akmg

Ok that's a tongue twister, I know, and way too much to deal with on a Monday morning. But it's something that we all face on a daily basis.

Choosing the right payout is not an exact science and is sometimes a combination of luck, a great landing page & offer. But for the rest of us, the payout is something that really needs to be analyzed and considered on a larger sense rather than just thinking about it in terms of a specific industry.

For example, we may have a debt offer that pays $18 on a 1st page submit with 6 fields which is directly competing with an auto loan offer that pays $14 on a 1st page submit with 6 fields. Even if $14 is the highest "auto loan" offer payout out there, we're going to have a hard time gaining traction on the offer because our emailers will want $18 for a 1st page submit with 6 fields, regardless of the vertical. Emailers really only care about payout, number of fields collected (or in more general terms, what is expected of the consumer) and metrics. The vertical means very little to them. This is sometimes hard for an advertiser to realize and accept.

If this is taken in consideration, picking the perfect payout may be easier than we think. We areincreasingly working with advertisers who are coming to AKMG because they are interested in affiliate marketing but don't necessarily have an offer, landing page, creative, payouts, etc. already available. So we work with them to structure their offer and obviously the payout is one of the items that advertisers are most concerned about. It's hard to make people understand that they have to compete with what other verticals are paying out and that affiliates don't care what they are promoting - they just want to promote offers that convert!

Each day is a learning process for all of us which is what keeps this business interesting.  

First off, AKMG would like to say Happy New Year to everyone!

2007 was an exciting year for AKMG which was when everything began. What started off as a great idea over a dinner conversation to start an Affiliate Network turned quickly into the team researching domain names, tossing around possible company names and contacting our lawyer to draft papers for a new company.

Then AKMG was born! The launch of AKMG seemed to be good timing for the state of the industry as a whole. According to feedback we’ve received, there seemed to be room for another affiliate network and people (both advertisers and publishers) were looking for someone new to work with. We kept hearing this repeatedly during ad:tech NY and felt fortunate to be that something “new” in the industry.

This fall feels like years ago and AKMG is in full swing with plenty of great offers and quality affiliates. As things evolve and change in our industry, it is interesting to hear what works for some clients but not for others. As most of us know, email pubs drive huge volume and high quality traffic but so many advertisers are still afraid of email.

One of our wishes for 2008 is that advertisers will continue to educate themselves on the value of email marketing and be willing to test different ideas that are “out of the box” from what their company normally does. It’s exciting to see that many more advertisers are embracing affiliate marketing as a part of their online marketing plan. We've spoken to a lot of people that used to do affiliate marketing but have stopped over the past few years and are finally getting back into it again. It’s encouraging to see that our industry may have overcome a lot of the stigmatism with spammers, etc that has been associated with affiliate marketing. Our final wish is that many more advertisers will embrace our ideas for successful campaigns and just start including affiliate marketing as a piece of the online puzzle for each campaign. Here’s wishing you a great 2008!

Wow, don’t ask me what happened to October but somehow it’s already time for ad:tech NY…which means it’s time for the “Cocktails in the City” exclusive party for the fabulous ladies of the Glam Network. AKMG is really excited to be a part of this night and can’t wait to kick back and relax with some of the best ladies in our industry. As a woman, I know that our industry is dominated by men and that many of us are sick of going to the typical, played out trade show parties – that’s why the Glam party at Corio will be such a welcomed change. A fresh perspective on an industry party! We have to thank everyone for making this night happen! We can’t wait to see everyone in person – to meet new contacts and catch up with old industry friends! See you then!

“Seriously Michelle

"...Half the battle of being a successful Affiliate Manager is to be available to people in all methods of communication: phone, email, via text message, AIM, Yahoo, Skype…you get the idea…” These very wise words came from our very wise CEO, before AKMG was even born, and I was getting the 60-second shpiel on Affiliate Marketing, Ad Networks, how to be a good Affiliate Manager–OK, maybe it was more like 70 seconds. Bottom line is, with each waking day in this industry, I realize how true this statement really is. Yes Steven, as much as it pains me to admit, you were right…again. It is so important to truly understand the power of communication and how to successfully execute the art of always being available, yet not completely enslaving yourself.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still far from mastering this skill, but I do find myself getting the hang of it more and more every day. Just like with my family and friends, I want my Affiliates to be able to get ahold of me at anytime and more importantly, trust that I will be there. After all, it is impossible for a relationship to progress without a solid line of communication. Sure you can meet new people and establish relationships all day long, but what takes that initial connection and turns it into a productive and progressive relationship is that line of communication (through whatever channel that may be) and having both the Affiliate and Affiliate Manager be able to rely on that line of communication.

It is all too easy to shy away from this constant communication-to ignore the AIM’s, to delete the emails, to screen the calls-but at the end of the day, if you are not constantly working to build and strengthen your line of communication with clients, then you are not progressing…and if you are not progressing, then you are standing still…and if you are standing still even for a second in this industry, then prepare to be passed on by. So do yourself (and of course me) a favor and don’t underestimate the power of communication on a day to day basis. After all, it’s the day to day that gets you from the year to year, and in a year, I hope to be able to say that I have made great progress with all of you–both in revenue and in our relationship.

How can I describe the past 5 days at Affiliate Summit other than to quote the great and talented Kanye West “Flashin..lights lights lights.” Not only because of Las Vegas’s glimmering lights but mostly because of the non-stop hustle and bustle of excitement. It is as if the energy from the strip seeped into the show room, permeating the floor with an unbeatable enthusiasm. Networking at its finest, the conference room is overflowing with smiles, sales and industry chatter.

It's crazy to think that such a large percentage of our industry was basically all right there, packed into one room at the same time--now that's a lot of talent per square foot ;). I really enjoyed seeing what every booth had to offer and of course meeting all of my lovely Affiliates in person! While you all know how much I love technology, I was really reminded how effective face-to-face interaction is after all..novel idea, eh? Especially being the New Kids on the Block (fyi - I capitalized that out of respect), it was really great to be able to make our AKMG debut in person...it would've been a little harder to hand out skateboard decks at the virtual trade show. Plus it's always nice to meet new people and make new friends, mostly because you get to come home to a lot of Linked-In requests...ha sorry, nerd alert.

Now that we are all home in one piece and on the path to recovery, the real craze begins as everyone dumps their business cards out on the floor (like kids after trick-or-treating) and the follow-up game takes off! Good luck to all of you with that, and be sure to keep AKMG in your hearts and minds these next few days as you are crazed with starting new business. And if you haven't already, be sure to sign up with us as an Affiliate at AKMG before the end of the month!

So let's keep those lights flashin, get some business goin, and get those offers runnin', and let the March madness begin. Sing on Kanye.

My first thought was to try and title this 'The Affitting Room' butt I'm not sure that conveys as straight forward of a meaning as my usual word-mergers... so I thought I'd spare you the end-of-the-day confusion. So you're welcome for that.

What I want to talk about though is the offer 'testing' process in Affiliate Marketing. It really requires an open mind and the realization that no offer is ever going to convert perfectly for everyone. There could be one offer that does fantastically for one Affiliate, and horrendously for another. Yes, I know what you are thinking... this is exactly like shopping for jeans. One pair of jeans will look great on your friend, but then you try them on and want to die right there in the fitting room. This does not mean the world is ending however (even though it may sometimes feel like it). This just means that you have to keep trying on different pairs until something fits. The better attitude you have going into the situation, the easier--and less dramatic--it will be. Now, before I gag you with this horrendously cliche metaphor, let's get to the point.

It is so important to not give up after one unsuccessful offer, but to keep trying out as many as possible until you hit a jackpot! There are so many "spicy hot" offers out there, but what is important to realize what it is that gives it the "spicy." It's not just the offer, or just the Affiliate's list. It's a combination of the two...it is their chemistry if you will. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, let me be your cupid and let's find a perfect match shall we? (hmm maybe I should've saved that one for a Friday closer to Vday...bummer...) So let's all keep open minds in the 'Affiting Room' (see, that wasn't so bad now was it?) and not get discouraged if a few offers don't have the right fit. Let's keep going until we find something tailored perfectly for you... or until you hit the jackpot.. or find that perfect fish in the sea.. ahhh I'm sorry I can't stop. Bottom line is, the only way to really know if something is a good fit for you, is if you try it on. Second bottom line is: End of day on Friday + Nerd Alert = Metaphor Madness.

Have a great weekend everyone!

It amazes me how we work in what is considered one of the most social industries out there, and yet 95% of our day is spent sitting in front of our computers and chatting it up on instant messenger all day.

The term "face-to-face" is seldom heard, yet the phrase "they're online--ping them" is said hundreds of times a day. Just to drive my point home, I'll let you in on my usual morning routine: (1) log-on to AIM, (2) log-on to YahooMessenger, (3) log-on to Skype, (4) check email, (5) check the offer reporting, and lastly, but definitely most importantly, I brush my teeth...normal, right?

It is as if we over-compensate for the impersonality of the internet world by being 100% available at all time. This of course allows for multi-tasking, which in turn promotes maximal productivity, which leads to higher profitability, which--don't get me wrong--I am a huge fan of.

We all are or we wouldn't be here. I am definitely not here to dis the online obsessive behavior--that would just be hypocritical. Especially because for anyone who knows me, you can all vouch for me when I say that my computer is my most valuable possession...we have a special bond, ok? And yes, it's a Mac (obviously). All I am saying it that I have yet to be amazed at how effective a face-to-face interaction is. Putting a face to a name, instead of a buddy icon, is not only refreshing, but it really brings us to respect each other on a whole new level...don't ya think?  This doesn't surprise me, but it does help me to value the importance of face-to-face interaction, in a world where you can have virtual relationships with your clients for months (or even years) without ever meeting them in person. In this fairly new year, let's all vow to make more of an effort to meet and greet (don't worry, we can still be on AIM-mobile status) and to personalize those impersonal relationships.

After all, this is considered one of the most social industries out there--so let's live it up! On that note... who's going to Vegas for Affiliate Summit this year?? ;-)