New Campaigns + AOR Relationship

It's been a while since I posted, but I wanted to throw up some updates that occurred recently.

The first one would have to be the new relationship we have with the advertiser that brought us the Wu Yi Tea campaign almost a year ago. They are now branding themselves as JustThink Media and are aggressively moving outside of the diet frontier into niches like Credit Report, Grants and Biz Opp. With this expansion, Advaliant has been assigned the AOR (Agency of Record) for these campaigns, which essentially means we are the gateway for other networks/agencies to get access to them.

Here are the details of these campaigns, which are priced ultra-competitively in the market.

#1933 - Government Funded Grants - $35.00
Offer converts on the third page. No Co-reg or Incentives allowed. Open to USA and international traffic Canada, UK & Australia. View Landing Page Here.

#1934 - Earn Google Cash - $35.00
Offer converts on the third page. No Co-reg or incentives allowed. Open to USA and international traffic Canada, UK & Australia. View Landing Page Here.

#1935 - Ebay Cash Flow System - $35.00
Offer converts on the third page. No Co-reg or incentives allowed. Open to USA and international traffic Canada, UK & Australia. View Landing Page Here.

PROMOTION ANNOUNCEMENT: There is a 10% bonus on all traffic to these three offers from Tuesday, October 28 at 9am (EST) to Tuesday, November 4th at 9am (EST). This is a minimum of $3.50/lead bonus!

Also, For those of you going to ad:tech NYC, hit me up. We are co-sponsoring a party at Room Service in New York on Monday night. Should be a memorable event!

NEW Ultra Tea Contest for August

Here we go again folks, offer #1654 - Ultra Green Tea just keeps giving...

Grand Prize - Worth $5K!
Samsung 50” Plasma, a PS3 & Bose Surround Sound System

2nd Prize - Worth $3K!
LG 42” LCD, Bose Surround Sound & a Nintendo Wii

3rd Prize - Worth $2K!
LG 37”, Yamaha Digital Sound & a Nintendo Wii



Full details are here - good luck... again!

Affiliate Summit - Worth Going?

With the 2008 Affiliate Summit East in Boston just around the corner, I thought I’d share a few reasons why I think this event is a must attend for all types of affiliate marketers and especially for those who have never attended before.

As an Affiliate Manager, I’ve attended about eight conferences and shows over my three years being active in the industry. These includes ad:tech, SES and ASE/ASW. With around 2500 attendees and growing, the 3-day Affiliate Summit is the most relevant and focused show around affiliate marketing.

Here are a few why reasons why you should attend:

1. You’ll get to meet your Affiliate Manager face to face and become much more than just an Affiliate ID, as you build a more personal relationship.

2. You’ll learn more useful information in one day just hanging out with other affiliates than you will reading 10 e-books.

3. The parties and special events are where some the best networking takes place and where you definitely pick up the juiciest tips.

4. You’ll get access to the most current information on the latest campaigns, trends and promotions methods that are actually working in the marketplace.

5. You’ll be able to participate in interactive educational sessions from many of the industry leaders and find out the latest scoop on relevant topics in order to grow your business.

6.And oh yeah, some of the free swag from the exhibits can be pretty sweet!

Consider the cost of time and money in attending the Summit as one of the best investments you can make as an affiliate when it comes to ROI. I’ve talked to many affiliates who have attended in the past, and their only regret is not attending sooner.

Getting the edge in this industry is all about having access to the right information. By building a network of people around you that you can trust (and that understand your trials and tribulations) you’ll be ready to take your business to the next level – and the Affiliate Summit is full of people with the expertise and connections you are looking for.

Want Higher Payouts?

A while ago, I did a guest post for Bernard Griffiths - www.bernardgriffiths.com an affiliate of mine, about how to get higher payouts from your affiliate manager. Thought I'd post it here as well for anyone who hasn't read it.

As an affiliate manager, one of the most common questions I get asked from my affiliates is “can I get a payout increase on XYZ campaign?” While it’s understandable that everybody in the industry wants to get the max payout on the campaigns they are running, the reality is that most affiliates out there aren’t getting top payouts. That being said, there are some things you “the money hungry affiliate” can say and do in order to get that payout boost. Note: “Because my mom said so!” is not a very convincing reason. So coming from the performance based marketing world I live in, at a CPA network called Advaliant - here are the key things I always consider before approving payout increase requests from my publishers.

1. Account History – Past performance is a big factor I look at when making a decision whether to give you a bump. If you’ve been getting traction on an offer by producing consistent quality leads, then you are sending positive signals to me that you are a performer and to be taken seriously. Time your request once you have some momentum and stats to back up, and not until then. As long as the traffic you’ve been sending is quality, I’ll always want to help get more volume on it with you. Bottom line: once you have a proven track record, it’s a lot easier to ask for more.

2. Future Potential – I often look at the “perceived potential” of an affiliate to evaluate whether or not they deserve an increase. If I know that you do a lot of business at other networks or if you come highly recommended from a trusted source, I’ll be more receptive to your requests. If you are a new affiliate with me, you might want to prove your worthiness by showing me examples of what you have done elsewhere on other networks. For example; I’ve had affiliates send me screenshots of their activity on their search accounts or network rankings. Not saying you need to do this, but you will have to show and prove some kind potential if you have a weak or non-existent history with me and are basically coming out of nowhere. Bottom line: put yourself in my shoes, and ask yourself what the future potential of “you” is…

3. Goal Oriented Requests - It helps a lot to link your request to a specific outcome. For example, let me know that if I give you a “x” payout bump on a campaign, you’ll be able to likely drive “y” in increased lead volume and therefore “z” more in revenue. Be reasonable and logical with your calculations here in terms of what you are realistically capable of. If you are a search affiliate and have limited budgets for each campaign, let me know how the increase will help you crank more volume. Bottom line: whatever you request, don’t create a big expectation gap or you’ll have an even harder time getting an increase in the future.

4. Campaign Competitiveness – If you know another reputable network has the same campaign at a higher payout, you can use this as leverage in your negotiation with me. We always want to play on a level playing field with other networks out there on the same campaigns. But, I don’t want to hear that some shady network out there offered you a higher payout, when behind the scenes you are getting scrubbed like crazy. Just make sure you compare apples to apples when naming other networks out there with the same campaign. Bottom line: The more information/intelligence you have about a campaign, the better you can present your case to me.

5. Relationship Status – I’m not talking about whether you are single, married or on the prowl here. What I mean is essentially “how good is our relationship together?” The strength of our relationship will play a significant role when considering all of your requests, including payout increases. When the relationship is founded on trust with a longer term focus, I’m more apt to think of the big picture with you. This means I’ll be more willing to fight for you to get whatever you want. It’s not uncommon for my “inner circle” affiliates to get extra things from me – like high level tips, extra focus, more access to me (like my cell phone number and evening support), custom gifts and more! Bottom line: Spend some quality time building relationships with people that have an influence on your success – like your affiliate manager!

Keep in mind, that whether or not you are successful with getting a payout increase, there are other things you can ask for from your affiliate manager. These include better payment terms, custom creative and landing pages, detailed performance data and a genuine kick in the pants. We’re here to help you make as money as you can (in the shortest amount of time) and our success is hinged upon yours! If you ever get the opportunity to meet your affiliate manager in person at a conference or event, take it. (And the bill is always on us by the way!)

NEW Ultra Tea Contest for July

Ok, so the latest contest from Ultra Green Tea at Advaliant is now underway. It runs the whole month of July and there are 31 prizes this time worth a total of $18,500. They must be insane, really. The top prize is a Honda crotch rocket worth $6000 and 2 more amazing awards for 2nd and 3rd place worth $5000 plus a ton of cash prizes. Good luck to all of you on this one. Check out the flyer below for more details...

There are several tiers this time, check it out...

Platinum level - Reach 1000+ in sign ups

1st prize – Honda Motor Bike Valued at $6,000
2nd prize – Trip to Vegas Valued at $3000
3rd prize – Cruise GetAway Valued at $2000
4th prize - $1000 in Cash

Gold Level – Reach 500 to 999 in sign ups

1st prize - $650 in Cash
2nd prize – $550 in Cash
3rd prize - $450 in Cash
4th prize - $350 in Cash
5th prize – 250 in Cash

6th prize - $200 in Cash

Silver Level – Reach 0 to 499 in sign ups

1st prize $150 cash
2nd prize $150 cash
3rd prize $150 cash
4th prize $150 cash
5th prize $100 cash
6th prize $100 cash
7th prize $100 cash
8th prize $100 cash
9th prize$100 cash
10th prize $100 cash
11th prize $100 cash
12th prize $75
13th prize$75
14th prize $75
15th prize $75

Newbies can win too

1st prize - $500 cash
2nd prize $350 cash
3rd prize $150 cash

Ultra Tea June Contest Winners!

Well, it's official, the Ultra Green Tea contest we held for June is over and we have the winners! There was definitely some good drama and while we had a clear winner, the rest of the positions had some surprises. We also hit our network goal for the month (which was a crazy number), so thanks again to everyone who participated! Anyways, here are the winners by lead count and the cash prizes they will be credited...

#1 - 7025 leads - $2500
#2 - 2028 leads - $1500
#3 - 1343 leads - $1000
#4 - 1110 leads - $750
#5 - 859 leads - $500
#6 - 661 leads - $300
#7 - 611 leads - $150
#8 - 468 leads - $100
#9 - 422 leads - $100
#10 - 399 leads - $100
#11 - 363 leads - $100
#12 - 318 leads - $100
#13 - 313 leads - $100
#14 - 235 leads - $100
#15 - 205 leads - $100
#16 - 185 leads - $100
#17 - 182 leads - $100
#18 - 169 leads - $100
#19 - 134 leads - $100
#20 - 132 leads - $100
#21 - 131 leads - $100
#22 - 128 leads - $100

So who's ready for the July Contest (which is already underway)? Details to follow shortly, but it's going to be even better!

Advaliant ASE Exclusive Event

Boston Affiliate Summit East 2008

If you are planning on going to Boston for the Affiliate Sumitt East in August, Advaliant has cooked up something special for our performing affiliates. We are hosting a pre-show Fishing & Dinner excursion just before the event. It's going to be a great opportunity to meet me and our team, plus a boat load full of great affiliates.

Here's the Bait...

We've made arrangements for a custom coach to pick you up from the Boston Seaport Hotel in Boston at 11:15 AM on Saturday and deliver you to the Docks on Plum Island. From there we'll board the 78 Foot Captains Lady for a 4-hour fishing trip. Beer, food, bait, and fishing rods will be at the ready. Bring your camera if you want to catch a snapshot of a few whales... (we aren't just talking about the affiliate kind). When we return we'll share some stories over dinner in Newburyport http://www.newburyportchamber.org/ one of New England's most talked about coastal seaport villages. After dinner, you can explore the historic downtown Newburyport scene, hoist a beer at one the many local watering holes or just take a stroll on the boardwalk. At 10 PM the custom coach will be waiting to carry you back to the Boston Seaport Hotel.

The Details

When: Saturday, August 9th
Time: 11:15 AM at the Seaport Hotel
Return Time: 10PM

Here's the Boat - the Captain's Lady

The Catch

Because space is limited we can only accommodate 60 guests. So let me know if you are interested (and deserving) of attending. I look forward to meeting those of you coming, it's going to be a legendary event!