Frequently Asked Questions

Merchant Questions:

How is BuyCasts different from other pay-per-click (“PPC”) networks?
Traditional PPC marketing generates unqualified traffic (click-thrus) and is inefficient because it leads to poor conversion rates. However, BuyCasts is a social purchasing network that operates on a Pay-Per-Buyer model, and it is designed to generate a consistent flow of qualified buyers into your store and/or website.
What does Pay-Per-Buyer mean?
Pay-Per-Buyer means exactly what it says. You only pay for interactions with qualified buyers. Traditional PPC marketing makes you pay for “click-thrus” that are not verified as a purchasing intention. However, BuyCasts verifies the purchasing intentions of all traffic before it displays your online ad. We can even provide you with the buyer's purchasing timeframe. You can pay one price for access to buyers planning on making a purchase within the next 30 days or pay a different price for those buyers with a longer expected purchasing timeframe.
Wait, there's more! You can configure BuyCasts to ask the buyers visiting your site for the authorization to contact them directly as well as further qualify them with a short list of questions. You can also offer special discounts and promotions to the buyers whose profiles you most desire.
How do you do this?
At the heart of the BuyCasts concept is an extremely valuable closed-loop purchasing network that enables consumers and businesses to not only target each other based on their respective economic interests but also on the social interests and networks that they share. To make this happen, participating consumers download and personalize a patented technology called “Permissive Search Agent” that prompts the consumer to register their purchasing intention whenever they conduct a keyword search at any major search engine or shopping site. We call this “BuyCasting”.
How do you get consumers to join and participate in the network?
Members are motivated to join and participate in the network because BuyCasts provides them with the following benefits;
- Receiving discounts, promotions and savings on the items they intend to buy
- Buying from merchants who might share their values and interests
- Referring a favorite merchants to friends and family at the point of search
- Generating financial support for their charitable interests
- Earning cash for helping the BuyCasts network grow
Are you paying consumers for their individual “click” behavior?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Participating consumers (members) can never financially benefit from their individual activities within the network.
Members can earn Charitable Credits based on their participation the BuyCasts network. Credits can be earned for registering their purchasing intentions, referring their favorite merchants to their friends, giving a merchant permission to contact them and answering a merchant’s qualifying survey. At the end of every month, BuyCasts donates and distributes 30% of its gross revenues to the charities and non-profits that are actively supported by members. The amount that an individual charity receives is based on the number of members supporting that charity and the participation of those members.
However, members may earn a cash incentive for referring new members and merchants to the network. This referral incentive is paid in the form of BuyPoints and can be redeemed for cash contributions to a personal savings account, IRA, Health Savings Account, or child's 529 Plan.
Is BuyCasts a multi-level marketing network?
Absolutely not. Members can only make BuyPoints on the members and merchants that they directly refer to the network. We do not pay any referral fees across multiple-levels.
How do you deal with fraud?
BuyCasts is uniquely positioned to manage fraudulent activities in a way that traditional search marketing providers can't. In order to enjoy the benefits of BuyCasts, consumers must be actively logged into the BuyCasts system. This makes the job of managing "click fraud" much easier because we always know who is originating the search. Thus, BuyCasts has developed and patented a fraud detection system that leverages the patterns and histories of participating consumers to detect “suspect” activities - much like a credit card company. More importantly, we are able to suppress or suspend the frequency and number of ad impressions when we do suspect fraudulent behaviors.
Additionally, we discourage fraudulent behavior by ensuring that consumers never financially benefit from their individual activities.
How do you match consumers to merchants based on charitable interests and social values?
This is an optional feature. When consumers register into the BuyCasts system, they are given the option to build their own personal purchasing network of friends, family members, favorite merchants and charitable interests. BuyCasts merchants are also given the option of entering their charitable interests and physical locations into the Member Connections section of the BuyCasts AdCenter. Thus, BuyCasts is able to connect members and merchants together based on the charitable interests that they share. A member’s Personal Purchasing Network and a Merchant’s Member Connections also enables BuyCasts to direct consumers to merchants with local establishments, as well connect consumers to merchants who have been referred by the consumer’s trusted friends. We believe that these are extremely powerful and valuable features for small businesses and local advertisers.
How do you overcome privacy concerns?
Unlike most search engines, we don't abuse the trust of our users. BuyCasts is built on the principles of “permissive marketing.” We never do anything without obtaining permission from the consumer first. BuyCasts is specifically designed to protect the privacy of users. Members have total control of when and how their purchasing intentions are shared in the system.
What are the payment options for my campaigns?
Payments are made through a credit card. When you register, you'll need to fund your account with an initial balance ($50.00 minimum). Pay-Per-Buyer fees will be withdrawn from your account based on the buyer traffic and activities generated by your ads and campaigns. You may manually replenish your account balance at anytime or auto-replenish your account when it depletes below a preset level.
How can I target my audience with BuyCasts?
BuyCasts is a closed-loop purchasing network, and consumers must join the network to benefit from its advantages. Member profiles are collected during the registration process, which enables BuyCasts to offer its merchants exciting new targeting capabilities without violating our members’ privacy. BuyCasts merchants can build and target ads based on parameters including demographics, lifestyles, geographies, household information, and social values.
What types of additional consumer information can I capture?
BuyCasts allows you to configure the system to offer buyers additional BuyPoints in exchange for permission to contact them as well as to answer questions through a qualifying survey. When you build ads in BuyCasts, you are given the option of turning on the “Contact Permission” feature and adding qualifying questions to your campaign. BuyCasts takes it from there. We will present your “contact request” and “qualifying survey” to buyers who visit your Web site. BuyCasts will capture the consumer's permissions and answers to your questions and immediately provide them to you in the merchant portal.
Do I need to create my own form and landing page to capture additional information?
No. BuyCasts does all the work for you. All you need to do is create your ad campaign. When buyers give you permission to contact them or answer your questions, BuyCasts will automatically populate your account with this information. There is no need to spend your advertising budget on a creative team to do the work that BuyCasts can do for you!
Does BuyCasts use spyware or adware?
No, there is no need for these invasive agents. BuyCasts is completely permission- based. Consumers are in control of their information at all times. Consumers decide on a search-by-search basis with whom they will share their information.