Broken down to regional level, the research provides a fresh perspective on the affiliate map of the UK. Compiled using data from a comprehensive range of networks, the survey reveals that while London and the South East continue to dominate the marketplace, spending elsewhere is beginning to reach significant levels.
"It's very encouraging to see that Scottish affiliates drive 10% of the PPC spend when the 2007 Affiliate Census showed that just 6% of affiliates were based in Scotland. With so many of the affiliate networks based in the South you could be fooled into thinking that this is a London based industry but the spread throughout the UK shows that Affiliate Marketing is an industry where geography doesn't matter," said Fraser Edwards of www.affiliateblog.co.uk.
"Networks & merchants would do well to take note of the results of this survey and ensure they offer the same events and support to affiliates in the UK's regions as they do in London."
Conducted during the first quarter of 2008, the research shows that affiliate spend is fairly evenly spread across the country. While a gap exists between areas like Northern Ireland - where affiliates expend the lowest amount of money on PPC - and high-spending London, in other regions expenditure is now broadly comparable to the size of their local populations and economies.
The analysts behind the report point out that a low percentage of the overall spend does not necessarily equate to a lack of regional affiliate activity however. Instead of investing largely in PPC, many networks are now promoting their sites through search engine optimisation, email marketing or social media.
"It is notable that more than two thirds of all UK affiliate spend identified in the bigmouthmedia survey was from outside London and the South East. We see this as a reflection of the fact that whilst there is still a general London centricity in terms of the affiliate networks themselves, most of the investment and enterprise that is actually driving the process comes pretty well evenly distributed from all corners of the UK," said ClickAngel Director Ed Wilkinson.
View our complete UK affliates PPC spending survey here.
