and allocation of budget to ensure dedicated and targeted media exposure.
Linkby also has a wide range of features for publishers.
It allows them to access exclusive content, monitor performance metrics, create detailed reports, and cash out rewards with ease. Publishers can customize their setup according to preferences and interests so they get the most out of the platform.
Who founded Linkby?
Back in 2020, Linkby was founded by an Australian trio – Andrew Chak, Chris Wirasinha and Adrian Fagerlund. They wanted to create software that made it easy for direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce brands to get more awareness and still see better investment returns.
Advertising costs on Google and Meta are rising and businesses are unable to keep up with the competition. Linkby’s solution is to help these businesses win the ads game without wasting too much of their budget.
Based in Australia, the company has 45+ employees all over the world. They see the majority of their company revenue based in the United States followed by the United Kingdom and Australia.
In 2022, the company was able to secure a total funding amount of $5 million from a Seed round by OIF Ventures.
How Does a Linkby Campaign Work?
The Linkby campaign process is pretty straightforward and can take as little as two minutes to set up.
Getting Started
To get started as a brand, you can either book a sales demo or jump right in. You’ll need to create an account or profile for free.
You should have some idea of what you want publishers to write in dedicated articles before you get started.
The more information brands share with publishers, the higher the chance of success they’ll have. This also helps with creating relevant content to get more engagement, traffic, and ultimately sales.
Next, put on your PR hat. Save yourself time and repurpose your company’s press release into the campaign.
Imagine what sets your brand apart. You’ve got up to 1000 words to capture it. Don’t forget to share a mix of Instagram-worthy imagery – from product highlights to lifestyle shots (max file size of 5MB).
Just like any cost-per-click (CPC) model, companies have control over parameters for more brand and news coverage.
The campaign timeframe depends on both the budget and how urgent the message is. I’d recommend a minimum four to six-week timeframe.
There is a $1 minimum CPC, but trusted publishing brands will garner higher CPC to attract interest. I’ve seen anything from $2-$2.50 CPC work well.
Budgets range from $2.5K-$10K+ with some of the world’s biggest publishers.
In addition, you can opt into their new product called Smart Budget Allocation. Linkby will utilize an unallocated budget and redistribute those funds to designated publishers, maximizing the effectiveness of the campaign’s existing funds.
Like they always say, “Use it before you lose it”!
In the last step of the setup process, ensure your pitch lands in the Linkby marketplace. Often it can get more eyes on the campaign this way.
Once you’ve reviewed all the details and submitted the campaign, Linkby will go ahead and approve your campaign. Once approved, each publisher a brand selects will be notified they have a new campaign.
Chosen publishers have the ability to accept or decline any campaign. If accepted, the business will be notified via email.
There is no draft review or approval process from the advertisers. Publishers create the content and push it live – where again, the brand will be notified.
Campaign Process
After the dedicated content goes live, advertisers can easily access the dashboard to monitor the progress of their campaign. Linkby’s tracking includes valuable insights such as clicks, and the remaining time for the campaign.
Once the story is up and running it can’t be paused or deleted halfway through the content. For any factual changes needed (spelling mistakes etc.), the Linkby customer success manager can step in and support that conversation.
When the campaign ends, the select publishers will likely keep the article active.
I wouldn’t think a website would want to take down content especially if it’s driving traffic and sales.
The final step is payment.
Linkby charges advertisers when their campaign hits its $500 threshold or weekly whichever comes first. A credit card is needed to keep on file for this purpose.
Best Features of Linkby
Linkby offers a range of features for anyone looking to increase their online presence and expand their overall marketing channel mix. A few of those features include:
Premium Publishers
The tool houses over 270+ premium and lifestyle publishers in several categories. Some of the most notable names are Daily Mail, People, Marie Claire, Buzzfeed, and more.
Brand Awareness
DTC brands that may not be that well known can build authority and trust within their niche. Advertisers can leverage publishers to tell their story outside of marketing ads. In toddler terms, they have the ability to make a brand famous.
Cost Effective Campaigns
Linkby stands out with its performance-based CPC model and curated content. A brand only pays when a desired click happens. Plus, companies can still connect with highly targeted audiences, similar to platforms like Google or Meta without the deep marketing costs.
When Should I Run Linkby Campaigns?
Take a look at key retail periods in the year when you can focus on content for high ROI. For example, holidays, product launches, and seasonal events typically do well for news coverage.
Don’t forget about promotions too. Premium publishers love sharing a discount with their readers in an article. If the promotion is coupled with a select event (i.e.: a new product), even better.
Are there Brand Requirements to Join Linkby?
Linkby accepts all kinds of brands, from startups to large organizations. The only requirement is that the brand has a website where customers can learn more about them and purchase their products/services.
In addition, brands must have a credit card on file and a budget allocated towards a campaign. As stated, a minimum budget of $2.5K is recommended for the tool. It doesn’t mean the brand will use it all, but should have those dollars available.
Linkby Affiliate Platform Integrations
Linkby offers integration with many popular affiliate platforms, including:
Awin
Shareasale
Partnerize
Rakuten Advertising
Commission Factory
Within the affiliate link settings, Linkby does offer step-by-step directions with visuals on how to set up a proper affiliate tracking link.
My Personal Experience using Linkby
My client, a DTC haircare company, opted to run another campaign on the platform. Prior to my time, they ran six other campaigns all of which garnered various results.
Their most successful UK ampaign came in when the Daily Mail created dedicated coverage of the popular product. It drove over 1,000 clicks which was huge in comparison to some campaigns that drove zero clicks.
In my experience, we set up a US-based campaign to share the launch of a new product release. We allotted a maximum budget of $5K ($2 CPC) and handpicked multiple publishers specializing in beauty.
Although it did take only a few minutes to set up the campaign, it took a few weeks for Bustle to accept.
I did have to reach out to Linkby customer sucess manager a few times for an update on publishing date.
It’s important to note that the advertiser does not have ownership of the communication with the publisher. All correspondence is facilitated through Linkby. This process felt like gatekeeping and playing a game of telephone.
Our performance results were less than par driving only 94 clicks. However, I learned a lot from this campaign and the results.
Final Thoughts on Linkby
To summarize, it may not always be a home run but you have to understand what works and what doesn’t. Always keep testing in the affiliate space.
Using a tool, like Linkby, can keep a company’s affiliate strategies ahead of the curve. Check it out and see how useful Linkby can be for your brand.
