Figmentations

I know I would be remiss to pass up on the opportunity to compile some observations and reflections about my first Affiliate Summit experience, i.e., Affiliate Summit East 2009 (ASE09), NYC, August 9-11, 2009.

I’m hoping this post will serve two purposes: first, to share with others what I learned; and secondly, to thank those that made the experience so worthwhile for me.

So, without further ado, here goes …starting before the beginning….

What affiliate marketing meant to me before the event was, having high hopes that simply slapping an affiliate link with a banner ad in the sidebar of my blog would somehow automatically bring in at least a few dollars a month of income. Obviously, that strategy had never earned me a dime. While I was otherwise rather familiar with many of the names, faces and issues of online marketing and social media…it’s just that I hadn’t really figured out how to use it effectively (as a business tool), yet.

How did I hear about ASE09 and decide to go? Having followed online marketers and participated in social media for a couple years now, I had heard about these Affiliate Summits every now and again, though, admittedly, I hadn’t given them much attention. Since I had never really earned much money online, and since I didn’t really consider my blog to be a business, I didn’t think this was an event for me. Either way, that didn’t stop me from following @affiliatetip on Twitter.

And, I don’t know if this was new and/or if it will be repeated again, but I noticed that Shawn Collins of ASE09 (@affiliatetip) was giving away Gold Passes on Twitter to those quick enough to grab the occasional codes he would post there from time to time. I figured that for a free admission, I had no reason not to check it out. Plus, luckily for me, since I live in NJ, I was able to take the train into NYC without having to worry about planning for a big trip.

How did I prepare for the event? The event organizers made it easy to come to this event fully prepared about what to expect. By following @affiliatetip on Twitter along with the Twitter hashtag of #ASE09, I found out about ASE’s First-Timers Mentor Program, and this is where Shawn Collins also posted these two great Slideshare guides:

• First Timers Guide for Affiliate Summit East 2009
• Guide to Networking at Affiliate Summit East 2009

Additionally, I had first-hand advice from my pre-assigned Mentor, the friendly and helpful Trisha Lyn Fawver, via these two posts that she wrote about her experiences:

• Tips & Tricks For Affiliate Summit
• Affiliate Summit East 2009 Resolutions
• P.S. be sure to check out Trisha Lyn’s coverage of the event at: http://www.trishalyn.com/tag/ase09/

Needless to say, on the day of the event, I took their advice and before doors opened, I did the following:

• Pulled out the “Meet Market” listing of Exhibitors, read through descriptions, circled those that I wanted to be sure to stop by and visit.
• Pulled out the Quick Agenda page and circled the sessions I wanted to attend.
• Listed out a short sentence and/or a few bullet points about “what I do”; for me that turned out to be four ideas that I thought I might be able to do something with, not perfect or finely polished pitches, but something to say if I was asked.
• Browsing the material in the complimentary event tote bag, I was impressed to find that Feedfront really is a very good magazine with great info in to-the-point, no-fluff-here articles.

What I learned from the sessions: While I only was able to stay for one day of the Summit, it was the day that included several informational sessions open to Gold Pass holders. Some things I learned about include:

• Micro-niches are profitable because they are targeted and specific (e.g., Doberman training vs dog training). The more qualified and focused your audience is, the better they’ll convert to purchases. Cheaper search terms and ad costs mean better margins. Less competition means more sales. Targeted customers mean lower refunds and better payouts. (via @DushR of ClickBank)
• The FTC is currently pushing for clear disclosure of affiliate links by bloggers. Purpose is to distinguish between editorials vs advertorials so that readers are better aware of biases. (Something to keep an eye on).
• To be successful in Personal Branding (e.g., lifecasting) it is important to: frequently update; be consistent and disciplined; talk to people in real life, too; be really present in the community you are in; know what your end goal is in that community & how much time you want to spend there; know what ROI you are looking for. (via @stephagresta of Porter Novelli)
• There is also Offline Affiliate Marketing, where online efforts drive sales cross channel, from an online to a brick-and-mortar store, with money to be made not just on Cost per Action, but also and Revenue sharing. (via Jonathan Treibner of RevTrax)

First-Timers Mentor Meetup was also invaluable. At the end of the day, there was a special session for First-Timers to meet face-to-face with their mentors. (Special Thanks to Event Organizers that thought to include this!). Having already had “practice” interacting with other participants and exhibitors during the day, I was much better able to anticipate the questions of: “What do you do?”, “What sessions did you attend/like?”, “What did you learn?”. So, I felt much more at ease about what to use as conversation-starters as well as interested in hearing what other people were working on, too.

I learned from other First-Timers as well as from my Mentor. I found that my fellow newbies (especially if they didn’t consider themselves to be direct competitors) were quite open to sharing what resources and strategies worked for them. I also found that people were “new” in different ways, and each had different influences, exposures, challenges, and experiences to offer.

Meeting my mentor, Trisha Lyn Fawver, in person then at the end of the day was perfect timing, too. It was great to be able to have the day’s events to talk about and then ask more meaningful questions from more of a shared common experience of the day. I was then able to wrap up the entire experience with a relaxing dinner with @TrishaLyn and her husband @domfawver afterwards.

What affiliate marketing means to me now after the event…having experienced this friendly, helpful, informative, and well-run event, I now see “selling” quite differently, and I now hear other people’s advice about affiliate marketing in a whole new light.

To some people, this will be nothing earth-shatteringly new, but for me, the new context will definitely open new opportunities for me. For what it’s worth, here’s how I would summarize it: Successful businesses need to be focused, purposeful, and intentional, and are not about floundering around, half-heartedly dabbling, or always chasing the next new “money-making” opportunity. There is no need to be shy or afraid of “selling”, or more appropriately stated: being adequately compensated for providing quality solutions to true problems/needs.

Thanks ASE09 for the great experience, with special thanks to Shawn Collins, @affiliatetip, and my mentor Trisha Lyn Fawver, @TrishaLyn! Looking forward to seeing you, and other new faces, again next year!