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Archives for October 2012

Video SEO Plugin for WordPress from Yoast

October 29, 2012 by Shawn Collins

I installed the Yoast Video SEO plugin a couple weeks ago to try and enhance the way my posts with embedded videos are indexed in Google.

And now I am seeing the results.

I use a lot of video on my blog, such as videos of me answering questions and sessions from Affiliate Summit.

Usually, when Google includes those posts with videos in their results, there will just be a text description.

But with the Yoast Video SEO plugin, those posts really stick out in Google, because they include a video thumbnail.

The plugin was really easy to setup, and I started seeing my modified listings in Google within a couple weeks.

Definitely check out the plugin if you’re including video in your blog posts.

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Filed Under: Affiliate News

Enterprise SEO for Social Publishers at Affiliate Summit West 2011

October 28, 2012 by Shawn Collins

This was a conference session titled Enterprise SEO for Social Publishers from Affiliate Summit West 2011, which took place January 9-11, 2011 at Wynn Las Vegas.

Speaker:

  • CT Moore, Account Strategist, NVI

Session description: Do you rely on content to acquire users and drive revenue? Learn how get more pages indexed, get restricted content to rank, and use social to drive your search rankings.

Experience level: Advanced
Target audience: Affiliates/Publishers, Merchants/Advertisers
Niche/vertical: Social Publishing

Slides: Enterprise SEO for Social Publishers

Note: the companies and positions listed above were current as of the time of the conference. Some of this information may have changed since then.

Video: Enterprise SEO for Social Publishers at Affiliate Summit West 2011

If you liked this video, be sure to register for the next Affiliate Summit. The session videos aren’t made public until a year or more after each conference.

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Filed Under: Affiliate Managers, Affiliate Summit

B2B Affiliate Marketing: New Technologies, New Opportunities at Affiliate Summit West 2011

October 27, 2012 by Shawn Collins

This was a conference session titled B2B Affiliate Marketing: New Technologies, New Opportunities from Affiliate Summit West 2011, which took place January 9-11, 2011 at Wynn Las Vegas.

Speaker:

  • Brian Waldman, VP Marketing & Strategy, Merchant Warehouse

Session description: Learn how new technology and better call tracking capabilities could make the B2B space the next hot opportunity for affiliates.

Experience level: Intermediate
Target audience: Affiliates/Publishers
Niche/vertical: B2B Affiliate Marketing

Slides: B2B Affiliate Marketing: New Technologies, New Opportunities

Note: the companies and positions listed above were current as of the time of the conference. Some of this information may have changed since then.

If you liked this video, be sure to register for the next Affiliate Summit. The session videos aren’t made public until a year or more after each conference.

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Filed Under: Affiliate Summit

Rakuten LinkShare Launches in Australia

October 26, 2012 by Shawn Collins

Rakuten LinkShare has announced the expansion of their affiliate network in Australia.

Rakuten LinkShareThe network already operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Rakuten LinkShare is launching in Australia with local advertisers, including Appliances Online, Dyson Australia, oo.com.au, and styletread.com.au.

Additionally, global advertisers, at the time of launch, include ASOS, Farfetch, and Hotwire.com.

For more information, visit au.linkshare.com.

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Filed Under: Affiliate News

Thank You for Your Support for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

October 23, 2012 by Shawn Collins

I walked 39.3 miles with the Affiliate Marketers Give Back team in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York City this past weekend.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

Affiliate Marketers Give Back raised and donated $86,688.36, and this support will fund research to find a cure or prevention, as well as programs that enable all patients to access quality care. A key priority is the medically underserved, including low-income, elderly, and minority individuals.

The first day was Saturday, October 20, and we got together before sunrise on the west side of Manhattan.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

The early start kicked off a marathon walk (literally!) of 26.2 miles. It was a really neat way to see New York.

We were a team of 12, but we broke up into smaller groups during the walk. I spent the majority of the walk with Tricia Meyer and Vanessa Branco.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

There was a funny moment on the first day when we came across some portable toilets that touted top fundraisers, and I had one there in my name.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

We finished the first day of walking on Randall’s Island at dusk, and I was very happy to make it the whole way without any blisters. But everything else was hurting.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

The second day, Sunday, October 21, started before sunrise with a breakfast in the dark morning. We loaded up on some carbs and protein before setting out for the remaining 13.1 miles.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

By lunchtime, we all hit the medical tent to get our feet fixed up. My feet started breaking down by that point, and the first aid enabled me to finish up the walk.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

During the second day, we took a break to help cheer on other walkers.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

Then it was on to the final stretch of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Those last miles of the 39.3 total were definitely the toughest, but it made it all easier to see so many breast cancer survivors and women currently fighting the disease right there with us.

Who could complain about some sore feet with those courageous souls among us?

In the early afternoon of the second day, we hit the finish line, and that was such a satisfying and emotional moment. All of the training and fundraising and everything lead up to that happy moment at the end.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

While we waiting for everybody else to finish up and for the closing ceremonies to start, we medicated our feet a bit.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

And I stepped back over to get a shot of my hat at the finish line. It was a hat my mother-in-law, Maria Sanchez, gave me a few years before breast cancer stole her away. I wore it for the whole walk to keep me with her as I walked in her memory.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

In the end, the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in NYC raised $8.3 million dollars, and I was proud to play a role in that.

Thank you so much to everybody who supported me through donations, positive thoughts, texts, etc. Also, I’d like to give a big thank you to the Affiliate Marketers Give Back team, as we all joined together to be In It to End It.

It was a lot of fun to spend all that time getting to know Tricia and Vanessa better.

And a big thanks to Avon and all of the volunteers who made this all happen. What a giant undertaking, and it ran so well, and they took such great care of us.

Finally, the biggest thanks to Missy Ward for heading up Affiliate Marketers Give Back, organizing all of the stuff around the walk, raising crazy hundreds of thousands of dollars in these walks for many years running, and just generally being the best business partner ever.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

What an inspiring, humbling, wonderful, emotional, and transformative weekend.

All money raised by the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is managed by the Avon Foundation for Women, a 501(C)(3) public charity that funds a comprehensive network of programs and services dedicated to serving breast cancer patients and their families through five areas of the breast cancer cause: awareness and education, screening and diagnosis, access to treatment, support services, and scientific research.

Photos: Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012 in NYC

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Filed Under: Affiliate News

Tips and Tricks to Increase Website Conversions at Affiliate Summit West 2011

October 21, 2012 by Shawn Collins

This was a conference session titled Tips and Tricks to Increase Website Conversions from Affiliate Summit West 2011, which took place January 9-11, 2011 at Wynn Las Vegas.

Speaker:

  • Christopher Pearson, Overlord, DIYthemes.com

Session description: Increasing conversions is a scientific process, and in this session, we’re going to examine what works and, more important, WHY it works. If you’re new to this kind of thing, you’ll be blown away by the factors that influence conversions!

Experience level: Beginner
Target audience: Affiliates/Publishers
Niche/vertical: Conversions

Note: the companies and positions listed above were current as of the time of the conference. Some of this information may have changed since then.

Video: Tips and Tricks to Increase Website Conversions at Affiliate Summit West 2011

If you liked this video, be sure to register for the next Affiliate Summit. The session videos aren’t made public until a year or more after each conference.

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Filed Under: Affiliate Summit

Local Lead Generation – Heaven & Hell at Affiliate Summit West 2011

October 20, 2012 by Shawn Collins

This was a conference session titled Local Lead Generation – Heaven & Hell from Affiliate Summit West 2011, which took place January 9-11, 2011 at Wynn Las Vegas.

Speakers:

  • Ad Hustler, Chief Hustler, Ad Hustler, LLC
  • Amanda Orson, Managing Partner, Lacuna Group LLC

Session description: Learn about how local lead generation works as well as the positives & negatives to this often discussed “next generation” of affiliate marketing.

Experience level: Beginner, Intermediate
Target audience: Affiliates/Publishers, Merchants/Advertisers, Networks, Other
Niche/vertical: Local

Slides: Local Lead Generation – Heaven & Hell

Note: the companies and positions listed above were current as of the time of the conference. Some of this information may have changed since then.

Video: Local Lead Generation – Heaven & Hell at Affiliate Summit West 2011

If you liked this video, be sure to register for the next Affiliate Summit. The session videos aren’t made public until a year or more after each conference.

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Filed Under: Affiliate Summit

How Bad Do You Want to Succeed?

October 19, 2012 by Shawn Collins

I am frequently contacted by prospective affiliates who want to know the secret to success.

Some are looking for a magic button. Others are in a state of desperation with stories like how they’re about to lose their house if they don’t get a big infusion of cash in the next three months.

In both cases, I explain that affiliate marketing probably isn’t for them. It won’t enable them to get rich quick. Maybe they will get rich slow with affiliate marketing.

They don’t like that answer.

The reality is that it’s hard to succeed on any level in affiliate marketing.

It requires sacrifice, patience, dedication, and innovation.

And there are plenty of opportunities to fail. Failure is an easy way out along the way, and it seems like FRANK wants it for you. FRANK doesn’t believe in this affiliate thing.

Who is this FRANK? That’s your Friends, Relatives, Associates, Neighbors, and other people you Know.

You not only need to want to make it happen really bad, but you need to keep FRANK out of your head.

So my question is this… how bad do you want it?

If you were at Affiliate Summit West 2012, hopefully you caught the keynote from Eric (ET) Thomas (it’s on YouTube if you missed it).

He shared his story about a student who pursued a guru for the answer on how to be successful.

Long story short, they went out to the ocean, and the guru nearly drowned the student. He then explained, “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.”

It plays a lot better when Eric is telling it, so I get if you’re not moved by that parable. You want a real life example, right?

OK, so at the recent Affiliate Summit in New York City, we continued our Pay It Forward scholarships, where we give out up to 50 free VIP passes to folks who need a little help.

One of the recipients was Paul Wallace. We received a nice, hand-written thank you after the show from him.

In the letter, he briefly explained how he had a bad business experience and he was rebuilding things. That’s a common story, but what he had to say next really had an impact on me…

“Money is tight + had packed crackers for food + thrilled to have meal tickets included. I even slept in my car to conserve $. Your show + ticket provided me with enough contacts to keep going.”

Do you want it bad enough that you’ll sleep in your car and have crackers for meals just so you can learn and network?

Really, how bad do you want it?

This post was the Editor’s Note in issue 20 of FeedFront magazine.

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Filed Under: Affiliate Resources

Work Places of Affiliate Marketers

October 18, 2012 by Shawn Collins

Affiliates were asked “Do you currently work from home or commute to an office?” for the 2012 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.

The majority of affiliate marketers, at 55.7%, work from home all the time.

work places of affiliate marketers

26.1% of affiliate marketers are commuting to an office. And then 18.2% work from home and an office, depending on the day.

I fall into the last category, as I have an office for when I need to get out of the house and concentrate.

I’ve been working from home since 2004, and this is the first year I’ve had an office outside of the house, too. Productivity was taking a hit when kids were off school for breaks, holidays, etc., so I’ve found it well worth the investment.

Over fourteen-hundred affiliates were surveyed on their methods, preferences, and strategies for the 2012 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.

More details on AffStat at AffStat.com.

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Filed Under: Affiliate Managers, Affiliate Stats

Trying Out the Genesis WordPress Theme

October 15, 2012 by Shawn Collins

I’ve tried out a bunch of different themes for my WordPress blog, and I’m playing with the Genesis theme right now.

Genesis theme screen shot

I’ve been really happy with the ease of use and flexibility.

I got the basic Genesis Framework and then one of their many Child themes called News.

While it’s easy to pull together a site with the Genesis Framework, I liked the ease of taking a ready to go template (child theme).

I’ve come up with a clean look that I like.

In addition to a bunch of video tutorials, they also have an active blog with tips and information, as well as a forum to ask questions and get help.

I’ll be evolving my look, so check back to see what I’m doing.

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Filed Under: Affiliate News

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