(This post is over a day late, largely due to hard disk failure on my nearly new Sony laptop. More on that later.)
Day Three of Affiliate Summit West was the best day there for me, despite missing the evening events. If you still don’t know what this event is, check their site out when you’re done reading here, because they’ve got another one coming up in Boston at the tail end of summer. It would take a long time for me to pass along all the information I learned in the few days I spent in Las Vegas at the summit, and the networking opportunity just doubles the value of the ticket price. Before going, I honestly thought the ticket price was a little high, but now I know it’s worth it, especially for someone new to many of the affiliate concepts, like me. Anyway, here’s how the final day went for me.
Ask the Experts
My first real goal for the day was to sit in on the Ask The Experts forum. Initially, Ian, Roger, and I headed to an empty table, as we were unsure how this forum would take place. Then it became clear that you just sit at the table of an expert you’d like to speak with and listen and ask questions you have. Each table had its own theme, from Measuring Yield to PPC and SEM marketing. While Ian and Roger picked other tables, I opted to soak in some concepts from David Weinrot, Vice President, Content Marketing & Operations, Shopzilla at the Measuring Yield table. He stressed the importance of comparing your revenue per 1,000 impressions for any given network or offer rather than comparing how much you’re bringing in per month or day total (as I’ve been doing). For merchants, he described how to maximize your program’s conversion rate by paring down on products or offers that aren’t converting well, among other things.
Next, I headed to John Hasson’s table, where he dished out all the goods on PPC and Search marketing… I mean ALL the goods. Roger was there already, and I think Ian arrived about the same time I did. I jumped in and started learning before I had my pen out. John’s table was one of the two tables that were not only full, but also attracted people like me who were willing to stand for a while behind the those seated just to get some of his valuable insight. John let us know what software to use for managing campaigns, what search engines he prefers, tips on bidding and running certain ads during the day versus the over night or during the weekend versus the business week. Sadly, I’ve only grazed his site before today. Now his feed will be a part of my morning routine.
As I was departing this forum, I was stopped by someone who helps fund start-ups. He said he was told he should hunt me down to talk about a start-up he’s working out some details with. It’s fairly technical and sounds right up my alley, so we talked for a bit and exchanged business cards. I’m keeping details to myself for now, as I like to assume non-disclosure on these things until someone says otherwise. It sounds cools, though, so I’ll probably write about it at the appropriate time if the company ends up working with mine. (By the way, if you’re the person who referred him to me, let me know.)
In retrospect, I wish I’d also checked out the Alternative Payments table with Alex Rampell, Founder & CEO, TrialPay, as I later had a small discussion on the topic with Mark from 45n5.com and Roger.
Super Affiliate Strategies that Work
The next forum that was a must-attend for me was Super Affiliate Strategies that Work with Kristopher Jones, President & CEO, Pepperjam, John Chow, CEO, TTZ MEdia (and JohnChow.com, of course), Zac Johnson, President, MoneyReign Inc. (and ZacJohnson.com), and Amit Mehta, Founder, SuperAffiliateMindset.com.
This forum was one of the things I was most looking forward to at the Summit, and after three pages of notes, I’m not second guessing my anticipation. When you throw four guys on stage who have learned, from the ground up, how to make a LOT of money online and you’re invited to fire questions at them, it can be nothing but good. Zac induced a resounding applause from the whole room after articulating how passionately he feels about the industry and how affiliates are viewed. He’s just the person to say it, too, having climbed his way to the top and proven that years of hard work can pay off really well. While Amit fielded a lot of the questions, everyone offered valuable advice for seasoned affiliates as well as those of us still just peeking in. I haven’t formally met the whole panel, but they all seem like good people who I’d like to talk with more.
Social Media Strategies in Affiliate Marketing
After lunch, we headed over to the Social Media Strategies in Affiliate Marketing forum with a panel consisting of Sam Harrelson, VP of Business Development, OnCard Marketing (Moderator), Stephanie Agresta, Partner, The Conversation Group, Justine Ezarik, iJustine Tris Hussey, Training Manager, b5media, and Deborah Schultz (who I hope has shaken her cough), Principal/Chief Strategist, DeborahSchultz.com
Speaking about the impact of varying social media outlets on web traffic and branding, they answered a lot of questions, from the simple to the complex questions that might require post-forum follow-up. They tackled issues of blogging and social media etiquette, things that will get you banned, and things that might get you noticed in the ways that you would like. Over all, the general lessons learned included:
- Act socially online as you would offline. As Deborah put it, (I’m paraphrasing here) “if you walk up to an ongoing conversation and start jumping around, going ‘me! me! me!’, people will ignore you”.
- Not all social media outlets work for everybody.
- Do not feel ashamed about needing to monetize your blog. This was emphasized with my favorite quote of the hour, “I can not go to the store and buy milk with comments and trackbacks.” - Tris
This panel helped me to think not only about what I should be doing as a blogger, but perhaps a couple things I should not be doing (maybe I should stumble my posts less, eh, Tris?). It was a rewarding use of my time and it turned me on to some new promotional opportunities.
Fun With the Rio’s Segway
While a few of us were hanging out in the Bloghous press area, one of the summit founders, Shawn Collins, brought over a Segway for us to play with. Just before that, John Chow came over and I remembered to get a picture with him finally, after bumping into him several times throughout the summit. John told us that he nearly ran people over with a Segway, so I think we were all just a bit nervous about trying it out. After a little wobble (due more to my being nervous than the device being hard to balance), it was incredibly easy to navigate and keep upright. The thing balances itself, so all you have to worry about is speed and steering. I definitely need to get one after I get rich from all the tips I learned at ASW08. Here’s a video of it.
Here’s that photo with John Chow.
UPDATE
I completely forgot a part of my day. XY7.com, who I mentioned in my previous post, were filming snippets from various affiliates that they plan to use in a marketing video (I guess it’ll be out before long). Anyway, they sent one of their booth girls, Heather, to round up people to participate and I happened to be one. Those guys are a riot. I can only imagine what would happen if I had gone to the party they said they were having. In any case, I plan on signing up and I hope I really like their network if my face will be on their marketing material.
Posted in Computers by Joe on the February 26th, 2008
My day started out pretty poorly. Not only was I late, missing the keynote speech, but I wound up having to return to my hotel for things I forgot. I did manage to get in some quality time when I returned to the Rio, prepared for the day.
Andy speaks my language
Andy Rodriguez of Andy Rodriguez Consulting spoke about Developing the Right Merchant Mindset. In his talk, geared towards merchants, far more than affiliates, Andy spoke of how merchants should be aware of their affiliates and their needs. He talked about how in the affiliate business, it is the merchants who need the affiliates. As an affiliate who’s still learning the ropes, it was good to hear. Judging by some of the questions that the merchants were asking, it seems that, like many affiliates, some merchants also find themselves learning as they go.
Booths, cars, and swag
Today was another day of talking to merchants and affiliate programs, collecting swag, and lots of walking back and forth down the long path from the Rio’s casino and lobby area to the conference halls. Kellogg’s also happened to have something going on at the Rio today, so it was even more crowded than yesterday. Affiliate Summit West sold out, prompting the sale of at least one full access pass on ebay for over $2,600. Today, everyone had their booths set up and they varied from simple to elaborate, traditional to cutting edge. I snapped a couple photos of ones that stood out to me. One, in particular, was RevenueWire. They threw a plasma TV on the wall, displaying the live dollar earnings for the day of their top affiliate. The $16,386 displayed on the screen when I stopped by around 4:00 or so was a powerful message that I’m sure turned at least a couple heads. ForexAffiliate, who is giving away a Saturn Sky tomorrow night also had a beautiful booth, as they should, being the Platinum sponsor. They were the one affiliate program that enticed me to become a new member on the spot, which wasn’t hard, given that I’ve been eying that Saturn Sky since it came out. Today, I collected a lot more literature than swag. Tomorrow will probably be all hand-shaking, but I intend to at least find out who’s handing out skate boards like candy, if only just to know.
Moniker: Funny, and full of surprises
After pounding the carpeted floor for a couple hours, I headed over to the Moniker live domain auction.
I watched a few domains get more than I expected and I watched quite a few sell for less than I expected. Someone certainly got a deal or two. The real treat was that, after becoming a late addition, Pay.com sold for $1,500,000. It was kind of exciting to be there for that, as it was my first love domain auction in person. Once or twice, I had wished I had registered for (and budgeted) being able to bid on a couple, myself. Here were some of the sales that caught my attention:
XY7.com has us seeing green
The other day, Ian Fernando made mention of a Vegas-based affiliate that he was hoping to check out at this year’s Summit, XY7.com. Not only do they like sharp color on alternating shades of grays like me (see their site), they also seem like some down-to-earth guys who see at my level. Now, other groups at the Summit also charmed me, but they didn’t park their bright green Lamborghini directly in my path from the Rio’s entrance to the taxi stand.
Posted in Uncategorized by Joe on the February 25th, 2008
Day one of Affiliate Summit West has come and gone, and for me, it brought a lot of new contacts and a long day. I got a late start with the registration, and I was unsure how long it would be before I bumped into someone I’d talked with online. Before the Meet Market even opened, I found myself in the company of Ian Fernando, joining him in his two-gun pose for photographs. I also had the pleasure of meeting Zac Johnson who has been turning heads in the affiliate marketing arena with his successes as well as Jim Kukral.
After a lot of walking around and meeting with an abundance of companies to talk about affiliate marketing, I headed back to my room to get ready for the ShareASale party in the Sky Villas at the Palms. Michelle went with me and we had a blast. The place was filled with affiliate marketers and vendors, and it was pretty casual. While there, I bumped into John Chow, Mark from 45n5.com, Roger from Think Like an S.O.B., and Fat Man Unleashed. We had a blast and the first day has been great. I’ll write more in detail later but for now, check out some of the photos.
Me and Ian Fernando
Jim Kukral and me
Roger of Think Like an S.O.B. and me
Me, Mark from 45n5.com and Isreal of Fat Man Unleashed
I arrived in Las Vegas today and got all checked in. They keep building it up out here, and it’s only been about a year since I last drove out. Even Hoover Dam seems to have some additions. In any case, I have my walking shoes, comfortable clothes, and plenty of business cards, so I’m ready for day one of Affiliate Summit West tomorrow. I’m hoping to run into several of the people mentioned below.
I have some other obligations while I’m here, so I can’t make it to AffiliateBash, but I’m confirmed for ShareASale’s Under the Stars party at the Palms, which promises to be a great experience with a lot of important people in the industry.
Chungyen Chang is the poet behind An Unsuspecting Notebook. He doesn’t know much about tech but he knows a lot about writing.
A couple of days ago, Andy at Station Atomica held his first ever Anti contest…contest. He invited readers to create an MSpaint drawing of either A Magical Unicorn, or Arnold Schwarzenegger from memory. In exchange for five minutes of your time, you were given a shot at winning 1,000 Entrecard Credits.The prize of this contest wasn’t an iPod Nano or a laptop. Yet Andy still gained modest results, with a dozen or so entrants, and four voluntary linkbacks. What made this contest so different from all the others?
A Small Prize.
One of the strengths of this contest is that it didn’t offer you tons of awesome prizes. I know, you’re probably thinking, What?! Everyone loves prizes! and this is true. But which is better: having everyone win a little, or only having one person win everything? Technically this contest had a single winner, but the people who participated also had fun. Offering up a single, giant prize for one person means you’ll end up with a lot of entrants, but you also get a lot of disappointed people afterwards. A contest needs to give back to the community as much as it takes.
Content.
Most contests are a simple “subscribe to this blog”, or “stumble this”, or “comment here” deal. People go through the monotony of those few clicks, and then they’re gone. But the Station Atomica anti-contest featured content coupled with the competition:
Subscribe to my Feed? NO!
Make a billion comments on my posts to make me look like Mr. Popular? NO!
Shit up your own blog by writing about my retarded contest on it? HELL NO!
Here at Station Atomica we do things differently. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since starting this site, it’s that I hate contests. Some people may love ‘em to death and put a new one up every other day, but for me it would be compromising my content, shitty as it already is. In the words of Jean-Luc Picard in First Contact, “The line must be drawn HERE! This far, NO FARTHER!”
Andy’s style of writing was loud and exaggerated enough that it drew interest. It provided an example of what to expect from his other posts. At the same time, the contest also generated tons of its own content through the drawings he received. He turned these into two separate entries, which his readers were able to enjoy even if they didn’t enter the contest.
Participation.
People aren’t interested in finding a hidden word in their RSS feed. No one is going to actually remember to hunt that down in their email or reader unless the prize is something really spectacular. A contest should encourage readers’ participation, but not require thirty minutes of their time. A short timeframe.
Your readers don’t want to see “The contest is almost over!! Enter before it’s too late!” for two months straight. This contest went for four days. If you keep things short and sweet, you reduce the risk of alienating your regulars, and you also cut down on the anticipation and stress of having to know the winner.
A good contest should be unforced.
Asking people to blog about you is pointless. Why would someone want to clutter up their own blog for a 1/1000 chance at a prize? It looks bad and it brings down the value of every blog that does it. So many blogs have started this, in fact, that now there’s a niche of contest blogs which are only there to provide the obligatory linkback.
Originality
Chock it up to reverse psychology, but four people blogged about the contest anyway. [1][2][3][4] Those last two links are from blogs with Technorati ratings of over 200. Andy got these linkbacks because his contest offered something different. If your contest isn’t original, people will shrug it off as another asinine, boring as hell two-click contest.
Pesonalization.
How does this contest relate to you? Are you in it for the fun of blogging, or just for the sake of boosting your numbers? People will always react better when they can relate to your contest (for example, this anti-Valentine’s Day contest). Don’t be afraid to throw around curse words, make fun of someone else, or to tell a story of your own. Why should your readers care if you don’t
What this all means for you.
Content is king, and will always be king. Even if your contest draws in tons of new subscribers, who’s to say they won’t just unsubscribe the moment it’s over? Even worse, they could mark your emails as and spam resign your posts to the pit. A high feedcount looks good, but it doesn’t mean a thing if you’re not getting any comments, linkbacks, or interaction from the rest of the community.
Don’t believe me? Consider the fact that I’ve chosen to write about Andy’s contest, and not another topic. That’s how good this contest was, and that’s how good all contests should be.
Joe on the February 29th, 2008 
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