We’re working on plans for the next Affiliate Summit and we want to know what you want and do not want.
Tell us what you think at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=634821155050
Archives for June 2005
Ask Shawn Collins: Affiliate Marketing Trade Association
Q: Why is there no U.S. National or International Affiliate Marketing Association? It seems clear that affiliate marketers need to speak with one voice about issues such as commission theft, improved reporting and tracking, and a wide-range of other common issues. An Affiliate Marketing Association could easily charge a reasonable annual membership fee, which would provide access to an association website. The web site could facilitate online surveys and other information gathering activities. It also could facilitate ‘official’ position statements of the association and other news.
A: Once upon a time, there was an effort underway to do just as you have described. The group was called IAFMA, which stood for the International Affiliate Marketing Association.
The group was headed by Herby Olschewski, who also ran the Affiliate Force conferences from 2000-2003.
Unfortunately, the group didn’t ultimately live up to its tagline of ‘Keeping it Fair in Revenue Share,’ as the whole thing ended up vaporizing in 2004 after lots of people and companies had put money out for memberships.
However, there was a buzz at Affiliate Summit 2005 for a rebirth of this sort of group. Stay tuned for more information.
Affiliate Summit, Day 2
The second day of Affiliate Summit 2005 kicked off with a session of speed networking (see video below).
During this session, the attendees participated in a series of five minute meetings with other folks at the conference.
This was followed by a period of informal networking where everybody had a chance to build on the meetings they started in the speed networking.
Then there was the second day keynote by Fredrick Marckini, CEO & Founder of iProspect.
At the conclusion of Fredrick’s talk, he asked anybody that was interested in his White Paper to come forward with their business cards.
It was an impressive scene as he worked the very long receiving line of affiliate marketers hungry for search engine knowledge.
Fredrick Marckini Speaking to the Crowd After His Keynote
After lunch, there were a series of panels and presentations on subjects including analytics, Google, blogs/RSS, e-mail deliverability, etc.
The second day concluded with rotating roundtables, which were fifteen minute discussions with an expert on various topics.
At the end of each fifteen minute period, the experts would shift to another table, so each group was able to engage in talks on the array of topics.
Shawn Collins and Missy Ward Exhale After Affiliate Summit 2005
Thanks to everybody who came out to Las Vegas for Affiliate Summit 2005. Every sponsor, attendee, speaker, and staffer was vital towards the success of this and future shows.
Paging Jakob Nielsen – the Affiliate Networks Need You
The following is what David Holmes had to say in response the the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved?
The number 1 problem I have with major affiliate organizations (Commission Junction, Link Share, etc), is that their sites are impossible to navigate without adjusting Windows default settings.
They are blocked by Windows and this problem is compounded when I add Spyware/Adware.
It took me months to figure out how to get on the site just to join, and this makes it hard to refer others through as downlines.
I had to download Fire Fox just to use to access these sites to get banners and links and to check my stats.
I don’t expect to win a T-Shirt for this (Editor note – you’re getting one anyway), but I sure appreciate a chance to get this off my chest.
I think it would be a big help to both parties to have the site visited by an affiliate manager. This looks like there is care in a personal way and many sites could use some suggestions.
How would you answer the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved? There are no right or wrong answers – just opinions that can help improve the industry.
The author of any response that is published at affiliatetip.com or affiliatesummit.com will receive a limited edition “It’s an affiliate thing, you wouldn’t understand.” t-shirt.
Share your thoughts now at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=56601070891
Affiliates and Affiliate Managers: Why Can’t We Be Friends?
The following is what Amanda Moralis of the Eastwood Company had to say in response the the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved?
I think affiliate marketing would be easier and more profitable for affiliates and affiliate managers alike if each would make more of an effort to step into the other’s shoes.
Too often, affiliates look at merchants as “the enemy”, looking to cheat them out of commissions in any way possible.
And too many AM’s look at affiliates as whiners who don’t want to work to make sales.
An affiliate previously answered this question by mentioning a lack of communication on the part of AM’s. While this is definitely a problem, communication is a two-way street.
If you want to be contacted by an AM, say so! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried contacting an affiliate and never got a response.
Some of us DO want to hear from you. AM’s and affiliates should be partners, not adversaries. Remember, AM’s (and affiliates!) are people too; we have mutual goals that can be best achieved together.
How would you answer the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved? There are no right or wrong answers – just opinions that can help improve the industry.
The author of any response that is published at affiliatetip.com or affiliatesummit.com will receive a limited edition “It’s an affiliate thing, you wouldn’t understand.” t-shirt.
Share your thoughts now at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=56601070891
Affiliate Summit, Day 1
The first day of Affiliate Summit was eventful with loads of education, networking, and reuniting with industry friends.
Declan Dunn kicked off day 1 with the keynote address. (video below is the crowd for Declan’s talk).
He started things off with a tribute to industry innovator, Corey Rudl and lauded the representative cross section of the industry in attendance, composed of every type of affiliate, cpa networks, affiliate networks, merchants for every sort of model, etc.
The day was MC’d for the second year by Corey Newhouse, who entertained the crowd with his comedy stylings.
MC Corey Newhouse
Lunchtime Keynote, Stephen Messer of LinkShare
There will be many more (better) pictures coming shortly. Time to work on making sure that Day 2 is all set.
Affiliate Programs Take Time to Get Traction
The following is what Jonathan Miller of Team Affiliate had to say in response the the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved?
Merchant’s perceptions that an affiliate program is a quick fix. This is due in part to promises made by us as an industry.
I’ve seen material from various networks, software platforms and consultants that promise ROI by month 3.
Now, I don’t know if I’m behind on the curve here or if we’re just managing difficult clients 🙂 but after analyzing the more the 85 programs we’ve managed and consulted to in the last 4 years I’ve found that only 12% of programs reach ROI before the end of the 4th month of Trading.
Around 70% of programs take 7 months to mature and generate significant revenues.
Another major obstacle to affiliate marketing is that some programs declare themselves spyware and adware free – then simply allow their media buyers to negotiate paid campaigns (often on the same terms as the affiliate programs) to drive traffic.
All this does is cannibalize affiliate traffic and make it so much more difficult for the affiliate manager to run a successful program!
What’s right with affiliate marketing? You get to meet some of the most successful, brilliant and entrepreneurial people on the internet and forge close relationships with them in many of the programs we work with!
How would you answer the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved? There are no right or wrong answers – just opinions that can help improve the industry.
The author of any response that is published at affiliatetip.com or affiliatesummit.com will receive a limited edition “It’s an affiliate thing, you wouldn’t understand.” t-shirt.
Share your thoughts now at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=56601070891
Affiliate Marketing Merchants – You Could Learn A Lot from Dell
The following is what Gary Gray of Coupon Chief had to say in response the the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved?
Along with having an innovative supply chain, there’s another reason Dell is the largest computer company in the world.
They always offer great coupon codes to online affiliates that let the buyer “in” on deals that they otherwise wouldn’t get.
When retailers offer coupon and discount codes that are either new promotions or expiring deals, it motivates buyers into taking advantage of a one time offer.
It’s also a great way to push inventory and make room for new products. Have you noticed Dell is now promoting digital cameras, flash memory, and more electronic products from other retailers?
Their success in the ecommerce space comes with the help of affiliates, and now they are promoting a wide range of electronics with similar coupon codes to what was once only available to computer discounts.
Promotions like these benefit the buyer AND seller. If I were a retailer, I would model Dell’s coupon offers and coupon codes.
It really sells products, especially when it’s an extra $50-$100 discount. This makes a consumer feel like they’re getting the best deal out there, regardless of the actual final price.
The only thing Dell lacks that can benefit affiliate marketing is great landing pages that explicitly outline the details of the coupon.
Let’s not confuse buyers, instead let’s make sure they know what kind of deal they’re getting, and point them to it.
The online affiliate and retail community need to pull together to let buyers more easily understand the offer they’re getting, and landing pages detailing an offer enhance online shopping.
There’s a reason “dell coupon” was searched twice as much as “online coupon” in April (from Yahoo search statistics). It’s because not enough affiliates are pushing their products with coupon codes.
Retailers should model the Dell affiliate coupons offers; their success comes from many angles.
Countdown to Affiliate Summit
We’re settled in at the Riviera Hotel and everything is coming together for the kickoff of the show on Monday morning.
For a good part of Saturday, there was a big team of people stuffing the attendee bags with all sorts of good information and toys for the Affiliate Summit attendees.
Here is a shot of Missy relaxing on the ocean of stuffed bags for the conference.
Even though we’re being hit hard with jet lag, networking calls, so it’s time to head out and make some deals with the early arrivals.
More updates soon.
It’s Time Affiliate Managers Discovered the Phone
The following is what Brian Chandler of Marketleverage.com had to say in response the the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved?
There is nothing wrong with affiliate marketing at all really.
Actually I’m quite impressed on how far we have come as a whole. What surprises me on a daily basis is when I call a new Publisher and they are shocked when they realize who I am and that I actually called them.
It actually makes me wonder what it would be like to be a publisher, making a considerable amount of money and not being able to reach a live person on the other end.
I’m not so sure I would be comfortable with a silent business partner, especially one that writes my paycheck.
I think affiliate marketing can be improved with more open and honest communication between Publishers and affiliate managers.
I personally know that the publishers I speak with on a daily basis feel they have a lot more leverage after we have been able to talk openly about our business.
How would you answer the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved? There are no right or wrong answers – just opinions that can help improve the industry.
The author of any response that is published at affiliatetip.com or affiliatesummit.com will receive a limited edition “It’s an affiliate thing, you wouldn’t understand.” t-shirt.
Share your thoughts now at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=56601070891