Today’s Question: February 11, 2014

“Hi Doc, I’m new to content locking. I have a nice eBook written by one of the top internet marketers and he allows it to be distributed for free. If I take that advantage and lock it, would I be against Adscend Media’s TOS? Thanks.”

Kubai M., Nairobi

Dr. Lock: Kubai, first off, I like that you are paying attention to our terms of service. This dedication to learning the rules of our network shows that you are a valuable publisher in our network. A “tip of the cap” to you for focusing on compliant content locking!

Now let’s get back to your question and hopefully the information below will give you some more clarity on whether to proceed with locking the eBook in question. Is locking that particular eBook a violation of our terms of service? Unfortunately, I won’t be able to provide you with a definitive “yes” or “no,” as more information is needed. An eBook, as with all pieces of published content, isn’t consistent in the types of usage rights and copyright restrictions that it allows. Basically, usage rights and copyright restrictions can vary from one eBook to the next and depend on the author’s discretion. Therefore, I can’t say with certainty that locking the eBook that you referenced is not against our TOS.

The fact that the author allows free distribution of the eBook is a great start in the process of making sure that locking the eBook is a TOS compliant practice. However, more information is needed before you can know if your usage would violate our TOS. For example, an author may allow an eBook to be distributed for free, but may not allow that same eBook to be used for commercial purposes, may require some sort of source attribution, or may have other usage restrictions that the author considers vital to protecting the rights of that eBook. Therefore, even though an eBook may allow free distribution, locking that eBook may still constitute copyright infringement. At Adscend Media, any usage of copyrighted materials without permission is a violation of our terms of service.

So, how can you find out if you can lock that eBook without violating our TOS?

To determine if you can lock the eBook, I recommend first reviewing the terms of service and/or terms of use on the eBook publisher’s site and on the eBook itself. These areas may have information which can help you decide if locking the eBook may cause copyright infringement. Next, and most importantly, I recommend that you contact the author and ask for permission to lock his or her work. This method is the easiest way to know if you have the author’s permission to lock the eBook.

In the end, to avoid going against our TOS, it is always easier to lock content that you own or have the rights to use as you please. However, locking content from other sources isn’t necessarily a bad idea. I just recommend that you get permission from the creator of the content first.

Finally, please note that we aren’t legal professionals and this post shouldn’t be taken as legal advice. If you have any additional copyright and/or fair use questions, please contact your attorney. For more information on our terms of service, please visit: https://adscendmedia.com/terms.php.

Good “Lock”

-Dr. Lock

Dr. Connie Tent Lock is the “World’s #1 Content Locking Expert” according to himself. When not content locking everything, you can find Dr. Lock roaming the halls of the Adscend Media offices.

The Doctor is always available to help you make more money using Adscend Media’s AdLock® technology. To ask Dr. Lock a question about content locking, please email your question to doc.lock@adscendmedia.com. Please note, if you submit a question to Dr. Lock, you are giving Adscend Media permission to post your question on the Adscend Media Blog. If you do not want your question posted on our blog, please add “Don’t Post” in the subject line of your email.

The post Ask Dr. Lock: Can I Lock Someone Else’s eBook? appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

The Doctor is always available to help you make more money using Adscend Media’s gateway technology. To ask Dr. Lock a question about content locking, please email your question to doc.lock@adscendmedia.com.

Today’s Question: August 25, 2013

“I saw one of Adscend’s posts on Twitter about content locking and I would like to learn more about it. Where can I go to find more information on content locking?”

Jeff M, Carmichael, CA

Dr. Lock:  Jeff, thanks for your email and if you are looking for more information on content locking, you have definitely come to the right place! Below are some of our favorite resources which provide the “ABC’s” of content locking, including concise explanations of content locking, gateway installation procedures, and strategies for success with content locking. If the hand-picked resources don’t meet your needs, feel free to shoot me an email at doc.lock@adscendmedia.com, with any content locking related questions that you might have.

Adding Content Locking Into Your Traffic Monetization Mix: Featured in Search Engine Journal, this article provides a brief overview of content locking and discusses the differences between content locking and traditional traffic monetization methods (e.g. text ads, banners, in-text ads). Definitely a nice read for those who have experience with monetizing sites.

Adscend Media Publisher Forum: Though we probably are biased, the Adscend Media Publisher Forum is a great resource for publishers looking to get started with content locking. On our forum, you can interact with fellow Adscend publishers and discuss content locking related topics, such as content creation, traffic sources, and gateway design. Besides the general forum structure, our forum also features a Chatbox, which allows you to instantly communicate with other Adscend publishers who are currently on the forum. Finally, the forum also has an area that allows publishers to partner up, which provides new publishers with a great opportunity to work with more experienced publishers on content locking campaigns.

Adscend Media Gateway Guide: Our gateway guide was designed to help new publishers install a content gateway or file/link gateway by providing step-by-step installation instructions (including pictures!). Along with installation instructions, the Adscend Media Gateway Guide also features installation best practices, to help publishers lay a foundation for success with their content locking campaigns. To get a copy of the Adscend Media Gateway Guide, please contact an Adscend Media account manager.

Introduction to Content Locking, the Basics: Published on IanFernando.com and written by Adscend CEO Fehzan Ali, this article is a quick read that is designed to provide a basic familiarity to content locking for those new to this alternative monetization method. One of the highlights of this article is data comparing the effectiveness of marketing efforts of those using content locking verses those using AdSense.

Adscend Account Managers: Our account managers love to help publishers on any stage on their content locking “journey.” Therefore, if you need help getting started, our account managers are happy assist you in any way possible, including taking the time to brainstorm niche ideas with you, help you install your gateways, and discuss content and traffic source options. For the more experience lockers, Adscend account managers can provide campaign recommendations, discuss more advanced implementation strategies, and provide dedicated support. To contact an Adscend account manager, please use our contact form.

Finally, if you still have questions regarding content locking, don’t forget to send your questions to my favorite source for content locking information–Ask Dr. Lock! 

Good “Lock”

-Dr. Lock

Dr. Connie Tent Lock is the “World’s #1 Content Locking Expert” according to himself. When not content locking everything, you can find Dr. Lock roaming the halls of the Adscend Media offices.

The post Ask Dr. Lock: Where Can I Find More Information on Content Locking? appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

The Doctor is always available to help you make more money using Adscend Media’s gateway technology. To ask Dr. Lock a question about content locking, please email your question to doc.lock@adscendmedia.com.

Today’s Question: April 16, 2013

“How can I change the appearance of my Adscend content locker to look more like my website?”

Travis D, Las Vegas, NV

Dr. Lock:  Hey Travis, first off, thanks for choosing Adscend for your content locking needs! Customizing your content gateway to match the overall look/style of your site can be achieved quite easily through our gateway customization options. The first step in customizing your content gateway to look more like your website is to log in to our site and go to the main content gateway page: (https://adscendmedia.com/gateway.php). Next, select the gateway that you want to edit, click “edit” and you are now in the content gateway editor. It’s now time to do some customizing!

Each tab in the content gateway editor has options which you can change to make your content gateway look more like your website. Below, I will cover some of the most common options that our publishers use to help make their content gateways look more like their websites. However, these options are just a few of the many ways that you can alter the appearance of your content gateway. I recommend that you explore each of our content gateway options and choose which ones work best for your needs!

Background Image or Background Color (located in Appearance and Text Tab): Tinkering with these options will allow you to alter the appearance of everything behind the text on your gateway. Changing your background image can go a long way towards creating a gateway that matches the appearance of your site, as this option allows you to add images to your gateway (including your company logo, product images, and seasonal graphics!).

Changing the color of your background allows you to choose a color that matches the main color featured on your site. Additionally, if you want to take an exact color from your website, try adding the color’s hex color code to the background color option in the content gateway editor. If you need help finding a hex color code, you can try a free hex tool, such as Hex Color Finder.

Header Text and Instructions (located in Appearance and Text Tab): Your website is unique in its design, colors, and images, as well as in its writing style. Therefore, to further match your gateway to your site, I recommend personalizing the header text and gateway instructions to read as if they were taken directly from your website. If your site “speaks” to its visitors in a more friendly tone (such is often the case on a video entertainment site, personal blog, or how-to site), then more informal language should be used in customizing these areas. If your site is of the more professional variety (such as a financial news site or technical blog), formal language should be used in altering these gateway text options.

Main Color Options (located in Advanced Appearance Tab): The Advanced Appearance Tab has many customization options to allow you to match your content gateway’s colors to that of the colors of your site. Essentially, the color of almost every area of your gateway can be changed to any hex color that you desire. I recommend that you review all of the areas with color on your site and match them one by one to your gateway. These areas include the colors of your links, backgrounds, dividers, body and heading text, and section headers. Then, apply as many of your site’s colors to your gateway as possible by adding their hex color codes in the appropriate fields on the Advanced Appearance Tab. By making just a few adjustments to the color options on this Tab, you will be surprised how close you can match the overall color scheme of your gateway to your site!

Overlay Color (located in Advanced Appearance Tab): Changing the color of the overlay on your content gateway should be your last customization option to help match the look of your gateway to your site. The overlay is the area that covers a visitor’s screen, shows up behind your gateway, and is typically black. Use this option to add one last touch of customization to your gateway by matching the color of your overlay with the main color of your site.

Finally, when trying to have your gateway match the overall look/style of your site, I recommend that you explore each customization option on the gateway editor and test as many options on your gateway as possible.

Good “Lock”

-Dr. Lock

Dr. Connie Tent Lock is the “World’s #1 Content Locking Expert” according to himself. When not content locking everything, you can find Dr. Lock roaming the halls of the Adscend Media offices.

The post Ask Dr. Lock: How Can I Make My Content Gateway Look More Like My Website? appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

The Doctor is always available to help your site make more money using Adscend Media’s content gateway technology. To ask Dr. Lock a question about content locking, please email your question to doc.lock@adscendmedia.com.

Today’s Question: February 10th, 2013

“I have released a few eBooks on relationship advice for men and have been using your content gateways to make some money. I have a decent amount of traffic, however, with Valentine’s Day coming up, do you have any tips to help increase my conversions?”

-Ryan G, Toronto

Dr. Lock: Ryan, first off, it’s good to hear that you already have a good amount of traffic coming to your site (and some conversions too!).  Thus, you have conquered one of the bigger steps in content locking. Now that traffic generation appears to be taken care of, let’s focus on your content gateways.

You probably spent a lot of time and effort creating your eBooks and your site. However, how much customization did you add to your content gateways? Our content gateways have tons of customization options that can help increase your conversions during the holidays. You want to keep your visitors focused on why they are trying to gain access to your site’s content during the holidays. Thus, you have to keep holiday themes, images and motivations top-of-mind. For Valentine’s Day, here are several options to give your gateway a Valentine’s Day makeover:

• Background Image: To give your gateway a Valentine’s Day feel, try adding some images of hearts, candy boxes, roses and anything V-Day or romance related to your gateway background image. Adding red, pink or white colors to your gateway background image will also give your gateway a holiday feel. Additionally, since your eBooks are for men, you should consider adding images of happy women to your background image as well. Men looking to download your books around Valentine’s Day are probably looking to make their significant others happy. Thus, an image illustrating the possible outcome of reading one of your relationship improvement books, could help generate an uptick in conversions.

• Background Color: If you aren’t going to use a background image, making sure your gateway color is one of the traditional Valentine’s Day colors of red, white or pink can be a subtle reminder of the Valentine’s Day holiday.

• Header Text: Changing your header text to reinforce the tie-in between your books and Valentine’s day is another option to possibly increase your conversions. Adding a header such as “Valentine’s Day Bliss” will give your visitors another reminder of the importance of your books.

• Instructions: Similar to the header text, customizing your gateway instructions gives you one more chance to remind your visitors why they wanted your books, right before they decided to complete an offer to gain access to your books. Something like, “By completing one of the offers below, you can gain access to my eBook and help her have a magical Valentine’s Day!” will help reinforce the visitor’s need to gain access to your eBook.

• Header Color, Header Font, Offer/Link Color and other Advanced Appearance Options: Make sure to take advantage of the numerous color customization options that are located in the “Advanced Appearance” section of your gateway editor. Adding a dash of red, white or pink may just give your gateway that classic Valentine’s Day look!

• Overlay Color: Changing your overlay color to red or pink can help strengthen your Valentine’s Day branding and will “pop” to your visitors!

Let me know if those tips helped increase your conversions! Have a happy Valentine’s Day!

That is your prescription for the day.

Good “Lock”

-Dr. Lock

Dr. Connie Tent Lock is the “World’s #1 Content Locking Expert” according to himself. When not content locking everything, you can find Dr. Lock roaming the halls of the Adscend Media offices.

The post Ask Dr. Lock: How Can I Increase My Conversions on Valentine’s Day Traffic? appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

The Doctor is always available to help your site make more money using Adscend Media’s content gateway technology. To ask Dr. Lock a question about content locking, please email your question to doc.lock@adscendmedia.com.

Today’s Question: January 19th, 2013

“I met you guys at Affiliate Summit last week and I am interested in getting started in content locking. However, I don’t have any apps, songs or eBooks to lock. What other items work well with content locking? Can you give me a list?”

Gwen R, Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Lock: Gwen, first off, glad you could connect with us at Summit. Hopefully, our team was as pleasant in person to you as they are to me in the office!

Besides apps, music and eBooks, there are almost an unlimited number of pieces of content that can generate revenue for you through content locking. So, per your request, here is a list of items that can be locked via Adscend Media’s content locking gateway technology:

• Coupons or coupon codes
• Passwords
• Dashboard widgets
• Instructional videos and guides
• Virtual worlds (items/currency)
• Themes
• Blog posts
• Podcasts
• Webinars
• Promotional products (stickers, logos, social media and web buttons)
• Professional guides (marketing, social media, sales etc.)
• Trial web hosting or online storage
• House plans, i.e. Coolhouseplans.com
• Image hosting
• Directory listings
• Music tabs (guitar tabs, bass tabs, sheet music)
• Templates (web, flash, WordPress, forum)
• File conversion sites (doc/docx, PDF)
• Whitepapers
• Graphics (icons, stock photos/images, fonts, textures, wallpaper, avatars)
• Games (online/flash, freeware, items/currency)
• How-to sites similar to eHowor Instructables
• Code
• Plugins (forum, etc.)
• Browser add-ons
• Royalty free sounds
• Online shopping carts – as ‘payment’ method / free shipping / discounts
• Free blurays, movie tickets, CDs/iTunes, books/Amazon cards, photo prints

If you need more, let us know!

Well, there you have it. That is your prescription for the day.

Good “Lock”

-Dr. Lock

Dr. Connie Tent Lock is the “World’s #1 Content Locking Expert” according to himself. When not content locking everything, you can find Dr. Lock roaming the halls of the Adscend Media offices.

The post Ask Dr. Lock: Can You Give Me a List of Items to Content Lock? appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

The Doctor is always available to help your site make more money using Adscend Media’s content gateway technology. To ask Dr. Lock a question about content locking, please email your question to doc.lock@adscendmedia.com.

Today’s Question: January 6th, 2013

“I just installed my first content gateway ever on my coupon site. Can you recommend some good offers to feature on my gateway?”

Rick T, Dos Palos, CA

Dr. Lock: Rick, first off, let me congratulate you on deciding to try content locking. Always providing value to the user and the advertiser, content locking is one of the most stable and successful internet marketing methods available to marketers today. Secondly, your choice to install a gateway on your coupon site is another savvy decision. Coupon sites typically work well with content gateways due to the desire of coupon site visitors to get a deal. Additionally, most of the higher earning offers on content gateways are in tune with the interests of thrifty coupon site visitors including receiving items for free, sampling new products and even obtaining more coupons.

Now back to your question. “Can you recommend some good offers to feature on my gateway?” What if I told you that I could hook you up with our most effective offers instantly? Would that work for you? I am assuming you are nodding “yes” and are scrolling down this post, searching for a list. Well, I am not going to provide you with such a list as Adscend Media has that taken care of it for you! All Adscend Media gateways are automatically enabled to display our top earning offers based on click data (EPC) to site visitors of any site! Therefore, Adscend not only saves you time by not having to research which offers may work best on your site, but also immediately gives you the best chance of conversion based on network-wide data. You gotta love having our highest EPC offers at your disposal!

By immediately providing you with our best offers, I know that we have saved you some time Rick. So, now I ask you, what are you planning to do with the time that you were going to spend looking for offers that would convert well on your site? Personally, I would suggest hitting the gym, going for a walk, or exercising a bit at home. Of course, I am a doctor :). (Well not a “real” doctor, but I do know a lot about content locking.)

Well, there you have it. That is your prescription for the day.

Good “Lock”

-Dr. Lock

Dr. Connie Tent Lock is the “World’s #1 Content Locking Expert” according to himself. When not content locking everything, you can find Dr. Lock roaming the halls of the Adscend Media offices.

The post Ask Dr. Lock: Which Offers Should I Show on My Gateway? appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

The Doctor is always available to help your site make more money using Adscend Media’s content gateway technology. To ask Dr. Lock a question about content locking, please email your question to doc.lock@adscendmedia.com.

Today’s Question: December 6th, 2012

“My band just released our new album and no one is buying it. We want people to hear it, but don’t want to give away our songs for free. Could content locking help us make some more money?”

Nate C, Santa Rosa, CA

Dr. Lock: Nate, thanks for your email. Your dilemma is one that almost all of today’s music groups are facing. If you charge for your songs, you won’t get the exposure that giving away your material for free would provide you. On the other hand, if you give away your tunes for free, you may receive a bunch of compliments and some new fans, but no financial compensation. The bottom line is that to be successful long term, your band needs to make money for equipment, promotion, and longevity. If everyone digs your songs, but no one is paying for any of them, you may be stuck eating off the McDonald’s value menu for a while. However, don’t “fret!” There is a middle ground between having people pay for your tunes and giving them away for free. This sacred middle ground is known as content locking.

Content locking works through a tool called a content gateway. When someone clicks on a link to buy your music, a window appears in their browser (sort of like a pop-up ad) called an overlay. The overlay has a message that states that the person wanting to download your music can’t do so until he or she completes an action (Here is an example of a gateway btw: http://adscendmedia.com/gwdemo_defaults.html). This action usually just consists of filling out a short offer form from an advertiser and most of these offers don’t require a purchase or any financial commitment whatsoever. After the user completes the action, he or she can then get access to your music through receiving a file to download or you can have you music immediately start to play.

Content locking works for musicians because it fulfills their two most pressing marketing needs:

Exposure

Your friends, family and fans all have items that compete for their dollars each day. If your potential fans have to choose between buying dinner, going to the movies or even getting gas, chances are those options will be chosen over buying your album. Locking your music virtually knocks down this price barrier, which opens up your potential fan base. You want people to hear your music, as you didn’t spend hours rehearsing, writing songs and driving around in your uncle’s minivan for nothing. By providing a low, or no cost alternative for distributing your music, content locking can achieve your goal of getting your music heard.

 Revenue Generation

It’s definitely a gratifying experience to have more people hear your music. However, wouldn’t a little cash be nice for your services? Locking your music can generate more revenue from your music as you will get commission each time someone completes an offer to unlock your music. So, as your new fan base discovers your music, you can make a little profit off of their discovery.

How can you get started?

The affiliate managers of Adscend Media are happy to help set up your content gateway, provide you with suggestions on how you can best maximize your sales and answer any questions that you might have about the process. They understand that most musicians have never heard of content locking and can help walk you through all of the necessary steps to get your music locked.

But wait, there’s more…

Adscend’s content gateway technology allows you to customize the look of your content overlay and choose what offers will work best to show on your overlay. Not sure of which offers will convert with the fans of your band’s music? Adscend affiliate managers can make recommendations or you can just let the technology do its job. Adscend’s content gateway automatically places the highest converting offers for whichever country your fans are located in instantly on to your overlay!

So, what are you waiting for? The path to more fans and some additional income runs through Adscend. Sign up today at https://adscendmedia.com/apply.php.

Well, there you have it. That is your prescription for the day.

Good “Lock”

-Dr. Lock

Dr. Connie Tent Lock is the “World’s #1 Content Locking Expert” according to himself. When not content locking everything, you can find Dr. Lock roaming the halls of the Adscend Media offices.

The post Ask Dr. Lock: Should I Content Lock My Music? appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

The Doctor is always available to help your site make more money using Adscend Media’s content gateway technology. To ask Dr. Lock a question about content locking, please email your question to doc.lock@adscendmedia.com.

Today’s Question: November 13th, 2012

“I think I’m ready to start content locking some content on my site, but I have no idea which content would be the best to lock. Can you give me some suggestions?”

–JP, Lansing, Michigan

Dr. Lock: JP, the question as to which content should be locked is a question that many affiliates struggle with. First off, you want to avoid locking any content that doesn’t provide your visitors with some sort of unique value. Locking your “About Us” page for example, wouldn’t be a good idea as the content on that page probably isn’t unique or exciting enough that your visitors would want to take an additional action (such as filling out a form on an offer) to view the content. Additionally, locking pages on your site that help your business make money or gain customers, such as contact and checkout pages, isn’t a good idea as locking those pages may disrupt your site’s natural sales funnel.

So, what should you lock?

Well first off, you need to make sure that whatever you choose to lock, you own the rights to  – or are otherwise legally allowed to distribute – that content. We recommend locking content that is unique and has value to your visitors. If your content saves your visitors time or money, that’s even better! Everyday examples of smart content locking can be seen in websites that have created their own unique content including books on business strategy, training videos on website design, and songs from a band’s new album.

A simple way to get started is for you to decide on what type of content you want to lock, determine your strengths, and decide what is the most appealing way to present that content to your visitors. Are you passionate about, or have experience with, a certain subject? Do you like to write? If so, some “How to” guides might be a good choice. Do you create videos often? Perhaps creating some video tutorials to lock would be an option. Are you tech savvy? In that case, a good option for more technically advanced users would be to create an online tool like a file converter or image hosting site. Let your passion and strengths guide you to create and lock valuable content. Additionally, if you have great original content already created, there is no need to “reinvent the wheel.” You can just use that content as is, or tweak it, to make it even more valuable to your visitors! The possibilities are endless!

Still stuck?

Another great place to start is to look at your site and see which elements of your site are generating the most visits (Google Analytics can help). Once you know the elements of your site that your visitors are most interested in, it’s time to decide how you can expand on those areas and make those areas fit for content locking. For example, let’s say that your blog is the page on your site that gets the most visits. In that case, you could create a series of exclusive blog posts and lock them.  Your blog readers would surely be interested in exclusive content as they are already fans of your blog. Depending on how valuable the content is, you may also generate some new visitors to your site as well! Therefore, these exclusive posts would make a great choice for content locking.

Well, there you have it. That is your prescription for the day.

Good “Lock”

-Dr. Lock

Dr. Connie Tent Lock is the “World’s #1 Content Locking Expert” according to himself. When not content locking everything, you can find Dr. Lock roaming the halls of the Adscend Media offices.

The post Ask Dr. Lock: “What should I content lock?” appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.