If you’ve ever been interested in making money online, chances are you know of the affiliate marketing programs out there serving aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide. Fact: a slim 5% of marketers gain 95% of the revenue there is to make in this business. Harnessing the power of marketing is the biggest potential source of web revenue, bottom line.

It’s a shame that the industry has dominated for years by four players: Commission Junction (the “Google” of internet marketing), Shareasale, Linkshare and Performics. However, looking back on first quarter 2008 results shows that there is now a fifth player… snagging a whopping 17.5% of top marketers according to  a recent study done by MarketingSherpa.com. Who is it? Pepperjam. And when the CEO of this company, Kris Jones, contacted me personally about a review… I knew this high-flier was for real.

How Pepperjam Stole The Show
How exactly is it that a 5-month old internet marketing wannabe steals 17.5% of the total internet marketing industry away from the likes of Commission Junction and ShareASale? When I read this recent MarketingSherpa report on the first quarter, I was stunned. What’s more impressive is the customers that Pepperjam services. They’ve got big-name contracts with companies like Pet Meds, Roca Wear, Playboy, Countrywide Financial (bless their hearts) and even the Washington Redskins.

Even with these big names in hand, it’s tough to make the case that Pepperjam is actually going to be able to compete with these big dogs long-term. They are still a long way out, but growth has been impressive knowing they’ve only been around half a year. Biggest driver for second quarter earnings? Ebay has now signed on with Pepperjam, switching out of a relationship with Commission Junction. Will this boost them up over a 20% market share usage among the pros? We’ll have to wait to see.

Safety In Numbers
Pepperjam was one of the first affiliate networks that I ever used, mostly due to their very proactive marketing campaigns early on. I have since switched over to Market Leverage because of their awesome support, but looking back on PepperJam’s website I can see that they have made quite the face-lift. Their old website featured a dark color scheme, which wasn’t too welcoming. Along with a new look to their website, They’ve got a more active campaigning approach that I really enjoy. Considered an authority by Forbes, CNN Money, Business 2.0 & more, and now established as “one of the top 5 major affiliate networks in the United States,” you should check Pepperjam out.

Personally, I like sticking to my numbers… as you are much less likely to get burned on payment by a major company. This fact is a major part of why I am re-recommending that you sign up with Pepperjam. There’s nothing wrong with joining multiple networks… heck, the best in the business do it! In the first quarter of 2008 alone, Pepperjam launched an astonishing 175 new advertisers… making it the fastest growing network in the United States.

But How Are Internet Marketing Company’s Compared?
MarketingSherpa.com broke rankings down into four categories for judging: merchants/advertisers in network, customer service, technology and payment. What was very interesting is how little the best affiliate marketers seem to care about customer service. Apparently, most of the biggest marketing companies have been rated “average” by the clients. This leaves a lot of room for smaller “infant” networks like Market Leverage and Pepperjam to break into the rankings by providing over-the-top customer support to those that want it… and I gotta say I like the attention.

One thing that you can get from Pepperjam that you can’t get from a bloated market authority is a personal touch. PepperJam assigns each account with a unique associate to guide you through your campaigning. But you can really talk to anyone you need, as I’ve even talked with the CEO of the business. I like the personal touch. I might not be the most advanced internet marketer, but I think that everyone appreciates being treated like one.

Bottom Line: The growth Pepperjam has experienced over the short 5-months since their creation is quite impressive. By signing on with some big names like eBay and NetQuote, it’s clear that they might pose a threat to the traditional industry heavyweights. I want to encourage all of you to sign up with the fastest growing affiliate network in the U.S., there’s a lot of upside from a quick registration.

-The Net Fool

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