Web Affiliate Marketing Blog

We have reached the 1/2 way mark in my series of interviews, and having heard from an Agency (Fiona), Merchant (Zak) and Network (Hero) side, we now have the chance to hear things from an Affiliate perspective. John Lamerton (A4U John).

Without any messing about, lets get straight into the interview where we learn about Johns hatred of people who p*ss on his tent, and his unrealistic dreams for Plymouth Argyle (they’re a football team… or so rumour has it…).

How did you first hear about Affiliate Marketing?
I guess it would have been via similar sites to my first website (How to make money online, by someone who isn’t making any), so having burned through Get paid to surf, Get paid to read emails and Get paid to make a sandwich without actually earning any serious money, a new idea was being formed: Get paid to sell stuff!

The first network I joined was probably Magic Button, followed by Your Cheque, before some upstarts called UK Affiliates came on the scene. Affiliate Window were the BIG network in those days, with around 10 programs. It was an AWIN newsletter that introduced me to some guy called Matt and his tiny blue forum with about 5 people posting. I also recall spamming, I mean posting on some newsgroup where I met some dodgy bloke called Frostie ;)

What has been your career track and did it help your prepare for you for this industry?
Well I was a Civil Servant in my previous life, and whilst I wouldn’t say it helped prepare me for the Affiliate Marketing Industry (apart from acclimatising me to the red-tape and pure BS that some people come out with), if I had been doing another job I might not have become an affiliate in the first place.

It was only my total hatred for my job that kept me working for an extra 5 hours every day on top of the day job to earn money from Affiliate Marketing, kept me motivated for the 18 months that I essentially worked at Affiliate Marketing without taking a penny out of the business, and of course, made me look at other ways to earn money in the first place.
And it’s also made me ultra-determined never to go back to that sort of “career”.

If you had to sell up completely, what career path would you choose outside of IT/Affiliate Marketing?
I’ve been my own boss now for nearly seven years, and there’s no way I could go back to either being answerable to anyone else or getting up first thing in the morning with all the other “9 to 5’ers”. I’ve also tried having an office/shop full of loads of staff working for me, and I hated that too (spent more time fire-fighting staff and building problems than earning money), so whatever I did would have to be pretty much me on my own, working from home… (isn’t it great when your dream job is the one you’re already doing?)

I’d probably concentrate full time on managing my investments – Particularly if I’d sold up I’d have even more money to play with, so could take on some interesting investments that I don’t have the time or money to monitor or research now. I’ll never be a Day Trader though for two reasons:
1) I’m far too cautious
2) The FTSE opens at 8am, which is still snooze time for me!

Sat in a pub with your friends, how would you describe what you do?
That’s the conversation that normally starts with me trying to explain the role of Affiliates, Networks, Agencies and merchants using pepper-pots, cigarette packets and half empty pint-glasses (To represent affiliate bloggers like myself whose glass is always half-empty!), and ends with me using the statement “Basically, I sell stuff on the Internet for the likes of [Insert brand names they’ll have heard of] who pay me a commission for each sale” and then answer the question that follows with “No, I don’t just sell stuff on eBay… by the way it’s your round!”

What aspects of the day to day running of Big Idea Media are you personally responsible for?
I have a hand in pretty much everything. I write content and manage the PPC ads, I do the accounts and pay the wages. I reply to those AOL users who don’t know their @ from their elbow, and I badger people for link-swaps on an almost daily basis. I deal with any major problems that come along and ensure that the company as a whole is working towards the goals I set. At a push, I’ll even make the tea or dabble in tweaking some HTML code (which normally breaks things, so I leave it well alone)

Basically I’m a control freak, who works along the lines of “no-one can do it the way I want it done, so I’ll do it myself”, but I’ve also got a few key members of staff who I can trust to look after their respective areas and (I hope) I don’t tread on their toes too often!

What are the biggest changes you have seen since being involved in the industry?
The Industry is more professional now, without a doubt. But as more money has entered the arena, it’s been accompanied by a lot of unwanted office politics – When attending get2gethers nowadays you have to be careful to remember who isn’t talking to who, and who refuses to work with who whereas 5 years ago it was a load of buddies meeting up to talk shop and party.

There have been many changes in the Affiliate world (SERPS updates, Google slaps, spy-ware, brand bidding, muppet merchants) that have tested affiliates resolve, but affiliates have always adapted, and always will – The fundamental idea of affiliate marketing will always stand tall, and the affiliates who build their own brands with loyal customer bases will be the ones who reap the rewards in the long-term.

In an ideal world with no boundaries, what issue would you address first in the affiliate marketing world?
No boundaries? Great idea! Let’s remove that bloomin great boundary that they call the M25, as it seems to be keeping most of the networks and account managers fenced inside a 20-mile radius of London.

And how about banning merchants from swapping networks every three weeks? Or stopping and starting their programs due to “budget” – FFS this is paid-per-sale marketing. What CEO of the company is going to say “I know, let’s stop taking orders so we can afford a huge TV campaign”

That’s my main merchant/network gripes, and I know from reading Zak’s interview that merchants have affiliate issues, so whilst we’re doing “anything is possible”, how about everyone swaps jobs for a month – Network staff have to live purely on what sales they can make as an affiliate, and affiliates have to try and keep everyone happy whilst being called a muppet by some slightly balding, little-bit-portly, middle aged (middle aged?? I’m only 30 y’know!) affiliate…

How reliant is the internet on Google and is it a good thing?
I think the Internet as a whole is completely dependent on Google. If Big G woke up one morning and said “Actually, we’ve made enough money now, we’re gonna call it a day. Go find your own pages.” (Dunno why they would, but you never know!), the whole Internet would grind to a halt. They’re not as dominant as they were a few years ago – MSN and LiveSearch is eating into their majority, but a quick look at my stats for this month show that 81.76% of our search engine traffic came from the G.

Is it a good thing? Yes of course, we’re getting loads of free relevant traffic that buys stuff and pays the bills for us – how can that be bad? It’s good, but worrying – What if they wake up tomorrow and think “We don’t like this John Lamerton guy anymore… lets ban all his sites”? Well, they could, but look at it from their point of view – All they care about is giving their users the most relevant pages to their search – If you write content to be relevant to the subject topic (rather than writing specifically for Google), and don’t over-optimise your SEO activities, then you’re naturally going to end up at the right end of Google’s ranking system.

In 3 years time, how do you think the industry would have developed?
3 years is a long time in Affiliate Marketing – 3 years ago I was just about to retire from the Industry forever! I reckon the next three years are going to see more of the affiliate “brand” sites bought out for big bucks, and some new heavy hitting affiliates entering the arena (Like the tabloid papers who now have a cashback site and a bingo site each)

I also believe that in 3 years time, every person in the UK will own a discount code website and be members of at least 59 social networks. And I’ll still be sat here moaning about how it’s not like the old days (maybe I am middle-aged after all!)

Complete this sentence in no more than 25 words
At the next A4U Expo I would…
like to finally uncover the secret of the strange green glow that lit up the docklands at last years event.

Now its time for some quick fire either or….

Wembley or Twickenham
Wembley. Especially as I’ll be heading off there at the end of May to watch Plymouth Argyle beat Bristol City (again) to win promotion to the Premiership.

Risotto or Roghan Josh
Depends on the Risotto. Chicken or Beef yes, anything fishy, no.

Hardcore or Winebar
Neither, I’ll be in the pub with a live band on!

Bill or Sergey
Bills Money, Sergey’s fashion sense.

Burn It or Recycle It
I’ve got into composting stuff over the last year, but it’s much more fun to burn stuff, although I do have burn scars from a firepit session last summer (don’t play with fire kids!)

2 Wheels or 4 Wheels
I was never allowed a motorbike as a teenager (something to do with both my elder brother and sister having motorbike accidents breaking legs and losing bits of leg), so never got the chance to find out how much fun they are, so it’s four wheels all the way for me – although I did nearly roll a Robin Reliant once, which was a lot of fun!

Hotel with Spa or Backpacking
I’d be in the hotel every time. I don’t do roughing it at all when it comes to sleeping. I even stay in a hotel when going to festivals and bus it in every day. Yes, I know it’s cheating, but tell me that when I’ve just had a great nights sleep, hot power shower and a cooked breakfast whilst watching the footie on the telly, rather than spend the whole night trying to stop people p*ssing against my tent!

XBox or PlayStation
Neither. I still play PS2, but prefer the Wii. It’s just sooo much more fun.. and you look a prat if anyone walks past the house whilst you’re trying to play boxing.

Sun or Snow
Oooh, a toughie… Nah, can’t call it – I’ll have both please Bob.

Frank Sinatra or Snoop Snoopity Doggity Dog
Either’ll do for me as background music, wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to either specifically though. Now if you’d asked Foo Fighters or Maximo Park…

Thanks John!

The next series of interviews will follow shortly, where once again we hear from all 4 corners of the affiliate marketing industry. We have Shane representing the Affiliate corner, Sean the Agency corner, Graham the Merchant and Nic the Network.

The third part of my “Meet The REAL” interviews sheds light on the often cloudy world of Agencies. Fiona (aka Playboy Bunnygirl March 2008) from Equator, or Eq8r, tells us how she stumpled into the affiliate world, and gets educated on Microsoft & Google…

How did you first hear about Affiliate Marketing?
After graduating from a Marketing honours degree, I started at Equator in June 2006.  My studies had covered some elements of online marketing, mainly banner advertising, however my introduction to affiliate marketing began after starting with Equator.  Tara Moar, our senior affiliate manager, had been working in the industry for over 3 years at this point, and it was her in depth knowledge and skill set across affiliate management that enthused me to learn more about the channel.  Her experience across a number of industries, including travel, retail and finance was prevalent and the dedication and passion came through in her training to me. 

I went to my very first event in Glasgow a couple of weeks after I started, closely followed by one in Newcastle – I was initiated by Warrick and Hayley from Buy.at with the most disgusting shot I’ve ever had… And the rest they say is history!

What has been your career track and did it help your prepare for your current role?
My career in marketing roles began as a Marketing Assistant at Glasgow Caledonian University; this led me to Equator as online marketing exec.  After a few weeks I fell in love with affiliate marketing which led me to my current role as Affiliate Manager!

My time with the GCU involved utilising various marketing channels to attract both students and employers to explore the services of the University.  Much of this involved developing the areas of the University website, editing and processing adverts onto the online database, and working with the technical team to ensure functionality was more than sufficient, giving me an insight into the importance of the backend of a website.  Media planning and buying obviously relies heavily on the website traffic is being driven to, and the creative design is equally important – ensuring the right kind of visitor is sent to our clients’ site, something which is equally transferable to the success of an affiliate programme. 

I have a fair amount of experience in brand building as well as re-branding; this has stood me in great stead for understanding the importance of brand recognition, something which translates effectively into affiliate programme management and understanding exactly what drives our partners to promote our campaigns.  

As well as developing my skill set from a practical perspective, my experiences have allowed me to develop my relationship building skills – something which is key to being a successful affiliate manager.  I also have experience in organising events and this has given me a fantastic insight into the world of networking – believe it or not, a room full of affiliates is very daunting the first few times you do it, even more so from agency side – you think no one likes you!  It’s now one of my favourites things about my job!

Would you ever consider moving over to the dark side and becoming an affiliate yourself one day?
I can honestly say no!  I have the utmost admiration for affiliates and what they do for a living – working in this industry has given me the opportunity to meet some of the most hard working and dedicated individuals I’ve come across.  The industry is at the point now where I think it is very difficult to just start up and make it a success; there are so many great affiliates out there who are so very good at what they do, it’s extremely competitive.

Me being an affiliate would be crossing one of those ‘blurry lines’ in the industry.  Tara and I have talked this subject to death, but as an affiliate manager I think that a part of my job is a lot about trust.  I’m not only talking to my clients on a regular basis about their strategies, but also our affiliates too.  In order to make our partnership a success I am given a lot of information that helps both parties ultimately make money.  If I was to decide to go and use this for my own personal gain I think it would be unethical.  Of course there are some circumstances where it would not be seen like this; Clarke from POR springs to mind, his approach to running a network whilst still being an affiliate is what has made it accepted – he is completely transparent about his activities and is well respected as a result.

Sat in a pub with your friends, how would you describe an average affiliate?
About 5ft 10, male….  I jest…

I think there is a stereotype of your average affiliate, same as there is for an affiliate manager at an agency I guess, and they are often very far from the truth!  In all seriousness, I would describe an average affiliate as approachable and determined.  You sometimes have to keep chipping away at a relationship with an affiliate, but it’s well worth it in the end.

What merchants do you manage, personally, or as an agency on the whole?
We have 3 affiliate managers at Equator, and between us we run the following affiliate programmes:

As a full service agency we have a wide range of clients, including DFDS Seaways, Elegant Resorts, Visit Scotland, Highland Spring and Scottish and Southern Energy.

What are the biggest changes you have seen since being involved in the industry?
The level of professionalism.  I think the attitude of many affiliates have changed – this isn’t just a bit of fun, it is a serious business and there is huge potential for growth.  Also things like the Expo and a black tie awards ceremony have done wonders in showcasing the industry as a profitable channel for many merchants and educating people how best to approach a number of areas for success.

Of course there are still lots of opportunities to have fun – without that the industry just wouldn’t be what it is!

In an ideal world with no boundaries, what issue would you address first in the affiliate marketing world?
Fraudulent activity.  As much as we try and tackle it with the networks just now, some things inevitably slip through our radar and it can be very frustrating.  It often feels like you are chasing your tail – as soon as we work to get rid of forced clicks or something, another issue crops up.  I’d love to be able to know what the next ‘black hat’ thing is so that I can try and prevent it as opposed to react to it.

How reliant is the internet on Google and is it a good thing?
Very.  Google often paves the way of others and whilst most industries or sectors have a market leader, their share is quite unhealthy.  It needs someone else to really step up to the play and make a difference.  If Microsoft are successful in buying over Yahoo! I think it has the potential to have a massive impact on Google’s share; but it depends what they decide to concentrate on, it may be other aspects of the portal as opposed to search.

In 3 years time, how do you think the industry would have developed?
I’ve seen huge chances in the industry since I started at Equator, and that was less than 2 years ago – it’s a really difficult thing to try and predict.  I think it can only get better though; with professionalism growing we should see more merchants take the channel much more seriously.  Hopefully events will continue to be as great as they have been the last couple of years :)

Complete this sentence in no more than 25 words;
At the next A4U Expo I would….
Love to be there but I will be in Florida (it was booked before the dates were released!!)

Now its time for some quick fire either or….

Wembley or Twickneham
Wembley

Risotto or Roghan Josh
Risotto

Hardcore or Winebar
Hardcore

Bill or Sergey
I don’t even know what this means!!!
They are 2 people who built rather large companies Fi! ;)

Burn It or Recycle It
Recycle It

2 Wheels or 4 Wheels
4 Wheels

Hotel with Spa or Backpacking
Can I say both??

XBox or PlayStation
PlayStation

Sun or Snow
Sun

Frank Sinatra or Snoop Snoopity Doggity Dog
Frank Sinatra

Thanks Fiona!

The second part of my “Meet The REAL” interviews comes from a Network perspective thanks to Hero Grigoraki. Hero, from Webgains, shares her thoughts on the industry as well as surprising us with her music tastes…

How did you first hear about Affiliate Marketing?
It was a cold and rainy day when my then director called me in his office to assign me my new task – I was pretty much thrown into the ocean without knowing how to swim

What has been your career track and did it help your prepare for your current role?
I have a degree in graphic design, which has been extremely helpful with AM – it has given me the skills for the technical aspect of the job as well as the marketing & advertising knowledge to get me started. Before moving in AM, I was employed in various online marketing positions, all of which have given me a very good insight in online marketing, helping me give valid advice to merchants. When I was assigned the affiliate task, I spent 6 months reading all the network manuals, any book I could lay my hands on and spent many nights reading the a4u threads. The mistakes I did back then, I’m still embarrassed about!

Would you ever consider moving over to the dark side and becoming an affiliate yourself one day?
No, it’s way too scary, I prefer the comfort of the network/merchant side.

Sat in a pub with your friends, how would you describe an average affiliate?
Oooh, a tough question. Hard-working, highly dedicated, self-motivated people, especially those with a day job. I can’t help admiring them for their persistence, especially when they start up when things are difficult. Although I prefer to not talk about work with my friends, mainly because they never understand what I do for a living.

What merchants do you manage personally?
I run the fashion, accessories & cosmetics verticals on the Webgains network.

What are the biggest changes you have seen since being involved in the industry?

• The UK industry uniting against spyware
• The continuous changes in search engine paid listings rules
• The shift towards different types of affiliates every couple of years (from price comparison to ppc to Cashback to vouchers to social networking sites)
• The growth and recognition of the industry: more merchants, affiliates & networks than ever before
• Network consolidation & changes in attitude/approach from pretty much all networks to put the affiliates more in the core of their business

In an ideal world with no boundaries, what issue would you address first in the affiliate marketing world?
Ethics – from all parties involved: affiliates, merchants, agencies, networks. Give the unscrupulous the boot!

How reliant is the internet on Google and is it a good thing?
The internet will rely on Google so long as the customers rely on it – let’s face it, Google is the only search engine that puts user experience higher up in their priorities than anyone else and that’s why so many people prefer it.

In 3 years time, how do you think the industry would have developed?
We will all love each other

Complete this sentence in no more than 25 words;
At the next A4U Expo I would….
like to talk to even more affiliates and finally put faces to even more names; so come down to the Webgains stand!

Now its time for some quick fire either or….

Wembley or Twickneham
Wembley – where’s Twickenham?

Risotto or Roghan Josh
Risotto – had to look this up, couldn’t you have said “curry”?

Hardcore or Winebar
Hardcore

Bill or Sergey
Tough choice, I go for Bill cause he’s now retiring, he can do no more harm, I think

Burn It or Recycle It
There’s a place for both

2 Wheels or 4 Wheels
2 feet

Hotel with Spa or Backpacking
Can I backpack to a spa hotel?

XBox or PlayStation
Neither nor!

Sun or Snow
Sun – I am Mediterranean after all

Frank Sinatra or Snoop Snoopity Doggity Dog
Neither, I’m a rock fan meself. If I really had to choose, I have a few Sinatra mp3s, but stay well clear of Snoop

Thanks Hero!

Following on from the successful series of interviews Kirsty ran with affiliates, and the reciprocal interview with the Haggis Muncher herself, I’ve interviewed a further 8 people in the industry and will be releasing them over the coming days.

The interviewees are from the 4 corners of the industry so as to provide a proportional representation of the industry, a better understanding of affiliates, agencies, merchants and networks and get to know some of the individuals behind the scenes a little better.

How did you first hear about Affiliate Marketing?
To be honest I can’t quite remember (and no, I wasn’t drunk!). I think I’d approached a gent about linking to Prezzybox from their site. He said “of course I will, what affiliate network are you with” and it went from there.
The first network I spoke to were Affinity Ark I think (or Affiliate Button) and was given my first lesson by Julie Wood of AWIN fame.

What has been your career track and did it help your prepare for your current role?
Basically I did a degree in Law and Politics, then went to work for my Dad as a Sales Rep (selling Car Parts and Accessories). Whilst working for my Dad, I was sent to do an MBA to help add some structure to the company. During which time my old man chuffin flogged the company and I was duly the ultimatum by the new owners that I either a) could come back to work or b) I had to return my company car within the week. Charmin!

So, after I’d successfully sued them for Constructive Dismissal I thought right – “I don’t fancy working for anyone anymore, I’ll set up my own business”. That was just as the .com bubble was bursting. Great timing!!!

Would you ever consider moving over to the dark side and becoming an affiliate yourself one day?
Chuffin hell yesiree! I wished I’d have become an affiliate in 2000 rather than a merchant, I’m sure that I’d have been in a much better position than I am now.

In all seriousness what appeals to me about an Affiliate is that you are providing a service. Consequently you don’t handle two of the biggest problem areas in any retail business, namely customers and stock.

Stock can be a real headache for any business of any size. For example, we sell Paddling Pools. Because of the nature of the product you have to order these early in the Year. Last year, because of the heat wave in April, we ordered container-loads of Paddling Pools whilst rubbing our hands together in anticipation of “coining it in” after we sell all these pools. After the wettest Summer in human history, we’ve still got 75% of them and are having our rear ends firmly kicked on a regular basis by our warehouse who have to keep finding a place to house all these overstocked pools!!

Sat in a pub with your friends, how would you describe an average affiliate?
Ha ha – I see what you’re trying to do Mr Frost. You want me to come out with something derogatory involving the words Grubby or Pollutant.

No comment.

What aspects of the day to day running of Prezzybox are you personally responsible for?
To be honest Affiliate Marketing only takes up about 10% of my time at Prezzybox. The rest of the time I’m in charge of strategic direction and operations. So, basically I work on pushing through strategic changes and direction for the site.

What are the biggest changes you have seen since being involved in the industry?
Blimey. That’s a toughie.

I think the Affiliate Industry has really grown up (if that makes sense). When I first entered the Affiliate Arena (circa 2000) there was a handful of clever people making money – and some of them lots of it -  from their bedrooms. It seemed to me that it was a fragmented cottage industry. Now, with the introduction of the Forum, the Expo and the expansion of the bigger networks, I feel the Affiliate Sector has really come of age in the last 2-3 years.

In an ideal world with no boundaries, what issue would you address first in the affiliate marketing world?
Another toughie!

If I could only address one issue, then I would introduce an Affiliate/Merchant Middle man. Kind of like some arbitration council. Basically if frustrates me when merchants get flamed on the forum. Don’t get me wrong sometimes they totally deserve it, but other times it is totally unwarranted. We’ve been flamed publicly before on the forum and it was a) totally unfounded and b) the affiliate hadn’t even had the decency to approach me about the issue first.

So, I’d introduce some form of Judge Judy to arbitrate.

In fact, I reckon we could have Judge Jules. She’d do a job!

How reliant is the internet on Google and is it a good thing?
Massively! A huge % of our sales come directly, or indirectly (through affiliates) are driven by Google. It actually scares me. If Google were to up sticks and leave overnight there would be a lot of poor people wondering round aimlessly with no work to do.

It makes me laugh actually, when people slag off Google. Especially some of the PPC affiliates. I find a strange sense of irony that they’re banging on about how much they dislike Google, then make most of their money through (Google) AdWords.

In 3 years time, how do you think the industry would have developed?
No idea. You think about it, 3 years ago there was no facebook, no myspace, relatively little broadband compared to now…. A lot can happen in 3 years.

However, for the sake of this interview to have a modicum a sensibility I shall try to answer…
I think Affiliate Marketing will have grown into 2 distinct camps – namely “corporate affiliates” and “hobbyist affiliates”. A number of decent sized Affiliate business’s have sprung up in the last few years – be there focus on PPC, SEO or whatever it may be – and I think this trend will continue.

I also think affiliates will have to be more adventurous and ingenious to make a dollar. There’s a lot of hypothesising that Google at some point “may” do away with affiliates as we know them and become an Affiliate themselves in their bid for World domination. If this happens then Affiliates will need to think of ways in which to work smarter. I’m sure both camps – the corporate affiliates and the hobbyist affiliates will do this.

Complete this sentence in no more than 25 words;
At the next A4U Expo I would….
put Zak Edwards presentation on at a different time to Lee “I’m so popular” McCoys Social Networking presentation in a bid to get more than one man and his dog to show up! (I’m not bitter – honest!).

To be honest I think the Expo was fantastic last time. Maybe more varied entertainment on the night would be my only addition.

Now its time for some quick fire either or….

Wembley or Twickneham
Wemb-er-ly every-time. I’m not a fan of Egg Chasing. I mean, how can it be a GOOD thing to kick a ball out of play and to only be allowed to pass it backwards???

Risotto or Roghan Josh
Never had either, but I’ll go for Risotto.

Hardcore or Winebar
Hardcore. Or for that matter any other form of building material.

Bill or Sergey
Who?

Burn It or Recycle It
Well – if you’re talking paper – recycle. If we’re talking cardboard – burn it. 

2 Wheels or 4 Wheels
3 – the Reliant Robin hails from Tamworth where Prezzybox are housed.

Hotel with Spa or Backpacking
Hotel. Although when I see you I’ll tell you about my trip to Tea in the Park years ago. It’s a classic.

XBox or PlayStation
Currently PS2 although I’m thinking of getting a PS3. Any good?

Sun or Snow
Preferably both. Just come back from a skiing holiday where it was baking hot.

Frank Sinatra or Snoop Snoopity Doggity Dog
The snizzle bizzle.

The word document that contained the questions I asked Zak, also had a list of names which I hoped to interview in the future. Zak, however, thought it was a continuation of the Either Or round of questions and has kindly answered as follows (it will also give you an idea of who I am hoping to interview in this series).

Network – Hero (Webgains) / Mark (Existem)
Well Marks my Hero, so I’ll say both.

Merchant – Zak (Prezzybox) / Graham (BuyAGift)
Graham. Zak’s a buffoon.

Affiliate – Shane (Targeted Media) / John (Big Idea Media)
Woah – battle of the big guns!!! How come you’ve picked 2 middle aged, slightly balding and a little on the portly sized men for me to pick from??

Surely a simpler question to answer would have been:

Networks – the girls from AWIN topless mud wrestling with Carol from POR. Who’d win?

Again. No comment.

Thanks Zak!

The Wee Bonnie Lass, otherwise known as Kirsty McCubbin, over the past 2 weeks has run a series of interviews with 3 affiliates, myself included. Firstly I would like to thank Kirsty for the interview, and more importantly for NOT using the doctored photograph that Shane did a couple of weeks ago.

Whilst completing my interview, I asked Kirsty whether she would like to answer her own questions which I would then publish on my blog, giving us all an insight into the haggis chaser. I thought it would be interesting to hear Kirsty’s responses giving us an insight and a chance to know the free spirited travelling hillbilly (council tax evader) a little better ;) So here goes…

How did you first hear about affiliate marketing? When did you decide to try it out?
Affiliate marketing is something I discovered through my former job.  I worked for an SEO consultancy and they gave me an affiliate programme to manage one fine day in late 2003.  I’d never heard of affiliate marketing before but I was immediately interested in how people were using it to make money.

Back then, I was a “pretty good” SEO (getting a theme about me at all?!) and the reason I ended up trying AM for myself was because I wanted to experience things from the affiliate point of view.  So I went off and created a spammy site (ah, those heady pre Florida update days) to drive traffic to my merchant.  I’d no idea how well it would do, and to my own surprise I was the programme’s top performing affiliate by the end of the following week. That was nothing compared to how surprised the merchant was, cos I’d neglected to get his permission to promote them.

What was your first ever revenue making idea?  How did it work out for you?
The first thing I ever did to make money for me independently of anything related to the programmes I was managing was creating a spammy (yes another one!) site to promote lingerie merchants.  I made £350 in my first month, and I was hooked.

How long did it take you to make that first commission?
About 3 days!  Back then, you could push out any load of old nonsense, stick up thousands of doorway pages and wait for all the lovely traffic to arrive.  After 5 months I’d equalled my salary and bogged off to Australia for a lovely year of backpacking and boozing (2003 / 2004).

What sectors do you work in?
Lingerie, Cosmetics, Perfume, Fashion, Holidays, and a teeny tiny bit of naughty adult toys (which gives you a bloody good laugh at times).

Want to share one / some of your sites with us?
Don’t I always?  http://www.lingeriebrands.co.uk is my baby at the moment.  But just about everyone with eyes who has been to my blog will know that.  I just can’t seem to stop talking about it!

How do you generate your traffic?
Despite my SEO skills I’m about 90% PPC and 10% organic at the moment.  It was totally unintentional, but I got hooked into spending all my time setting up PPC campaigns after I got back from my first trip to Australia.  My cash reserves were low, I’d done no bloody work for a year and I needed money – quick.  It’s taken me this long to get myself out of that cycle.  I’m proud to say that the 10% is the result of just a few weeks work, so I expect that I shall end the year 70% PPC 30% SEO or better.

How much time do you currently devote to affiliate marketing?
Although I’m a full time affiliate, I don’t actually work full time.  I’ve just spent a year travelling the world and frequently went 6 weeks or more doing nothing interspersed with periods where I worked 3 to 4 hours a day.

I guess I’m a “sporadic” full time affiliate now?!  I worked like buggery for 4 months in the UK when I returned from my round the world jaunt, and I’ve just spent 6 weeks in NZ and Australia.  In a month or so I will spend a while working like buggery again.

I think I’m trying to say I don’t know!

Will that change in the next year?
I’m going to be a lot more settled and consistent in my application of my skills.  Inside my head, this is “My” year to really set some strong foundations, build my earning power, and insulate myself against the whims of the great G-meister (Google).

That said, I’ve already got two big-ish trips lined up.  One for Duncan and I to get married back in Scotland, and to attend the A4U Expo of course!  Then there will be a honeymoon on our way back to Australia.  Very restrained this time mind you, just the 4 weeks ;)  A few months after that, we will be travelling back to Ireland for a very good friends wedding.  No doubt we will come up with some exciting way to waste 6 weeks and a few grand on the way there / back.

So Urrrr…. No, I still wont know!

What has the money that affiliate marketing brings done for your lifestyle?
Well, see above!  I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would be able to live the way I do.  Wandering the planet without a care in the world and being able to do almost anything without worrying about where the cash is coming from is one of the most liberating and joyful things I have ever done. 

Its also wonderful to be able to give some nice things to my parents.  My mother and father gave me a lot of financial support during a relatively unfortunate period in my life when I needed bailing out after a relationship went a bit Pete Tong, and I was left in a bit of a bad way financially. I have recently been able to help them enjoy one or two of the finer things in life, and that is a great feeling.

What’s your definition of a super affiliate?  D’you reckon you are one?
I’ve no idea.  I have come to the conclusion that much like beauty, the super affiliate is in the eye of the beholder.  There are so many different definitions.

I guess they are just people who make shedloads of cash!

Am I one?  No, I am merely “pretty good” and simply make bucketloads of cash ;)

Lots of people will want to know how well you do in terms of income.  You don’t have to mention figures.. but do you feel like giving us a clue?
Enough to do whatever Duncan and I want, go wherever we like, and not worry about anything.  We’ve done so much in the last year, and we still earned more than we could spend. 

Whenever I feel down, I simply log into the old business bank account and stare lovingly at the fruits of my labours.  I currently have enough money in there for Duncan and I to live a nice lifestyle for 3 years. 

How do you motivate yourself and keep your passion for Affiliate Marketing going?
I don’t need much motivating.  I always loved generating website traffic and working out how people behave when they are looking for products and services online.  To be able to do this for my own sites and to make money for myself is all the motivation I need.  I often wake up in the night with new ideas for sites and businesses.  I can’t even begin to explain the profound connection I feel to my line of work… so the passion just happens all on its own. 

Tell us one thing that’s REALLY worked out well for you in the last year…
Sorry to keep harping on about it, but the best thing I’ve done this year is my new Lingerie Brands site.  This month so far I have made a really healthy 4 figure sum from it, and it’s only 3 months old.  I can’t think of a better example of something that’s really worked!

Where will you be as an affiliate in 12 months time?
I will have created around 5 large content sites and these will become the focus of 80% of my income.  I’ll also be generating 60% of my traffic via SEO.  My income will be more stable.  It shoots up and down like the proverbial hookers’ knickers at the minute.

What achievement in your life as an affiliate are you most proud of?
Two things:

1. Being able to do what I want, when I want and not working for anyone else. There are no more hassles with the boss and no office politics. Yah boo sucks to them!
2. The fact that up till now I have been able to deal with every setback Google or anyone else have thrown at me and come back bigger and stronger than ever.  It’s not always an easy or pleasant experience, but it has always been positive.  There’s something truly empowering about that.  It makes me feel that I am doing what I’m supposed to in life, cos If I wasn’t I’d have bombed out by now like so many others.

Whats the best bit of advice you can give to an aspiring affiliate?
A few things!

1. Read every forum and free resource in sight.
2. Don’t give those spammy e-book scum your hard earned money.  If the title is full of $$$ & !!!  – keep the credit card holstered.
3. For god sake, don’t make your first site a general shopping directory and expect to dominate the internet shopping scene within 6 weeks.
4. There are no shortcuts.  It’s hard work you need to do to make it as an affiliate… so do that NOW and stop looking for the easy money.  It’s a mirage created by those rotters I talked about in point 2.
5. Content really is king.  If you simply build it,  they won’t come… but like all tourists they will come if you give them something to see!
6. Loans and Gambling are a REALLY bad idea to build your first site around.

You can read Kirsty’s blog at http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/