Shawn Collins' Blog

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

About Shawn Collins

Shawn Collins has been an affiliate marketer since 1997. He is a Co-founder of Affiliate Summit, the leading global conference and tradeshow for the affiliate marketing industry, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of FeedFront Magazine.

He has authored the books “Affiliate Manager Boot Camp“, “Extra Money Answer“, “How to Get the Most from Exhibiting at Conferences”, “How to Get the Most Out of Attending a Conference”, “How to Become a Successful Conference Speaker“, and “Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants“. Also, he co-publishes the annual AffStat affiliate marketing benchmark reports.

Shawn blogs at AffiliateTip.com. Additionally, Shawn has been quoted in numerous publications, including Entrepreneur Magazine, Internet Retailer, Inc. Magazine, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

I Miss Affiliate Summit West at This Time of Year

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Affiliate Summit started in NYC in 2003, but the longest-standing location over the years was Las Vegas. We held Affiliate Summit West 2006 over January 8-10, 2006 at Bally’s Las Vegas.

That was the first year of fifteen straight for affiliate marketers to converge on Vegas shortly after the new year.

We jumped around a lot of hotels in Las Vegas over those fifteen years – Bally’s to the Rio to the Wynn to Caesar’s Palace and then a long residence at Paris.

While the scenery changed from time to time, one thing was consistent and that was the great people who would come from all over the world.

We smiled, we learned, we drank, we laughed, we sang, and we built deeper relationships with each other that have lasted all of these years.

Along the way, we also lost some friends way too early, but we have such rich memories that will last forever.

We started these events with a couple of hundreds of attendees and as we reached the end those numbers were seven-thousand-something. As more and more unfamiliar faces joined in with us, we all made new friends, too. People from about 80 countries getting together for shop talk and fun.

It was very fitting that we wound up Affiliate Summit West 2020 at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill – a beautiful going away party drinking bubbles with all of these true, important friends. That night with the people there is something I will always cherish.

My last Affiliate Summit party

We had some great times, didn’t we?

This year marks an end to those experiences and memories with our people… well, at last for our annual get-togethers in Las Vegas in January/February.

We’ll just have to make other plans in the future to catch up and laugh and cry and have a blast.

I think Jim Morrison said it best about our shared end of an era…

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.”

Are You Prepared if There is Another COVID-19 Shutdown?

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The COVID-19 cases are increasing like crazy again and it’s probably inevitable that we will face a second round of lockdowns nationally, or at least in some states.

covid-19 virus lockdown - sad and worried man in medical mask thinking and feeling scared in quarantine following stay at home instructions to contain virus pandemic

The memories are all still fresh of toilet paper, meats, Lysol, masks, and other items disappearing from shelves the last time around.

It’s a good idea to be ready this time in case you’re stuck at home for an extended period of time on a lockdown.

Start now for those essentials that may be out of reach in the very near future. Here is a cheat sheet of things to consider:

Medicine
I am not talking about medicine to treat COVID-19 symptoms but in general. Think about what you need for the seasonal flu, stomach bugs, head colds, migraines, pink eye, and other maladies. Get the medicines you usually have to run to the store for, so you won’t have to go to a lockdown.

Meals and Ingredients
If you are stuck at home the last thing you want to do is consume unhealthy frozen or packaged foods. You want to build up your immunity, not compromise it. You’re better off having ingredients to meal prep and store in your freezer. If you are tight on freezer space, you can get a chest freezer now before they disappear again, too.

Stock Your Pantry
In addition to meal prepping, you should also build up a stock of non-perishable foods you can stock in your pantry. Of course, not all canned goods are healthy, so you need to focus on shelf-stable foods that are nutritious and versatile. Canned meats like tuna or salmon are flexible and can be used in a variety of ways.

Baking Ingredients
People made a run for flour and other baking ingredients the last time around. If you like to bake, get those staples now. Consider whole wheat flour over regular flour to have the benefit of protein and extra fiber.

Laundry and Dish Detergent
I don’t know about your stores, but mine were light on all sorts of detergents the last time. I ran out of laundry detergent and had to search a half dozen stores or more. Get it now and be clean later.

A Bunch of Other Stuff
While you are stuck at home there is a chance you could lose power – be ready. Have batteries on hand, as well as a flashlight, candles, and cell phone chargers, Also, grab an emergency radio that has features such as light and cell phone charger built-in.

Butt Wait… There’s More
Toilet paper is flying off the shelves again. It’s good to have back-ups on hand, but also consider getting a bidet, so you are less reliant on toilet paper.

Are you prepared for another shutdown? Don’t be stressed, be ready.

Have You Flown Since the Pandemic Days Started?

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I am probably somewhat of a unicorn these days because I have flown every month of 2020. I will finish up the year with 40 flights or so.

Shawn at the airport

When I first flew after things were locked down I was pretty nervous – in addition to the mask, I was wearing a face shield and gloves with long sleeves and long pants. I wiped down every surface anywhere close to me with Clorox wipes.

The airports were ghost towns with virtually nothing open, sections of terminals closed off, and few flights. It was tough getting an Uber, too, since so few people were requesting them that many stopped working airports.

After landing, I washed the clothes I flew in right away and showered.

Things have gotten more back to normal over time, but we’re still a long way to go.

One nice thing about the lesser crowds on the flights is that I get free upgrades to first more often, and many airlines are carrying over status through 2021.

A couple of times I’ve gotten the fancy pod seats on United that lay flat. I am in no rush for the flights to end with those seats.

I primarily fly United and most of their lounges aren’t open still, including Austin (grrrrr!).

There is a big one in Newark that is open, but the food selection has changed a lot – now it’s all packaged and pretty uninspired, unless you like Uncrustables.

The lounge bars are cleared of the tables and chairs and there are plastic guards between the travelers and bartenders.

The planes board rear to front, rather than by groups, and that’s probably a more logical method anyway. As each person boards, they receive a sanitized wipe to clean their area and people have been compliant on my flights with keeping their masks on.

I feel safe flying with all of the precautions and it makes it that much easier to avoid crowds having CLEAR and TSA Pre.

You Can Be Healthy During COVID-19

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I see lots of people on social media talking about how they’ve gained weight this year from COVID-19. When the global pandemic hit, I was freaked out and wanted to do whatever I could to avoid catching COVID-19.

In the pre-COVID-19 days, I would go to the gym a few days a week. It wasn’t making a big difference, but it was helping to preserve the status quo.

After we were locked down, I was going a little crazy being homebound and the only thing I could do outside the house for a while was exercise, so I started doing it every day.

At first, it was a half-hour or so a day to get my blood pumping. Then it morphed into 5 miles a day – either walking or intervals of walking and running.

In addition to enjoying the fresh air and change of scenery, I had read that vitamin D was helpful in staying resistant, so being out in the sun each day was a plus.

I also began taking 1,000 mg vitamin C each morning and one gallon of water per day with a motivational water bottle that had times you should drink the water by.

Since I wanted to track my progress along the way I also got a Withings watch, which tracks steps, heartbeat, sleep, etc. It has some similar functionality to an Apple watch, but it looks like a real watch.

I like the Withings brand and have used one of their WiFi-enabled scales for years to track weight loss and gain. This information syncs into their own app and others.

I didn’t stop at exercise and water consumption – I also focused on low-carb foods in the Atkins Diet.

Since I started my COVID-19 exercise plan I have lost around 20 pounds and I am feeling a lot better.

If there is any silver lining from this global pandemic, it’s that it got me to get more healthy and build my immunity to avoid becoming a statistic.

Take Steps to Make Your Home Safer

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Our neighborhoods feel like a safe bubble, but if you get alerts from a Ring doorbell you know there is property crime happening in and around any given area.

That’s inevitable in any city, so it’s a good idea to take some steps to improve your home security and minimize your risk of becoming a police statistic.

While you can’t guarantee you won’t be a victim in the future, you can take precautions to make your home less attractive to burglars.

Here are some steps I’ve taken at my house…

  • Shine a light: I have a couple of motion-activated lights, as well as keeping my front porch light on at night, so there are less dark places for people to creep around.
  • Sound the alarm: I got wired up with a security company and planted the signs and stickers around to let prospective burglars know breaking into my place will be met with an ear-piercing siren and automatic call to the police.
  • Reinforce your doors: a security bar can help fortify the doors to the outside and garage. If somebody is trying to get in, make it as difficult as you can by getting an adjustable door security bar.
  • Locking the gate door: I put a simple padlock on my gate door so entry into the yard is more of a hassle than it’s worth.
  • Big Brother is watching: I have a Ring doorbell, as well as a handful of Google Nest cameras to cover outside areas and let any passersby know they are on camera. I have them inside, too, and there is an option to tie to your phone so the internal cameras can be shut off automatically when your phone is home.
  • Locks your doors: My parents were from a big city, and even with growing up in the suburbs I learned from a young age that you lock the door whenever you come and go. Some people think that’s paranoid. I think it’s a good way to keep uninvited guests from entering my home.
  • Take away their view: I have a camera in my garage and I get notifications when movement is detected. One time I got that notification because a stranger was peeking in my garage door windows to see what I had. Right away I went online and ordered some frosted window film to keep prying eyes off my things.
  • Wag the dog: a barking dog can be a nuisance, but that furry face and noisy snout can also get criminals to think twice about trying to get into your home. My dog ate through some blinds in my front room to show her face more – I was not pleased about the destruction, but happy she likes to show her pretty face to anybody casing the house.

Think about taking these steps to keep your home and family safe and make the burglars know you’re not an easy target.

The Long Goodbye from Home

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On January 30, 2020, I boarded Southwest flight 1713 from Las Vegas to Austin. I woke up with an empty feeling. I always got this feeling as an Affiliate Summit ended, and I knew it would be a while before I saw all of these people that I’ve come to know and love. I missed them already.

My last Affiliate Summit party

The night before, there was a beautiful sendoff at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill with so many friends who became family in the time since Missy Ward and I started Affiliate Summit in 2003. My heart was full from that night, but there was a feeling of sadness as I thought about how some of these people wouldn’t be in NYC for Affiliate Summit East 2020.

It hit me that I may well never see some of these people again. But I found solace in knowing I would still see a bunch of others.

Well, that plan got COVID-19’d, didn’t it?

That expected closure after this 17-year journey wasn’t meant to be, and I still have a lot of unspent hugs to give out at some future time and location.

In the meantime, I smile about all of the shared struggles and successes and experiences across 50 Affiliate Summit events on three continents. The late nights and early mornings. I never did come down with “conference crud” like so many of you, unless it was just a really bad hangover all of this time.

Building Affiliate Summit with Missy and all of you was the best thing I’ve ever done. All of you! We certainly didn’t get here alone. We never could have. From the very start, there were great people helping us stuff bags, carry boxes, and spread the word.

So many people spoke and wrote words, shared ideas, stood with us, and supported us through all of these times. When competitors came after us; the Great Recession hit; people were needed to speak out against legislation that would harm the industry… you were there. You always were. A great big, dysfunctional, beautiful family.

I wish I were going to see that family this July in New York City. There are so many little things that add up to a rich experience there each time.

I’ll miss stocking up on my Diet Dr. Peppers at Duane Reade, serendipitously meeting people in the Marriott Marquis smoking area, having drinks in the Broadway Lounge and the Playwright Celtic Pub around the corner, hanging out with people for the first time in a while, the hotel decked out with Affiliate Summit signs and banners and check-in booths, walking through the Meet Market before it opens and getting butterflies, confusing which side to go to for an up or down escalator, heading to the Copacabana for Affiliate Ball, late-night street meat, looking out the window from my room to Times Square, seeing all of the people excitedly doing business together, catching a Yankees game, and then the goodbyes.

So, I guess this is my goodbye. Actually, no. Let’s make this my “until I see you again.”

This anonymous quote really resonates with me right now… “At some point in your childhood, you and your friends went outside to play together for the last time, and nobody knew it.”

I miss y’all.

Early Affiliate Marketing Statistics with AffStat

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Back in the early 2000s, there was not a lot of data on affiliate marketing, and I wanted to know more about what was going on. So I decided to make my own report of statistics on the industry and registered AffStat.com on October 29, 2002.

Presenting at Affiliate Force 2003

The first report came out in the spring of 2003 and I gave a presentation on it at the Affiliate Force conference, which took place April 24-28, 2003 aboard the Carnival Imagination cruise ship.

At the time I was the ClubMom.com Affiliate Manager, as well as the President of the US chapter of the Internet Affiliate Marketing Association.

It was during this cruise conference that Missy Ward and I presented together in a session for the first time.

It was also the time the two of us became disenfranchised with Affiliate Force and the work we were doing to build it up. So we made plans to launch our own conference, which could have easily faded away as nonsense we spouted off about at one of the cruise bars.

But we got on the phone a couple of weeks later and AffiliateSummit.com was registered on May 19, 2003.

Less than six months later we had our first event, and there was never another Affiliate Force.

Over the years AffStat was folded into Affiliate Summit.

Nate Beal on Trains, Working at an Amusement Park, and Air Fryers

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Nate Beal, marketing manager in the telecommunications industry, joined me to chat on my podcast, This is Affiliate Marketing with Shawn Collins.

Nate Beal

I wanted to learn more about the real Nate, so I asked him a variety of questions I figured he had not been asked in previous interviews.

Topics included…

  • His hobby of photographing trains
  • Working at Cedar Point
  • Listen to the Detroit Tigers on the radio as a kid
  • Model trains
  • Sporting events and COVID-19
  • Cooking with an air fryer

Links from this episode

Kimberly Juchnowski on Elephants, Blackberry, and Solo Quarantining

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Kimberly Juchnowski, who runs Webhead New Media joined me to chat on my podcast, This is Affiliate Marketing with Shawn Collins.

Kimberly Juchnowski

I wanted to learn more about the real Kimberly, so I asked her a variety of questions I figured she had not been asked in previous interviews.

Topics included…

  • Spending time with elephants
  • Exploring Southeast Asia
  • Becoming disoriented over food during quarantine
  • Still using a Blackberry
  • No longer having toilet paper on the roll
  • Speaking French and Thai
  • Being known as Webhead

Links from this episode

Watch Netflix with Friends Using Netflix Party

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Since everybody is cooped up and unable to socialize outside of things like Zoom and FaceTime, there is a fun option called Netflix Party to watch shows or movies with friends.

Netflix Party

With this Chrome extension, you can watch in sync with people and chat while you are streaming together.

It’s a quick and easy installation when you are in the Chrome browser.

After all, Tiger King is more fun to watch with people.