Interview: Keren Marom (Matomy Market)

We're very excited to present our 53rd interview with Keren Marom of Matomy Market. Keren Marom, VP of Affiliate Marketing at Matomy Market. Keren oversees the development and growth of advertiser business via Matomy Market's proprietary affiliate management platform. With Matomy Market since it was founded as Adsmarket in 2006, Keren has managed Client Relations activities and played an active role in advancing the company's Business Development division and strategic partnerships.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? How old are you?

I was born and raised in Queens, New York. Seven years ago I decided to pack my bags and move to Tel Aviv, Israel. As much as I miss my family in New York, I do not at all miss the cold weather… I'm 30 years old, married and have the most adorable two-year-old son. I joke with the other mothers at work that our kids will know their EPC before their ABC!

2. How long have you been in affiliate marketing and how did you get involved?

I've been in affiliate marketing about 6 years now, since I first joined Matomy Market. As one of the first employees of the company, I recall the days when we all fit into one room and didn't need MSN to communicate. It's been an amazing experience to watch both the company and the affiliate marketing industry grow so quickly and steadily. The excitement of being part of this company, coupled with the dynamic and advanced nature of the industry, provides an exceptional work environment, surrounded by young and energetic professionals.

3. Tell us a little bit about Matomy Market and what you do over there?

Matomy Market offers performance-based online marketing solutions. We are the affiliate marketing arm of Matomy Media Group, along with display ad network Matomy Media, virtual currency monetization platform Matomy Money and mobile advertising network Matomy Mobile. We currently have over 1500 offers, about 500 advertisers, and publishers working in every media type you can imagine. I'm heading our Affiliate Program Management department, which provides advertisers with the opportunity to build and manage their own affiliate program and benefit from Matomy Market's advanced technology and consultation from our professional team. The offering is unique in that advertisers are granted a branded experience for their affiliates- from signup to platform entry, and full control over their Affiliate Program, while reaping the benefits of being a part of an experienced affiliate network. Affiliates that join through the advertiser are more closely connected with the brand they are promoting, and enjoy a transparent relationship that opens up many advantages for them including custom payouts and direct communication with the advertiser.

4. There are already so many CPA affiliate networks out there. What makes Matomy Market different?

First of all, this is performance marketing, so it's very important to us to provide tailored service to our publishers and advertisers that drives conversions. For publishers, this means accuracy, efficiency, and relevance, all of which we deliver as an affiliate network and as part of Matomy Media Group. Our reporting tools work in real time, delivering accurate stats without the one hour lapse that has become quite common in other networks. It's a real time-saver and enables publisher to more precisely monitor their campaigns and budgets. And with our search tools and newsletters that supply a steady stream of our top offers for each media type, it's easy to find the campaigns that are most relevant to traffic. For our advertisers, we go above and beyond to provide reach, control, results, and growth. They gain access to Matomy's media channels including display, email, search, social, mobile and retargeting and our vast, in-house media inventory via Matomy Media Group. We provide total affiliate program management as well as a self-managed option to provide the level of support and control that the advertiser wants. Matomy Market has experienced personnel who you can depend on, reliable and accurate in-house technology that is continuously enhanced to keep up with industry requirements, top rates and exclusive offers. Many of our affiliates and advertisers tell us that we have a proactive approach to performance, and that's a quality we try to live up to on every level.

5. Do you have any exclusive offers that other networks don't have?

Matomy Market has many exclusive top converting campaigns throughout the network. Some of our recent partners include EL AL Israel Airlines, online games company Gamersfirst, and Rebtel, a Sweden-based telecom company. We usually announce a sample of new exclusives on our Special Offers page on our website, which is open to the public. In addition, we also have exclusive rates for many of our top performing offers and invite publishers to inquire about getting a better payout for high traffic volume.

6. Which traffic sources prove to be the most effective for your top earning affiliates - E-mail, PPC, PPV, Facebook, Media Buying or any others?

Hard question, because this will depend on the offer, the affiliate, and the media. We have a wide variety of offers that work well on many different traffic sources. We track and analyze performance across all media types and then recommend what's working based on those metrics. Many times we'll recommend to an affiliate to test out a new traffic source and that will be the one that makes the most money.

7. I see you are using your own affiliate network software. What made you build yourself, instead of choosing HasOffers, LinkTrust, DirectTrack and HitPath, etc.?

The right tracking technology and campaign management platform is a critical factor in an affiliate's success. We needed something reliable, scalable, accurate, and flexible to facilitate new opportunities… and that's exactly what we've developed in-house. Our technology is highly regarded by both publishers and advertisers alike as it is very accurate, reliable, efficient, has top optimization features, and supports all creative types. The platform is multicurrency supported and offers complete integration with the leading payment solutions out there, which ensures continuous timely publisher payments.

8. What are the criteria for a marketer to be accepted at Matomy Market? How does Matomy Market prevent and handle fraud?

While I wouldn't say it's hard to be accepted to Matomy Market, it's also not an open-door policy. We screen our affiliates for quality, and have a testing period for each new account so we can monitor traffic. And yes, we do suspend or reject affiliates that violate our terms and conditions or those of our advertisers. We have also set in place a system to deter fraud, specifically coming from virtual currency traffic, and this VC Quality Verification tool has been very successful in actually improving the quality of leads coming from this type of traffic and total revenue as well.

9. For those who are interested in working with you and your affiliate network – How can they get started?

Go to our website and sign up! The link is http://www.matomymarket.com/publishers/publisher-registration/ I would also recommend catching us at a trade show, so you can meet face-to-face with someone who can answer questions about offers and traffic or if you're an advertiser, getting your offers into the network or opening a managed account. We'll be exhibiting at ad:tech NY on November 9-10 at Stand #1830.

10. What are the keys to building successful relationships between Affiliates and Affiliate Networks?

I think the key to building successful relationships is for Affiliate Networks to ensure reliable timely payments and provide a wide selection of attractive offers and payouts. Beyond that, an affiliate network needs to understand what their affiliates are looking for and what they need to increase their revenues, and GET IT FOR THEM.

11. Where is Matomy Market going?

Matomy Market has advanced quickly and steadily over the past 5 years. I think that our new affiliate program management offering will bring the company to even greater heights, as I expect it to increase our client base with the unique and transparent solution we are offering advertisers. Advertisers will have direct contact with their affiliates and vice versa, so affiliates: Here is your chance to ask advertisers directly for what you need to boost your performance on their offers!

12. What are your hobbies/interests/passions?

I am a gym addict! Any day which I can start with a jog already begins brighter… Besides that, occasional atypical excitement can include skydiving (yes – done it twice, hope to do it again soon!).

Many thanks to Keren for sharing your time with us and for sharing some great insight tips here! If you have any experience with Matomy Market, please write a review for them on the Matomy Market review page. PS. What are your thoughts on the interview? Kindly share your thoughts in the comments section below. PPS. If you are an affiliate marketer, AM or Network owner and are interested in answering a few questions about you, your network and affiliate marketing, please drop us a message.