Here at Webgains, we pride ourselves on combining cutting-edge technology and world-class expertise to create the optimum blend of human and artificial intelligence to ensure our clients scale their business. One part of this drive is to make it easier for our advertisers to make smarter connections with publishers. To do this, we push the scalability and efficiency of our ML (Machine Learning) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) Power Suite, to maximise our clients’ sales and operational efficiency. It can be simplified by one statement:

Smart people, smart tech, and a smart approach

Within this article, we introduce to you our current package of AI and ML powered tools. We talk through why we’ve built them and why procedural publisher matchmaking, customisable commissions, and product monetisation are just some of the benefits our advertisers and publishers will fall in love with.

AFFILIATE DISCOVERY

Using our intelligent Machine Learning technology, Affiliate Discovery completely transforms the publisher discovery process. The ML tool directly recommends publishers who will grow your affiliate programme via analysing Webgains data and external sources. Using machine driven curation, Affiliate Discovery creates a bespoke publisher selection for you. It’s not always about the largest publishers but those most suited to your business, thus developing a fruitful relationship for both parties.

‘Affiliate Discovery completely transforms the publisher discovery process’.

This recommendation engine was born out of the time-consuming process advertisers experienced when partnering with publishers. We want to reduce the time it takes for advertisers to pair up with publishers.

“When we first talked about bringing AI and ML into the affiliate channel, we asked ourselves: What’s the one thing we’re trying to build to make the life of our clients easier and their business better? The number one thing that kept coming back was: the match-making phase is critical and your time is at a premium.“

Humphrey Sheil, AI ML Strategist at Webgains

How does it work?

Through AI and ML, Affiliate Discovery analyses your product feed and website content to deliver the best matched list of Affiliates who are creating fresh, rich content that complements yours to attract users to the products and services you are selling.

Recruitment has never been this fast. Affiliate discovery has never been this smart.

Benefits

• New recommendations every time you update your products, prices or content.
• New relevant publishers receive a temporary boost to show up on your radar.
• Affiliate Discovery makes recommendations based on the publisher’s site quality and performance data across our network.
• Publisher recommendations are ranked using your mutual compatibility score, contributing to faster growth by removing the onerous manual searching and vetting.

SMART COMMISSIONS

The latest addition to the Webgains Power Suite is Smart Commissions*. This is a game-changing functionality for advertisers.

Smart Commissions is designed to create harmony and efficiency in the affiliate payment process. Advertisers can manage their commission effectively and publishers are ensured that they are paid in a timely manner. It’s a win-win partnership.

‘Advertisers can manage their commission effectively and publishers are ensured that they are paid in a timely manner. It’s a win-win partnership’.

Smart Commissions provides exact control for advertisers on a granular level using individual product SKUs, groups of SKUs, as well as individual and grouped publisher campaigns. It allows them to pay out different levels of commission based on specific products. This exact control means advertisers can now bring in high-volume publishers for specific opportunities, increase commissions for distressed / seasonal inventory and more.

‘Smart Commissions provides exact control for advertisers on a granular level using individual product SKUs, groups of SKUs, as well as individual and grouped publisher campaigns’.

Smart Commissions has been designed from the ground-up to be a zero-config / zero-maintenance solution – once an advertiser is fully live with Webgains, no further changes to tagging or coding is necessary.

*Smart Commissions is currently available via your Account Manager. Those with Self-Managed programs should contact clientsupport@webgains.com to enquire about upgrading to access this feature. 

How does it work?

Advertisers can seamlessly integrate Smart Commissions* into their existing programme to easily flex commissions based on stock levels and time-limited campaigns. With our new AI tool you can manage margins smartly, expanding your reach and sales volumes. 

Publishers benefit from the Smart Commissions tool through the opportunity to expand their network of advertisers based on product, rather than exclusively working with brands and businesses with limited stock. Transparency and clarity over the level of commission ensures you can monetise campaigns and get paid in a timely manner.  

Benefits

• Target slow moving products based on audience and with commission incentives. 
• Can easily set the active time period for certain products based on time-banded campaigns and promotions.   
• Smart Commissions can go live on existing programmes with zero tech – no more tagging and no need to involve your IT team! 
• If you already got a product feed with Webgains, you can start using Smart Commissions today.   
• Groups of publishers can be targeted. 
• Multiple levels of commission per publisher group. 

PRODUCT DISCOVERY

This one is of particular interest to publishers. Our Product Discovery is a multi-language search function that allows product searches over the entire Webgains network in order to monetise planned content and generate new ideas. With over 26 million SKUs live on the network at one time, as a publisher it can be challenging to locate the right products to promote. 

How does it work?

The search function enables publishers to connect with additional programmes, grow sales and comissions from relevant merchants, much like our Affiliate Discovery tool. 

The search function is a mirror image of Affiliate Discovery. Utilising SKU data with other metrics, Product Discovery’s algorithm finds the best match for your online content to promote. Product Discovery is a direct way to understand what’s going to convert, how much the product is worth, its availability and what will pay the best commission for your affiliate activity. 

‘The search function is a mirror image of Affiliate Discovery. Utilising SKU data with other metrics, Product Discovery’s algorithm finds the best match for your online content to promote’.

Benefits for Publishers

• Monetise planned content, by finding and linking products.
• Generate new content ideas, through commission opportunities.
• Connect with additional programmes, grow sales and commissions from relevant merchants.

Benefits for Advertisers

• More products promoted.
• New connections with active publishers, interested in the products you sell.
• Boost content relationships.
• More targeted relationships based on products not just brand.

Now what?

Webgains offers a wide range of service levels to suit every need, providing best-in-house solutions alongside our proprietary tech platform to assist you in your affiliate journey. Contact your account manager or our sales team to learn how to harness the power of our AI & ML Power Suite.