Cashback started as a Microsoft Live Search offering in 2008. It gained some attention, but didn't really catch on with consumers like Microsoft (and retailers) had hoped. That attitude looks to be changing.
Several weeks ago, Bing offered to double their cashback rewards for consumers - if a retailer offered a $10 discount, Bing would throw in another $10. And it was successful. So much, they ended the program three days early after burning through their allotted budget for the promotion.
With Bing's strong focus on shopping and being a "decision engine," now might be the time for retailers and affiliates to get serious with Bing and their cashback program. Consumers look for deals - particularly online, where it's expected. Using cashback, retailers can set their purchase rewards amounts for items, and everything is on a cost=per-acquisition (CPA) basis - what Bing calls a guaranteed ROI. Below are a six more reasons to think about Bing cashback for your business.
- Bing is up: The search engine itself is gaining in marketshare every day. Early returns from users are positive and with the overwhelming response of Bing's double cashback promotion, it's a clear indication Bing shopping is catching on. Click the "shopping" link on Bing's home page and the first thing you see is information on Bing cashback.
- Yahoo!: When Bing takes over Yahoo! search properties, cashback is going to get even more exposure. It's not a bad idea to start now, so you can get familiar with the system and test what's working best with the Bing audience.
- Cashback's new TV ad: It just started airing. Simply put, whenever you see a major advertising push on television, it will get attention. You can see it below.
- Facebook and Twitter: Cashback has a presence on Facebook (more than 13,000 fans) and Twitter (over 4,500 followers). As you've been hearing for some time now, Facebook and Twitter are no joke. Expect those fans and followers to mushroom in the very near future.
- eBay: Bing cashback is integrated with eBay. Although declining, eBay still sees 70 million uniques per month, according to Compete.com.
- 'Tis the season: Search for just about any product (toys, watches, etc.) on Google Trends and you'll see that the online shopping season is rapidly approaching. I can't think of a better time to get accustomed with Bing and cashback - the calm before the storm.
Learn more and get started with Bing cashback.
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