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Archives for December 2013

2013 in Pictures

December 31, 2013 by Shawn Collins

As 2013 comes to a close, I figured I would take a look back at a photo that represents each month of this past year.

Shawn Collins, Rudy Ruettiger, and Missy Ward at Affiliate Summit West 2013 - January 2013

Shawn Collins, Rudy Ruettiger, and Missy Ward at Affiliate Summit West 2013 – January 2013

Vicky and Shawn Collins Head to the Giddy Up Gala in Austin, TX - February 2013

Vicky and Shawn Collins Head to the Giddy Up Gala in Austin, TX – February 2013

The first Performance Marketing Summit in NYC - March 2013

The first Performance Marketing Summit in NYC – March 2013

FeedFront Magazine Celebrates 10 Years of Affiliate Summit - April 2013

FeedFront Magazine Celebrates 10 Years of Affiliate Summit – April 2013

Captain Shawn on Lake Austin - May 2013

Captain Shawn on Lake Austin – May 2013

Keep Austin Weird Festival - June 2013

Keep Austin Weird Festival – June 2013

Hanging Out at the Jersey Shore - July 2013

Hanging Out at the Jersey Shore – July 2013

Getting a Cheesesteak Before Affiliate Summit East 2013 in Philly - August 2013

Getting a Cheesesteak Before Affiliate Summit East 2013 in Philly – August 2013

Watching a Texas Longhorns Game - September 2013

Watching a Texas Longhorns Game – September 2013

Teaching My Daughter Caity to Drive - October 2013

Teaching My Daughter Caity to Drive – October 2013

Dallas Cowboys Game on Thanksgiving - November 2013

Dallas Cowboys Game on Thanksgiving – November 2013

Christmas - December 2013

Christmas – December 2013

Happy 2014!

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Filed Under: Affiliate News

How to Get the Most Out of Attending a Conference is Free on Kindle This Week

December 30, 2013 by Shawn Collins

I wrote a book recently called How to Get the Most Out of Attending a Conference, and it is free on Kindle this week.

How to Get the Most Out of Attending a ConferenceThe book is a quick read with tips on what you should do before, during, and after a conference to get the maximum return on your investment.

And you don’t have to have a Kindle to read a Kindle book. You can get a free Kindle app to read the book on an Android phone or tablet, iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows 8 PC or tablet, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone.

How to Get the Most Out of Attending a Conference is based on my experience attending conferences, as well as the things I’ve learned with Affiliate Summit over the past decade.

Grab a copy if you’re heading to Affiliate Summit West 2014, so you can get some ideas on networking now.

Don’t wait until you get there to start doing business.

If you do read the book, please leave a quick review (even one sentence) on Amazon.

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Filed Under: Affiliate Managers, Affiliate Summit

Community, Conversation, Conversion — Social Tips You Need at Affiliate Summit West 2012

December 29, 2013 by Shawn Collins

This was a conference session titled Community, Conversation, Conversion — Social Tips You Need from Affiliate Summit West 2012, which took place January 8-10, 2012 in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace Las Vegas.

Affiliate Summit WestSession speaker:

  • Justin Rondeau, Director of Marketing, TemplateZone

Session description:

A clearly defined social strategy is integral to your success. Learn to set goals, identify key metrics, increase your market funnel, and turn micro-conversions into qualified marketable leads.

Experience level: Beginner, Intermediate
Target audience: Merchants/Advertisers, Networks
Niche/vertical: Social media

Session video:

Community, Conversation, Conversion — Social Tips You Need video

Session slides:

Community, Conversation, Conversion — Social Tips You Need slides

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

Effectively Monetizing Traffic with Daily Deals at Affiliate Summit West 2012

December 28, 2013 by Shawn Collins

This was a conference session titled Effectively Monetizing Traffic with Daily Deals from Affiliate Summit West 2012, which took place January 8-10, 2012 in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace Las Vegas.

Affiliate Summit WestSession speakers:

  • Scott Ginsberg, Director, Publisher Development, Commission Junction (Moderator)
  • Peter Hamilton, Partner/CMO, HasOffers
  • Carolyn Kmet, Director of Affiliate Marketing, Groupon.com
  • Rafael Zelik, Marketing Director/Partner, affiliaXe Ltd

Session description:

Daily deals have exploded for affiliates over the last year. Learn from the advertiser perspective to the affiliate view to the stats and tracking surrounding daily deals.

Experience level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Target audience: Affiliates/Publishers, Merchants/Advertisers
Niche/vertical: Daily deals

Session video:

Effectively Monetizing Traffic with Daily Deals video

Session slides:

Effectively Monetizing Traffic with Daily Deals slides

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

Here is How You Can Get on My Nice List

December 24, 2013 by Shawn Collins

Need a tax deduction by the end of 2013 that will also do a lot of good? I have the perfect one for you.

Save Lives and Wrapping Paper

‘Tis the season to give back and to be inspired. I’m inspired to create change, so I’m walking in the 2014 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in NYC.

Show your holiday spirit by contributing to my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

I can’t think of a better gift or a better way to celebrate our friendship: You get an end-of-year tax deduction, and all I have to do is walk 39.3 miles.

Please support me with a donation today.

There is a $5 minimum – anything helps. Merry Christmas!

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Filed Under: Affiliate News

B Real of Cypress Hill and Too Short to Perform at Affiliate Ball During Affiliate Summit West 2014

December 22, 2013 by Shawn Collins

The Affiliate Ball, the official party on the Monday of Affiliate Summit West 2014, has confirmed that B Real of Cypress Hill and Too Short will be performing at the event.

affiliate-ball-at-asw14Flavor Flav will be the host for the evenings festivities.

B Real will be performing the popular Cypress Hill hits, including “Insane in the Membrane” and “Superstar”.

And Too Short will be singing his songs, such as “The Ghetto”, “Gettin’ It”, and “Blow the Whistle”. There will also be some surprise guests taking the stage that night.

The AFFY Awards, which are given to industry veterans for their outstanding achievements, will also be hosted by Flavor Flav during the Affiliate Ball.

The Affiliate Ball is taking place Monday, January 13, 2014 at the Chateau Nightclub, which is located right inside Paris Las Vegas, where Affiliate Summit is taking place.

The VIP Hour starts at 9:00 pm, and then the doors open at 10:00 pm. RSVP now on the Affiliate Ball site.

Sponsorships and reserved tables are still available. Contact info@affiliateball.com, or call Darren at 818 825-3972.

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Filed Under: Affiliate Managers, Affiliate Summit

How to Get the Most Out of Attending a Conference

December 20, 2013 by Shawn Collins

Affiliate Summit Press has published a new book, How to Get the Most Out of Attending a Conference, which I authored.

How to Get the Most Out of Attending a ConferenceI will be handing out copies of the book at the First Timers Orientation for Affiliate Summit on the morning of Sunday, January 12, 2014 in Las Vegas, and the Kindle version will be free in early 2014.

If you have an Amazon Prime membership, you can borrow this book for free on your Kindle device.

Here is the introduction from the book…

Do you remember how you felt on the first day at a new school? If you were like me, it was equal parts anxiety, dread, and disorientation. Lots of people milling around, and they all seemed to know each other, but I didn’t know any of them.

It was similar the first time I went to a conference. I was rushed through the check-in line, given my badge and attendee bag, and just pushed on to figure things out. I didn’t know who was who – it was a blur of nametags racing by me.

But where were they all going? I had no idea. I felt like I was a stranger in a strange land.

So I sat in a corner, put on some headphones, and dug into my bag of conference information. There was a schedule with lots of things going on at the same time, and I didn’t know where to begin. My eyes glazed over, and I felt sort of helpless.

When it came time for lunch, I left the hotel and grabbed some food at a local restaurant by myself. I don’t think I really talked to anybody at the whole conference.

One big problem was that I went into the whole thing without a plan. I just showed up and expected I’d just magically get it. My lack of advance planning made the time spent there, as well as the money for the trip, into a big waste.

When I got back to the office, I told the boss how lame it was, and how I wouldn’t recommend returning next year.

The next time I was sent to a conference, I made sure to do some homework in advance to figure out who I might want to meet, as well as educational sessions that might benefit me. It was a far more worthwhile use of my time.

I came to realize that going to a conference is an investment, rather than an expense. It’s not just an investment of money, but time, too. But when you do take the time to maximize the opportunities, the experience can be fulfilling and prosperous.

After I understood that there were two reasons for me to attend these sorts of events, networking and education, I became better and better at planning and organizing my time.

The whole process of attending a conference isn’t limited to the time you are physically there with a badge around your neck. In order to make the most of it, there are things you can and should be doing before, during, and after the conference.

Over the years, I’ve worked up lots of strategies, and learned things from other folks to get the maximum value from attending conferences.

When Missy Ward and I started up the Affiliate Summit conference in 2003, we crafted it based on our frustrations and experiences as conference attendees, and we’ve evolved things over the years to make it the best environment we can for the people who attend.

However, it’s still up to the individual attendee to seize opportunities and get the most out of the experience.

How to Get the Most Out of Attending a Conference is available exclusively on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.

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Filed Under: Affiliate Managers, Affiliate Resources

Pinnacle Awards Finalists at Affiliate Summit West 2014

December 19, 2013 by Shawn Collins

The 8th annual Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Awards will be presented on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at Affiliate Summit West 2014, taking place at Paris Las Vegas.

Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Awards

The Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Awards are affiliate marketing’s most prestigious, competitive honor for the leaders in the space. Award winners are recognized because they are innovative leaders with vision and influence.

Here are the finalists for the Pinnacle Awards at Affiliate Summit West 2014:

Affiliate of the Year

  • Rae Hoffman
  • Eric Nagel
  • RetailMeNot

Affiliate Manager of the Year

  • Khushbaht Abdulloev
  • Greg Hoffman
  • Joe Sousa

Exceptional Merchant

  • Fanatics.com
  • Target.com
  • VMInnovations

Affiliate Marketing Advocate

  • Rae Hoffman
  • Brian Littleton
  • Tricia Meyer

OPM/Agency of the Year

  • Acceleration Partners
  • All Inclusive Marketing
  • Greg Hoffman Consulting

Tool/Service of the Year

  • BrandVerity
  • For Me To Coupon
  • Shareist

The Pinnacle Awards are open to all attendees of Affiliate Summit West 2014, and will be presented prior to the keynote from Derek Flanzraich, Founder & CEO of Greatist.

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Filed Under: Affiliate News

Affiliate Summit West 2014 Heading for a Sell Out

December 15, 2013 by Shawn Collins

Affiliate Summit West 2014 is on schedule to sell out in late December or early January, based on sales patterns of past Affiliate Summits.

Affiliate Summit West 2014If you haven’t registered, don’t risk getting buried in the holidays and missing out.

Affiliate Summit West 2014, the premier affiliate marketing conference, is taking place January 12-14, 2014 at Paris Las Vegas.

This three day conference includes an exhibit hall with affiliate merchants, vendors, and networks, as well as multiple tracks of educational sessions covering the latest trends and information from affiliate marketing experts.

The keynotes for Affiliate Summit West 2014 will be Steve Denton, Vice President of Marketing Solutions, eBay Enterprise (January 13), and Derek Flanzraich, Founder & CEO, Greatist (January 14).

Affiliate Summit will feature an exhibit hall and Meet Market with hundreds of booths and tables. Sorry, all booths and Meet Market tables are SOLD OUT.

There are a limited number of other sponsorships still available.

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Filed Under: Affiliate Managers, Affiliate Summit

eBay Enterprise Reports Big Growth in Mobile for 2013 Holiday Season

December 13, 2013 by Shawn Collins

eBay Enterprise has shared some early 2013 holiday data, and things are looking really good.

cyber mondayHere are a few stats:

  • Online sales on Monday rose 16% to $2.29 billion year-to-year, the fifth day of record-breaking Web sales, according to Adobe’s Digital Index.
  • Smartphones and tablets drove $419 million in online sales on Cyber Monday.
  • Thanksgiving Day represented 10% of the four-day weekend’s retail traffic and 11.6% of sales, up from 3.6% of sales last year.

Also, more shopping occurred across mobile devices on Thanksgiving Day 2013 than Thanksgiving Day 2012, according to eBay Enterprise.

This year, visits across mobile devices (including mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, media players and game consoles) were up nearly 130% on Thanksgiving Day 2013 and mobile orders were up nearly 127% over Thanksgiving Day 2012.

On Cyber Monday 2013, eBay Enterprise saw the number of visits (consumers accessing their platform or platforms of their partners) from a mobile device increase 115.7% and mobile orders increase 88% compared to Cyber Monday 2012.

Additionally, consumers largely used mobile phones as a browsing tool, while tablets were preferred for placing orders.

On Cyber Monday, mobile phones accounted for 66.7% of mobile visits and 41.31% of mobile orders, while tablets accounted for 32.5% of mobile visits and 58.4% of mobile orders.

Mobile sure is getting excited. Affiliates – are your sites responsive?!

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Filed Under: Affiliate News

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