Affiliate Marketing Fanatics #59: A Gateway Conference
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Affiliate Marketing Fanatics – A couple of hyper-caffeinated affiliate marketers (Mike Buechele) and (Trisha Lyn Fawver) talk about all things Affiliate Marketing. From blogging to branding, social media to search, video and more!
Mike and I jump back into the saddle with this whole podcasting thing. We talk briefly about how great Affiliate Summit West 2012 was, get off track in some places, and try to get the innocent kids in the Midwest hooked on some affiliate marketing conference goodness. In in this episode we discuss:
- Affiliate Summit Central – a gateway conference to bigger conferences.
- Speculation about the night life of Austin, TX.
- Anybody using Pinterest? Thread on the Affiliate Summit Forum
- The Story of Skimlinks and Pinterest by Shawn Collins
- Pinterest “Pin It” Button WordPress Plugin
- 0% of Affiliate Marketers are Female. Say whaa? The rebutted 10 Great Women of Affiliate Marketing
- Some chatter about the Affiliate Summit Meetups in NY and SF
Find us on Twitter: @AMF_Podcast, @MikeBuechele & @TrishaLyn. Like us on Facebook! Be old fashioned and just leave us a comment!
Special thanks to GeekCast.fm for hosting Affiliate Marketing Fanatics!
Read MoreWin a Gold Pass to Affiliate Summit West 2012
In July of 2007 I attended my first Affiliate Summit in Miami. It was a fantastic experience. I learned so much, and that was certainly part of the chain of events in my wandering string of jobs to convince me that I liked this industry. The following year at Affiliate Summit East in Boston, I made the decision that I wanted to continue in Affiliate Marketing and build a career rather than just meander along at different jobs. Considering this is light years away from what I went to college for, that was a major decision in my life.
And attending Affiliate Summits helped solidify that for me.
So I want so spread the love and help someone else drive into this dynamic and awesome industry feet first. So I’m giving away a Gold Pass to Affiliate Summit West 2012. This year’s western version of the conference will take place January 8-10, 2012 at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, which I’m excited about since it’s one of the few larger hotels in Las Vegas that I’ve never once set foot into. The Gold Pass will allow you access to the Meet Market, Exhibit Hall, Keynotes, Sunday educational sessions, and online access to all recorded session videos and PowerPoint presentations. Right now we’re still in the Early Bird registration phase, so the Gold Pass is valued at $279 and after October 21st it goes up to $529, so winning this Gold Pass is definitely in your best financial interests!
How do you win this awesome opportunity? Here’s what you have to do. Please post 1 separate comment for each entry. Each entry received one point. The more entries you receive, the higher your chances of winning are.
- MANDATORY: Follow Affiliate Summit on Twitter. Post a comment below with your Twitter ID confirming that you’ve followed @AffiliateSummit.
- Follow GeekCast on Twitter. Post a comment below with your Twitter ID confirming that you’ve followed @GeekCast.
- Follow FeedFront on Twitter. Post a comment below with your Twitter ID confirming that you’ve followed @FeedFront.
- Follow TrishaLyn on Twitter. Post a comment below with your Twitter ID confirming that you’ve followed @TrishaLyn.
- Tweet the following message to your users and post a comment below with a link to the post. “Just entered to win an #ASW12 gold pass from @TrishaLyn. You can enter too! Here’s how: http://linq2.us/asw12gp”
- Join the Affiliate Summit group on Facebook. Post on the group wall that you were referred to the group by me and post a link to that post here in the comments.
- Join the AS Forums and introduce yourself in the Online Meet Market. Post a comment below with a link to your posting.
Here’s the fine print. You have until October 15th at 6:00 PM Pacific to complete this mission, should you choose to accept it. I’ll be using Random.org to choose the winner from the posts, so I won’t be approving trackbacks or commenting on posts until the contest is over. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 48 hours to confirm that they can attend Affiliate Summit West, then I will provide them with the code to register for free. Don’t scam the contest or I’ll out you on Twitter and the blog!
Good night, and good luck!
Read MoreWhat You Should Know About Industry Conferences
Guest Post by James Martell
Do you ever hear about conferences for your particular industry and wonder if you should go?
Do you worry about whether a trade show is worth the time and expense involved?
I was struggling with those issues when I went to my first affiliate marketing conference in 2002. I had been an affiliate marketer for about three years, and I wanted more information on growing my business. Yes, I enjoyed the travel opportunity. Yes, the weather in Santa Barbara was gorgeous and the hotel was nice as well.
Seriously, though, if I were only looking for a short vacation, Seattle is closer and Portland is much more affordable.
Specific to my situation, I would have had a hard time convincing my wife Arlene to cut me loose for three days if all I could promise her on my return was a suitcase full of dirty laundry.
Fortunately, I was able to attend the conference because both Arlene and I knew why I was going. Better yet, our expectations for the trip were met and then exceeded.
Reasons to Attend Online Marketing Conferences
When I returned from my first Commission Junction University, Arlene and I were more than satisfied with the benefits I brought home. That’s why, when I returned to CJU the next year, I was accompanied by Arlene and 40 other people.
These days I attend several marketing events every year, and I advise all of my affiliates and colleagues to attend at least two per year. The primary reasons include;
- The time spent at these conferences is actually an investment. When you get back to the office, you’ll be working better, working smarter, and you’ll be far more motivated.
- The money you spend attending these conferences, to include travel and meals, is normally tax deductible. If you happen to own the business, I don’t have to tell you how important that is!
- You’ll have the opportunity to speak with and listen to leaders in your industry, and will probably come away with a few new ideas.
- You’ll be able to tap into a knowledge and experience base far larger than anything you would be able to accumulate on your own.
- The most important reason to attend an industry event, however, is the same reason I kept going back to the Commission Junction Universities; We need to grow.
Over the last decade, I have attended many trade shows and industry conferences, and I have listed a few of my favorites below. I have personally attended each of these events, and I have been invited to speak at several of them as well.
Whether you are an affiliate marketer, or are just interested in what the Internet can do for your business, one of these events offers something you can use.
The Best Online Marketing Conferences 2011
Affiliate Summit
This event is described as the premier affiliate marketing conference, and with good reason. The Summit is held in New York and Las Vegas, and offers a variety of educational events in addition to top industry speakers and acres of merchants and vendors.
Blog World Expo
The Expo gathers bloggers from the four corners of the earth to Las Vegas for three days so they can take advantage of networking events, presentations, and of course, vendors and merchants galore. You don’t need to be a blogger to enjoy this conference, though. If you are just looking for a way to use social media to promote your business, you should plan to attend.
Webmaster World’s PubCon
Most people expect this to be a publishing convention, but the first one was actually held in a pub, so the name actually describes a group of colleagues around a pub table. Well, Webmaster’s World has outgrown the pub, but it still provides an informal, relaxed venue to share marketing strategies and advanced SEO methods.
Commission Junction University
I cut my teeth, so to speak, on this event, and if you actually need a reason to spend three days in Santa Barbara, this conference is a really good one. You’ll get a chance to meet with over 800 industry leaders and top Commission Junction affiliates, like me. You should attend just to find out what affiliate marketing can do for your business.
AffCon
The cool part about newer industry shows is that they’re usually inexpensive, and this one is free, for the moment. This may not last long, though, because AffCon is still packed with leading panelists, all the usual vendors and merchants, and lots of great information for beginners as well as experienced affiliate marketers.
ShareASale Think Tank
What is the difference between a Think Tank and a regular conference? Imagine the level of creativity inspired by great parties, a sports event or two, and one of the best assembled brain-trusts in the industry. Affiliates, managers and merchants would all benefit from this event.
Every business relies on marketing, so it’s likely that your business would benefit from any of these events. If you’ve never attended these or any other online marketing conferences, 2011 might be the year your business really takes off.
Of course, if you aren’t a full-time marketer, there are probably other gatherings which are more focused on your specific industry. You should also least check out the ones that sound interesting.
Shopping for Your Own Trade Show
Matt Papas is an associate of mine who has a weight loss website. Matt could benefit from nearly any Internet marketing conference, but he could also get some great information at fitness or medical conferences. For instance, he could learn more about how to market to clients who are looking for a Medifast coupon code, or looking for the right answer, complete with details, to the question, “Does the Nutrisystem diet work?”
Arlene, of course, attends some events with me, but occasionally she should take in other events as well. Arlene’s website, epliepsymoms.com, offers support and information for parents of epileptic children, so she could also benefit from medical conferences. She could also add conferences specific to epilepsy support organizations and other childhood diseases.
Regardless of your industry or interest, finding the right trade show could only take a minute or two on your favorite search engine. Search for a phrase like “Restaurant Trade Shows” and you’ll find a list of events and probably a Facebook page or Twitter account you can connect to as well. Someone out there is dying to show you how to attract more customers using Google Plus or how the right color of interior paint will keep customers in your store longer.
Will You Be Attending an Industry Conference This Year?
Well, why in the world not? If you have yet to attend one of this year’s online marketing conferences 2011 is not quite over yet . The amount of time and money you’d put into a conference will be more than justified by the ideas and motivation you’ll bring home. The only real question, then, is;
Which of these conferences will you attend?
—
Author and website developer James Martell is the President of Net Guides Publishing Inc. and is a popular speaker at many national events all over the country, including Commission Junction University and the Affiliate Convention. When James isn’t working or traveling, he enjoys the coastal life just south of Vancouver, BC with his wife, Arlene, and their four children.
Read MoreFoursquare, Gowalla, Scoville – Geolocation Roundup
Back in January I was at a crossroads with Foursquare. I know I’ve mentioned this to people here and there, but the lack of cultivation was really getting on my nerves. It seemed that there were no moderators over there. For example, there’s a Walmart 2 minutes from my house. I go there frequently due to the convenience, and get my prescriptions there. So checking in often, I was mayor. After some time using Foursquare, and I guess with wider adoption of the service on this side of the Bay Area, I noticed it was harder to find the “right” Walmart in Foursquare as there were eventually 5 different check-in locations for the same physical Walmart.
From everything I could tell at the time, there was nowhere within the service to flag duplicate locations. Being slightly OCD, this bugged me to no end. I’d complain, attempt to contact them, no response.
Well, of course this is mostly a useless game with some potential for local businesses to market to me by offering coupons when I check in or something. So I couldn’t get too irritated.
At my wits end with Foursquare, I used it while in Las Vegas for Affiliate Summit West and then said sayonara. I used Facebook Places for awhile, then after learning that Gowalla would kill two birds with one stone and integrate with Facebook, I jumped on it.
I quite like Gowalla now and have been using it since January. There’s no mayorships, but you can “find” amusing little items at different locations. Like I’ve received Cowboy Boots at two different steakhouses. Gowalla has better graphics and I really dig it’s Android app better than the newest versions of Foursquare. From what I can tell, their service is growing as well and has frequent updates. Every time it updates, I like the functionality of the app better. One of my favorite features of Gowalla is that some businesses have made their little icons graphics of their locations or logos. It helps me find the right place. Best of all, there’s very very FEW duplicates!
One of the greatest features of Gowalla is that you have to actually be in a geographic proximity to the location in order to check in. So you don’t have a bunch of people jokingly checking into your house from thousands of miles away. Gowalla has excellent GPS technology. Most of the time once I enter a business and start the app, it suggests where you want to check in and knows exactly where I am, despite having checked in nearby elsewhere. For example… I went into my doctor’s office last week, opened the app, and it suggested the office right off the bat – despite having not been there since February.
Lately I’ve received a few invites to Scoville, which is currently in private beta. The idea behind Scoville is that it collects local recommendations based on your check ins. I liken it to Yelp Lists, where you can collect your check ins into recommendations. The theory, I suppose, is that not all the places you check into you’d necessarily want to recommend and evangelize. I signed up and I’m interested in participating, but there’s a problem – it integrates with Foursquare.
So what to do? I certainly don’t want to check in to both Gowalla AND Foursquare everywhere I go. I updated my Foursquare app so I can check in and test out Scoville, but I’m still at a crossroads. Are there business uses for Scoville? I hope to find out & report back! What are your thoughts on the geolocation check in services?
Read MoreAffiliate Marketing Fanatics 50: #ASW11 Recap
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Affiliate Marketing Fanatics – A couple of hyper-caffeinated affiliate marketers (Mike Buechele) and (Trisha Lyn Fawver) talk about all things Affiliate Marketing. From blogging to branding, social media to search, video and more!
It’s been a couple of weeks since Affiliate Summit West 2011 was over & done with, and it’s taken us this long to recuperate, follow up with all our leads, jot our ideas for improvement down in notebooks and on whiteboards, and had the time to breathe and record our recap! We had different experiences at this show than some of the others in the recent past, so we share it all with you in a super sized episode this week. For 1 hour & 14 minutes we babble on about:
- Saturday pre-registration ease & the lightly sponsored conference tote bag.
- The short, but sweet, buy.at party and the drinks, view, and having to interact with the “public”. And a brief insight into Trisha’s bath.
- The packed sessions, Mike’s session went well, and our Sunday in meetings and the insanity of the Meet Market.
- Elvis costumes, Marilyn Monroe impersonators, and legend Warren Moon.
- The lovely ShareASale 10 year anniversary party & the Strike Out Breast Cancer bowling party.
- Our quick review of the Drew Eric Whitman keynote, yet neither of us attended the Brian Solis presentation.
- Mike finally met Lewis Howes & they talked about Lewis’ book, LinkedWorking: Generating Success on LinkedIn the Worlds Largest Professional Networking Website
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- Affiliate Summit Forum is now live, so go sign up!
Want to catch up with us & ask questions for the next show? Find us on Twitter: @AMF_Podcast, @MikeBuechele & @TrishaLyn. Like us on Facebook! Leave us a comment!
Special thanks to GeekCast.fm for hosting Affiliate Marketing Fanatics.
Read MoreQuick Affiliate Summit West 2011 Recap #ASW11
While I was at Affiliate Summit, I was taking more pictures than notes this time around. It occurred to me that the best way to post a recap would be in pictures. I use a plug-in on another site I manage for the San Leandro Historical Railway Society called Next Gen Gallery, and I figured it would be perfect for this application.
Of course, anyone who attends Affiliate Summit, especially the West Coast versions held in Las Vegas, knows that it takes a lot out of you. So I finally get around to installing the plug-in, but apparently I’m having some permissions issues on this website with my new hosting company that I won’t get into. In a nutshell, it’s not allowing me to create the new albums and upload the pictures.
So, while I get this sorted out with my new hosting company, just know that Mike Buechele & I will be recording our recap of the conference very soon for Affiliate Marketing Fanatics!
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