Nate Beal, marketing manager in the telecommunications industry, joined me to chat on my podcast, This is Affiliate Marketing with Shawn Collins. I wanted to learn more about the real Nate, so I asked him a variety of questions I figured he had not been asked in previous interviews. Topics included… His hobby of photographing trains Working at Cedar Point Listen to the Detroit Tigers on the radio as a kid Model trains Sporting events and COVID-19 Cooking with an air fryer Links from this episode Nate on Facebook Nate on LinkedIn Nate on Twitter The post Nate Beal on Trains, Working at an ..read more

Kimberly Juchnowski, who runs Webhead New Media joined me to chat on my podcast, This is Affiliate Marketing with Shawn Collins. I wanted to learn more about the real Kimberly, so I asked her a variety of questions I figured she had not been asked in previous interviews. Topics included… Spending time with elephants Exploring Southeast Asia Becoming disoriented over food during quarantine Still using a Blackberry No longer having toilet paper on the roll Speaking French and Thai Being known as Webhead Links from this episode Kimberly on Facebook Kimberly on LinkedIn Whole Health 360 on Ins ..read more

I started the whole personal branding/social media thing when I was sixteen years old… never with the intention of building a business from it. Six years, 200,000+ followers, and a six-figure business later, and here we are. Having helped hundreds of people build an engaged audience (of buyers) on social media, I have identified nine key steps to making it happen. This process is what I call ‘The Impact Triangle’. In this article, I’m going to share TIA with you, and how you can use it to dominate social media. Please realize that you need to do these nine things in order. You can only mo ..read more

Peer-to-peer marketing is the fastest growing channel for brands, and it’s no surprise. The “power of the peer” has now proven up to 79% of online purchases made today with conversion rates on average of 10-12%. Moreover, 70% of millennials prefer peer recommendations over celebrity endorsements because they are regarded as more authentic. Trust among friends Everyone reading this article loves some products and services they use on a daily basis. Even just last night, you may have been bragging to your friends via social media about a product you use, a service you’ve experienced, or a r ..read more

Most marketers are expanding the use of influencers in their marketing efforts. Influencer marketing is a great practice that can yield exceptional results, both in terms of growth and sales. However, there are several approaches to influencer marketing, and it can be difficult to identify the best methods to implement in order to develop a successful campaign. One of the areas where it is common to see marketers struggle is in the influencer selection process. Misconceptions exist when it comes to what constitutes an influencer. The term simultaneously means a lot and nothing. What is an ..read more

Today’s technology has empowered people to manage their own finances with a click of a few buttons, either from their mobile device or personal computer. This has also created a huge shift in how consumers select their service providers. The millennial generation no longer cares about which mortgage provider their parents may have pledged their loyalty to for 30-plus years—what millennials care about is who “the best mortgage provider” is according to a Google search. In fact, due to the influx of millennial buyers into the market, borrowers are almost four times more likely to find their ..read more

Creating definitive program guidelines for your influencers will result in a clear understanding of deliverables, timelines, and campaign objectives. The Checklist There is one very specific item that separates successful influencer campaigns from those that underperform; organization. Influencer programs that are well organized and establish clear guidelines will be appreciated by your influencers. The creation of a clear action plan will go a long way when it comes to ensuring optimal delivery of quality content in a timely and organized manner. For the purposes of this discussion, we w ..read more

No business converts 100% of its prospects. And no affiliate partner expects a business to have a flawless funnel. However, there are many popular SaaS conversion practices and leaks that actually hinder your affiliate partners from helping them drive new customers to your product or services. 1. Stop Offering Freemium Only Options Many SaaS companies force all new prospects/users to go through a freemium account in order to upgrade to a paid account vs. allowing their users to buy directly off their website with a paid plan. But this practice isn’t enticing to affiliates who are compensa ..read more

Having the right partners involves nurturing relationships across the entire partnership lifecycle. This includes identifying partners that are the right fit to work with your brand to recruitment, onboarding, and education, and from there, activation and engagement, growth and optimization, and of course, analysis. Whether it’s through affiliates, mobile apps, influencers, publishers, or any other type of partnership, a partner program can be one of the most powerful tools for generating revenue. Here are four tips for how to get the channel partner lifecycle right: Identify Partners are ..read more

I started as an affiliate marketer in 2007 — before I knew much about social media. Being out of work at the time, it was affiliate marketing that helped me to survive. Still an affiliate for several companies today, I love showing other small business owners how they can add an additional stream of passive income to their business simply by blogging about products they use on a regular basis. How to Get Started as an Affiliate By now, you should know what your niche is and who your target audience is. If you don’t know either of these, you will need to figure that out first. Knowing yo ..read more