Archive for January, 2008
SAM – Simple Affiliate Marketing
Posted by Gracie Browning in Affiliate Marketing, Best Business Practices Thursday, 31 January 2008 16:41 8 Comments
Many of the self proclaimed affiliate marketing experts make affiliate marketing sound so difficult that it seems impossible. These experts like to toss technical terms about and make affiliate marketing sound like a game that can only be played and won by those who are on the ‘inside’.
Those folks usually have something to sell like a ‘sure-fire’ way to become number one in search engine results in only 10 easy (and expensive) lessons. I say, ‘Horse Feathers!’ It just isn’t so!
Affiliate marketing is probably the easiest, quickest and cheapest way that those who want to get into online marketing can use. You don’t have to be a genius!
If that were the case, there would only be two or three affiliate marketers who would be making money and I wouldn’t be one of them and I’m not sure I know another affiliate marketer who would be.
The first concept of SAM (Simple Affiliate Marketing) that you need to grasp is that the internet is full of successful affiliate marketers who didn’t know the first thing about affiliate marketing when they started, and weren’t geniuses either.
They learned…and YOU can learn. It isn’t that hard.
You don’t even have to have your own website to become an affiliate marketer. You can sign up as an affiliate for a product that you believe in, get an affiliate link, place ads in other people’s Newsletters, and when anybody clicks on your advertisement they are taken to the merchant’s website. If they buy something, you make money.
It just doesn’t get much simpler than that!
Yes, there are things that you need to learn but according to the SAM principle, none of that knowledge is out of your reach – so Just Go for it!
AC Certified – It’s Launching Soon!
Posted by Rachel Honoway in Affiliate Classroom Events and Products, Affiliate Marketing Friday, 25 January 2008 15:18 1 Comment
I spoke with Andrew Wee about the new Affiliate Manager Training and Certification course we’re getting ready to launch. It’s called AC Certified, and we’re going to be launching it at our LIVE event on February 23rd in Las Vegas.
For more details about the launch and for some insights into hot topics for Affiliate Managers, listen to my conversation with Andrew. Click here to listen to the interview.
Sign up to join us at the LIVE Affiliate Manager Workshop. Click here for details.
8 Lessons for Affiliate Managers
Posted by Rachel Honoway in Affiliate Classroom Events and Products, Affiliate Marketing Wednesday, 23 January 2008 14:24 5 Comments
We’ve released the agenda for the Affiliate Manager Training LIVE event on February 23rd at the Rio Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. The line up includes 8 presentations from top industry professionals who are planning to teach affiliate managers how to apply effective techniques to acheive profitable results.
Here is the agenda (Register at AffiliateClassroomLIVE.com):
Keynote Address: Zappos.com – An Affiliate Program Success Story
Ned Farra, Online Partnership Extraordinaire at Zappos.com
Zappos.com is an affiliate program success story. Marketing through a group of motivated, well-targeted affiliates has helped Zappos.com create brand recognition and become a leader in the highly-competitive apparel and footwear sector of the retail industry. Listen as Ned Farra describes how their affiliate program helped them build their business and reach their goals.
Session 1: A Typical Affiliate Manager’s Day
Stephanie Harris and Bryan Rhodes, Affiliate Program Managers at Schaaf Consulting
Stephanie and Bryan have a combined background in all areas of interactive marketing including search, PPC, media buying and, of course, affiliate marketing. Drawing on both current and past experiences as affiliate managers, they will be answering the question “What does an affiliate manager DO?” They’ll show you what they spend their time on each day, which tasks they’ve learned to optimize, which they’ve decided to skip and those that they wish they had more time for. Each of them bring a unique perspective and opinion on what matters most – learn as they guide you in successfully managing your time and responsibilities as an affiliate manager.
Session 2: Affiliate Tracking and Management Technology Fundamentals
DoubleClick Performics
DoubleClick Performics is one of the leading providers of affiliate tracking and management technology platforms. He/she will explain the technical terminology used in this industry and help you understand how each piece fits together. Affiliate marketing is a technical strategy and without a proper understanding of each piece, you could make major mistakes or miss out on serious opportunities for your program.
Session 3: Affiliate Recruitment Techniques
A Successful Super Affiliate
We’re going to provide you with an interesting perspective of affiliate recruitment – through the eyes of a super affiliate. He will tell you about the recruitment campaigns that have gotten his attention, the campaigns that have annoyed him and what he looks for when he goes out searching for programs to join.
Session 4: Traditional Affiliate Programs vs CPA Affiliate Offers
Steven Lerch, Todd Farmer and John Vehlewald of Think Partnership’s KowaBunga! and PrimaryAds Networks
This trio, who manage both a traditional and a CPA network, will describe the differences between the traditional affiliate networks that have been around for years, and the newer breed called “CPA Affiliate Networks”. They’ll help you determine which type of approach is the best fit for your strategy and show you how other merchants have successfully used both to reach their goals.
Session 5: Making Sense of Stats
Lisa Riolo, Founder of Hammock Ventures
Lisa is a long-time member of the online performance marketing industry and best known for her work as SVP of Business Development at Commission Junction. In this session, Lisa will teach you how to read and analyze your affiliate performance reports and make use of the numbers – including information on how to use statistics and reports to develop a fair and effective affiliate commission structure.
Session 6: Compliance and Legal Issues
Clarke Douglas Walton, Attorney and Founder of Walton Law Firm
Keeping your affiliate program operating legally and in compliance with your company’s standards are huge responsibilities for you. Mr. Walton, a copyright, trademark and Internet law attorney will update you on the latest legal developments and teach you what to watch for, how to attack problems, where to turn for help and how to stay ahead of the issues.
Session 7: Engaging Affiliates
Heather Paulson, President and Founder of Paulson Management Group
With successful experiences in both affiliate and search marketing, Heather Paulson was the first professional Affiliate Manager to coin and expertly craft the practice of “Affiliate Relationship Management” or ARM as she refers to it. She will explain this method and show you how to use it in order to create and strengthen profitable bonds with your affiliates.
Register at AffiliateClassroomLIVE.com
The Affiliate Marketer vs The Tax Man
Posted by Kathy Jackson in Affiliate Marketing, Best Business Practices Monday, 21 January 2008 15:42 No Comments
Taxes! Everybody hates them and the only thing we hate worse than the taxes themselves are the forms that we must fill out and file. According to Benjamin Franklin: “Certainty? In this world
nothing is certain but death and taxes.”
Affiliate marketers are self-employed business men and women. When you are self-employed that means that you are responsible not only for filing your annual state and federal income taxes but also for making 4 deposits each year prior to filing on April 15th.
If you do not make your quarterly tax deposits, you will get hit with the double whammy of interest and penalties and end up paying more than you would have paid had you just made the tax deposits on time.
There are three things regarding taxes that you really need to do as a self-employed affiliate marketer:
You need to find out what taxes that you are responsible for and where, when and to whom to pay the taxes or make the tax deposits:
This information is readily available free from the IRS and from state, city and county tax assessors/collectors. Ignorance of the law is not a viable excuse. You will be charged the interest and penalties (which are excessive) even if you didn’t know that you owed the taxes.
As a self employed person you will be responsible not only for income tax but also for your self-employment tax. (That’s your Social Security and Medicare payments.)
You need to keep complete financial records:
A bunch of receipts in a shoebox, if you are audited, won’t cut it. If you are going to keep these records yourself you will need a good record keeping program like Quickbooks. If you aren’t sure that you know what you are doing, there are many bookkeeping services available both online and off.
If you are going to hire someone to keep records for you, make sure it’s a bookkeeper or an accountant who is well versed in internet business tax laws.
Make your tax deposits on time and in full:
I advise that you set up a separate bank account and deposit funds to cover your upcoming tax obligation from each payment that you receive. It’s less painful than making a big deposit all at one time.
We have to pay taxes. There isn’t any way to avoid it if you make money. I guess it’s better to make money and pay taxes than to not make any money and not pay taxes (in my humble opinion).
The tax deadline comes up fast for those of us in the U.S., so make sure you’re properly prepared this year.
Affiliate Classroom Magazine – It’s all About Networking
Posted by AC Editorial Team in Affiliate Classroom Magazine, Affiliate Marketing, Best Business Practices Wednesday, 16 January 2008 18:37 No Comments
The January issue of the Affiliate Classroom Magazine is out, and Networking is the Name of the Game!
Here’s what’s inside:
Avoiding the Loneliness of the Affiliate Marketer – A Guide to Successful Interaction
Mark Thompson gives you important reasons why you should interract with other affiliates, and some tips on where to find affiliate friends who are eager to share knowledge and advice. You no longer have to feel like you’re working alone in the Affiliate Marketing field.
Meet Us In Vegas…Baby!!!
Yes, that’s right, the Affiliate Classroom team will be in Vegas for the Affiliate Summit on February 24-26. Stop by the Meet Market on Sunday for a chat, or visit our Booth #102 Monday and Tuesday. This will be an excellent opportunity to meet the team and pick our brains for information on your current project.
AC will also be conducting the Affiliate Manager Bootcamp, so you might want to plan to be at the Summit a day early. Check the magazine for details.
In the last Section: The Best Affiliate Forums - Kathy Jackson lists some of the best Forums Affiliates should visit on a daily basis. This is the best way to stay ahead of Industry trends, and find out what the top Super Affiliate Marketers are thinking. You can Network in all of these through your comments and advice, so make reading them a part of your daily research reading.
Download the Affiliate Classroom’s “Networking For Affiliates” Magazine Here! It’s a free PDF file – and you don’t need to be a member to read it.
See you in Vegas!
