Shawn Collins' Blog

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

Archives for May 2015

How Do You Recruit Affiliates?

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Q: I am on my way to launch the affiliate program and looking for new ways of recruiting affiliates. I’ll be more than honoured if you share your mind concerning the below question. As an affiliate guru would you recommend to use such tool as Internet Success Spider to recruit affiliates? Is it worth using?

Shawn CollinsA: Many years ago I recommended the Internet Success Spider as a recruitment device for affiliate managers. But that was probably 8 or more years ago.

I haven’t touched it in many years, so I can’t personally recommend it. I am not sure if it is still updated or even available to purchase.

One thing I would recommend is a book I wrote on recruiting affiliates called Affiliate Manager Boot Camp.

It is available for cheap on both iTunes and Amazon Kindle, and it provides a quick overview on how to recruiting, educate, and retain affiliates.

So many affiliate managers are hyper-focused on recruiting, and they don’t bother with education or retention, and that’s a big weakness for their affiliate program.

Good luck with your affiliate program.

Video: How Do You Recruit Affiliates?

Ask Shawn Collins your affiliate marketing question and it will be added on the affiliate blog.

Performance Marketing Summit Boca Raton 2015 Recap

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The Performance Marketing Summit took place this past Monday at the Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel, and it was a lot of fun to hold the first Affiliate Summit event in Florida in 5 years (we had an unConference in Orlando in 2010, and full blown Affiliate Summits in Orlando in 2006 and Miami in 2007).

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The Performance Marketing Summit was limited to 100 people and two sponsors (thanks BMI ELITE and Lifescript!), and we fit in an agenda with lots of networking and sessions into the one day event.

There was a networking breakfast during check-in for attendees to get energized and talk shop. Then Evan Weber kicked things off as the emcee, followed by a series of 18 minute solo sessions.

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Morning topics covered included pay per call, characteristics of the perfect transaction, and attribution.

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The early sessions were followed by a networking luncheon.

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The afternoon featured another series of educational sessions on digital performance techniques, desktop or mobile for pay per call, and legal issues.

We also brought back speed networking at this Performance Marketing Summit, and the crowd got to do some fast, intense networking.

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

Check out the slides from Performance Marketing Summit Boca Raton 2015.

Thank you to everybody who came out, the speakers, the sponsors, and the Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel, for a fun and productive day.

What is an Affiliate?

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Q: What is the meaning of an affiliate?

Shawn CollinsA: An affiliate is somebody who sells products and services for other companies online for a commission, whether it be a percentage of a sale or a flat fee.

An example would be a big fan of the New York Yankees who creates a fan site for the Yankees. They might write blog posts, recaps of games, and share photos.

And then they could have a link to Fanatics.com, where their readers could buy a jersey for one of the stars on the team, a ball cap, and other products related to the team, such as throwback jerseys for legends like Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle, and Joe DiMaggio.

So, an affiliate would have some themed site for the topic they want to cover, and they monetize it with links to relevant products and services for their visitors to buy.

It’s just commissioned based selling, like years ago when women would go door to door to sell Tupperware products. They would get a commission on the sales they generated.

Affiliate marketing is the same, except it’s taking place online, instead of in a neighborhood.

In the ecosystem of affiliate marketing, you’ve got a few players, the affiliates, which are also know as publishers; merchants/advertisers, who have the products or services that affiliates promote; and then the affiliate networks, who provide reporting and tracking for affiliates and merchants.

An affiliate will apply through the affiliate networks to the various merchants, and if/when they are accepted into a given affiliate program, they will grab some unique tracking code, and add it to their blog, newsletter, paid search campaign, social media, or wherever else they are promoting their affiliate links.

Good luck as an affiliate.

Video: What is an Affiliate?

Ask Shawn Collins your affiliate marketing question and it will be added on the affiliate blog.

Thank You to Everybody Who Supported Me in the Tough Mudder

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I finished the Tough Mudder a week ago, and I did it for a couple reasons… to prove to myself that I could do it, and to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Shawn Collins at the Tough Mudder

It was an inspirational day that required a lot of team work, and I am thankful I was there on Team PushFire with Sean Dolan, Jon Henshaw, and Brian LaFrance.

And I raised over $2,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project, which made the whole thing more rewarding.

If you are feeling charitable and missed the chance to donate here, I am doing the Avon 39 – The Walk to End Breast Cancer, which is a 39.3 mile fundraising walk through New York City in October 2015. Want to help me fight breast cancer?