Get to know your speakers better!

Interview With Jay Weintraub, CEO, LeadsCon

How would you define the affiliate industry now in light of the current economic conditions?

Challenging economic times tend to benefit the affiliate industry, and I suspect the same has already begun happening during this phase. Affiliate becomes less about an ancillary channel and more about a strategy for advertising efficiency. Almost any in performance-based marketing view a period such as this where customers are still needed just at a decreased cost as a good thing for the long-term success of the industry.

Do you feel black hats are a permanent part of the game and what do you feel is their impact on the perception of the affiliate market?

For better or worse, black hats aren't unique to our industry. Every sector has its share who will engage in business in manners that others would not. The tactics of the black hats online simply gain more attention or perhaps notoriety than similar actions in less connected fields. They are like click fraud, a real threat but at times a great PR issue than actual business impediment. [read more] 

Interview With Evgenii "Geno" Prussakov, CEO, AM Navigator

For an affiliate, what do you feel is the most common and/or avoidable mistake and how does your service help you avoid it?

The most common (and by all means avoidable) affiliate mistake that I see repeated time and again is threefold. It is diving into the sea of affiliate marketing (a) too aggressively (b) with false expectations, and (c) lack of education. There is nothing wrong about being passionate (aggressive in a good sense). It is just that the sequence should be reversed, and affiliate marketers (both affiliates and merchants) need to: (i) educate yourself, (ii) build realistic expectations in the process, and then (iii) dive in as deep as they want. I've seen too many affiliates (and merchants!) loose hundreds of dollars, sacrificing innumerable hours of their sleep, going the wrong way - simply because they lacked proper basic education on the subject.

What are your thoughts on the new tax laws and what can merchants and/or affiliates do to reduce any financial impact they may have?

The short answer is: "fight!" As the New York precedent has shown, these laws will have nothing but a negative impact on affiliate marketing, as numerous merchants will find no better solution that terminate affiliates who reside in the state that has such a law. As affiliate marketers in Maryland and Minnesota have so vividly illustrated, contacting your local state representatives to raise awareness of both the nature and the scope of the problem, does help. Moving from state to state is not an option. We need to keep fighting (and not fleeing from) the issue. Numerous affiliate marketers are doing so, and if you aren't already blogging, writing, talking about it, and actively opposition it, I encourage you to join in. It's our industry, and unless we stand up to protect it, no one else will. [read more]