by Lisa Picarille on August 23, 2010
Once again Affiliate Summit did not disappoint. I attended the conference in New York City last week and found it an invaluable tool for catching up with clients, getting some new leads and educating myself on the most-pressing issues in the affiliate space.
Shawn Collins and Missy Ward put on the best show in the industry and the event continues to grow (more than 3,500 attendees in NYC). And as always, Affiliate Summit offers so many educational opportunities. Although I attended several amazing sessions, I also missed way too many. It’s just too easy to get caught in the hallways or exhibit hall and get sucked into interesting conversations. Luckily, I had a Platinum pass, which means that I will have access to see the videos of the sessions I missed. I can’t wait to start viewing those sessions. They are usually available about 3 to 4 weeks following the show, which gives me just enough time to implement what I did learn, before I have more to do.
The keynotes this year were exceptional. I knew just a little about Frank Luntz’s work as an author, consultant and pollster before Summit. Luntz’s specialty is testing language and finding words that will help his clients sell their product or change opinions on candidates. His keynote gave me a lot to think about. Being a 20+ year journalist and writer, I may be biased about a keynote focusing on words that work since I’m a word nerd.
Jim Kukral’s keynote was also a treat. Total disclaimer here, Jim is a long time friend of mine, a collaborator on several projects with me and the co-author with me of the upcoming book (The Ultimate Pitch: 17 Surefire Strategies to Get Exactly What You Want in Work & Life - Wiley & Sons).
Jim set out to challenge the audience to have the career they want. I think he accomplished that. I was inspired to be even more of a “doer”. I felt energized and coupled with also reading Jim’s new book (Attention: This Book Will Make You Money) I am really motivated and inspired.
In addition, I was also honored to be part of Jim’s Affiliate Super Friends, a group that he contacted to help him spread the word about the launch of his book a few weeks ago. The email thread morphed into something more and GTO Management’s Karen Garcia made an entire website dedicated to the Affiliate Super Friends and then turned everyone into super heroes by sewing capes for us. Karen is truly amazing.
At the conference I heard some truly inspiring ideas for new businesses that are in the works (I’ll be able to say more about some of them very soon). Many of them take advantage of blogs, social networks and gaps left by the networks for additional tracking. I am always blown away by how clever and savvy affiliates are. Affiliates move quickly, seize opportunities and make things happen. There are doers.
I also saw a lot of third party tools, which for me signifies the maturation of the industry. While, some observers may still regard affiliate marketing as the Wild West, in my opinion the industry has come of age. There is no doubt it is a viable, growing industry that delivers – a trait that guarantees affiliate marketing will be around for years to come. I look forward to seeing it evolve and grow.
by Lisa Picarille on August 10, 2010
Hellooo….?
Ahem, are you listening to me?
If you’re anything like me or most marketers you are trying to get your message out there, but not always sure people are listening, reacting or taking action. Hell, they may not have even heard you. But just screaming louder to rise above the glut of noise out there is not the answer
My friend Jim Kukral knows how to get positive attention and wrote a book to share his awesome attention getting strategies. Attention: This Book Will Make You Money came out today to rave reviews. It’s not just a hey-look-at-me approach to capturing attention, but tips, tricks, proven-techniques, and off-the wall buzz-worthy ideas that can make you money. Yes, money. Who doesn’t want more of that?
I’ve been following the blog and I can’t wait to read the book and put some of the ideas into action. I’m also looking forward to seeing Jim give the keynote at Affiliate Summit East 2010 next week in New York. I’ll be in the front row cheering him on (or maybe heckling, depending on how late I was out the night before).
In the spirit of full disclosure, Jim is my co-author on The Ultimate Pitch: 17 Sure-Fire Strategies for Getting Exactly What You Want in Work & Life. The book is due out from Wiley & Sons in the spring of 2011. Because Jim and I are working together have even more first-hand knowledge that he is one smart dude who knows how to get attention. I am listening to him.
by Lisa Picarille on August 5, 2010
I always get excited about the Affiliate Summit conference – especially when it’s on the East Coast and New York City in particular. It’s my chance to head back east and get snoot full of that heat and humidity and hustle and bustle that I miss so much.
Actually, it’s my big opportunity to catch up with old friends from the affiliate marketing space and meet plenty of new ones. I’m particularly excited about a bunch of things that are happening at or around the show.
The Audience Conference: It’s being held at the iconic comedy club Caroline’s in Manhattan. In addition to a spectacular lineup of speakers, there is a chance for attendees to step on the famous stage and see if they can make the crowd laugh. I’ve signed up for the open mike and my 2 minutes of shame (Maybe fame. Doubtful, but fingers crossed). I’m taking a red-eye from California and land only an hour before the event begins. Hopefully, I’ll be rested and ready for my comic debut. [click to continue…]
by Lisa Picarille on July 30, 2010
This week on the Affiliate Thing podcast, Shawn Collins and I talk about Shawn planning to move to Austin, Affiliate Summit selling out, and whether Foursquare is useful or horrible. We also get into optimizing image results in the search engines, new advertisers at LinkShare, whether people need their own iPhone apps, and a CJ pay-per-call webinar.
Get all the show links and listen to the podcast.
You can also subscribe to the Affiliate Thing RSS feed or listen on iTunes. You can also send a blank e-mail to affiliatething@aweber.com to get each podcast delivered by e-mail.
