Shawn Collins' Blog

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

Archives for June 2014

Link Building in a Post-Penguin World from Affiliate Summit East 2012

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This was a conference session titled Link Building in a Post-Penguin World from Affiliate Summit East 2012, which took place August 12-14, 2012 in New York City at the Hilton New York.

Affiliate Summit East in NYCSession speaker:

  • Loren Baker, VP of Business Development, BlueGlass Interactive

Session description:

Will your linkbuilding strategy survive future Google changes? It’s more important than ever to acquire the right links the right way. Learn which tactics to avoid and how to ‘future-proof’ your site.

Experience level: Intermediate
Target audience: Affiliates/Publishers, Merchants/Advertisers, Networks
Niche/vertical: Linkbuilding

Session video:

Link Building in a Post-Penguin World video

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.

How to Relaunch/Revamp Your Affiliate Program from Affiliate Summit East 2012

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This was a conference session titled How to Relaunch/Revamp Your Affiliate Program from Affiliate Summit East 2012, which took place August 12-14, 2012 in New York City at the Hilton New York.

Affiliate Summit East in NYCSession speakers:

  • Deborah Carney, Owner, ABCs Plus
  • Amy Ely, Ecommerce Acquisition Manager, Under Armour
  • Kim Salvino, Director of Publisher Development, Chateau 20

Session description:

Join three industry veterans in a discussion of the fundamental issues affiliate managers face when relaunching or revamping an affiliate program.

Experience level: Beginner
Target audience: Merchants/Advertisers, Networks
Niche/vertical: Affiliate management

Session video:

How to Relaunch/Revamp Your Affiliate Program video

Session slides:

How to Relaunch/Revamp Your Affiliate Program 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.

Let People Pick Your Brain with Google Helpouts

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I was reading an article in the New York Post yesterday (Why people are now charging to network over coffee), and it reminded me of a post a made a few years back about people asking to pick my brain.

free your brainI wrote the post, because I have long been solicited for coffee, lunch, a few minutes on the phone, etc. to answer questions about affiliate marketing.

I used say yes to everybody, and I was realizing that it was taking a good part out of my day (essentially extending my day, because my work was still there), I typically never heard again from the people I’d helped, and those few minute phone calls were never just a few minutes.

There was always “one more quick thing.”

I started referring people to my “Ask Shawn Collins” page, where they could ask a question, and I’d answer it, or else to my consulting site.

Most are cordial, but some lash out that I am not willing to sidetrack my day and projects and deadlines for their urgent problem.

So anyway, I’ve chatted with lots of folks who have run into the same situation, and some have turned to services like Clarity.fm to provide on-demand business advice on a paid basis by the minute.

Another option is Google Helpouts, which launched in November 2013. Google Helpouts provides for a more dynamic approach than the phone calls on Clarity.fm. Instead, it is a video chat, so you have that face to face experience, as well as the ability to physically show things to the other person.

I think I’ll give Google Helpouts a try and provide that as an option for the brain pickers. You can give a free first call to people or charge by the minute right off the bat.

The First and Probably Last Affiliate Summit at Sea

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It was ten years ago today that the second Affiliate Summit kicked off on the Carnival Victory cruise ship. It was a five day cruise from NYC to Halifax, Nova Scotia and back to NYC.

Carnival Victory

At the time, this was the biggest Affiliate Summit to date with 230 people on board the ship for the conference. An increase of 30 from the first Affiliate Summit.

It was a struggle to sell the concept of an affiliate marketing conference on a cruise ship to the big brands, but we still pulled off a sell-out. I think my John Caples inspired direct mail piece made the difference back then.

Affiliate Summit 2004 promo

It was a remarkably good networking venue, since we were all together for the whole time, but it was a tricky place to hold educational sessions, and there was no room for an exhibit hall (we started doing that the following year).

We were in a space directly below the disco and there was an open ceiling up to the disco. The people at Carnival assured us there would be nothing in the disco during the days.

They lied.

There were kids groups there a lot of the time, and during one particular session from a couple guys from LinkShare, they were playing musical chairs really LOUD with “Oops, I Did It, Again” from Britney Spears. Over and over.

session at Affiliate Summit 2004

But with all of the crazy things we had to work around, it was a really fun way to bring affiliate marketers together.

It’s neat to see so many faces in the pictures from back then who are still active in the industry.

Check out pictures from Affiliate Summit 2004.

FTC Issues in an ERSP Advertising Challenge from Affiliate Summit East 2012

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This was a conference session titled FTC Issues in an ERSP Advertising Challenge from Affiliate Summit East 2012, which took place August 12-14, 2012 in New York City at the Hilton New York.

Affiliate Summit East in NYCSession speaker:

  • Theodore Monroe, Attorney, Law Offices of Theodore F. Monroe (Moderator)
  • Peter Marinello, Director, Electronic Retailing Self Regulation Program
  • William Rothbard, Attorney, Law Offices of William I. Rothbard

Session description:

Watch ERSP’s Director and an FTC practitioner go at it in a simulated self-regulatory challenge that illustrates and illuminates timely compliance issues for advertisers, affiliates, and networks.

Experience level: Intermediate
Target audience: Merchants/Advertisers
Niche/vertical: FTC compliance

Session video:

FTC Issues in an ERSP Advertising Challenge video

Session slides:

FTC Issues in an ERSP Advertising Challenge 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.

Building Profitable Partnerships with Daily Deal Sites from Affiliate Summit East 2012

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This was a conference session titled Building Profitable Partnerships with Daily Deal Sites from Affiliate Summit East 2012, which took place August 12-14, 2012 in New York City at the Hilton New York.

Affiliate Summit East in NYCSession speaker:

  • Carolyn Tang Kmet, Director of Affiliate Marketing, Groupon (Moderator)
  • Robert Glazer, Managing Director, Acceleration Partners
  • Peter Hamilton, Partner/CMO, HasOffers
  • Carrie Rocha, Founder, Pocket Your Dollars

Session description:

The daily deal industry presents a new kind of challenge to affiliates. In this session, we’ll discuss the benefits and challenges of working in such a dynamic environment.

Experience level: Intermediate
Target audience: Affiliates/Publishers
Niche/vertical: Daily deals

Session video:

Building Profitable Partnerships with Daily Deal Sites video

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.

How to Become a Successful Conference Speaker

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There are many reasons to speak at conferences. In the early days of my career, it was all about money. My boss wasn’t willing to pay for me to get a conference pass, but changed her tune when I was accepted for a speaking slot.

How to Become a Successful Conference SpeakerThis scenario played itself out a few times before I really understood the benefits of speaking at a conference, and they were far greater than getting a comp pass to the event.

I first came to the realization that being a speaker gives back in a bunch of ways when I had my first book published, “Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants,” back in 2001. Shortly after it came out, I was speaking at a conference and got permission to bring books to sell after my presentation.

I carried in 25 or so copies, and hoped I wouldn’t be bringing them all back to my room afterwards. That didn’t turn out to be an issue. They all sold, and a bunch of people still wanted to buy them.

That experience was informative in a couple of ways, as it helped me understand that speaking can have lots of indirect benefits. I would never sell from the stage, and the thing is it’s not even necessary to do that.

Simply by sharing useful information and an excellent presentation, you are able to promote a book, site, personal brand, company, etc. without openly promoting, because people will read your bio to learn more about you.

Plus, it’s a great way to give back to the industry when you share your knowledge, which earns you capital among people in your business. Not to mention that it’s just supremely wonderful and fulfilling to help people.

Then there is the aspect of building up your own confidence and self-esteem among your peers. Let’s face it, public speaking can be sort of scary, but the more you do it, the better you become, and that skill can be translated in all sorts of areas in your business and personal life.

Finally, when you take questions from the crowd, you may be challenged by what some folks have to say, and that can help to change your position, which can then benefit you, your site, company, or whatever.

So anyway, I’ve written a short book called How to Become a Successful Conference Speaker with my tips on submitting a proposal and then putting together a great session. Get it in paperback or on Kindle.

Performance Marketing Summit Denver 2014 Recap

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The Performance Marketing Summit took place yesterday in Denver, CO at the History Colorado Center, and it was a lot of fun to hold the first Affiliate Summit event in Colorado.

PMS Denver 2014 334

The Performance Marketing Summit was limited to 100 people and a few sponsors (thanks Media Breakaway, LeadsPedia, and Planet Fulfillment!), and we fit in an agenda with lots of networking and sessions into just one day.

PMS Denver 2014 346

There was a networking breakfast during check-in for attendees to get energized and talk shop.

PMS Denver 2014 349

Then Emcee Dave Taylor kicked things off, followed by a series of 18 minute solo sessions.

PMS Denver 2014 353

Morning topics covered included communicating with affiliates, compliance strategies, avoiding tech nightmares, global expansion, and measuring ROI.

PMS Denver 2014 373

The early sessions were followed by a networking luncheon.

PMS Denver 2014 379

The afternoon featured another series of educational sessions on affiliate recruitment, video marketing and email, FTC disclosures, content and affiliate marketing, and profiting from affiliate traffic.

PMS Denver 2014 400

We also brought back speed networking at this Performance Marketing Summit for the first time in years.

PMS Denver 2014 390

The day wrapped with a networking cocktail hour. It was great to see all of the vibrant conversations going on among the attendees.

PMS Denver 2014 413

Check out the slides from Performance Marketing Summit Denver 2014.

PMS Denver 2014 420

Thank you to everybody who came out, the speakers, the sponsors, and the History Colorado Center for a fun and productive day.

7 Secrets to Success at Home and Work from Affiliate Summit East 2012

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This was a conference session titled 7 Secrets to Success at Home and Work from Affiliate Summit East 2012, which took place August 12-14, 2012 in New York City at the Hilton New York.

Affiliate Summit East in NYCSession speaker:

  • Sabrina Malone, President, WorkingMom

Session description:

Is it possible to be a great business person while being a great family man/woman? Yes! Learn seven proven secrets to success at home and at work, and start implementing them in your work and life.

Experience level: Intermediate
Target audience: Affiliates/Publishers
Niche/vertical: Work and family balance

Session video:

7 Secrets to Success at Home and Work video

Session slides:

7 Secrets to Success at Home and Work 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.

Bringing an In-Store Experience, Online from Affiliate Summit East 2012

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This was a conference session titled Bringing an In-Store Experience, Online from Affiliate Summit East 2012, which took place August 12-14, 2012 in New York City at the Hilton New York.

Affiliate Summit East in NYCSession speaker:

  • Melissa Salas, Director of Marketing, Buy.com

Session description:

Buy from people, not the internet. While some may see e-commerce as a straightforward vending machine-like experience, Rakuten's Buy.com believes in making the shopping experience more entertaining.

Experience level: Intermediate, Advanced
Target audience: Affiliates/Publishers
Niche/vertical: Social shopping

Session video:

Bringing an In-Store Experience, Online video

Session slides:

Bringing an In-Store Experience, Online 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.