Welcome to the Real Deal - the Official Newsletter of Affiliate Summit. The premier affiliate marketing conference has launched a new affiliate marketing newsletter that will feature news, top offers and resources - written and compiled for you by Missy Ward and Shawn Collins.
In future issues, we're bringing together writers that work on the front lines of affiliate marketing to give an insiders view of what's going on. This newsletter is for affiliate marketers and by affiliate marketers.
Topics in this issue:
- Affiliate Summit 2005 Update
- Sleeping With the Enemy by Missy Ward
- David and Goliath - an Affiliate Marketing Story (But Who's Goliath?) by Shawn Collins
- Affiliate Marketing Classifieds and Other Stuff
- Your Copy of the AffStat 2005 Special Report
There is a group rate of $69/night and all guestrooms in our block are in the Riviera's exclusive Convention Tower with direct access to the Conference & Exhibits.
When booking your room at the Riviera Hotel for Affiliate Summit 2005, please be sure to mention group code: AFFIL05. You can book by calling toll free to Riviera Reservations at 800-634-6753 or online at http://www.rivierahotel.com/resnet/roomres.asp?ID=82
Keynote speakers are Declan Dunn, CEO & Founder, Dunn Direct Group, and Fredrick Marckini, CEO & Founder, iProspect.
Luncheon speakers are Stephen Messer, Chairman & CEO, LinkShare Corporation, and Pete Neumann, VP of Corporate Development, FindWhat.
The Affiliate Summit 2005 registration rate is $1,495. You can pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express) or check.
Register now at http://www.affiliatesummit.com/registration.shtml
In a time where industry consolidation is rising, creating alliances--even with direct competitors--is a gamble more smaller companies are taking as they face up to a cruel reality: many marketing opportunities are impossible for them to pursue on their own and cooperation with the enemy is necessary in order to survive.
Until I moved to the CPA Network side of the business with CPAEmpire.com, I had no idea just how much collaboration between companies existed. Over the last year, I've witnessed first-hand the numerous CPA Networks that rely on the consistent traffic that our company produces.
Now, you can call it old-world-views on competition or call it arrogance, but until recently the last thing I wanted to do was to depend on another CPA Network for anything. In my eyes an adversary could never possibly be an ally.
After long conversations with Affiliate Managers of other CPA Networks to discover why they wanted to partner with us considering the "rivalry", two main reasons were given for rationalizing a possible affair with the enemy.
- Many networks have Exclusive Offers and want to expand their channels of distribution. Publishing those offers to other CPA Networks allows for that alternate outlet to affiliates who may have never seen that offer.
- Larger networks tend to receive much higher payouts than smaller networks would ever receive. In many cases in order to offer competitive rates to affiliates, a network would need to work with a larger CPA Network to secure those payouts.
Two months ago, I discovered the #3 reason first-hand. I finally unearthed the basis to motivate me to seek out a partnership with an opponent. I was plagued with the very significant issue of having millions of international impressions from my affiliates and no where to send them. I needed International Offers and I needed them yesterday.
Now, I could have taken the time myself to find potential advertisers looking for international traffic, struck the deals, did the paperwork, handled the integration, messed around with foreign currency, etc., but I would have left even more money on the table then I already had by fussing with it. With that in mind, one of my competitors already had these relationships, and the ready-made offers. They were doing this a lot better than me and it made absolute sense to partner with them. Yes, long-term I will overcome our challenge and the new-found partnership will more than likely disband -- but not before we had both harvested the rewards of the co-opetition.
Direct Response Technologies, the maker of DirectTrack Tracking Software recognized the benefits of co-opetition a while ago. With their patent-pending "Cross-Publishing" feature, any merchant or network that uses their software has the option to have their campaign listed on any of their nearly 100 other networks. This represents a plethora of cooperative cross-marketing opportunities accessible in just a few clicks.
CPAEmpire now enthusiastically makes use of this feature but we also establish an open relationship and dialogue with the competitive company. Ground rules are setup with respect to what is off limits (not going after each other's advertisers or affiliates, etc.) and check-points are placed along the way as the risks could be extraordinary, should someone dupe the other.
So yes, let's just say I've come around to the notion that our success does not necessitate others to fail; there can be multiple victors. Co-opetition has allowed our company to make extra revenue while still being able to focus on our core competencies. It's provided us with an easy way to keep our affiliates happy by offering them the campaigns that they want, when they want them… and that's what keeps us on top.
Missy Ward is the Director of Marketing for CPAEmpire.com and a Co-Founder of Affiliate Summit and Real Deal.
Mr. Spitzer is accusing Intermix of redirecting computer users to Web sites where ads get displayed, adding unnecessary toolbars to Web browsers and delivering unwanted ads that pop up on computer screens.
It would be great if he were to be successful here, and I suppose his people tell him it's a big problem. Otherwise, why would the would-be governor of New York grandstand with this issue?
He's had success as "The People's Lawyer" when he probed brokerage pratices, but he's batting .000 against online advertising companies so far.
I'm inclined to think he is locked and loaded this time around. There have been shudders across the Internet already. Perhaps the timing was coincidental, but CNET recently announced it was removing nearly 600 programs from its popular Download.com service under a new ban on "adware".
And it's being floated on The Internet Stock Blog that the efforts by Spitzer could have damaging effects on a laundry list of Internet stocks: ASKJ, CD, CNET, FLWS, FWHT, IACI, ICGE, INPC, SPRK, TFSM, THK, TSG, VLCK, and YHOO.
Is Eliot Spitzer just another New York pol/media hound (why didn't Chuck Schumer think of going after spyware?!), or is he going to clean things up?
The Affiliate Marketing Manager will drive revenue and new customer acquisition through the affiliate channel for the premiere online destination for digital spoken audio content for download and playback on personal computers, CD or AudibleReady® computer-based mobile devices. We're books for an iPod, MP3 player or to burn on CD. The position requires strong analytical and online marketing skills, solid interpersonal communications, account management, and business development skills. To apply, please send resume to bkirsch@audible.com. No phone calls please.
Bodog.com Poker & Sports Marketing Conference Hits Vegas
The Bodog.com Poker & Sports Marketing Conference, running July 6-7th, 2005 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, offers the opportunity to network with and learn from the elite operators, affiliates, advertisers and suppliers of the online poker and sports betting industry. Visit www.bodogconference.com for more information
CardScan Just Launched Their May Promotion
Your customers will get $25.00 off a CardScan Personal, regular price is $149.99. They will get 50.00 off a CardScan Executive, the regular price for this is $249.99! This promotion will run from May 2 to June 4th. Links are available in the Commission Junction Account Manager. If you are not already a member of the CardScan affiliate program, please go to www.cardscan.com/affiliates to check it out! Stay tuned for affiliate exclusive offers later in the month.
Instrumentpro.com Announces it's Spring 2005 Affiliate Brainstorming Contest
We are always looking for ways to improve the InstrumentPro affiliate program, and everybody is encouraged to submit their ideas. This is a great way for you to voice your opinion on how to make OUR partnership the best possible. Submit your idea to InstrumentPro with the form at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=110211044945 Top idea will win a Fender Squier Se100 Guitar Pack (*A $200.00 Value). Second prize will win a Behringer Guitar Pack (*A 110.00 Value). Third prize will win a Johnson JG-610 Acoustic Guitar (*A 80.00 Value). All ideas must be posted by 6/15/05. We will announce the winners of the contest 7/01/05. InstrumentPro Affiliate Resource site: http://www.instrumentproaffiliates.com
Share Results - Affiliate Programs for Selective Ecommerce Merchants
Looking for a new Affiliate network? Share Results, the sister company of established gaming affiliate network:Income Access, boasts a roster of high converting merchants & exceptional affiliate support. Complete with state of the art tracking and reporting tools, Share Results' robust architecture is tried, tested and true. Interested? Go to http://www.shareresults.com
Join the Xcelsius Affiliate Program: Make $125 Per Sale
Sign up now and earn up to $125 per sale with Xcelsius, the award-winning data presentation software. Program Highlights include up to 25% commission, 60-day cookie tracking, custom landing pages, and offline tracking to capture phone orders. Xcelsius is the award-winning Windows software that transforms dull Excel spreadsheets into interactive and visually compelling charts, graphs, dashboards, maps, and more. Designed for anyone who’s tired of giving presentations that bore their audience, Xcelsius is the ultimate presentation tool that helps anyone “Steal the Show!” Sign up now at: http://www.xcelsius.com/affiliate
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This report features data collected from affiliates for the AffStat 2004 Report, as well as candid opinions of affiliates on a variety of issues from 2004 and 2005.
We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line at realdeal@affiliatesummit.com and let us know if you have any suggestions, questions, or would like to advertise in future issues.