Welcome to The Affiliate Manager Weekly Strategist from Affiliate Classroom.

Each week, we discuss an affiliate management strategy and ask you for your input.

This week, our VP of Marketing and 10 year affiliate marketing veteran, Rachel Honoway talks out loud about this secretive industry.

CARE TO SHARE?
– Rachel Honoway

Earlier this week I was browsing through the questions that people in my LinkedIn network have asked and I came across a really interesting one from Kevin Lee (of Did-It, ClickZ and SEMPO fame).

He is trying to determine the size of all affiliate payouts.

Now, I’ve been in this industry for some time, I’ve seen a lot of programs both big and small on an individual basis and on a larger scale from my post at an affiliate network. Yet, I wouldn’t even venture a guess on this.

Why?

Because most companies and players in this industry are extremely tight-lipped when it comes to stats. Networks rarely publish hard stats, large retailers lump affiliate revenues in with all “online/web” revenue and affiliates guard their numbers like a secret recipe.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve run into a brick wall hundreds of times when it comes to forecasting, pitching, planning and launching in this industry because I simply didn’t have enough information to make a solid decision.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK

What industry-wide stats would you like to see?

Which would actually help you do your job better?

Would you be willing to share your stats if it were a completely anonymous survey?

Join our discussions and post your answers and comments

(Remember - participating in industry blogs can help with brand/program recognition and with recruiting affiliates!)

Welcome to The Affiliate Manager Weekly Strategist from Affiliate Classroom.

Each week, we discuss an affiliate management strategy and ask you for your input.

This week, our VP of Marketing and 10 year affiliate marketing veteran, Rachel Honoway offers a fun article to get you started on your Memorial Day Weekend.

I AM AN ADDICT
– Rachel Honoway

So, I admit it - I’m an addict.

I’m always looking for it…

I feel let down when I don’t find it…

I’m not happy unless I have too much.

(For those of you that know me, no - it’s not Diet Pepsi or McDonald’s french fries!)

I am message junkie.

Emails, IM’s, texts, tweets, blog posts, blog comments, LinkedIn invitations - I seriously can’t get enough.

If you send it - I will read it.

If it’s clever - I will complete your call to action.

Apparently I’m not alone. It appears that affiliates are addicted to messages too.

We’ve recently been testing a new, more aggressive plan for communicating with our affiliate students here at Affiliate Classroom.

So far, we’re seeing some interesting results: The more often we contact them, the more responsive they are.

I’ve seen signs of this outside of our students as well. Take for example highly-successful affiliate marketer, Zac Johnson from www.MoneyReign.com. As I was finishing up this article while simultaneously (okay, neurotically) checking my messages, he tweeted (that’s a Twitter message) his frustration with not hearing anything from his affiliate managers today, and expecting not to hear from them throughout the three-day holiday weekend.

Now seems to be the time to take advantage of this addiction to messages and instant access. Kick your communications up a notch and make every word count - your affiliates are tuned in and listening right now!
 

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK

No questions today. Go enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend!

(But if you are so inclined, send me a message - it’ll help feed my addiction!)

Welcome to The Affiliate Manager Weekly Strategist from Affiliate Classroom.

Each week, we discuss an affiliate management strategy and ask you for your input.

This week, our VP of Marketing and 10 year affiliate marketing veteran, Rachel Honoway talks about trends in hiring an affiliate manager.

THE OVERLOADED AFFILIATE MANAGER
– Rachel Honoway

If there is one thing that every Affiliate Manager could agree on across the board - it’s the fact that the job is never-ending and ever-expanding.

As you reach your goals by increasing affiliates, active affiliates and affiliate activity - your workload doubles and your goals are realigned for further increases.

Understanding this somewhat vicious cycle, I have been completely amazed with the type of Help Wanted ads I’ve come across lately as we’re building the AC Certified Career Center. There seems to be a growing number of companies seeking experienced professionals to manage not only the affiliate program, but the search, email and “Web 2.0 initiatives” as well.

I’m not talking about management positions that are coordinating these varying channels. These are individuals tasked with planning, executing, tracking and growing these strategies.

Even if they were to find a candidate experienced in all of these areas, I just can’t imagine that one person would be able to
effectively manage all of the strategies single-handedly.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Is affiliate management your official job - or is it just one part of the responsibility set that you have?

Should merchants, advertisers and retailers lump all online strategies into one channel?

Join the discussion and post your answers. (Remember - participating in industry blogs can help with brand/program recognition and with recruiting affiliates!)

Title: Affiliate Marketing Analyst

Company: IT Lab Limited

Quick Overview: The ideal candidate for IT Lab Limited is an ambitious graduate who will run paid search affiliate campaigns for a wide range of companies in diverse industries. Responsibilities will also include producing keyword lists and PPC advertisements for customer and company campaigns, analyzing provided reports and deploying changes to increase efficiency, and researching products and brands to identify marketing opportunities.

Individuals, login or sign up for your free account now to apply for this job and to browse through other open positions.

Employers, email Sarah at sarah@affiliateclassroom.com for a special coupon to add your open positions to the database.

Plans are underway for our 2008 PPC Classroom LIVE event. Our first such event in December of 2007 sold out in under 2 weeks - with over 280 attendees checking in for two days of intense workshops and presentations.

We’re expanding the event this year to accomodate over 400 attendees, exhibit booths and extensive networking opporutnities.

If you’d like to get involved and have the opportunity to showcase your network, program or product to this group, take a look out our sponsorship opportunities: http://www.PPCClassroomLIVE.com/PPCCLIVE.pdf

 Drop me an email (rachel@affiliateclassroom.com) if you have questions or if you’d like to reserve a spot. December is a while away - but we already have a Platinum Sponsor, Cocktail Party Sponsor and a Bag Sponsor, and we don’t expect the others to last long!

Title: Sales Manager - Affiliate Networks

Company: LeapLab

Quick Overview: LeapLab is looking for an Affiliate Sales manager who likes putting their selling skills to work in an innovative environment. The responsibilities of the job include leading a team of account executives to maximize the existing customer base, targeting and acquiring new affiliates, and establishing relationships to support new, vertical market growth.

Individuals, login or sign up for your free account now to apply for this job and to browse through other open positions.

Employers, email Sarah at sarah@affiliateclassroom.com for a special coupon to add your open positions to the database.

Title: German Affiliate Manager

Company: Esanda Gaming

Quick Overview: Due to the success of their product, Esanda Gaming is looking for a German Affiliate Manager to manage their growing affiliate base and drive the program forward. Tasks will include working proactively with new and low performing existing affiliates to drive new sources of traffic, mentoring affiliates in all facets of the program, developing short-term goals and long-term objectives to define strategy, and monitoring competitor performance.

Individuals, login or sign up for your free account now to apply for this job and to browse through other open positions.

Employers, email Sarah at sarah@affiliateclassroom.com for a special coupon to add your open positions to the database.

Welcome to The Affiliate Manager Weekly Strategist from Affiliate Classroom.

Each week, we discuss an affiliate management strategy and ask you for your input.

This week, our VP of Marketing and 10 year affiliate marketing veteran, Rachel Honoway talks about the importance of networking with other affiliate managers.

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GROWING YOUR PEER NETWORK
– Rachel Honoway
***********************

Since launching AC Certified in late November, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with several professionals who are new to the industry.

It’s always fun to hear comments like, “last week I had never heard of affiliate marketing, and now it’s all I can think about!”

I usually finish off my conversations with them by welcoming them to our industry and inviting them to contact me anytime.

I think that the welcoming, open nature of this industry is one of the things that makes it so attractive and so successful.

That being said, it seems that as our industry grows, newer entrants are less and less connected to veterans and to one another.

Maybe they are worried about “bugging” us. Maybe they don’t know that we actually like to share our thoughts and offer help when we can.

Regardless of the reason, the effects of not being well-networked in this close knit group could lead the growing number of new entrants to fail unnecessarily simply because they didn’t take advantage of the extremely generous veteran members of this industry.

Helping them become connected can help veterans ensure that the industry continues moving forward and that the best practices and values that we’ve established are adopted by the future influential industry players.

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QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK
***********************

Are you new to the industry? Are you connected?

Let’s connect - follow me on Twitter - and I’ll follow you: rachelhonoway

Join my LinkedIn Network, I’d be happy to introduce you to others - http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelhonoway

Are you an industry veteran? Would you like to open your network up to new members?

Join the discussion and post your answers.

(Remember - participating in industry blogs can help with brand/program recognition and with recruiting
affiliates!)

Title: Senior Interactive Media Buyer

Company: ROI Rocket

Quick Overview: The Senior Interactive Media Buyer will be responsible for identifying and negotiating cost-effective, scalable, and targeted media.  In addition they must plan, organize, direct and coordinate formulation of long-term buying strategies, and qualify potential vendors for suitability while continuously monitoring and optimizing existing campaigns.

Individuals, login or sign up for your free account now to apply for this job and to browse through other open positions.

Employers, email Sarah at sarah@affiliateclassroom.com for a special coupon to add your open positions to the database.

Title: Affiliate Marketing Manager - NYC or Princeton, NJ

Company: iMarketing

Quick Overview: iMarketing is looking for an Affiliate Manager to oversee multiple iMarketing-managed affiliate programs, including strategy, tactics, and execution.  Their model focuses on true ownership and accountability for results.  The main responsibility will be to grow and diversify client programs through the recruitment of new partners, as well as the cultivation of existing relationships.

Individuals, login or sign up for your free account now to apply for this job and to browse through other open positions.

Employers, email Sarah at sarah@affiliateclassroom.com for a special coupon to add your open positions to the database.