Profitable Performance Marketing (JEBCommerce)

KPIs or Key Performance Indicators are metrics that facilitate a look into the future to predict how something will perform (a marketing campaign or other business initiative for example). You’re likely familiar with KPIs as they apply to business, but did you know that they’re useful when applied to the work you and your team does as well?

In today’s solo episode Jamie gets into how these metrics can apply to more than what you may be used to, why they’re important, and examples of the useful things you track. Get ready to quantify all the things!

Today our CEO talks with our very own Director of Affiliate Marketing, Blagica Bottigliero! Blagica started with JEBCommerce in November of 2021. Jamie and Blagica talk about her origin story (yes, it involves a great sitcom from the 80's), the importance of representation, and dive into a ton about influencers, affluencers, and affiliate marketing.

Blagica shares her experience as an Emmy Award winning digital marketer, her time at large agencies and brands like Edelman, Target, and Motorola, then as a startup founder, and how she came back to affiliate marketing.

If you want to know about affiliate marketing and the convergence of PR, Social, and Affiliate, this is the episode for you.

In this episode of Profitable Performance Marketing, host Jake Fuller chats with Tricia Meyer, the multifaceted Executive Director of the Performance Marketing Association (PMA). With a legal background and two decades of industry experience, Tricia navigates listeners through the labyrinth of resources available in the affiliate marketing world. The episode spotlights how the landscape has evolved over the last decade, making information more accessible even as the work gets more complex. Everything from navigating FTC guidelines to leveraging card-linked offers, Tricia demystifies the abundance of free resources out there. The discussion also underscores the importance of industry collaboration and continuous learning to stay ahead. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, this episode is a treasure trove of practical tips and industry wisdom.

Ready to join the PMA? Sign up here

Many of our clients and our listeners have been asking for a deeper dive into some of the technologies available to get better results, make better decisions and incentivize affiliates for the right type of orders. Well, today my guest delivers!

Today’s episode features the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for LinkConnector - Tara McCommons! Tara and I have been friends forever. And just last week she was named as one of the PerformanceIn top 50 industry players for 2020! And we couldn’t agree more. Tara is a driving force in our industry. Congratulations Tara!

In today’s podcast we dive into specific technologies available for advertisers at LinkConnector - Nake Coupons and Advanced Commissioning. Both of these technologies allow you to run more efficient and higher producing affiliate programs, reach out to non-traditional affiliates (influencers and content producers etc) and provide really unique commissioning structures in real time to ensure you are incentivizing the right affiliate behavior and paying for the right type of sales. It’s a deep dive into the weeds that I’m sure you will find a ton of value on.

Give it a listen!

And if you’d like to contact Tara directly - email, linkedin and www.linkconnector.com

In this episode’s intro I talk about a report that Tara and LinkConnector helped me put together last year titled The Truth About Coupon Affiliates. We scoured sources for actual data on Coupon sites, their orders and customers and what value they actually provide. Many networks provided actual data for this report. Go to www.jebcommerce.com/value to download this free report.

If you are a fan of He-Man, you definitely want to listen to this episode. Our CEO, Jamie Birch, talks about how the power dynamic in affiliate relationships has shifted dramatically in the last few years and the things you should be doing to take advantage of that swing.

Are you ready for a unique perspective? Jamie joins entrepreneur and industry long-timer Chris Tradgett in a good-humored dialog on a variety of themes. Highlights include the importance of humility and self-awareness, and the role it plays in business success and in leadership; a much needed shift in mindset toward the concept of Partnership Marketing; insights into the Publisher Discovery platform, how it works, and why it should be part of your solution set.

Honestly, a short summary really doesn’t do this episode justice! Give yourself an early Christmas present by setting aside the next hour to give this one a listen. You may just find yourself wanting to send us a thank you card.

Get more of Chris by following him on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN, and Instagram (only if you’re into bread).

Join our host, Jamie Birch, as he expertly guides us through the often-overlooked aspects of affiliate program management. In this episode, Jamie transforms the discussion into a fundamental checklist, ensuring affiliate managers establish a robust foundation for success.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Rotation of Creative Assets: Learn the importance of keeping creative assets fresh and engaging.
2. Datafeed Management: Assess the status and relevance of your datafeed – a crucial yet commonly missed component.
3. Consistent Outreach: Explore the significance of regular and effective communication with affiliate partners.
4. Continuous Learning: Embrace the value of staying informed and utilizing available educational resources.
5. Affiliate Partner Approvals: Streamline and optimize your affiliate partner approval process.
6. Promotional Strategies: Avoid the pitfall of a lackluster promotional approach by incorporating diverse strategies.
7. Commission Strategies: Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach and tailor commissions based on performance.
8. Channel Ignorance: Address the detrimental impact of neglecting the affiliate channel altogether.
9. Publisher Development: Cultivate lasting relationships through consistent efforts in publisher development.

Jamie recommends exploring relevant articles on the JEBCommerce site here and highlights the invaluable "Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive" ebook available here, offering 19 actionable strategies for navigating the current business climate.

Tune in for an episode packed with insights, strategies, and a roadmap for affiliate marketing success!

The last several years have brought a lot of things to the forefront of society in the present day. Racial justice, equity, and inclusion are now things we talk about with increasing frequency. Here at the Profitable Performance Marketing podcast we get to cover issues that are important to us and that relate to the digital marketing space. Today we get to do that and so much more.

My guest today is Michele Shelton. Michele is the CEO and principal consultant of Shelton Holdings LLC. You can find her and everything about her agency at www.micheleshelton.com. For more than 20 years, Michele has held leadership roles providing oversight to equal opportunity and diversity efforts as a city and state government official, corporate executive, and nonprofit program manager of workforce development initiatives launched and funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and National Urban League. She is a member of the National Speakers Association, Society for Human Resource Management, National Association for Female Executives, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, and Leadership Louisville. Michele has been featured in Who's Who Publications, The Louisville Defender, Courier-Journal, Today's Woman magazine, as well as on podcasts, radio and television. In 2020 Michele received recognition as a Top 100 Diversity Trailblazer for her work, and she continues to make an impact serving on boards that advance equal opportunity and equity in education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

I met Michele through a coaching group that I'm currently a member of and have been for several years. Michele focuses on helping organizations construct and execute diversity equity and inclusion programs. It's not something that's discussed a lot within our industry and I'd like to change that. Race, equality, and inclusion definitely have a role in our discussion around all things digital marketing. So today Michele and I dive right into what DEI is, why it's important, and what we can do about it. I am so excited to count her as a friend, mentor, and colleague and I think you're going to learn a ton from today's episode.

JEBCommerce created its DEI statement earlier this year and is working to make the organization a safe place for all people. Michele has been an important resource to help us get there. We're not done yet but we're making strides that I hope you begin to make as well. If you'd like to get a hold of Michele you can go to her website, www.micheleshelton.com and follow her on LinkedIn.

In this installment Jamie engages in a dynamic conversation with a long-time friend and industry luminary, Nick Marchese.

Jamie and Nick's friendship has withstood the test of time, spanning over a decade. Nick, a trailblazer in the affiliate marketing sphere, has showcased his leadership prowess throughout his journey, starting with his impactful tenure at ShareASale and continuing to shape the industry today.

The episode begins with Nick's fascinating origin story, an account you won't want to miss. From there, Jamie and Nick delve into Nick's experiences at a Mass Media affiliate publisher, shedding light on common pitfalls that advertisers encounter in this evolving landscape and offering invaluable insights on how to navigate this new world.

To connect with Nick and delve further into his wealth of knowledge, you can visit his LinkedIn profile.

A big thank you to Nick for sharing his wisdom and experiences in this illuminating episode!

Choots founded and co-runs one of the most innovative affiliate networks in the game. And he's one of, if not, my favorite person in the space. Always a pleasure to talk to and this conversation is no different. We dive into leadership during untamed seas and different ways to make your affiliate program profitable, focusing on some really cool technology LinkConnector pioneered and some only they have. I think you'll really enjoy this one.

You can find his network at www.linkconnector.com.

And don't forget about our Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive ebook that we have available at www.jebcommerce.com/strategies. We outline 19 strategies and tactics you can take now to be sure you'll make it through and find more success through this pandemic than you did before. Oh, and LinkConnector was kind enough to contribute a 20th tip too!

Today's conversation is with Richard Denny's, CEO of Webgains. I learned that Richard and I share a ton. From our first computers (both Commodores) to hours spent coding very simple programs in basic, to our desire to lift people up through education and training.

I think Richard's bio on LinkedIn says it all "Still a proud owner of a Sinclair ZX81 and Spectrum, used to copy out pages of BASIC code for RPGs from magazines into my Commodore 64 in the 1980s, went to University, taught myself HTML and started one of the world's largest websites in the 1990s, founded then folded an online travel start-up (before that was a word) in the 2000s, helped to accelerate other start-ups and teach start-up founders in the 2010s and now in the 2020s proudly run Webgains.

Work Hard; Be Kind; Have Fun. That's it really."

We discussed a broad range of topics, including:

• His origin story into affiliate marketing

• Nerding out on data

• The impact of investment in affiliate marketing

• Changes in the affiliate channel

• The change he saw that led him to embrace the channel after previously rejecting it

• Big Media and Affiliate Marketing

• Leading through turbulence and the 3 Horizons

I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and there really is something for everyone here.

If you'd like to find more about Webgains, check out their website. To contact Richard, follow him on LinkedIn.

Thank you Richard!

Being in this affiliate marketing industry for as long as I have has afforded me the luxury of meeting some pretty incredible people and building a relationship with them that spans decades. And our guest today is just one of those. Long time friend, long time digital marketing veteran, Beth Kirsch, joins me on the podcast today. Beth is a legend in our space and has been running affiliate channels and all other digital marketing campaigns for over two decades. She has been so ubiquitous in the space that I have referred to her as the “Michael Jordan of Lead Gen Affiliate Marketing”. Her career has expanded so much beyond that now that now nickname does her justice.

Beth is currently the VP of Marketing for Pipedrive, a global sales CRM SAS company.

Today we talk all things B2B affiliate marketing and Lead Gen affiliate marketing. Beth and I talk about career, covid, travel and more. But we really dive into the following areas:

• Business to Business affiliate marketing

• Lead Gen affiliate marketing

• Choosing the right technology partner for your affiliate program

• The difference between subscription and B2B marketing

• The need for different technology for B2B than retail affiliate marketing

• The importance of aligning your affiliate compensation and payouts with your business model

• How vital true partnership is to affiliate marketing success

• And much much more.

If you’d like to learn more about becoming an affiliate at Pipedrive, please email affiliatehelp@pipedrive.com. And follow Beth on Linkedin.

Oh, and pipedrive is hiring! https://www.pipedrive.com/en/jobs

Today I get the pleasure of speaking with Wade Tonkin, long time friend and industry vet and Award Winning affiliate marketer. Wade and I met while he was on the sales team at Kowabunga and I was managing the Hilton Hotels affiliate program. Wade’s done quite a bit since then.

You are going to find this podcast very interesting if you:

• Are a sports affiliate

• Operate a fan site

• Are an advertiser looking to migrate platforms

• Are an advertiser looking for ideas to recruit affiliates

• Are an advertiser trying to increase the ROI from your affiliate program

Wade shares some of the biggest successes at Fanatics including one large affiliate revenue challenge that his partner ended up beating by 4.5X! We talk about using Facebook to communicate with affiliates, how to divide workload amongst your team, how to manage your team and your affiliates around huge spikes during “Hot Market Events” such as the Superbowl, World Series and more.

This podcast jumps right into the deep end of affiliate marketing. You don’t want to miss it.

Possibly the best 1 hour and 10 minutes of my week. I'm so thankful that Steve was able to take the time with me to share his leadership lessons, view on performance marketing and how important it is to find your passion as you move from success to significance. I took 5 pages of notes on this call. Stick around to the end for a super funny story about Steve's visit to Idaho when I worked at Coldwater Creek.

Connect with Steve at www.ware2go.com and on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdenton/

And don't forget about our Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive ebook that we have available at https://jebcommerce.com/lp/affiliate-marketing-strategies-to-survive-and-thrive-in-the-current-climate/. We outline 19 strategies and tactics you can take now to be sure you'll make it through and find more success through this pandemic than you did before.

In this episode, host Jake Fuller chats with Owen Guetschow from Levanta about an exciting shift in affiliate marketing opportunities on Amazon. Traditionally, affiliate marketers have not had a direct way to link brand promotions to Amazon seller pages, but this is rapidly changing.

Jake and Owen – who oversees Agency Partnerships at Levanta – cover how brands can now leverage networks like Levanta to drive affiliate traffic directly to Amazon, the massive conversion potential and challenges like balancing traditional D2C and Amazon-linked programs, and the recent double-dipping update.

As brands and agencies grapple with these new changes, Owen shares insights on maximizing the Amazon affiliate channel without cannibalizing existing revenue streams. For upstart sellers eyeing the affiliate world, this episode is brimming with guidance on where to start and what to expect.

On today’s episode, I have a conversation with Chelseah Murphy, Business Development Manager at Wickire. Wikfire is a data driven digital agency that focuses on SEM work for their clients.

I really enjoyed this conversation and I think you’ll find it extremely informative. You may know this affiliate best for their trademark+ SEM bidding, www.buyersguide.org or www.coupon.co website. But there is so much more that they do.

This episode is going to be impactful if you:

• Allow affiliates to trademark plus bid in the search engines

• Are 100% against this activity

• Looking for cost effective ways to maximize your ROI through SEM campaigns

• Would rather only pay for SEM that produces sales

• Are looking to maximize your coupon results

• Think affiliates do very little work that they should be compensated for (this may change your mind)

• Want information on innovative affiliate partners

Wickfire does some amazing work in Trademark Plus, Product and Brand Review sites and Coupon area. I hope you find this podcast episode as informative as I did!

If you’d like to get in touch with Chelseah or Wickfire, email them at partners@wickfire.com or chelseah@wickfire.com

And don't forget, we put together a case study focused on controlling customer acquisition costs. This case study highlights the commission structure, technology utilization and promotional strategies we use for our clients’ affiliate programs to help them increase their overall revenue while reducing their cost of acquisition. It can be done, and we outline that in this case study. Go to www.jebcommerce.com/acquisitioncost to get your strategy today.

We have a special guest for you today, a client of JEBCommerce! Josh Reed, Director Consumer Demand Generation for Evenflo is on the podcast and you don't want to miss it! As always, we go through Josh's journey to digital marketing and affiliate marketing, and I can guarantee you it's not a path you have heard on this podcast before.

Josh gives an MBA-level discussion on marketing that I'm super proud to have on our podcast. We discuss:

• The differences with high consideration products

• Digital transformation

• The diversity affiliate publishers bring to a DTC manufacturer

• Why he chose to bring in SMEs to run his affiliate program instead of an in-house team

We also discuss some key things in career development and why this period's crop of college grads seem different than when we got out of school.

It's a great episode that you'll want to share.

And if you'd like to connect with Josh, you can do so on LinkedIn.

Today I get the honor and privilege of chatting with long time industry vet, Candice Noble. Cutting her teeth in the affiliate marketing world with Performics back in 2000, managing one of the most well known and vibrant affiliates programs in the space at Snapfish and Hewlett Packard, Candice has been one of the most successful digital marketers for almost the entirety of digital marketing. Her experience and successes have few peers.

During her 25 year career, Candice has pursued a journey to showcase her authentic self, and as a Black women, self described data nerd and tattooed marijuana user, she has a lot of experiences to share with us. And we dive into each one. Candice and I talk about her experiences with race, equity, diversity and the weight of racism and implicit bias on her career and daily professional life. She shares how she felt safe in our affiliate community, how things changed as she grew in her career and what it feels like to have that weight lifted.

It is definitely an enlightening and eye opening conversation. Please be sure to listen.

We dive into weed as well. Yup, you read that right. We talk about the marketing of it, the opportunities and difficulties and how people have responded to her coming out as a recreational and medicinal user of the plant. You’ll also hear me stumble as I try to say the word “marijuana” on this podcast. Listening again, it’s quite funny.

Candice is an incredible individual with so much to share and I can’t be more proud to have her on the show. It’s our longest yet, but I think you’ll find it worth every single minute. We are totally going to have her back soon.

You can reach out to Candice at candiceATpapersandink.com

Oh, hey traditional affiliates, you may be missing a ton of revenue opportunity if you are not promoting marijuana products. But Candice has a solution, promote hers! Reach out to her to find out about this opportunity.

In this episode host Jake Fuller welcomes his predecessor, Jamie Birch, Co-Founder at EquineRevShare, for a lively discussion. Jamie shares his unexpected pivot from affiliate agency life to launching an affiliate platform targeting the equine community. The duo delves into the hurdles and nuances affiliate publishers face—think discovering that networks don't always roll out the welcome mat or miraculously have tech support on standby. Amid the candid insights (including some thought-provoking quips on figurative carrots and sticks), Jamie offers a fresh perspective on how advertisers and networks can better support emerging affiliates. If you’ve ever wondered why your affiliate efforts felt like chasing horses without a saddle, this episode’s for you. Don't miss it!

Over the last year and change we’ve brought you great interviews from all over the digital marketing space. However, to date we have yet to dip into the pool of talent “within our own walls.” To remedy that, this episode marks the first of several in a series highlighting the many savvy folks working at JEBCommerce.

Headlining this episode is Digital Marketing veteran and resident super star Chris Park. Jamie and Chris dive into whether programs can or should be run on multiple networks, when and when not to dismiss affiliates, managing multiple brands, and best of all, why Affiliate Marketing is a business of building relationships.

For more on Chris, be sure to check out his biography or get him on the phone for a chat. He’s a wealth of knowledge and experience on a variety of subjects, and one of the nicest guys you’ll meet.

Tricia Meyer is a 17 year industry vet, an affiliate and has been running helpingmomsconnect.com and sunshinerewards.com that entire time.

In today's episode we dive into her evolution from lawyer to affiliate industry pro, well respected and successful affiliate.

We talk about FTC Disclosures in affiliate marketing, affiliate nexus legislation and regulations, how actions taken by advertisers and fraudsters impact your affiliates and much much more.

Follow Tricia at tricia.me and LinkedIn, Twitter she is @sunshinetricia.

On today’s episode… An influencer! Yup, it’s one of the hottest topics in affiliate marketing and today we have one of the best on the show.

Terry Adelman is our guest today, and he is the Managing Partner of MENfluential, an influencer agency that manages many of the premier influencers in the men’s category. JEBCommerce has actually worked with Terry for many years and have seen great success for our clients. In fact, we have two case studies: Bodybuilding.com and Indochino.

If you are looking to learn more about working with an influencer, you definitely want to listen to this podcast. Terry talks about his career path and how MENfluential started. We dive into how it is to work with their agency as well as their influencers, how they judge success and what they actually do.

You can find more and reach out to Terry with his email and at MENfluential.com

You can also see Aaron Marino’s youtube channel which we reference multiple times here.

And don't forget, we put together a case study focused on controlling customer acquisition costs. This case study highlights the commission structure, technology utilization and promotional strategies we use for our clients’ affiliate programs to help them increase their overall revenue while reducing their cost of acquisition. It can be done, and we outline that in this case study. Go to www.jebcommerce.com/acquisitioncost to get your strategy today.

In this episode, Jamie Birch, Founder of JEBCommerce, shares invaluable insights for newcomers to the affiliate marketing space. He emphasizes the importance of building relationships, dispels the misconception of the "build it and they will come" mentality, and highlights essential resources available for success. Jamie stresses the necessity of putting in the work, utilizing tools like BrandVerity and FMTC, and tapping into industry organizations like the PMA and MartechRecord. He also underscores the significance of having a solid plan in place, encompassing tracking, commissions, consumer offers, compliance, and more. For further guidance or assistance, listeners are encouraged to reach out to JEBCommerce at gethelp@JEBCommerce.com.

Resources mentioned:

• BrandVerity
• FMTC
• The PMA.org
• MartechRecord
• Affiliate Summit
• JEBCommerce blog
• Profitable Performance Marketing podcast
• JEBCommerce YouTube channel

In the latest episode of the Profitable Performance Marketing Podcast, host Jake Fuller sits down with Brook Schaaf, Co-Founder and CEO at FMTC, to issue a masterclass on deal and coupon sites. If you’ve ever pondered the difference between them, or how to maximize the ROI of these affiliates, this conversation is sure to enlighten. To demonstrate that the ecosystem is capable of self-governance, Brook explains how FMTC streamlines the way retailers distribute deals and promotions, and ensures your brand doesn’t look like it’s stuck in a time warp with expired offers. They also dive into the misconception that these sites exist only to poach sales, when in fact they actually drive new consumer engagement, and Brook encourages brands to get creative with their promotions. Tune in as this episode turns chaos into clarity.

In today's episode I talk about three things you need to change and/or look at differently if you want a successful relationship with influencers in your affiliate program. The specifics I cover include cookie duration, your technology set up, and your overall terms and conditions. Looking after these basics will help ensure that your influencers are getting the sales that they deserve and that you're able to get an accurate measurement of the ROI within the program.

Join host Jamie Birch in a captivating conversation with Sal Conca, CEO of AmazingAds, as they delve into over two decades of industry collaboration and insights. From their co-marketing endeavors at 1800Flowers and Coldwater Creek to leadership reflections, affiliate marketing strategies, and the dynamic realm of video marketing, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge and experience. Discover the innovative "Flanking Allies" approach utilized by Sal and AmazingAds to empower affiliates and enhance brand visibility. Gain valuable insights into the importance of flexibility and adaptability in leadership, along with the finer nuances of YouTube audience targeting.

With highlights ranging from affiliate video tactics to leadership principles, this episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking actionable advice and industry expertise. Don't miss out on this enriching dialogue with one of the industry's luminaries.

Join Jamie Birch in a candid discussion about some of the frustrations and challenges stifling innovation in affiliate marketing. From inaccessible advertiser contact information to network approval hurdles, Jamie sheds light on several key obstacles hindering affiliate growth and offers insights for improvement. Tune in for a thought-provoking episode on the state of affiliate marketing today.

Cormac Jonas has come from civil engineering all the way through affiliate marketing to become one of the premier partnership marketers around, and although Cormac and I have only known each other a short time, you can tell we clicked right away.

If you are an advertiser who:

• Doesn’t think your affiliates really do much for you

• Are looking for innovation from your affiliate program

• Have said “my affiliates really don’t do much to drive the sale”

• Or you are wondering where innovation comes from

You definitely want to listen to this podcast. Cormac and I discuss his career path, his vital career decisions, how important landing at RetailMeNot was and how innovative they were while he launched their Travel section. So, we definitely talk about travel, so consider this another episode in our travel series. We dive into some of the most unique and innovative technologies and tactics that he was part of while at RetailMeNot. And yes, I said RetailMeNot. If you are thinking they don’t do much to generate the sale, this may change your mind. In fact, if you think you have a problem with your affiliates generating incremental revenue, you may really have a problem with your relationships. So we talk about some real innovative ways affiliates are building audiences and reaching them.

Get a hold of Cormac at Linkedin (we are finally connected, thanks Cormac :) ) - and at Cormacjonas@gmail.com

In the intro I share about one of our services, Affiliate Program Strategy Roadmap. If you’d like to find out how you can leverage our decades of experience to create a strategy for growth in your affiliate program, check out our service here http://jebco.de/strategy .

And don’t forget about our Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive ebook that we have available at https://jebcommerce.com/lp/affiliate-marketing-strategies-to-survive-and-thrive-in-the-current-climate/. We outline 19 strategies and tactics you can take now to be sure you’ll make it through and find more success through this pandemic than you did before.

Did you know commissions can be paid out based on the products you sell? Or that commission levels can be set for different categories or product SKUs? Do you sell your own manufactured products as well as resell others' goods?

In this episode Jamie unpacks the complexities of and strategies for determining commission rates on products with varying profit margins. Navigating the balance between competitiveness and profitability, he highlights the importance of considering both advertiser and affiliate perspectives. Our solution: a blended average commission, with insights on tailoring rates for specific products. Gain actionable tips, real-world examples, and insights into adapting commission structures for cashback and loyalty sites. Tune in for expert perspectives on effective affiliate program optimization, and learn how you can commission based on products to maximize both growth and profitability of your affiliate program!

10 year vet, Jamie Tapia Barr, joins us today on the Profitable Performance Marketing Podcast. It’s a homecoming of sorts, as Jamie started her affiliate marketing career right here at JEBCommerce. Going from an assistant affiliate manager to leading some of our most exciting and fastest growing programs, Jamie established herself as an affiliate marketing superstar early and has continued that throughout her career.

Jamie truly has a heart for affiliate marketing and has personally managed and supervised teams that developed hundreds of affiliate marketing programs in just about every vertical on the agency side and in-house at several different advertisers. Her experience is impressive and I’m glad to have her on today’s episode.

Jamie and I discuss everything from the election and how it impacts our Q4 affiliate marketing plans, to career decisions, planning and unique partnerships in the affiliate marketing space. Jamie talks about the need and advantages of being flexible in times like we are experiencing, both because of COVID and this election.

If you’d like to get in touch with Jamie via Linkedin.

In today’s intro I offer you a case study in controlling customer acquisition costs. This case study highlights the commission structure, technology utilization and promotional strategies we use for our clients’ affiliate programs to help them increase their overall revenue while reducing their cost of acquisition. It can be done, and we outline that in this case study. Go to www.jebcommerce.com/acquisitioncost to get your strategy today.

If you've missed getting new content from us over the last few months, get ready 'cause we're coming back! The second half of Season 2 is packed with more of the same entertaining and informative content you've come to expect. We've got a new and exciting lineup of guests and industry topics to discuss, so be sure to follow along at http://jebco.de/ppmpod or where ever you get your podcasts!

Join Jamie as he delves into the secrets of quickly improving new customer acquisition in your affiliate channel. With decades of experience in affiliate marketing, Jamie shares actionable strategies to boost your program's performance.

In this episode, Jamie explores various strategies, including:

• Identifying affiliates driving the highest new customer conversions.
• Categorizing affiliates based on sales and new customer acquisition rates.
• Tailoring approaches for high-performing affiliates versus those with lower sales.
• Crafting exclusive offers and commission incentives for targeted affiliates.
• Developing customized creatives and initiating personalized conversations.

Join the conversation and discover actionable insights to boost new customer acquisition in your affiliate program!

One of the most common mistakes a brand can make with their affiliate channel is to create it and then expect it to start producing sales, grow over time, and achieve their goals without a ton of time, attention, expertise, and experimentation. Today our host, Jamie Birch, talks about why this isn't the case and outlines 4 steps to take now to increase revenue and find greater success in the channel.

The topic of new customer acquisition is both hot and a perennial favorite in our industry. The good news is that it’s possible (feasible, even) to get your brand in front of new buyers through the affiliate channel. As technology has caught up to the level of sophistication of our publisher partners, the paths to success in this area are now much clearer.

However, in order for it to work, you may need to evaluate the commission structure of your program, how you’re communicating with partners, and the information shared with them. In today’s episode, Jamie outlines why you should want to address these issues and some next steps. If your brand could use an infusion of new customers, this episode is a must-listen!

It isn’t often that you get a chance to have a conversation with someone that has been at the very beginning of our industry and was a catalyst at two of the most impactful technology solutions in our space over the last 20 years. Today I get to do just that. Today I speak with long time friend, industry vet and the very first employee at Commission Junction, Todd Crawford!

As I stated above, Todd was the very first employee at Commission Junction and since then has established himself as a thought leader in our space and helped launch one of the most innovative technology platforms in our space.

On this episode we discussed the “other” marketing channel, Partnerships. Todd did a great job of explaining the difference and need for partnerships and how Impact, his current venture, empowers this channel to scale.

If you are an affiliate marketer or an advertiser that needs to find new channels for growth, has been pushed to go beyond the known affiliates and couponers, or you are simply looking to jump start your idea creation, then this podcast is for you.

You can contact Todd at his linkedin, Impact’s linkedin and Impact’s blog.

In this episode Jamie Birch, the Founder of JEBCommerce and host of the podcast, takes a deep dive into a critical aspect of the affiliate marketing landscape: the realization that the affiliate channel isn't a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Instead, it's a multifaceted ecosystem of various channels under one overarching umbrella.

One of the most prevalent and potentially costly mistakes that digital marketers make – viewing the affiliate channel as a monolithic entity, rather than recognizing the myriad of distinct business models represented by affiliate publisher partners. The heart of the matter lies in understanding that you might have ten or even a hundred different approaches and strategies at play within your affiliate marketing efforts.

The key to avoiding this pitfall is to treat each affiliate partner individually, considering their unique strengths and objectives. Here's the game plan:

1. Understand Them Individually: Get to know the strengths and capabilities of each affiliate partner. Recognize the role they play in your overall strategy.
2. Evaluate Them Individually: Assess the performance of each partner based on their specific model and contribution to your goals.
3. Optimize Them Individually: Tailor your strategies and efforts to optimize the results for each partner, taking into account their distinct business models.

By managing your affiliate program in this thoughtful and individualized manner, you'll unlock the potential for greater success at the top of the marketing funnel. Don't miss out on this episode, as it provides invaluable insights into a more effective and profitable approach to affiliate marketing.

It is with great pleasure that we showcase one of our very own on our podcast today: Samantha Morris. Samantha leads one of our affiliate management teams as a Sr. Affiliate Manager and comes to us with over 20 years of experience working for brands like Gap, Priceline, and more. She has also worked for affiliate networks, agencies, and ran her own agency for a time.

This conversation dives deep into the day-to-day of affiliate management. Some of what we cover includes:

• How important it is to truly understand your client

• How vital her in-house experience with some major retailers has been to managing clients now

• Interesting and useful network technology that is available

• Last click vs. first click

• Preferred publisher technologies

• Attribution

• Media and Commerce Affiliates

• Card-linked offers

• Commission Splitting

• And more!

I had so much fun interviewing today's guest, Dan Christian, current founder of Acceleration Team. Dan and JEB have worked together extensively while Dan ran the digital team the Travel Corporation.

Dan's extensive digital marketing background is impressive. From a snowboarding start up in 1999 through several truly incredible travel organizations and back to scratch that entrepreneurial itch with his latest endeavor, Dan brings his passion, spirit, and ambition with him every where he goes. And I think we are all better for it!

In this conversation we cover:

• His career path

• The importance of culture and culture change

• The importance of an affiliate channel in a multi-channel environment

• The importance of executive buy-in

• The convergence of influencers and affiliates

• And some of the mistakes advertisers make when it comes to their affiliate channel

You are going to enjoy this conversation as much as I did! Dan is super smart, successful, has a passion for helping others achieve and gives a great view into how his early years shaped his success now. So much to learn from my conversation with Dan Christian!

Today I talk with long time colleague and bestie Erin Killian, VP of Agency and Prime at Pepperjam. Now Erin and I have known each other for many years, share a passion for Penn State Football and for affiliate marketing.

We dive into lessons learned through change, how to succeed in an ever changing and evolving environment, and we dive deep into some large issues in affiliate marketing. Things like coupon and loyalty sites, the importance of and role of content affiliates going forward and how this pandemic is impacting the channel.

You can reach Erin on linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinrkillian/ or get her wisdom directly at ekillian@pepperjam.com

In the intro I share about one of our services, Affiliate Program Strategy Roadmap. If you’d like to find out how you can leverage our decades of experience to create a strategy for growth in your affiliate program, check out our service here http://jebco.de/strategy .

And don’t forget about our Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive ebook that we have available at https://jebcommerce.com/lp/affiliate-marketing-strategies-to-survive-and-thrive-in-the-current-climate/. We outline 19 strategies and tactics you can take now to be sure you’ll make it through and find more success through this pandemic than you did before.

Today is our 2nd in our Travel Series and I speak to a pretty incredible individual and a travel affiliate - Nicole Lewis. Nicole is a wildlife veterinarian and a part time travel blogger and we have a great conversation, starting with - what is a Dromomaniac.

Nicole focuses on the adventure travel space. We have a great conversation about all things travel and then really drive into the best ways to work with her and other travel affiliates, some do's and don'ts and about the importance of alignment to her. Meaning, don't reach out to her if your brand doesn't align with her values, her content and her audience. It's a great conversation that I hope you find value in too! If you are a travel advertiser looking for niche content creators, you definitely want to listen to this episode.

You can follow her travels at http://www.wanderingwithadromomaniac.com

Want to contact Nicole? Follow her on IG, Twitter and FB as well.

Email her at nicole@wanderingwithadromomaniac.com

In the intro I share about one of our services, Affiliate Program Strategy Roadmap. If you'd like to find out how you can leverage our decades of experience to create a strategy for growth in your affiliate program, check out our service here http://jebco.de/strategy .

And don't forget about our Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive ebook that we have available at https://jebcommerce.com/lp/affiliate-marketing-strategies-to-survive-and-thrive-in-the-current-climate/. We outline 19 strategies and tactics you can take now to be sure you'll make it through and find more success through this pandemic than you did before.

The nature of work has fundamentally changed since the pandemic forced businesses and employees from their once familiar office confines. Those who pivoted successfully were able to shore up basic operations, but may still be grappling with the idea of this being a permanent shift and question how to flourish as an enterprise focused on building and maintaining relationships.

The good news is that this new way of doing things isn’t new to everyone. Today’s guest, Karen Fong Snyder, has worked remotely since the early 2000s and is no stranger to the rhythm of the WFH “lifestyle,” the effects it has on people, organizations and their partners. Tune in as we discuss the benefits and challenges of our new work reality.

If you haven’t already, please check out our 19 Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive, a guide to success in challenging times. Download it today and put your affiliate channel on solid ground!

This podcast is quickly turning into one of my favorite things to do each week, and today’s episode is no different. Today I get to interview John Toskey, 25 year digital marketing vet and current Senior Director of Global Marketing for eBay!

John and I have worked together in the past and have known each other for almost my entire career, and he is one of few people who have been in this industry longer than I have. John’s experience is vast and his career path impressive and he has a ton of great information to share.

Starting out in 1996 for Zones.com all the way to his current position as Senior Director, Global Marketing at eBay, John has sen the start of an industry and has seen it change many times over. We discuss how to lead through that change and the vital pieces of Change Management that can’t be missed and dive into how the affiliate industry has changed as well as some concerns he has going forward.

We discuss how executives like himself manage the affiliate channel amongst all other channels and how they make budgetary decisions and what the affiliate channel needs to do to compete for that budget. If you have managed multiple channels or are trying to figure out how to manage your affiliate program within that environment, you won’t want to miss this episode.

Thank you John!

• Don’t communicate too little
• Don’t communicate too often
• Only communicate with your affiliates when you have something impactful to say
• If you don’t have anything impactful to say, find something impactful to say
• No less than quarterly because of seasonality, but that really isn’t enough
• Use both in network and outside network communication methods
• Find the preferred communication mediums of your affiliates and focus on that

Leilani Han is the Executive Director, Commerce of Wirecutter, a division of the New York Times. Her career path is rather unique: she started out working for several start-ups where she was exposed to affiliate marketing, then found herself at a top tier network, Commission Junction, and then went on to work at Wirecutter. She's seen the industry from multiple vantage points including affiliate/publisher, advertiser, and network. That perspective brings a lot of enlightening learnings that I think you'll find super helpful no matter what side of the ball you play on.

In our conversation we cover:

• Commerce Content

• Leadership principles

• Changes to leadership during and after the pandemic

• Employee development, what it is and how she does it

• The importance of intentionality in managing people

• Being a woman and how that has impacted her career and how she coaches women on her team

• How important it is to focus on the audience being served, whether you are an advertiser or a publisher

• How advertisers need to focus on the publishers' audience when pitching them

• Who and what is Wirecutter

• And how to work with them

And so much more! Leilani thank you so much for your time on this episode!

If you'd like to connect, check her out on LinkedIn.

My guest and I coined a new word, and a new marketing channel, on today’s episode, Spartnerships. Yes, Jacob Fu and I merged sponsorships and partnerships together. I think you’ll really enjoy this conversation. Jacob, along with his wife Esther, cofounded Localadventurer.com, a travel affiliate and content producer.

In today’s conversation we go over their origin story, what it’s like to learn how to drive an airstream for the first time as well as how they turned a simple idea into their financial success. Jacob and I talk about how to work with them from an advertiser perspective.

So, if you are an advertiser looking:

• To work with more content sites

• Understand how those niche content producers function

• To inspire your travel side again

• And work with more no-coupon sites in the future

Then this episode is for you.

Season 1 was full of amazing guests and even some serious topics like diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry. Not only did we cover a lot of ground, we had a great time doing it. In fact, it was so fulfilling that we're gearing up to do it again!

This time around, in addition to a great new lineup of guests, we're introducing a new episode format we're calling "solos" where we'll tackle the topics you've asked us about. If there's a burning question you'd like answered, let us know!

In this episode, Jamie engages in a dynamic conversation with the remarkable marketer and long-time friend, Matthew Ray Scott. As the mastermind behind the successful medtech marketing firm, FEED. The Agency, Matthew has been an integral part of Jamie and JEBCommerce for over 13 years. Notably, he played a key role in shaping the MyAffiliateCoach affiliate manager training program in 2010, impacting numerous marketers and sales professionals positively.

Join the discussion as Jamie and Matthew delve into various aspects, including:

• The Power of a Daily Scorecard: Discover how a daily scorecard can be a game-changer on the path to success.
• Video Marketing Strategies: Explore how video accelerates the process of building trust and rapport with the audience.
• Success Elements - Belief and Discipline: Unpack the crucial elements like belief and discipline that contribute to overall success.
• Affiliate Industry Insights: Stay tuned until the end, where Jamie distills these learnings specifically for the affiliate industry.

Follow and connect with Matthew on LinkedIn for more insights: Matthew Ray Scott's LinkedIn

Don't miss out on this enriching episode, offering a wealth of strategies and insights to enhance your marketing prowess. Press record and let the learning begin!

On this episode Jamie chats with JEBCommerce's own Director of Affiliate Marketing, Blagica Bottigliero, about the convergence of Affiliate Marketing and Public Relations (PR).

We noticed a trend occurring over a year ago with more PR professionals and agencies entering the affiliate marketing space. It's one of the reasons we set out to find someone with significant affiliate marketing AND PR chops to lead our Affiliate Marketing team. And Blagica fits the bill perfectly being a pioneer in the affiliate space (managing the Orbitz affiliate program back in the day) and having significant experience and success in the PR world with her time at Edelman. She also has significant experience in social marketing as well.

Oh, did we mention she won an Emmy for her marketing? It's true.

On today's episode we discuss the following topics:

• The general merging ofAffiliate Marketing and PR, and how that impacts affiliates, PR professionals, and advertisers

• How Affiliate Marketing and Public Relations are very similar in relationship building and pitching/recruiting publishers

• How the advancing technology of the affiliate channel can help PR firms and professionals track way more than they have before and protect the top-of-funnel publishers and track outside of pixels

• How affiliate marketing can increase the speed and reach of PR campaigns

• How we need to change our KPIs to measure in this new world

You can reach out and follow Blagica on LinkedIn.

And don't forget to read our blog posts on the subject:

Welcoming Public Relations to the Affiliate Marketing Party

Affiliate Marketing Can Boost the Speed of Public Relations

KPIs Need to Change With the Merging of PR and Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Recruitment and PR Pitching Have a Ton in Common

Technology Available to PR Teams Through Affiliate Marketing

Sarah is one of my favorite people on the planet, there I said it. I was excited to chat with her and record our conversation for you. Sarah is currently applying her expertise and experience to clients of all shapes and sizes as a Partnership Marketing Consultant. She is the former VP of ShareASale and spent over 14 years there.

Today we talk about all things affiliate marketing. From her amazing career - starting entry level and leaving that company as the VP. Sarah shares some amazing leadership lessons, don't miss this section. We dove into corporate morality and how that is shifting and changing consumer behavior. We then dive into pivots that affiliates and advertisers are making through the COVID-19 pandemic. You will love the things that Sarah shares!

You can contact Sarah through Linkedin here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-beeskow-blay/

In the intro I share about one of our services, Affiliate Program Strategy Roadmap. If you'd like to find out how you can leverage our decades of experience to create a strategy for growth in your affiliate program, check out our service here http://jebco.de/strategy .

And don't forget about our Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive ebook that we have available at https://jebcommerce.com/lp/affiliate-marketing-strategies-to-survive-and-thrive-in-the-current-climate/. We outline 19 strategies and tactics you can take now to be sure you'll make it through and find more success through this pandemic than you did before.

On this episode, Jake dives deep into what makes consumers tick (and sometimes flee) with guest Jeremy Aaronson, Chief Revenue Officer at UpSellit. Throughout they explore the art of crafting a stellar online experience and with over two decades in the online space, Jeremy dishes out wisdom on everything from mastering consumer personalization to harnessing AI's future influence. He highlights the common mishaps on e-commerce sites, like poorly implemented carts or lack of personalization, which might send your customers running to a competitor.

The discussion weaves through the complexities of today's competitive landscape, touching on strategies like brand-to-brand partnerships and calculated incentives to keep consumers loyal. It's a packed session filled with valuable nuggets for anyone looking to spruce up their e-commerce game, ensuring authenticity and strategic market moves remain at the core of success. So, next time you're thinking "How do we win over that wandering shopper?" remember, it's all in the tweak and finesse.

FTC Compliance, the 3 C’s, an Affiliate Donut and more with today’s guest, and the man I was second or third runner up to for affiliate manager of the year, Matt McWilliams! I was super excited about this recording as Matt has tremendous success in the affiliate world and I’ve personally learned a ton from him.

Matt is the principal of Matt McWilliams Consulting where he helps people turn their passion into profits through affiliate marketing. He is well versed in recruiting, developing, optimizing, coaching and training affiliates to drive revenue and serve their audience.

Today we talk about:

• The 3C’s of affiliate management - Contests, Communication and Coaching.

• The Affiliate Donut

• Serving your audience first

• Using affiliate programs as a springboard to launching your own products

• And more

Matt really drove home in the first half how important it is to ask yourself, as an affiliate manager or advertiser, “If I were an affiliate, what would I want.”. Hammering home the idea that this is about relationships and a good solid one keeps both parties’ best interests at heart.

You’ll enjoy this podcast for many reasons and you’ll get a lot of actionable items out of it. So give it a listen.

And if you’d like to get in touch with Matt or get more help, please go to www.mattmcwilliams.com/quickstart or www.mattmcwilliams.com/first100

Thank you Matt!

And don’t forget our free resource - The Incremental Benchmarking Tool. If you are unsure if your program is set up to drive incremental revenue, then you need to walk through this tool. Takes about 11 minutes and provides you with a detailed list of the things you are doing well and the opportunities you have to make it better.

Thinking of removing all the affiliates that aren't producing clicks or sales in your affiliate program? DON'T! Jamie Birch, CEO and Founder of JEBCommerce, gives us a little rant on why this is a bad idea and may hurt the growth of your affiliate program.

Removing affiliates that aren't meeting your definition of active:

• Isn't necessary

• Saves nothing

• Reduces potential for future sales from partners you don't even know yet

• Shows a lack of understanding of the channel and how affiliates operate

• Hurts relationship building, the core of affiliate marketing

• Show there's too much value placed on the wrong KPIs

Listen in as Jamie goes into more detail on these points and others, including a story about one of hundreds of dormant affiliates becoming a "big dog" in the space.

In the inaugural episode of PPM's season four, new host Jake Fuller, CEO at JEBCommerce, sits down for an engaging conversation with Cary Pierce, Senior Global Director at Rakuten Advertising. Tackling the hottest topic of the moment, AI, they delve into its impact on the affiliate marketing industry. Cary shares insightful examples of AI's current applications at Rakuten, such as machine learning in forecasting and partner discovery tools. They discuss the fine line between using AI as an efficiency tool and preserving the essential human touch in building relationships. With humor and humility, they explore both the benefits and potential pitfalls of AI, making this episode a must-listen for anyone looking to stay ahead in performance marketing.

Startups, acquisitions, technology affiliates and door to door sales? Yup, we talk about all those things on today’s episode featuring our special guest Dan Amarguaye of Envolve Technologies. I met Dan while he was still with the affiliate recruitment recruitment company he co-founded in 2018, Publisher Discovery.

Dan is a true, and successful, entrepreneur and he talks about leadership and the lessons he has learned throughout his career. Don’t miss out and listen through to the end. We dive into his resume and talk about how his time as a Door to Door salesmen on the streets of London allowed him to develop strong relationship building skills that allow him to succeed today.

We talked about lessons learned in acquisitions, why he loves starts up and dive into some misconceptions advertisers have about the affiliate channel and coupons specifically. Dan provides great insight into the channel and the importance of affiliates to your marketing mix.

If you’d like to find more about Envolve and how to work with them on a performance basis, contact dan at dan.2ATenvolvetech.com or go to www.envolvetech.com

Join Jamie Birch, founder of JEBCommerce, in a historic episode with JEB’s new ownership team: current CEO Jake Fuller, Director of Administrative Services Nicole Ripley, and Director of Creative Services Gabe Ripley. As they mark a significant moment in the agency’s history, the episode explores the future direction of the company and the affiliate marketing channel. After nearly 20 years, the transition to a new ownership team promises exciting new heights for JEBCommerce. Listen in for insights on the journey ahead.

The merging of Affiliate Marketing and Public Relations continues and today's guest, Cristina Velocci, is at the forefront of this exciting new development. Cristina is the VP, Content Development at SHE Media and straddles the worlds of editorial and commerce as well as anyone in our space.

In today's episode, Cristina and I talk about her career, what it's like to go through several layoffs, how she migrated her career from media to commerce and how she manages through change and the importance of adaptability and flexibility in her career and her current role.

And we also talk a ton about the merging of Affiliate and PR.

You'll enjoy this episode if you:

• are a PR agency trying to figure this new world out

• are a Brand wanting to increase your acquisition through content affiliates

• are a publisher and want to learn how to adapt to an ever changing landscape

It's chock full of amazing information that is super relevant to our world today.

If you'd like to follow Cristina you can do so on Twitter and at SHE Media.

We also discuss some of the PR and Affiliate content we produce at JEBCommerce.

In this episode, Jamie discusses the three main areas of compliance every affiliate program needs to be aware of: network, regulatory, and affiliate compliance.

For more in-depth coverage of the issue, here are some resources from the PMA: https://thepma.org/?s=FTC

In this episode Jake dives into the dynamic convergence of PR and affiliate marketing with guest Sophie Toporoff, Director of Partnerships, North America at Linkby. Sophie provides keen insights from her decade-long career in traditional PR and her seamless transition into the affiliate landscape, especially during the e-commerce boom of 2020. They discuss how Linkby revolutionizes brand and publisher relationships by offering a performance-based model that minimizes risk and maximizes ROI. Discover how the integration of PR and affiliate strategies can elevate your brand's visibility and sales while navigating the complexities of modern-day digital marketing. Join Jake and Sophie as they uncover why staying ahead of the curve is crucial for competitive edge and why Linkby might just be the secret weapon your brand needs.

Today our host, Jamie Birch, discusses the metric EPC, or Earnings Per Click. He discusses what it is, how to calculate it, how and why affiliates use it, why you should use it as an advertiser, and how you can manage it effectively.

Here are two common EPC formulas:

• earnings per 100 clicks - commissions paid / (clicks/100)
• earnings per click - commissions paid / total clicks

A good rule of thumb is to know and calculate your 7 day, 30 day, and overall EPC, then track it over time.

Learn how you can manage EPC with tactics like general click management, optimization of high-click producers that do not convert, recruiting of high converting closers, and more.

Jamie mentioned a coupon case study during the episode. Most of the networks were involved and it gives you real data on the power (or lack thereof) of coupon publishers. Find it here: https://jebcommerce.com/lp/do-coupon-affiliates-drive-any-value/

The last 18 months have been some of the most challenging in our company’s history. Name an issue and you can bet we either dealt with it directly or through a client. We’re both fortunate and thankful to have emerged intact and thriving. However, this minor miracle wasn’t achieved without a lot of hard work, long hours, and a healthy dose of well-directed strategy.

In this episode, Jamie lays out the framework JEBCommerce used to navigate the troubled waters of leading and doing business during difficult times, and provides a real world example of how it could be used in your business. Be sure to give this one a listen as it may just help kick off a successful turnaround strategy.

Lastly, please keep in mind we’re here to help! If this topic piques your interest and a desire for more information, don’t hesitate to reach out at gethelp@jebcommerce.com. We’d be thrilled to hear from you and have an opportunity to help put you on the right path.

This is our second host rant, you read that right. I am ranting today! Ok, not really so much, but today I'm talking about something that can truly drive me crazy. The idea that we should be removing or stop working with affiliates in our affiliate programs because of their type or our self imposed categorization. What we really should be talking about is their performance markers (KPIs), the audience we get access to, and the customers we are actually receiving from them.

Let's focus on the performance, the hard data, and not our feelings. We make better affiliate management decisions.

I talk about an affiliate marketing study we put together at jebcommerce.com/value, that aggregates hard core data from all the major networks and publishers. It addresses consumer behavior and the types of customers coupon sites are actually driving. You have some amazing data at your fingertips to make great decisions. Don't miss out on this one!

And hey, we are always looking for more guests. Email gethelp@jebcommerce.com if you or someone you know should be on our show!

One of the greatest blessings I have from my career in affiliate marketing is to work with and get to know amazingly good people. Today’s guest is definitely one of those. Today I interview and chat with Alan Rapoport. Alan is currently the Datafeed Client Relationship Manager at FMTC and formerly the Co-Founder/COO/CFO and Director of Merchant Management at DealTaker.com. Alan has been in this business for 16 years and his background leads to some really great conversation.

In today’s episode Alan lays out the necessity of having an Innovator AND an Implementer in any start up and organization. You need the vision, and then you need someone who can execute that vision. We talk about the lessons learned from selling your business to buying it back and then selling it again and then we dive into the issues advertisers have with affiliate deal sites.

Alan has a tremendous amount of industry knowledge and experience and is one of the smartest guys I know. You definitely want to listen to this one all the way through.

Check out FMTC and find Alan on Linkedin.

In the intro and outro I talk about a free resource we have created for advertisers - our Affiliate Channel Accelerator Checklist. You need to scale your revenue and you need to do it profitably, but how do you know your program is set up to do just that? Well our checklist will help you identify the likelihood for profitable scalability. Check it out at www.jebcommerce.com/accelerator

Or 15th Episode! Today I talk with Brian Marcus, the Vice President of Global Marketing and Partnerships at TUNE. Brian and I go way back, we've both been in this industry for decades, navigated the same circles and have come really close to actually meeting many many times. But until we started this podcast, Brian and I haven't had the chance to actually meet. It's pretty crazy that we have so many common friends and acquaintances, been to so many of the same events, include TUNE events, and we hadn't actually met. Well I am glad we did, and I think the conversation we have will make you think that as well.

Brian and I dive into his career path and leadership lessons - Brian has worked at old school hundred year old catalogers, platforms, and one of the largest ecommerce companies on the planet. His experience both in breadth and depth is impressive.

We dive into incrementality of affiliate programs extensively and talk about some real interesting tests he has conducted with loyalty and coupon sites. You definitely want to listen to that section.

Brian brings a truly unique perspective to this podcast and I am so thankful he spent time with me this week.

You can find Brian on Linkedin and at TUNE.com.

Brian also wanted me to share TUNE's Ultimate Guide to Partner Marketing, their comprehensive guide to running an affiliate program. Go grab it today!

Today’s businesses require a diverse set of marketing disciplines to be truly effective. However, getting all of them and their practitioners to play nicely together can sometimes be a challenge. Have you encountered this yourself?

Whether you have or not, check out this episode of the podcast as Jamie interviews Faheem Dayala, Chief Digital Strategist at Shayr Digital. They get into some of the pitfalls today’s marketers face, the necessity of setting relevant KPIs and data tracking, and what happens when data is scrutinized for its own sake, a case of paralysis by analysis.

Our guest is industry veteran Blake Cantrell. Blake has several exciting stops in his career including Commission Junction, Impact, and Partnerize and he brings that unique perspective to the show.

We talk about career, how to make a decision to move on and most of all we dive into what makes up a good partnership and why they are so important to our channel and anyone's affiliate marketing endeavors.

As of the date of publishing of this episode, Blake is also looking for his next exciting opportunity. So if you are looking for some one to develop your partnership department or grow your partnerships, Blake is your guy. Oh, and if you are in the music industry, then definitely reach out to this passionate digital marketing and musician. You can reach Blake on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Jamie Birch delves into the critical aspect of alignment and tools for affiliates. Whether aiming for new customers, maximizing revenue, or prioritizing profit margins, providing affiliates with essential tools is paramount. Jamie covers key categories including tracking, reporting, incentives, compensation, consumer offers, creative, and content. Tune in to gain insights and strategies for optimizing affiliate programs effectively.

Lisa Riolo is a 20 year vet of the industry and Co-Founder of the affiliate technology Platform - Impact. We had a great conversation that spanned my adaptation to a co-working facility, how we are both navigating our current social climate, leadership lessons (hint hint - curiosity, empathy and potential are touchstones for her and performance marketing and where it is going.

We often don’t get the opportunity to thank individuals who played pivotal roles in our career, and today I do, so don’t miss that.

You definitely want to stay till the end as we talk about where the industry is going, the rise of affiliates really recognizing and flexing their power and our focus on the customer’s buyer journey and how that fits in with the future.

You can find Lisa on Linkedin and visit Impact for your affiliate tracking needs.

In the intro I share about one of our services, Affiliate Program Strategy Roadmap. If you’d like to find out how you can leverage our decades of experience to create a strategy for growth in your affiliate program, check out our service here http://jebco.de/strategy .

Top Tips

Sales is about mindset. Lisa mentions that she often hears people say they don’t enjoy “sales.” She explains that we are all in a way selling something – selling to, retaining or interfacing with customers. Lisa says to think of sales as helping someone make the decision that’s right for him or her. It’s not about your agenda, it’s about their agenda. You are simply giving them information so they can make the best decision possible. It’s all about educating people, and this runs across every vertical.

Reminder: Affiliates are brands, too. Lisa discusses her work to balance the affiliate marketing ecosystem. Her focus is on creating a partnership framework and methodology, while remaining respectful to the fact that Impact is a technology platform, not a network. She also reminds us that affiliates are their own brands, too. Lisa believes that the industry has let the pendulum swing too far towards the brands’ needs, rather than the affiliates or publishers. A platform should be an ecosystem that allows everybody to be able to partner successfully. This especially goes for those that have never participated in the performance space until now (like CNN, Buzzfeed, etc.). Publishers are true brands on their own and they should be viewed as equal.

The consumer experience needs to become the focus. Lisa drives home that a focus on the consumer experience is where everyone must head in this industry. Reflecting on how you market, the touch points in the path to purchase and how to put the consumer first is important. Lisa emphasizes that we must think about the touch points of engagement while a customer is trying to decide to buy or participate. Are you adding value directly to the customer when they are engaged with your company? As they transition throughout the journey, is there enough consistency to build a partnership?

In this episode Jamie Birch, the Founder of JEBCommerce, delves into the intriguing realm of affiliate publishers and their impact on your SEM marketing strategy. If you've ever wondered about the potential downsides of affiliates increasing your costs, cannibalizing customers, or complicating your other marketing channels, this episode is a must-listen.

Discover how working with SEM affiliates can be not just rewarding but highly successful. Jamie presents three key ways in which this collaboration can drive significant benefits:

• Expanding Your Presence on Familiar SERPs: Learn how SEM affiliates can help you secure more opportunities on search engine results pages (SERPs) where your brand is already visible, ultimately boosting your brand's online presence.
• Venturing into New SERPs: Explore how SEM affiliates can assist you in gaining visibility on SERPs where your brand isn't currently present, opening up new avenues for customer acquisition and growth.
• Leveraging Others' Budgets for Amplified Results: Jamie discusses the smart strategy of utilizing the budgets of affiliate partners to complement your own, achieving greater reach and impact without incurring additional costs.

This episode promises to be a valuable resource for businesses seeking to harness the full potential of SEM affiliates while mitigating potential challenges. Don't miss out on this insightful discussion that offers actionable insights for a more effective SEM marketing strategy.

My job allows provides me access to a very diverse mix of professionals in the performance marketing space. People of all different backgrounds, colors and creeds and all over the world. Today I'm blessed to have an insightful conversation with someone accross the pond - Mustafa Mirreh.

This conversation with Mustafa was a great one. Very informative as we dove into the Black Lives Matter movement and diversity in the performance marketing world, the things one needs to be concerned with in launching an international affiliate program and trends Mustafa sees coming down the pipe. I really appreciate Mustafa sharing his experience and insights especially on the social issues we are currently working through in the US and abroad. I learned a ton and can't thank Mustafa enough for bringing this conversation to the Profitable Performance Marketing podcast.

Definitely follow Mustafa's writing at PerformanceIn - https://performancein.com/

Follow him on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-mirreh-64807427/

And read the article on diversity he penned on Linkedin here - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/solidarity-what-real-change-can-we-do-industry-support-mustafa-mirreh/

And don't forget about our Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive ebook that we have available at https://jebcommerce.com/lp/affiliate-marketing-strategies-to-survive-and-thrive-in-the-current-climate/. We outline 19 strategies and tactics you can take now to be sure you'll make it through and find more success through this pandemic than you did before.

Also, one of our clients has been instrumental in our production of this podcast. If you are looking to start a podcast, check out www.rss.com. They have a great way to host your podcast and distribute it. It was so easy I had to contact them to see what else I needed to do. Turns out there was nothing!

Today I talk with Adam Weiss of Weiss Digital Consulting. Adam and I have known each other for about 15 years from his time at LinkShare (now Rakuten) and my time with Coldwater Creek. Adam has had a pretty incredible career in the affiliate space and loves working on the publisher side. We talk about Covid-19 and leadership through tumultuous times as well as running profitable programs and why many still look at the affiliate space with skepticism.

You can reach Adam at https://www.weissdigitalconsulting.com/

And don't forget to visit www.jebcommerce.com/strategies to get your 19 point guide (plus one extra tip) on how to survive and thrive in this current economic climate.

During a recent webinar hosted by our very own Director of Business Development, Jake Fuller, a viewer asked "how do I recruit more affiliates to join the program and help them convert more? I have hundreds joined my affiliate program but only one generates sales." What a great question! Our host, Jamie Birch, outlines an affiliate marketing farming strategy to help this individual grow sales right now.

Are you ready for a very bubbly and educational podcast episode? I hope you are because today we have one of my favorite guests on our podcast, and I think you’ll find her personality as joyful as I do. Diana Gee-Calingo is the current Sr. Affiliate Manager for Tailored Brands. You may have heard of their men’s clothing brands - Men’s Warehouse and Jos A Bank. I have and am also a customer. In fact, my first suit I ever bought to land my first job in the internet marketing space was a Men’s Warehouse suit!

Diana and I have a lively conversation about everything from cooking and baking (man I can’t wait to get some of her fresh baklava), to working remotely, to affiliate marketing and to working through a bankruptcy in the affiliate channel.

One of the highlights of the podcast is geared toward those who want to move upwards in their career. Diana lays out her strategy for advancement and it begins and ends with the word “yes”. Saying yes to just about every opportunity allowed her to take on projects, demonstrate success and get that next big gig.

She also dives into what she would want employers, leaders and managers to know about working remotely. Hint - it’s probably not what you think but it is a vital and may make a huge difference to how you manage your remote workforce.

And then for affiliates and affiliate managers. Diana and I talk about the nuances of managing an affiliate channel through a bankruptcy of the advertiser. There are some unique things you need to understand and rough waters you need to navigate, and Diana does a great job of laying those out.

You can connect with Diana on instagram - littled99, Linkedin

In this episode Jamie answers a question received from a listener last season: "How can we further support our internal efforts to move overstocked products through affiliate?" Here's a brief summary of what's covered:

1. The affiliate channel can definitely help move overstock inventory, in fact it is probably the best channel to do so

2. Communicate with your partners about these items through text links, product links, banners, newsletters, FMTC, and more

3. Create exclusives for top partners

4. Use these to recruit partners

5. Use these in an affiliate contest, and ...

6. Use these to recruit the important content publishers

Give it a listen and let us know what you think!

In this episode, Jamie Birch, Founder of JEBCommerce, welcomes special guests Nick Charrow, Director of Marketing, and Emma Wolff, Digital Marketing Manager at Princess Cruises. Together, they explore their unique origin stories and a myriad of marketing topics. From delving into the enigmatic "dark matter" of marketing to discussing its role as an expression of love and compassion, they navigate through the challenges and opportunities in the travel industry amidst and post-pandemic. The conversation also highlights the significance of testing and learning in marketing strategies, always centering around the consumer. Stay tuned for a follow-up episode with this dynamic team!

Stay in touch with Nick (LinkedIn) and Emma (LinkedIn)

Today on our podcast, we have Cary Pierce, Manager of Agency Services at Rakuten Adverising. Cary brings a unique perspective to our conversations as he has worked at almost every different type of player in the affiliate game. From agency to network and everything in between.

Our conversation spans reactions to covid, changes in the industry this year to how to plan for Q1 when we know very little will be the same compared to Q1 last year.

Cary also gives some great advice for new publishers and advertisers that have come to the affiliate channel since the pandemic started:

Publishers:

• Get as much info as you can

• Have conversations - everyone is very helpful in this space and when you win everyone wins

• Have as many conversations as you can

• Reach out to your advertisers and work together to optimize your efforts

• Know your audience

• Share that knowledge with your advertisers

Advertisers:

• It’s really just one thing. You need a good and competent captain at the helm of your affiliate program. You can’t set it and forget it.

Get ahold of Cary at carypierce@rakuten.com

Also, check out Rakuten Advertising's Cyber Week Recap.

And don't forget to visit www.jebcommerce.com/strategies to get your 19 point guide (plus one extra tip) on how to survive and thrive in this current economic climate.

Are you testing your affiliate program tracking? Today our CEO, Jamie Birch, talks about the importance of testing your affiliate program to ensure all areas are tracking correctly, his exact tracking protocol and procedure, and how to make sure your channel has 100% integrity in tracking all affiliate orders.

In this episode I cover what has become a topic of some concern for advertisers: influencers. Over the last two years advertisers have really wanted their affiliate channels to not only drive bottom-of-funnel sales, but share in more top of funnel acquisition efforts. This has lead to a stronger push toward folding content creators and influencers into their affiliate programs.

Tune in to find out how the landscape of affiliate marketing is evolving and how we're addressing these changes. Don't get left behind!

Join Jake Fuller, CEO at JEBCommerce, in this engaging episode of the Profitable Performance Marketing Podcast as he interviews Will Fraser, the Head of /advocate at impact.com. They delve into the nuanced differences between referral and affiliate programs and the significance of brand ambassadors. Will shares insights from his journey from social media promotions to developing a sophisticated referral platform that evolved into /advocate at impact.com. Expect a lively discussion on incentives, common pitfalls, and best practices in referral marketing, ensuring loyal customers become your product's top referrers. Whether you're looking to retain customers or attract new ones, this episode is a treasure trove of practical advice and strategic brilliance. Tune in to learn how understanding these dynamics can transform your marketing strategy without running headfirst into a wall of confusion.

Join us as we catch up with Michael McNerny, the founder of Martech Record, the first objective industry publisher in the affiliate space. Three years after its launch, we delve into the developments and the future of AI in reviews, along with various topics surrounding B2B affiliate marketing.

In this episode, Michael shares insights on different monetization strategies and leveraging technology like Slack and webinars to foster community engagement within the B2B sphere. We also revisit the premier buyer's guide on networks and technology platforms, a cornerstone of Martech Record's offerings.

• Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
• Explore Martech Record
• Listen to the Smooth Operator Podcast

Ready to navigate the maze of affiliate marketing without bumping into common pitfalls? In this engaging episode of the Profitable Performance Marketing Podcast, host Jake Fuller chats with Tara McCommons, VP of Sales and Marketing at LinkConnector. Tara shares insider insights from her 20-year stint in the affiliate marketing game, focusing on the blunders that keep merchants from achieving top-tier success in the affiliate channel. Spoiler alert: it’s not just about throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks. Think human connection, consistent communication, and a generous sprinkle of strategic planning. Tara emphasizes the power of personal connections, suggesting that merchants engage and communicate with affiliates with a personal touch. It’s all about authenticity, folks! They also delve into the importance of site optimization, resource allocation, and the sheer magic of a solid value proposition. So, tune in for a lively conversation peppered with sharp insights – just the motivation you need to sidestep those rookie mistakes and shine brighter than your competitors.

Today I speak with Andy Hohl, Brand Partnerships and Sales at MagicLinks. As Public Relations and Affiliate Marketing continue to merge, we at JEBCommerce try to bring you the conversations that will help you navigate this brave new world. And this is just one of those conversations.

MagicLinks is an influencer platform, working with over 25,000 influencers and 4500 brands. Andy and I discuss best practices in working with MagicLinks, their influencers, and integrating affiliate marketing and PR in this way.

Andy has been working in PR and Affiliate Marketing for over a decade and has seen the transition and the integration of these two channels happen for some time. Needless to say, he has some great insight.

If you are trying to navigate this new thing, this is definitely the episode for you.

Want to contact Andy? Follow him on LinkedIn or email.

22 year digital marketing vet, Don Batsford Jr., is today’s guest on the Profitable Performance Marketing Podcast. I met Don while he owned and operated 31 Media, a search agency and one of the best known search affiliates in the space.

Currently Don is Head of Industry at Google, working with some of the largest advertisers in the space. He and his team help them optimize their campaigns across Google’s products.

Don and I talk about the 3 universal truths, action items marketers can take, the impact of machine learning on our world and on our marketing and some key leadership lessons he has learned over the years. You are going to love this episode.

You can contact don at Linkedin and Twitter.

And don’t forget, we put together a case study focused on controlling customer acquisition costs. This case study highlights the commission structure, technology utilization and promotional strategies we use for our clients’ affiliate programs to help them increase their overall revenue while reducing their cost of acquisition. It can be done, and we outline that in this case study. Go to www.jebcommerce.com/acquisitioncost to get your strategy today.

Seahawks football, biscuits and cinnamon rolls and affiliate marketing? Yes, that is all on today’s show. Today I have a conversation with Joe Sousa, Manager - Affiliate Marketing - North America at Fanatics, Inc. Like many other guests, I’ve known Joe for probably 10 years or more and I’m excited to have him on the podcast.

Today we talk about all things affiliate marketing. We dive into his time as an affiliate, successfully for 15 years, and his transition to managing affiliate programs. Joe’s career has spanned being a publisher, working at an affiliate management agency and now working for one of the top affiliate programs in the Sports category, maybe in any category, Fanatics.com.

This unique history and perspective brings a lot of value to conversations around:

• Affiliate optimization tactics

• Content site development

• Why relationships are so important in affiliate marketing

• And much more

Give this one a listen today.

And if you need help with your affiliate program - gethelp@jebcommerce.com

Today's episode features a conversation with Vanessa Isaacson, Director of Account Development at AvantLink. Vanessa has one of the most interesting origin stories in affiliate marketing, you definitely need to hear it.

Jamie and Vanessa cover trends in the space, the popularity of the channel, new emerging affiliate publishers and more.

The discussion around EPC was very unique as well and definitely shows the importance of utilizing every part of your affiliate channel to grow customer acquisition. Have you thought about increasing your EPC so you are more attractive to big and vital affiliate publishers? Have you thought about adding certain partners to increase your EPC so you are more attractive? Perhaps not, but Jamie and Vanessa discuss that today!

To contact Vanessa, follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-isaacson-4840b97/

Today I talk with Tiara Rea-Palmer, Director of Partnerships at CouponFollow.com. In addition to discussing her career path and how she found Affiliate Marketing, we dive into all things coupon affiliate, including the common perception of coupon affiliates.

Tiara shares, in great detail, the many ways CouponFollow can promote brands, how they use content to drive traffic, and how they can test campaigns to drive the right KPI for any brand.

We also talk a ton about consumer behavior shifts since the beginning of the pandemic, how coupon affiliates need to change, and how to take advantage of the current economic climate.

So, if you are interested in knowing more about CouponFollow or wondering about how to incorporate coupon affiliates into your mix, this episode is for you.

If you'd like to contact Tiara, reach her on Linkedin!

In this week's episode, Jake dives into the evolution of affiliate marketing with Adam Weiss, the President of North America at AWIN Global. Adam, a seasoned expert with over two decades in the industry, discusses his career transition to AWIN, the innovative strides the company is making, and the ongoing transformation within the affiliate marketing space. They explore how affiliate channels have matured, integrating various marketing strategies like PR, influencer collaborations, and content creation. Adam highlights how affiliate partnerships can drive significant growth and efficiency for brands. They also touch upon the importance of networks staying ahead of technological advancements and the need for educating the C-suite about the value of affiliate marketing. Get ready for an insightful conversation packed with industry nuggets!

Today I get to talk to long time industry Vet, and Senior Affiliate Marketing Manager at Zoro, Julia Hochstein. Julia started her career in sales at Career Builder and spent some time with some pretty well known brands - Group and Commission Junction. So her experience really speaks for herself and I was super excited to have her on as a guest.

Our topics ranged quite a bit today and all of them are gold. Julia had a child pre-covid and during the pandemic and we discuss the differences as a working mom and how important the new found flexibility she found because of the WFH need to her being a mom and a professional.

We also talked about the wage gap. You definitely want to listen to this section. Julia shared something with me that blew me away and showed how when we start on an inequitable foundation we are building a system that propagates that inequality. Don’t get triggered by what I just wrote, give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Then we dove into affiliate marketing and discussed topics like

• We need to stop apologizing for the problems with our channel. SEO’s and Paid Search Managers don’t.

• Characteristics of a great affiliate manager

• Why it’s important to focus on the audience, and not how we feel about a particular category of affiliates

• The importance of understanding the customer’s path to purchase

• How consumers are using loyalty, cash back and coupon sites to augment their search or even start their purchasing process

Julia was amazing on this podcast and I’m so glad we had a chance to talk. You can follow her on linkedin for more.

In this episode, Jamie Birch sits down with Parrish Essell, the Agency New Business Manager at ShareASale, for a deeper look into the evolving landscape of affiliate marketing, how consumer awareness impacts brands and program management, and the significance of attribution and available tools. Exploring influencer marketing best practices and the vital role of relationship building, Jamie also asks Parrish about her insights on how agencies can streamline collaboration with platforms like ShareASale. Don't miss out on this insightful conversation offering valuable perspectives on what's current in the world of affiliate marketing.

In an age of quick convenience and immediate satisfaction, improving or emphasizing the quality of your product offering may help put distance between you and the also-rans. In this episode I share a personal anecdote that highlights the importance of quality as a differentiator and the hurdles more discerning consumers are willing clear in order access it.

In this episode, Jamie engages in an insightful conversation with Cary Pierce, the Director of Agency Services at Rakuten Advertising. With a decade-long history, Cary makes his second appearance on the Profitable Performance Marketing Podcast.

As they share their shirts of the day, the duo delves into Rakuten's groundbreaking release, Audience Engine (more at Rakuten publisher help center). This innovative tool empowers publishers to present real-time, personalized offers to users, with a focus on distinguishing between new and existing customers. The potential impact on growing a new customer base through the affiliate channel is simply monumental.

For further details, explore the release at Rakuten Advertising's Media and Press and find additional information in their publisher help center here.

Connect with Cary on LinkedIn here.

Don't miss out on this episode, as Jamie and Cary explore the transformative potential of Rakuten's Audience Engine in reshaping affiliate marketing.

Should I be paying for placements on affiliate sites? Do I even know what that is? Today I talk about the concept of purchasing real estate on affiliate publishers' sites and how it all works. From finding them, to pitfalls to avoid, to setting each one up for success and even what to do when they don't work. We talk about it all on today's episode.

One of my favorite things about the Profitable Performance Marketing podcast is that I get to sit down and talk with some of my favorite people in the industry, people I consider friends and have known for decades. Tony is one of those and he joins me today.

Tony Pantano is the CEO of IMWave. I've known Tony for over a decade and IMWave’s founder, Adeam Viener for two decades. Tony is a great guy, upstanding individual and the kinda civic leader that I wish I could say I was. Tony loves challenges, and we talk about one large one he’s taken on this year, that of School Board Member. The first few minutes we discuss his experience with the pandemic as a member of a school board in Pennsylvania. I think you’ll find the discussion enlightening. Great job Tony, and thank you for stepping up and stepping out to serve your community.

Then we dive into search and affiliate. Tony shares some big success stories and the difference between trademark plus and what IMWave does. Hint hint, they don’t do trademark plus search bidding.

If you are looking for a partner to augment your search budget, cooperatively help you and your search team drive new incremental sales through your affiliate channel, then you definitely want to listen.

We also talk about these misconceptions:

• IMWave does trademark plus bidding

• “My search program is hitting everything available”

• You can’t have a search affiliate and a search term work together

• A Search affiliate will cannibalize your current program

• And more

If you want to reach out to Tony, you can email him at tonyATimwave.com

In the intro I share about one of our services, Affiliate Program Strategy Roadmap. If you’d like to find out how you can leverage our decades of experience to create a strategy for growth in your affiliate program, check out our service here http://jebco.de/strategy .

So far my guests have all been friends and colleague for many years and some of the best people I have had the pleasure of knowing. Dave is no different. Dave is the founder of Brandverity, recently acquired by Partnerize. And he is a great human being, serial entrepreneur (my words not his), great father and husband and an Air-force vet. Thank you again for your service Dave!

Dave and my conversation runs the gamut from growing a company and growing a family, going through the acquisition process, leading a company through turbulence and the acquisition and the technology he developed to help the industry keep things clean and profitable at Brandverity. I think you'll enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

And don't forget about our Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive ebook that we have available at https://jebcommerce.com/lp/affiliate-marketing-strategies-to-survive-and-thrive-in-the-current-climate/. We outline 19 strategies and tactics you can take now to be sure you'll make it through and find more success through this pandemic than you did before.

Also, one of our clients has been instrumental in our production of this podcast. If you are looking to start a podcast, check out www.rss.com. They have a great way to host your podcast and distribute it. It was so easy I had to contact them to see what else I needed to do. Turns out there was nothing!

The title says it all, really. If your brand doesn’t already have a functioning affiliate marketing channel, you may be missing out on a variety of opportunities including staying competitive with rival brands! If this describes your situation, tune in as we cover seven compelling reasons why you simply cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.

Whether you've just taken the reins of your affiliate channel or it's been a while since you've given it the attention it deserves, and you're looking to revamp your results, returning to the fundamentals is a fantastic strategy to kick-start or revitalize your affiliate program.

In this insightful solo episode, our host, Jamie Birch, guides you through the five essential actions you can take today to revamp your affiliate management:

1. Affiliate Application Approvals: Streamline the process of approving new affiliate applications, ensuring you have a well-vetted and motivated group of partners.
2. Craft Your Recruitment Language: Craft compelling and effective recruitment messaging to attract quality affiliates. For inspiration, check out this article: The Perfect Affiliate Recruitment Email.
3. Run a Report and Know Your Producing Affiliates: Dive into your data and get acquainted with the affiliate publishers who are delivering results for your program.
4. Connect with Your Producing Publishers on LinkedIn: Foster stronger relationships with your top-performing affiliates by connecting with them on LinkedIn, enhancing your partnership.
5. Review Your Creative: Evaluate and update your creative materials to ensure they are fresh, appealing, and aligned with your brand's messaging.

Jamie provides step-by-step guidance for each of these critical actions, helping you get your affiliate program on the right track and set the stage for a more successful and rewarding journey in affiliate management. Don't miss out on this episode—it's your key to revitalizing your affiliate program!

This is our first podcast in our travel series. With so much up in the air with COVID-19 and travel being hit so acutely and globally, I wanted to interview experts on all sides of the affiliate equation in this industry segment.

Cory is a vlogger and an affiliate of one of our travel clients, Contiki.com. And boy is his story amazing. Every time I get the opportunity to travel around the US and globally, all I can think of is quitting my job and traveling the world. How many of us have though of that?

Well, Corey has done it. A 400 day trip around the world on one Contiki trip after another. Unfortunately, COVID-19 cut it short at day 304.

Corey and I talk about his journey from employee to affiliate and all of his travels. We also dive into what he needs from an advertiser to be successful. We also talk about what he is doing now to continue to grow his audience and that of his advertisers while travel is challenging at best.

His video's are amazing, edited very well and will 100% guaranteed make you want to take a Contiki trip and get you seriously thinking about arranging your life to go travel for year!

Check out his videos here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFOJni34hLVYfZJjpHzyZ-w

And don't forget about our Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Survive and Thrive ebook that we have available at https://jebcommerce.com/lp/affiliate-marketing-strategies-to-survive-and-thrive-in-the-current-climate/. We outline 19 strategies and tactics you can take now to be sure you'll make it through and find more success through this pandemic than you did before.

Also, one of our clients has been instrumental in our production of this podcast. If you are looking to start a podcast, check out www.rss.com. They have a great way to host your podcast and distribute it. It was so easy I had to contact them to see what else I needed to do. Turns out there was nothing!