LinkShare Launches New Pay-Per-Call Platform

ROI-focused solution allows advertisers and publishers to expand programs online and offline

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 5, 2009

LinkShare, a leading performance marketing network provider, today announced a new and innovative technology that enables advertisers to extend their reach to a larger base of publishers - while enabling publishers to earn more commissions per transaction. The new pay-per-call platform tracks completed calls that publishers drive to advertisers' call centers, thus opening affiliate marketing up to offline activity.

The new platform allows publishers to promote unique phone numbers through on-or offline media, or also earn commissions when customers opt to call the phone number on an Advertiser's site. Publishers can sign up to use the new platform by visiting http://www.linkshare.com/paypercall]. The platform will also be shown at the upcoming Affiliate Summit East in New York City (August 9 -11, 2009). Attendees can stop by the LinkShare booth (Booth #1221) for a live demonstration.

"LinkShare is committed to offering innovative technologies that support the overall goal of increasing revenue opportunities for our network's advertisers and publishers," said Russ Pechman, VP of LinkShare Lead Advantage. "Pay-per-call offers higher ROI potential because calls can increase conversion rates and give us new places - online and offline - where ads can show up."

LinkShare's first pay-per-call users have launched in the Lead Advantage Network, which promotes advertisers that are focused on lead quality. Calls can generate higher quality than online form leads through the usage of filters that qualify and route calls depending on a variety of factors including call duration, geography and more. Offers using pay-per-call will soon be available in the LinkShare Affiliate Network in addition to Lead Advantage.

LinkShare pay-per-call is simple to set up and manage for both advertisers and publishers within its network, and works seamlessly with an advertiser's existing online initiatives. Additional benefits include:

•     Pay-per-call can be seamlessly included into Advertisers' existing affiliate programs. Commissions earned by Publishers are incremental to their existing commissionable transactions
•     Filters and qualification paths allow Advertisers to control call quality
•     Publishers and advertisers can leverage new marketing channels - off-line and online - to generate volume

About LinkShare
LinkShare Corporation provides ecommerce businesses with a wide range of online marketing services including Search Marketing (SEM), Lead Generation and Affiliate Marketing. Advertisers can increase their online sales by leveraging LinkShare's massive performance marketing network along with expert consultative services and patented technology. Superior service combined with technology innovation allows advertisers and publishers to acquire and retain new customers, increase revenue and drive results.

LinkShare clients include Fortune 500 and other prominent and emerging companies doing business online, including J.C. Penney, 1-800-Flowers.com, American Express, and Avon Products. LinkShare was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Chicago, London and Tokyo. LinkShare is a division of Rakuten, Inc.

About Rakuten, Inc.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Rakuten is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive Internet service companies, providing leading services in e-commerce, portal & media, travel, financial services, and professional sports. Rakuten focuses on new business development and increasing its scope in order to improve and diversify service offerings. Rakuten, Inc. is a publicly traded company in Japan (JASDAQ: 4755).

Additional References

•     Check out our LinkShare blog: http://blog.linkshare.com/
•     Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LinkShareBlog
•     LinkShare on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linkshareblog/
•     LinkShare International: http://www.linkshare.com/about/international/