What I love most about getting to know my Affiliates is that for most of them, they have made a distinction between their work and their play. Affiliate marketing is just their job, but there is always a passion or hobby that they spend the rest of their time doing. I like to think of it as the “sanity savor” of each Onliner’s life.

You can only spend so many hours email marketing (I know that for many of you, ’so many’ equates to close to 24 hours a day), and you need something else to keep you sane. One of my Affiliates balances his work out with studying Theology, soon to be ordained. Another one of my Affiliates owns his own line of Cigars and is working on opening up a bar. I guess what I admire the most is these people’s ability to have a balance of passions that they are proud of. I’ve noticed that most truly successful people posses this quality. They have not only figured out how to be successful in the professional world, but also in their personal world. This is obviously easier said than done, however, in talking to my Affiliates these past few months and getting to know more about what they do other than mailing, I am realizing more and more how doable it really is.

I have learned so much from my Affiliates, not only about the ins and outs of online marketing / what offers are hot today, gone tomorrow…you know the drill; but also about the importance of having a life outside of all that jazz. It is so easy to get caught up in this industry that never sleeps–to never come out from behind your computer, or find yourself checking stats at 4am in the morning. Those who have been in the industry a long time however, have found ways to pull them away and keep them sane. This priceless sanity is what allows people to stay in the business for 10 years and counting!

So think about it…what passion do you consider your sanity savor?

Yes, I know what you’re all thinking. Sounds like a bunch of bull, right? Well before you pass too much judgement, allow me to explain. Invisible productivity is all those other things you are constantly doing to further productivity even though they may not be directly identified through looking at the revenue numbers at the end of that same day.

This includes things such as building relationships, prospecting new clients, organizing your contact info, organizing your day, reading industry books, etc. In our industry, you cannot itemize these tasks and put an exact number on how lucrative each one is. You just have to trust that by doing those things which go over and beyond the bare minimum of what is necessary to get by will soon prove to increase revenue.

I have definitely had those weeks when I feel like my work is dragging me down and I am just doing enough to keep up, but once you decide to take the reins and refuse to let your job control you, you suddenly gain clarity, feeling as though you are on top of the world and capable of accomplishing anything.

For me, staying in control of work and life always means staying organized. Taking that extra fifteen minutes at the end of the day and then again first thing in the morning makes such a difference. When I take the time to plan my day, breaking it down into sections and deciding what to focus on in each of those time slots, it allows me to manage the chaos and inevitable surprises that are thrown in my way without getting too off track.

I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about and each have your own way of how to maximize productivity, both invisibly and that which produces instant gratification…like when you finally give into my nagging and drop our GreenTea offer.

Bottom line is, don’t forget to ignore those things that may not produce instant revenue like GreenTea (that was the last comment, I promise), but that help you stay organized, informed, and are constantly bettering you at your job. After all, the more you invest in yourself, the better you will be able to benefit the company.

Trust me…I am a BIG fan of seeing BIG numbers come in at the end of each day, but there is a lot that goes on behind that number that can indicate a productive day as well. You just have to remember that it’s a combination of both that will keep you on top of the world!

There comes that time every year when the inspirational energy of New Years Resolutions starts to wear off and you get too busy to notice that things are piling up. I suppose the purpose of Spring Cleaning then is to kindly remind us that we need to get our life back in order. In this process of throwing things out and making room for the new, you are forced to reevaluate everything, continuously asking the question, “what good does this do me?’

Spring Cleaning is important to do in our industry as well. It is an extremely vital act to look at our collection of offers and analyze each one, asking what good is this offer doing our Affiliates? We are constantly striving to add new, unique, high converting offers to our network, but the only way to do this is to clean out the old, non-converters. This will inevitably lead us to having the most solid, well-rounded, and reputable offers around…and not because we have every offer, but because we have hand-selected and fine-tuned our offering to encompass the best offers. I think now would be an appropriate time to throw in a “it’s about quality, not quantity.”

So this year when you are doing your Spring Cleaning, remember to keep in mind that not only should you be analyzing what you decide to throw out, but also think about the types of things that will eventually replace these old items; think about what it is that you are making room for. After all, the most productive part of cleaning, is that you are making room to bring in the new…and as we all know in this industry, if you aren’t constantly updating, refreshing, and fine-tuning, then you will surely be left in the dust.

So Happy Spring Cleaning Everyone!

As we are nearing the end of another month, I have to say that this year’s “March madness” was especially exciting. For all of you basketball fans, you know that the term “March madness” refers to the craze, excitement, and unpredictability of the NCAA tournament–even though all the number one seed teams might actually make it to the Final Four this year!

For everyone else who is in this industry, you understand that the month of March is crazy because it is that 31 days post Affiliate Summit in Vegas and pre Ad Tech San Francisco when goals are high and productivity is vital. Being a start-up company, we are all very conscious of setting monthly goals and making sure that we adhere to them. Fighting to hit these goals each month keeps things extremely exciting, especially in these last few days of each month.

Throughout the month, you will surely hear a lot of “MTD” talk around our office. Whether it’s calculating Affiliate revenues or tracking offer volume, the month-to-date numbers and stats are what keeps us on our toes and very tuned in to what needs to be done so that we are able to end the month with no regrets as well as enter the next month with high confidence levels.

Our AKMG team grows stronger and more conditioned with each passing month, and it is always crazy to look back at previous months and see how far we have come in such a short time. While the inevitable month-to-date madness can be stressful at times, it is the hurdles that challenge us to come up with new plays and procedures, which in turn help us reach a higher level of success each month. It has been a great season so far for AKMG, and I look forward to the craze, excitement, and unpredictability that is yet to come.

I found myself doing a lot of philosophizing this week (yep that’s a real world…check it). I’m not sure if it’s due to the fact that I am trying to take more lunch breaks or that I started taking the stairs to floor 9 of the parking garage every day after work; either way, in all this newfound free time, I’ve been thinking about what really seems to matter at the end of each day.

By this I mean, what is the difference between those days when you can log-off AIM, shut down your computer, and walk out the door feeling content, and those days when you go home grumpy and unsatisfied–ahh the roller coaster of working full-time, eh?

Isn’t it funny how much easier it is to gain clarity when you’re at those peaks–at the top of the roller coaster if you will–then when you’re caught in the twists, turns, and loops. It seems to me that it’s in those high-times that you feel less pressure, less stress, and much more confidence, and thus you are able to step back and examine your day-to-day craze…and suddenly the clutter becomes decipherable.

I think that at the end of the day, what enables you to leave the office feeling accomplished and satisfied, is knowing that you truly put forth more than your best effort that day in all aspects of your job, and that you were able to make progress from it. You will never be able to control the shit storms in our industry–IP issues, data centers going down, a promising offer completely flopping, etc.–but what you can control is your attitude.

At the risk of sounding like my dad (”Go to your room and change your attitude, Michelle”), if you are able to keep a positive attitude throughout the day and stay focused at the task at hand, then you will self create the energy needed to give more than 100% each day. And at the risk of sounding like my Lacrosse Coach in college (”If you’re not giving 100%–at the BARE MINIMUM–then what’s the point of getting out of bed in the morning, let alone getting on the field”), I guarantee that if you are giving 100% each day, at the bare minimum, then you will not find yourself going home unhappy or dissatisfied at the end of the day…which has really been good for me, because climbing nine flights of stairs is not exactly a mood lifter…

“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 Publisher.Akmg.com 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.

So like most of you, we are all scrambling to make sure we’ve finished everything that we can this week before Affiliate Summit West plus that all of our meetings, dinner reservations etc are in place. What a week…and the show hasn’t even begun…but we’re really looking forward to it!! It will be the first time that the entire AKMG staff will be together at a show so it should be an entertaining trip! Most of us will be there for the LONG haul - Saturday evening through Wednesday morning. That is definitely enough time in Vegas! Then I’ll be heading back with the LA crew to spend some time in our Santa Monica office plus visit Steve’s new “bu” pad! I hear it’s fabulous!

Ok, back to ASW preparations. Please be sure to stop by our booth #128 to meet us in person and check out the goods that we’re giving away. Believe me, it will be worth your time and you won’t find anything like this anywhere else on the exhibit floor!

My first thought was to try and title this ‘The Affitting Room’ buttt 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!

Yes, ‘dedramatization’ is a word… or at least it will be as soon as I submit it to Urban Dictionary after I finish writing this post.

Well fellow humans, I am happy to report that Friday has finally arrived. This has been a rough week–and no, not just because Heath Ledger passed away (R.I.P. Heath)– but because sometimes it is all too easy to get caught up in the drama of this industry.

Now obviously every job is stressful, no matter if you are a Kindergarten teacher or a Brain Surgeon in the E.R. But sometimes, I have to take a few steps back to realize how silly it sounds when I am freaking out about things such as pixel placing, or suppression files. Being dramatic over things that are out of your control is not only a huge waste of time, but it is also a pretty obnoxious quality.

Coming from someone who used to stress out about being five minutes late…meeting her mom…for lunch…on a Sunday (no, not me..this friend I uh knew once….I swear!), I’ve learned that you should never take life too seriously.

Exhibit A - I found myself getting sucked into a whirlpool of pressure these past few days and came out of it realizing that letting myself stress about the little things only left me exhausted…and with not much to show for it. Lesson learned? No need to overly dramatize the small stuff…but rather use that energy to focus on staying productive. Easier said than done, I know, but it is definitely something that is worth constantly reminding yourself of throughout the day, or week, or whatever.

It is such a valuable skill to be able to stay composed in a seemingly stressful situation, which seems to go hand-in-hand with that other important skill–being able to live a balanced life. I’m convinced that the only way to successfully demonstrate either of these skills is to be able to put things in perspective. It is way too easy to get dramatic about those pain-in-the-ass hurdles we all deal with hundreds of times a day. Sometimes you just need to take a deep breath…and maybe a few chill pills, as my Dad would say. (Sweet pic btw, huh? Gotta love Google Images…).

Anyway, that is enough “Deep Thoughts by Michelle” for one blog. I’ll let those insightful words of wisdom sink in this week as we begin to wind down the first month of 2008. Hope everyone has a great (and drama-free) week, and I’ll catch your act next Friday! (When you tune in to read my deep and inspiring weekly blog, that is).

PS. I can’t believe you just fell for that ‘Free Sample’ thing. Ha! You should know better being in this industry…