Web Affiliate Marketing Blog

Despite loving and being passionate about this industry, I still treat Affiliate Marketing as a kind of hobby and have chosen to stay as a full-time employee due to enjoying my job and the challenges its brings. HOWEVER over the past few weeks, I have found that it’s becoming more and more difficult in juggling both full-time employment and a number of successful affiliate websites.

CONTACT
Firstly I ask that merchants and networks contact me by eMail or MSN first, purely because most of my day is spent in meetings or voice conferences and so I am not always available on my mobile phone. Its a lot easier to have a box pop up and flash, sitting there until I get a spare minute. Sure it may mean a 2 minute phone call changes to a 20 minute MSN conversation, but its less obtrusive.

Another problem is hours, something that Affiliate Bitch has already blogged about. Like many other affiliates, I only work on my sites in the evening or weekend, when most networks aren’t available. I’m not suggesting making staff work late into the night after working all day, but in the not too distant future, I think the network that introduces 24×7 support for affiliates and merchants alike, will become a force to be reckoned with.

Affiliates dont stop at 5pm! Online shoppers don’t stop at 5pm! Merchants websites don’t close at 5pm! So why do networks? Some networks I find are available late into the evening - namely Webgains, and a few others work past the 5pm hooter too. But as Lee’s post and comments demonstrate, Network are still blind to the REQUIREMENTS of some affiliates. Whether they choose to implement out of hours support or not is their call, but at least acknowledge there is a need.

NETWORKING
Recently I’ve been invited to DGM BBQ in Manchester, and to Affiliate Window‘s Nakata in London. Although I’d like to attend both, being an employee means I have a set number of days which I am allowed off per year. London therefore is usually out of the question unless the function is on a Friday, in which case I can travel home on a Saturday without using a days holiday.

If you take into account all the networking events that take place on an annual basis such as A4U Expo, A4U Awards, Buy.At Christmas Cracker, Affiliate Summit (depending on location ;) ), and now the A4U Roadshow(back to basics networking which I am chuffed to see return), you can see that working full-time AND being an active affiliate is getting more difficult.

EMAILS
I get loads!
Its a nightmare!
Everyday I struggle to keep on top of emails and try to filter out the usual non personalised ones (they go straight in the trash can). I do however get personal ones which I read, take notice of and think “I must reply”. Sadly unless I reply the same day, it often sinks down out of view and before you know it (usually 1 or 2 days) is completely forgotten about.

GENERAL STUFF
On top of all this I still have to update my websites, create new websites, monitor PPC campaigns, innovate, have a personal life, eat drink and sleep, wash and iron, read blogs (merchant, network, agency and affiliate), catch up on the forum and moan on my blog. With my full-time job, I sometimes have to work weekends, but also provide standby one week in every three, resulting in being woken up at 3am to fix something.

WHATS THE ANSWER?
I still have no intention of entering Affiliate Marketing full-time, but need more hours in the day. Not wanting to deprive myself with only 2 hours of sleep every night, does anyone have any suggestions?
Answers on a postcard… although I may not get time to read them all ;)

After a cracking night at the A4U Awards, I awoke to vague memories of my name being read out asking me to go up on stage to accept something or other. I think it was some kind of thankyou/recognition thing, and along with Shane, Elaine, Kieron and Naomi, I was the happy recipient of a bottle of Veuve Clicquot 1996.

It was completely unexpected yet welcome all the same, but what was the score with the crazy lady who did an acceptance speech? After 5 minutes she was thanking her cat for not eating her goldfish or something!

Other award winners worthy of mention include Prezzybox for Best Use Of Creative and Best Merchant Innovation, Chris Clarkson from Sunshine.co.uk for Affiliate Manager of 2008 and Affiliate Window taking the most coverted title of Publisher’s Choice Of Network. A full list can be seen here and some official A4U photo’s have been uploaded to flickr.

A big thankyou to Matt, Chris and Claire (and the rest of Existem) for organising such a wonderful evening. To have NMA there covering the awards speaks volume as to how much our industry has grown (that reminds me, I must get my free subscription sorted…) and already people are looking forward to the A4UExpo in October. Existem have extended the A4U £100 discount until end of June – so for those who haven’t yet booked a place, pop along now and get a 1/3 off your official registration.

After the Awards took place, many of us moved to the Oxygen bar, where I was approached by someone asking if I was, or had seen, “Chris xxxxx”. After a few beers and the loud music, I didn’t think they were looking for me, so said no. Transpires the person did say my name, yet I told them I wasn’t me! :(

Apologies if that was you – please do give me a shout on the forums where I wont be so rude ;) Oh and if anyone does stumble across a bottle of Veuve Clicquot 1996, would you be so good as to pop it in the post to me?

Following on from my professionalism at the A4U Awards which shocked a few (not as much as Matts crocodile shoes), I’m being asked by a few merchants and networks whether I have any spare time for a catch-up and discuss what I have planned for the future and how best to incorporate their programmes.

Bearing in mind that I expect to be talking jibberish on Thursday evening by around 8pm, I’ve actually put together a quick google diary showing what I have planned in order to make the best of my 3 days in the big smoke. Now obviously being an affiliate (and a scouser) any offers of a liquid lunch, free theatre tickets or a trip on the London Eye, would be more than welcome. I have a few things planned, as can be seen from my google diary here, but am pretty much free the rest of the time and am happy to meet with anyone :)

Oh yeah, I will also be with my other half, so it’s gotta be kind of light chitter chatter ;)

If you do want to grab an hour, 5 mins, beer or a butty then please get in touch with me on MSN (if you have it) or via my contact form.

And finally…

Talking about the A4U Awards, tomorrow is the last day to order your A4U Expo ticket whilst saving a whopping £100. If you didn’t make last years, you no doubt read all the positive reviews and can tell you now, you won’t want to miss this years event!
Get along and grab your discounted ticket today before it’s too late!