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.

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.

]]> http://www.lisapicarille.com/social-media/may-i-have-your-attention-please/feed http://www.lisapicarille.com/affiliate-marketing/headed-to-affiliate-summit-east-2010 http://www.lisapicarille.com/affiliate-marketing/headed-to-affiliate-summit-east-2010#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:04:27 +0000 Lisa Picarille http://www.lisapicarille.com/?p=218

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.

Podcasting 101 Session: Oh, I love the podcasting. I worked in radio way back in the old days and also did streaming audio programming on the Internet in the late 1990’s. So, I’m thrilled to be moderating a panel on Sunday at noon with other podcasters Trisha Lyn Fawver, Daniel M. Clark and Joe Magennis. We can all be found on the geekcast.fm network. The session will take you through the benefits of podcasting, what you need to get started and how to leverage the audio format as a marketing tool for your business

Trivia Tweetup: In addition to all the exciting parties (Buy.at’s black and white affair and the ShareASale blowout), I’m looking forward to the Trivia Tweetup. We had a blast in Vegas and once again there will be bragging rights and prizes including passes for Affiliate Summit West 2011 in Las Vegas.

I’m also participating in the newcomer program, which connects those attending the show for the first time with veteran attendees. It’s one of my favorite parts of the conference experience.

And of course, I’m looking forward to hearing Jim Kurkal’s keynote. Jim’s new book is out and he’ll be signing it. I’ll be in the first row to support and cheer on Jim, who is my co-author on The Ultimate Pitch: 17 sure-fire strategies to get exactly what you want in work and life (due out in the spring of 2011).

Later this week I’m going to post about which sessions at the show I’ll be attending.

Meanwhile, if you want to connect at the show ping me or look me up on the Affiliate Summit Social Networking site.

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.

No matter how convincing my arguments or the number of times I attempt to lure my best friend to participate in social networking, she just won’t give in.

It totally baffles me that she is vehemently resistant to social networking applications and social platforms as they seem tailor made for someone like her –she loves to share; she consumes vast amounts of information daily and she derives joy from being among the first to know something.

We’ve been friends since 1991 when we both worked at a now-defunct high tech trade publication. She a writer, editor, and wordsmith extraordinaire and is intimately familiar with reporting about technology. She also uses technology in both her work and personal life. Over the years she has consulted with a couple of software developers to create very specialized content management systems. Clearly, she is not a Luddite.

She’s also one of the savviest networkers I know. She has a huge network of friends and is much better than me at keeping up with people by scheduling weekly lunches, going out for drinks, and making play dates with her kid and her friend’s children. She also spends an hour or two each night sending out emails just to say hello and maintain those strong ties with friends and family.

Over the years I have gotten permanent jobs, freelance assignments, a few hairstylists, and some fabulous close friends through her myriad of connections. She is always putting people together and then stepping aside to let those connections flourish. I’ve seen it time and time again.

Similar to me, she’s a total media and information junkie – getting dozens of magazines; she up on all the latest news and events; she loves pop culture, music and movies; she’s an avid reader; a TV junkie; she spends hours seeking out information online; and she is a thorough researcher of anything that captures her interest.

In addition, she’s a one women recommendation engine. New restaurants, consumer products, fabulous services, unheard of sales and discounts - you name it and I’ve gotten amazing recommendations and tips from her. About 99 percent of the time, I will be over the moon about something she clued me into before the masses got wind of it. I trust her implicitly. When she gives something the thumbs up, I usually run out to buy it immediately.

I’ve asked her repeatedly why she doesn’t sign up for Facebook or Twitter and she doesn’t seem to have a specific reason - just “I’m not that interested.” I’ve tried to dig deeper but she always seems to want to end the conversation.

Maybe she’s just a private person? Perhaps she simply prefers what she perceives as more intimate face-to-face interaction? There could be serious time constraints with the demands of a full-time job, a husband and a kid? I’m not sure since she pretty much refuses to give me what amounts to “real” reason in my opinion.

Last week she and I went out for dinner and to a comedy show to celebrate her birthday. I could tell that by my fourth reference to something I saw on Twitter she was beginning to roll her eyes. She also seemed to bristle every time I took out my iPhone to check Twitter, which wasn’t that often as soon as I realized she was sensitive about my attention being diverted for 60 seconds.

Her husband is on Facebook and so are nearly all of her friends. I know because most of them have friended me – including her husband. When she and I talk about what mutual friends are up to, she seems to have the scoop and often lets it slip that she got the info from her husband, who got it via that person’s Facebook page. She has actually called me a few times to ask me to look up some info on Facebook or Twitter about mutual friends. That’s usually my opening to launch into questions about why she doesn’t just sign up for herself. But she always deftly sidesteps and moves onto other topics.

Perhaps I should just let this issue drop and appreciate her for the wonderful, thoughtful, caring friend that she is. However, as I become more convinced of the power of social media and as it permeates my life both personal and professional to even greater degrees, I feel a slight gap between us.

We’ve been through a lot over the years and I’m obviously not willing to let such an important relationship whither because of this issue, but it’s something that nags at me a little.

When my mom pooh-pooh’s Twitter or Facebook; I get totally it. She’s older. She’s not technical savvy. She’s set in her ways. And she’s spent her 70-plus years living in the same tiny town with the same folks she known since grade school. She communicates with friends via the phone or by running into them at the grocery store or coffee shop. If she hasn’t talked to them in more than a decade, it’s probably because she doesn’t want to.

It’s easy for me to wrap my head around why my mother sees no need for these “new fangled” methods of communication. It’s not so easy for me to understand why my best friend is a social media holdout. I don’t think that her embracing social media would make communication between us easier. I just believe that it would enrich her life in so many ways.

Do you have a social media holdout in your life? I’d love to swap stories – especially if you managed to eventually get them to see the social media light.

Missy Ward is a champion fundraiser for many causes including breast cancer. She’s all about saving the boobies. This week she is running The Not-So-Silent Auction to help her teammates raise the minimum necessary so they can participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer next month in Los Angeles.

Missy put out the call for donations for the auction and the online marketing community responded with some great items to be auctioned off. There’s just no way to say no to someone as giving and caring as Missy.

So, I have donated two items:

1. I will be giving away two hours of free consulting time to the highest bidder. I look forward to talking with the winner about improving their content strategy.

2. Shawn Collins, my co-host on the Affiliate Thing podcast, and I have also donated something special. We will be creating and singing a customized song on our popular podcast about the company that has the highest bid. This is a very unique branding opportunity. Or maybe you’ll bid NOT to have me sing. Either way, it’s for a very good cause.

There are also lots of other fantastic items to bid on. Please, give generously for the boobies.

Andrew Wee invited to be be on his long-running Friday Podcast with Andrew Wee. We had a lively and interesting discussion on content, how it’s evolving, how to make the most of content and what makes compelling content. We also talked a little about branding and the new book I am working on with Jim Kukral called Your Pitch Sucks. Check it out.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the psychology of taking things away from people or offering them only limited options. In my personal life I’ve been contemplating no longer eating red meat. I don’t indulge very often anyway, but the idea of saying that I will not eat red meat feels much more like deprivation than a choice. It’s a mental thing. Plus, I’d have to swear off bacon and I’m not sure I can do that.

But the idea is that taking things away from people or restricting them creates a different mental state. It’s the same for content. People don’t want to be restricted. Let people consume various type of content in the ways they choose. Give them options – RSS feeds, twitter alerts, blogs, video, audio. Make your site a content buffet.

I think of it like hosting a cocktail party. There are some guests that will only consume from the cheese plate, some that hate the olives, other that will gravitate towards the sweets and yet others that are there just for the drinks. But at least all of the guests will have be able to pick and choose what they want. You don’t want people to leave the party or your site feeling hungry or unsatisfied.

Think about your content like a menu. You wouldn’t serve only hardy entrees to your dinner guests. You need appetizers, main courses, and, of course, deserts. Have various type of content on your site Not everything content element needs to be an in-depth article or a long blog post. Mix it up with graphics showing research, brief audio clips, smaller interviews or product reviews, longer articles, links to relevant news, polls, short video clips, etc. A variety of content types and lengths makes it more interesting for your audience and ultimately more digestable.

And most importantly, deliver what you promise, when you promise it. If you say, every Tuesday and Friday there will be a new blog, and then make sure to have that blog ready for Tuesday and Friday. If it’s not there, people will not trust your word and may not come back.

Again, it’s like food. If my favorite dish is only available as the Friday special at an eatery and I make an effort to go to that restaurant on Friday for that dish and it’s not on the menu, I will be disappointed and I will be hesitant to return the next week.

Also, don’t forget to get feedback from your audience. Invite comments at every turn. Ask people to take a survey a couple of times of year. Knowing what kind of topics they are most interested in and how they want to get that information will help you better plan your content menu.

Bon Appetit!

The Performance Marketing Alliance has announced its charter board of directors. The board, which was elected by the more than 50 charter members of the PMA, now has official oversight of the PMA, and will provide vision and leadership for the organization..

The PMA Board of Directors includes:

* Chris Henger, head of Google Affiliate Network
* Scott Jangro, co-founder and CEO of MechMedia
* Will Martin-Gill, Director of Internet marketing at eBay
* Kim Riedell, vice president of client development for Commission Junction
* Brook Schaaf, founder and partner of Schaaf Consulting
* Steve Schaffer, founder and CEO of Offers.com
* Jason Spievak, co-founder and CEO of RingRevenue
* Tim Storm, CEO of FatWallet and
* Brad Waller, vice president of business and affiliate development at ePage

Congratulations to all of the board members.

For the last year, the PMA was shephered by an 11 member Formation Advisory Board (FAB). Being part of the FAB was a great learning experience and I want to personally thank the other members of the FAB and Rebecca Madigan for all the hours they put into the organization. Many of the FAB members are now official board members, so the group is in good hands.

Again, thanks to all the of those who helped out and the the rest of the FAB including:
*Adam Weiss, LinkShare
*Brad Waller, EPage
*Brook Schaaf, Schaaf Consulting
*Chris Henger, Google Affiliate Network
*Kellie Stevens, AffiliateFairPlay.com
*Michael Coley, Amazing-Bargains.com
*Peter Figueredo, NetExponent
*Robert Drumm, ACLens.com
*Scott Jangro, MechMedia, Inc.
*Todd Crawford

Best of luck.

Jim Kukral and I are who working on a book called “Your Pitch Sucks”, and to help you out at Affiliate Summit (and any other tradeshow you might attend) we have put out a free ebook called “Quick Tips for Improving Your Pitch at a Tradeshow.”

The ebook features 10 tips that you can read in 5 minutes to hone your pitch just in time for Affiliate Summit East 2009.

You can download the mini-ebook here.

And if you come up to me or Jim and pitch us at Affiliate Summit, we’ll rate your pitch and then you can go to the Your Pitch Sucks site to see how your pitch fared on the “Suck-o-Meter.”

Keep Pitching!