Shawn Collins' Blog

Affiliate marketing and other stuff from Shawn Collins, co-founder of Affiliate Summit.

Archives for January 2012

Any Merchants Want Free Tradeshow Space at Affiliate Summit East 2012?

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Affiliate Summit has been giving away “Pay It Forward Scholarships” to up to 50 affiliates per conference, who could not otherwise afford to attend, for a couple years now.

Affiliate Summit East 2012And now we’re starting up a “Pay it Forward Merchant Endowment” Program, where we will be sponsoring up to 8 merchants at Affiliate Summit East 2012 with free tradeshow space in the Exhibit Hall or Meet Market.

The goal of this new endowment is to make the tradeshow networking experience of Affiliate Summit available to merchants who might not otherwise be able to exhibit.

Exhibit Hall at Affiliate Summit West 2012

Each recipient of the Pay it Forward Merchant Endowment will be awarded their choice of one 8×10 booth package (non corner), valued at $6,825, or a Meet Market with Platinum Pass package, valued at $5,295. For more information on these packages, please visit http://www.affiliatesummit.com/12e-exhibitors/.

Endowments are limited to U.S. based merchants with active affiliate programs. Applicants will be considered based on current participation in; and future contribution to the affiliate marketing industry.

All applicants must answer ONE of these questions in essay form in 300 words or less:

  1. What is a problem in affiliate marketing and how do you propose it be fixed?
  2. What are the top two unique value propositions for affiliates in your affiliate program?

All applications will be reviewed by the Affiliate Summit Advisory Board and winners of the scholarships will be notified by Monday, March 9, 2012.

To be considered for a Pay It Forward Scholarship, please complete the online application. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

Want to Contribute to Issue 18 of FeedFront Magazine?

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The seventeenth issue of FeedFront Magazine is out, so we’re on to issue 18.

Issue 17 of FeedFront MagazineThe next issue of FeedFront will be coming out in May 2012, and the deadline for article proposals for issue 18 of FeedFront is February 22, 2012.

If you are interested in writing an article, go to the FeedFront article proposal form to submit a one sentence summary on what you’d like to cover.

No ghost-written articles. We only want content from people writing from their personal industry experience.

If you have previously been accepted to write an article and either failed to meet the deadline or did not adhere to the editorial guidelines, please submit your article proposal elsewhere. We take our deadlines and guidelines seriously.

Do not submit a complete article now – just a one sentence summary.

We will contact everybody who submitted a proposal by February 22, 2012 on whether the article ideas are accepted or denied.

Examples of Direct Mail to Recruit Affiliates

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I was digging through some old files, and I came across a few of the postcards I used to recruit affiliates for the ClubMom.com affiliate program between 2000 and 2004.

The first one I mailed was from a company called Web Cards back in 2000.

Their thing was to take a screen capture of a site and make that the front of the postcard. Then I got a few lines to write copy at the bottom.

Web Cards was good at the time, as I didn’t know of other vendors that provided such a service, I don’t known that I was aware of how to take a screen capture myself at the time, and I didn’t have a graphic designer available to me.

That all changed over the years.

I was able to sell the affiliate program with the left side of the back of the postcard from Web Cards.

I don’t recall when this postcard came out, but I’m guessing it was late 2001 or early 2002. I think this one was printed through VistaPrint.

This piece of mail was different from the previous one, as it had value propositions for the affiliate program on the front, and then I just put my contact information and how to apply on the back.

Finally, I sent one around Christmas 2003 with a New Years resolution theme. I’m pretty sure this was also from VistaPrint.

This postcard added more contact information on the back side, including my AIM (at that time) and home phone number.

While there are a variety of ways for an affiliate manager to contact affiliates directly, I found that direct mail was the most effective for me, based on surveying affiliates over the years about the reasons they came to apply to the affiliate program.

But still, I have gotten so few pieces of mail from affiliate programs over the years.

I’d highly recommend to any affiliate managers to test direct mail to recruit affiliates. The fact that nobody else is doing it is one of the best reasons for you to try – you’ll really stick out.

Submit Your Affiliate Summit Central 2012 Speaking Proposal

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Speaking proposals for Affiliate Summit Central 2012, taking place May 15-16, 2012 in Austin, TX, are now being accepted.

The submission deadline is February 29, 2012.

Affiliate Summit West 2012 Session with Vinny O'Hare

Accepted speakers will be notified no later than March 14, 2012. Due to the volume of submissions, we will not notify applicants if they have not been accepted. Therefore, if you have not been contacted by March 14, 2012, your proposal was not accepted.

Submit your speaking proposal at http://www.affiliatesummit.com/12c-speakers/.

Video of Jeremy Schoemaker Keynote at Affiliate Summit West 2012

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Jeremy Schoemaker delivered a keynote address at Affiliate Summit West 2012 on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.

DSC_0292

More about Jeremy Schoemaker:

Jeremy’s skills have led him on a wild ride swinging from unemployment to an 8 figure income in only a few years.

Jeremy “Shoemoney” Schoemaker is one of the most successful internet marketers of our time. He has proven his skills online in the PPC community, time and again in affiliate marketing, and is legendary for his $133,000 Google AdSense check.

In 2007 Jeremy launched the AuctionAds advertising network and added more than 25,000 affiliates in a mere 4 months of operation who generated millions a month in revenue. Whether its his blog or any of his companies

ShoeMoney has proven that he has the dedication, drive, and at times the audacity to get the job done.

More details on Affiliate Summit at http://www.affiliatesummit.com/.

Video: Jeremy Schoemaker Keynote at Affiliate Summit West 2012

Video of Eric Thomas Keynote at Affiliate Summit West 2012

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Eric Thomas, Author of The Secret to Success, delivered a keynote address at Affiliate Summit West 2012 on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.

Eric Thomas

More about Eric Thomas:

YouTube sensation Eric Thomas has taken the attention of students, athletes, educators and corporate execs of all ages, interests, and backgrounds hostage with his energetic and heartfelt messages of hope, persistence, and moving beyond your circumstances.

The Detroit native’s understanding of the importance of education and the obstacles that hinder its pursuit remains unparalleled by colleagues in his field and enables him to connect with his audience on a more intimate level.

Eric grew up in an environment that worked to challenge his educational and social beliefs and was forced to learn to cope and manage the stressors of life without the guidance or counsel of his biological father.

Having followed the generational path of high school drop outs in his own family, Eric transitioned from being hopeless and homeless to being an iconic figure of the process of success and the determination it takes to obtain it.

He has committed his life to speaking across the country to enlighten others of the importance of education, the access it provides, and the way to the American dream.

Video of Jon Spoelstra Keynote at Affiliate Summit West 2012

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Jon Spoelstra, Author of Marketing Outrageously Redux, delivered a keynote address at Affiliate Summit West 2012 on Monday, January 9, 2012.

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More about Jon Spoelstra:

Jon Spoelstra’s reputation as one of the most innovative and successful sports marketers is well earned. He has demonstrated this at every stop in his career:

Mandalay Baseball Properties. As president and managing director of Mandalay Baseball Properties, LLC for eleven years, Jon created the most profitable minor league baseball teams ever. Mandalay owned/operated seven minor league teams. One of the teams, the Dayton Dragons, set a record that had never been achieved before—it sold out every ticket to every game during a season. The Dragons have now sold every ticket to every game for eleven straight seasons.

New Jersey Nets. As president and COO of the Nets for three years, Jon dramatically increased ticket and sponsorship sales. During his tenure, the team set its all-time attendance record. Sellouts at Meadowlands Arena increased from zero to 25. Local sponsorship sales went up from $400,000 to $7,000,000.

SRO Partners. Jon was founder and chairman of SRO Partners, a sports marketing consulting firm that works with teams in the NBA, NHL, MLB and teams in Japan and Spain.

Portland Trail Blazers. In the 11 years with the Blazers as Senior VP/General Manager, Jon helped make the front office a model for all team sports. During his time there, there was never a game that wasn’t sold out.

He has written five books. His newest book, Marketing Outrageously Redux, How To Increase Your Revenues By Staggering Amounts, was released in February, 2011. It is a sequel to Marketing Outrageously which became a Wall Street Journal best-seller. Ice to the Eskimos, a general marketing book based on his sports marketing strategies, was published by HarperCollins in June, 1997. The book is a lively blueprint on how to take any product that isn’t the best in its field and jump-start sales and profits. It became a top seller in Japan. Success Is Just One Wish Away—a motivational book on how anybody can develop a passion for their job and life—was published by DelStar Books in June, 1999. Jon’s fiction book, Red Chaser, was published in December, 2009.

Jon was the focus of what was perhaps the strangest trade in sports history. Portland was in need of a guard to fill a hole created by injury. The guard that the Blazers wanted was the starting point guard for Indiana Pacers. The compensation to the Pacers wasn’t a player, but one week of Spoelstra’s time. Jon played a key role in the restructuring of the Pacers front office during that time frame.

Jon was a judge at the Miss America contest in September, 2003.

More details on Affiliate Summit at http://www.affiliatesummit.com/.

Video: Jon Spoelstra Keynote at Affiliate Summit West 2012

You Give Coupon Code Affiliates a Bad Name

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I noticed a Tweet a couple days ago that touted: “Deal Ends Today! Affiliate Summit – Save 10% on all orders using this Affiliate Summit Coupon Code: Save 10% on …”

CouponCodes4u Tweet

But there was a problem with the Tweet – there was no deal ending and no coupon code from Affiliate Summit.

I remembered the name of the site as one that was an affiliate of Affiliate Summit, but they had been removed from the affiliate program, along with all other coupon code affiliates, two years ago.

I clicked through to check it out.

Boom! A pop-up promising the latest Affiliate Summit coupons to anybody opting in to a list.

fake coupon opt-in

After I closed out the pop-up, there was a keyword stuff page with a coupon code that has never been issued by Affiliate Summit.

CouponCodes4u Affiliate Summit page

I contacted the affiliate over two days ago and asked them to remove the page about Affiliate Summit and to cease promoting fake codes for the conference.

They have neither responded nor acted on the simple request.

I wonder how many other brands they’re squatting on in the SERPs?

Most Affiliates Don’t Want to be Paid by Check Anymore

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Affiliates were asked “What is your preferred method of commission payment?” for the 2011 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.

It looks like affiliates are not so keen on getting their commissions issued by check anymore, as only 25% cited this as their preferred deliver of funds.

Preferred method of payments from affiliates

Direct deposit is favored by 41% and 30% like PayPal.

I used to get so excited to receive my paper checks, but convenience trumps mailbox excitement for me these days.

Over fourteen-hundred affiliates were surveyed on their methods, preferences, and strategies for the 2011 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.

More details on AffStat at http://affstat.com/.