Pepperjam Affiliate Network Review: A New Era of Affiliate Marketing?

I was shopping the other day and found out that my favorite shampoo had changed.

In bright red letters, the bottle screamed the word “NEW!”

Intrigued, I bought the shampoo and brought it home. I was excited to try this “new” version of a shampoo I already liked.

When I started using it, though, I realized that the only thing truly “new” about this shampoo was the packaging. The contents were exactly the same as they had always been, they just looked a bit different from the outside.

In today’s modern world of digital marketing, everyone wants you to believe that they’re bringing something “new” to the market.

In fact, this is exactly what the Pepperjam affiliate network has claimed.

Although they’ve been around for quite some time as an internet marketing agency, a few years ago they started their own affiliate network. They claim that they’re part of an evolving affiliate marketing trend and that their new features make them stand out from other affiliate networks.

Is this really true? Or, like my disappointing shampoo, have they only changed the packaging?

That’s what this review aims to find out. We’re going to discuss what actually makes Pepperjam different from other affiliate networks. We’ll see not only where Pepperjam stands out, but where it falls behind the other big affiliate networks.

First off, let’s see whether Pepperjam really is different from other affiliate networks.

What Makes the Pepperjam Affiliate Network Different?

Focus on Transparency

In an average affiliate network, a publisher doesn’t have much direct contact with advertisers.

Pepperjam has changed all of that.

This is one of the main reasons that they claim they’re so different from other affiliate networks, the thing that truly makes them stand out.

And you know what? They’re right.

The transparent system that Pepperjam has in place is defined by them as providing advertisers with disclosure of important publisher information. This includes the methods that publishers use to promote products, their specific websites and contact information, and what kind of potential they have to market.

So advertisers have a better handle on who their affiliates are. Big deal. What’s in it for the publishers?

Publishers earn higher transparency ratings when they provide accurate, up-to-date information like what we mentioned above, and they’re well rewarded for their ratings.

Publishers with higher transparency ratings often receive higher commissions from advertisers. These publishers may also be automatically accepted into certain networks or be privy to special incentives.

Starting to look interesting? Wait, it gets better.

Publishers and advertisers also have the ability to communicate directly through the Pepperjam system. Through both a mail tab and a chat tab, publishers can directly contact advertisers, even if they’re not a part of that specific network yet!

Pepperjam encourages publishers to use these tools in order to build strong relationships with advertisers. You can ask for coupons, customs ads and more!

Through these direct communications, Pepperjam has made affiliate relationships seem more like teamwork. As a publisher with Pepperjam, you feel as if you’re part of something bigger than just yourself. You’re part of a large team working to help advertisers reach their goals and see better ROI.

Publisher Day

Pepperjam takes transparency to the next level with their annual Publisher Day.

This event allows publishers to meet face-to-face with their account managers, as well as advertisers. They can talk about their current placement opportunities, as well as gain insights from inside the Pepperjam network. During the two days of activities there are workshops, meet-and-greets and more!

As a publisher, do you ever have gripes that you wish you could fix in your affiliate network of choice? Publisher Day is your chance to get that off your chest!

Pepperjam’s Product, Marketing and Usability teams all attend the conference, and publishers have the opportunity to provide feedback on the network.

Personalized Attention

Ever have a problem with your affiliate account, or a question you wanted to ask, and got stuck waiting days to hear back from customer support?

I think it’s safe to say that almost all affiliate marketers have gone through this frustrating situation and not one of us wants to repeat it!

Pepperjam has eliminated that problem.

Upon acceptance into the network, each publisher receives a personal account representative. This person is able to answer any question you might have, whether it’s about your application to individual networks, payments, using the Pepperjam system or anything else!

Beyond that, Pepperjam has a fantastic help section that answers almost any question you might have.

Publisher Rehabilitation

Another common complaint amongst affiliates (especially those involved in the Amazon Associates program) is that they’re kicked out without warning and without apparent reason. These trigger-happy networks have cost many affiliates money and have wasted their time.

Again, Pepperjam has done their best to avoid this issue.

Part of Pepperjam’s innovative technology is the AdAssured system. This technology is based on helping advertisers to achieve compliance by not violating policies that protect them.

Most affiliates might not even be aware of these policies, and some many accidentally do something that goes against compliance. This is dangerous for the advertiser’s brand and thus has to be fixed.

However, instead of just kicking the guilty publisher out of the network, Pepperjam’s AdAssured system shows exactly what violation was committed and how to fix it.

That way, publishers know when they’re violating compliance policies and have a chance to fix the problem.

The Major Pros and Cons of the Pepperjam Network

Pros

• Quick and easy signup. Signing up for Pepperjam takes minutes. You don’t even have to state your monthly traffic figures!

• Transparency and open communication encouraged. Affiliates can have direct communication with advertisers and create lasting relationships.

• Fast response to questions. With an extensive FAQ, an annual conference and a personal account representative, you’ll never be in doubt.

• Highly-developed tracking and reporting methods. Publishers have access to custom reporting and analytics within the dashboard.

• Easy link generation. Pepperjam provides an easy-to-use deep link generation tool for publishers.

• A variety of affiliate marketing options. Whether you want to include banners, widgets or CPA ads, you can do it with Pepperjam.

• Simple to set up on social media. If you want to get affiliate commissions using social media channels such as Pinterest or Instagram, Pepperjam has given you a simple way to set it up.

• Over 1,500 advertisers involved. Including big brands such as Shutterfly, Nordstrom Rack, GNC, Aeropostale and others.

• Payment through PayPal. As one of very few affiliate networks that work with PayPal, this is a big plus for Pepperjam. Plus, this makes it much easier for those who prefer payment in other currencies, as PayPal allows you to convert the money in your account.

• Low payout threshold. At $25, this threshold is one of the lowest!

Cons

• Bland user interface. While the publisher dashboard is extremely useful, it lacks an intuitive design that many affiliates prefer. This is the biggest complaint among affiliates.

Conclusion

Unlike the disappointing shampoo bottle, Pepperjam seems to be living up to their claims of being “new.”

In a short time, the Pepperjam affiliate network has become one of the big boys of affiliate marketing and is drawing in new advertisers and publishers every day.

They’ve actively fixed any issues within their system for both advertisers and publishers, making this one of the most fulfilling networks to work with.

If you’re ready to dive in to the new era of affiliate marketing, I’d highly recommend joining the Pepperjam affiliate network.

 

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