Following on from Affiliate Summit East last week, affiliate marketers attended meetups on Tuesday, August 30^th in Austin, Baltimore, Denver, Orlando, San Francisco and Toronto to discuss various topics in online marketing.  Taking place on a monthly basis, these meetups are open to anyone with an interest in affiliate marketing or online marketing in general.

To see what’s happening in your local area, visit the Affiliate Summit FB page: affiliatesummit.com/meetups.  If there isn’t a group in your local area – start one today!  Email Mary Poiley to learn more.

In Baltimore, 12 people (including several new attendees) discussed two topics:
1) A Spotlight on MD Businesses and 2) Affiliate Summit East Takeaways

Key points from the first topic include recommendations on fighting the affiliate tax, such as:

• - Get to know your legislator, tell them who you are, where you’re located (they pay most attention to those in their constituency), why the tax will harm your business and request their support
• - Visit the Maryland General Assembly website (mlis.state.md.us) to find your legislator
• - The tax threat is real and will probably hit in 2012, so it’s time to start talking to legislators NOW

On the topic of ASE, key takeaways include:

• - Relationships matter, be respectful and attentive to everyone you meet
• - Don’t judge people based on age, appearance, etc.
• - People in the industry are willing to help, get to know them and learn from them
• - There is a massive pool of young talent, seek them out and engage them
• - Watch videos from ASE to catch what you missed (2009 videos are now posted and available for free)

In Denver, Jen Goode led a discussion on feedback surrounding ASE.  Everyone agreed it was a great show with a good turn out.  Further, they thought the show provides valuable, actionable items instead of simply a networking opportunity.

In New York, the “meetup” was networking at Old Castle Pub during Affiliate Summit East.  This informal event enabled many industry professionals to gather on Monday and Tuesday evening after show hours.

New to our recap postings this month, Liz Gazer provided an excellent recap for Toronto – who’s Affiliate Summit meetup community is growing!

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From Liz:

Thirteen innovative, bright and inspiring online marketing professionals came together at the August Toronto Affiliate Summit  meet-up on Tues. August 30^th to talk about their experiences at the recent Affiliate Summit East conference (for those who attended) and continue the discussion.

The twice-annual conference in NYC attracted nearly 4,000 online marketers August 21-23 and was the biggest one held, to date.

Toronto Meet-up host/organizer Liz Gazer of Growthspurt Media Affiliate Management welcomed the group and gave everyone a chance to share their elevator pitch, before beginning a discussion about best practices and industry trends. Topics touched on throughout the night included,

How to:

• - Get started as an affiliate for those new to the industry
• - Wade through “network overwhelm” and choose the right network for your needs
• - Determine which affiliate business model is for you
• - Optimize business relationships between affiliates/advertisers for better results/better payouts
• - Capitalize on existing traffic of high value domain names in a way that is long term/sustainable
• - Understand the differences between CPA and CPS networks, and the pros/cons of working with each
• - Understand the difference between white hat/black hat search engine marketing methods and the symbiotic relationship that tends to at times, exist between them

Live site critique for those who were bold enough to expose their online projects to the group was a key highlight of the evening. Overall, attendees said they enjoyed the opportunity to expand their network of contacts and left at the end of the night with renewed energy, fresh ideas/insight and a greater sense of purpose/direction.

Key takeaways included:

• - Google loves content! Quality content + white hat methods provide a longer lasting outcome to monetization efforts than do black hat efforts
• - Short term investment = short term potential for big lift (not guaranteed), short term results
• - Long term investment = slow going, but long term, sustainable results

• - Wil Reynolds is an SEM genius (@wilreynolds)
• - Some content which may not be “ideal” can still rank well, with age
• - Put your offer/call to action above the fold for best results.
• - Don’t send your site users on a scavenger hunt for what they want. Funnel them through from A to B quickly/efficiently for best conversion/sales results.
• - Less is more. Distractions = higher abandonment rates.

Attendees (in no particular order):

• - Khurram Virani & Farida Mohbat – Span6.com (@span_6)
• - Stefan Caunter – ScaleEngine.com (@scaleengine)
• - David T. Michaels – Patent Lawyer/Domain Investor, Mnext Corp.
• - Marc Fortin – Product Manager, DrinkOwl.com by EngagementMobile.com (@drinkowl)
• - Hammad Mahmood – IFZAMarketing.com
• - Ian Paul Marshall – IanPaulMarshall.com (@ianpaulmarshall)
• - Liz Gazer – Growthspurt Media Affiliate Management  (@lizgazer)
• - Eric Schwarzer (@schwarzer)
• - Shaharris Beh – Marketcrashers (@marketcrashers)
• - Nathaniel Taylor – SEM/CPA Affiliate (@internetbizz)
• - Ilona Webster – SendOutCards.com, Independent Distributor/Aspiring Affiliate
• - George Dedopoulos, Geomatrix Media (@geodee)

Next month the Toronto/Southern Ontario Affiliate Summit meet-up group looks forward to combining forces with the Western NY affiliate community, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. More details to be posted via http://www.facebook.com/growthspurtmedia, and at http://www.meetup.com/astorontomeetup/.

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Thanks to everyone who attended meetups this month and we’re looking forward to plans for September!

Another fantastic show, Affiliate Summit East hosted 3,943 attendees – the largest ASE to date!  The growth is no surprise considering that recent reports support the claim that e-commerce continues to gain momentum.

In addition to the expanded number of attendees, our team at the show was also much larger this year.  We’ve added Alex, Jeannine and Morgan to the buy.at team since Affiliate Summit West and welcomed Mark, Adam, Gavin, Anthony, David and Lisa from our UK team to join us and experience all that the conference and weekend has to offer.

We saw many familiar faces, met new contacts, enjoyed drinks, soaked up plenty of great information and used all the adrenaline we had to stay awake and alert throughout the weekend.  Read on to learn more about our adventures in the Big Apple.

buy.at’s Give Back Event

Supported by our wonderful sponsors (Girly Checks and TicketSizzle) we hosted an engaging event at The Kimberly hotel and raised nearly $2,000 for Affiliate Marketers Give Back.  Guests enjoyed a stunning view of Midtown Manhattan from the 30^th floor while snacking on delicious hors d’oeuvres (apparently the Mac & Cheese on a spoon was a hit!) and choosing from a selection of cocktails including the Girly Checks “Blank Check” martini.

Guests were challenged to “Think Pink” and wear any pink item to our event (clothing/accessories).  In return, a $2 donation was made each by buy.at, Girly Checks and TicketSizzle to Affiliate Marketers Give Back.  We are pleased to announce that 172 attendees wore pink and therefore AMGB will soon receive a $1,032 donation.  Thanks to everyone who embraced the theme and therefore supported the cause.

In addition, the event included a silent auction featuring prizes donated by Missy Ward, TicketSizzle, Girly Checks, Lindsay Phillips, VIP Live Drive and Team Loxly/PartyBeans.  We truly appreciate everyone who participated and we’re happy to report that the auction raised an additional $793 for AMGB.

Meet Market & Exhibit Hall

In addition to our team’s smiling faces, our table and booth were packed with an assortment of advertisers who were eager to meet affiliates and learn more about the industry.   If you missed out on the great giveaways including the Jordi Flops, the collectable ducks from Apex Hotels, a taste of Ghirardelli chocolate, or other items, our advertisers may be willing to send you something in exchange for signing up to their program.  You never know until you ask!

Here’s a list of who joined us during the show:

• Bargain Station: Rick Gardiner
• British Airways: Alicia Iveson and Elizabeth Chung
• Credit.com: Montana Thomas
• Girly Checks: Heather Blackburn
• Goldstar: Emily Larson
• Nutrasonic & Offthewalltoys: Ranjit Mulgaonkar and Cresta Pillsbury
• Organic Bouquet, PeaceLoveWorld & Coyuchi: Kent Heltne
• TicketSizzle: John Diorio, Cresta Pillsbury, JP Diaz
• VA Mortgage: Sharon Mostyn and Erica Barry
• Veer.com: Danielle Dougherty

‘Twitter A Winner’ Contest

On Monday and Tuesday, booth traffic spiked from the influx of “Twitter A Winner” prize recipients!  Generously provided by advertisers on our US network, attendees walked away with designer home goods, premium chocolate, gift cards, a flower membership, laptop bags, and more.  Wrapping up the contest, Joe Sousa took home the grand prize Samsung Galaxy tablet provided by BargainStation.com.  Check out the winners album on Facebook!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to see us throughout the weekend, joined us in meetings, attended Jeannine’s session, tagged along on Kim’s bi-annual Madame Tussauds adventure, spoke with our merchants, and more.  We’re looking forward to seeing everyone again at Affiliate Summit West!

-buy.at US

Thanks to everyone who participated in the silent auction!  We collected a grand total of $793, with all donations go to Affiliate Marketers Give Back.

1 Signed Bottle of Signorina Wine - Winner Jon Nunez ($111 Bid)
Donated by: Missy Ward

This 2008 Bordeaux style blend is classic in style with balanced fruit flavors, polished tannins, and a long, elegant finish. All of the grapes are sourced from vineyards in Napa, California.
Minimum bid: $100

2 Tickets to Rock of Ages – Monday, August 22 @ 8pm - Winner Brian Littleton ($267 Bid)
Donated by: TicketSizzle

2 Tickets, Left Orchestra, Row E, Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44th Street (Between Broadway and 8th Avenue). Set in LA’s famous Sunset Strip in 1987, Rock of Ages tells a story of Drew, a boy from South Detroit, and Sherrie, a small town girl’, both in LA to chase their dreams of making it big and falling in love.
Minimum bid: $267

A Girly Checks Gift Certificate - Winner Melanie Seery ($50 Bid)
Donated by: Girly Checks

The “Gift Certificate” includes a Girly Checks Check with a Coupon Code that will cover an order of a box of premium checks, a premium checkbook cover, and address labels or a self-inking address stamp. Samples pictured here, but ANY designs can be chosen.
Minimum bid: $40

Lindsay Phillips Gift Pack – Winner Heather Smith ($180 Bid)
Donated by: Lindsay Phillips

Items include a Osceola Scarf, Lulu Pink SwitchFlops, Marisol Strap, Pearl Strap, Mischka Pink Snap, Eden Snap and Liz Black Ballet Flats. Choose your size and the items will be shipped to your door.
Minimum bid: $172

1 Year of Unlimited Computer Backup - Winner Jim Kreinbrink ($45 Bid)
Donated by: VIP Live Drive

This gift includes 1 year of unlimited computer backup, simple setup, quick and easy data restore, and military grade encryption.
Minimum bid: $45

Candy Gift Set - Winner Jim Kukral ($140 Bid)
Donated by: Team Loxly & PartyBeans

This gift set includes a Jelly Belly dispenser, assorted pink jelly beans (strawberry cheesecake, bubble gum, cotton candy, strawberry daiquiri), and several other small gift items. View the whole set at the event!
Minimum bid: $70

Affiliate Summit Meetup Day is next Tuesday, August 30th (except for NYC)!  Anyone with an interest in affiliate marketing or online marketing in general is welcome to attend!

We’ve highlighted a few below, but you can look for details on meetups in your local area on the upcoming events section of the Affiliate Summit Facebook group.

Baltimore
Time/Location: 6pm @ the buy.at Office – 921 E. Fort Avenue, Suite 200
Speaker #1: Ron Wineholt, VP of Government Affairs, MD Chamber of Commerce
Topic #1: A Spotlight on MD Businesses – MD Chamber of Commerce business resources, tax and legislative updates
Speaker #2: Open Discussion
Topic #2: Affiliate Summit East Takeaways
Learn More: Facebook or Meetup.com

Denver
Time/Location: 7pm @ Braun’s Bar & Grill, 2401 Blake Street
Speaker: Jeannine Crooks
Topic: How to Choose the Right Merchant
Learn More: Meetup.com

New York – NEXT WEEK (8/22 & 8/23)
Time/Location: 7-10pm @ Old Castle Pub & Restaurant
Topic: Come and network with some of the industry professionals during Affiliate Summit at the Old Castle Pub located a few steps away from the Hilton where Affiliate Summit East will be taking place. Informal event where many of the industry professionals will be hanging out after the conference, all are welcome.
Learn More: Facebook.com or Meetup.com

Standard Agenda (although Denver’s meetup is at 7pm)
6:00-6:30 Arrive and mingle
6.30- 7:00 Meetup leader welcome, guest speaker
7:00-7:15 Questions
7:15-7:30 Announcements/discussion
7:30-?? Networking

We’re looking forward to seeing you soon!

-buy.at US

Our event is only a little over a day away! Bring your checkbooks get ready to bid on one or more of 6 great prizes. For those of you attending, we’re excited to reveal the following silent auction items. Remember that all donations go to Affiliate Marketers Give Back.

We’ve added one more donation to the list:

Candy Gift Set
Donated by: Team Loxly & PartyBeans

This gift set includes a Jelly Belly dispenser, assorted pink jelly beans (strawberry cheesecake, bubble gum, cotton candy, strawberry daiquiri), and several other small gift items.  View the whole set at the event!
Minimum bid: $70

Also, we’ve listed the other fantastic auction items below:

1 Signed Bottle of Signorina Wine
Donated by: Missy Ward

This 2008 Bordeaux style blend is classic in style with balanced fruit flavors, polished tannins, and a long, elegant finish. All of the grapes are sourced from vineyards in Napa, California.
Minimum bid: $100

2 Tickets to Rock of Ages – Monday, August 22 @ 8pm
Donated by: TicketSizzle

2 Tickets, Left Orchestra, Row E, Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44th Street (Between Broadway and 8th Avenue). Set in LA’s famous Sunset Strip in 1987, Rock of Ages tells a story of Drew, a boy from South Detroit, and Sherrie, a small town girl’, both in LA to chase their dreams of making it big and falling in love.
Minimum bid: $267

A Girly Checks Gift Certificate
Donated by: Girly Checks

The “Gift Certificate” includes a Girly Checks Check with a Coupon Code that will cover an order of a box of premium checks, a premium checkbook cover, and address labels or a self-inking address stamp. Samples pictured here, but ANY designs can be chosen.
Minimum bid: $40

Lindsay Phillips Gift Pack
Donated by: Lindsay Phillips

Items include a Osceola Scarf, Lulu Pink SwitchFlops, Marisol Strap, Pearl Strap, Mischka Pink Snap, Eden Snap and Liz Black Ballet Flats. Choose your size and the items will be shipped to your door.
Minimum bid: $172

1 Year of Unlimited Computer Backup
Donated by: VIP Live Drive

This gift includes 1 year of unlimited computer backup, simple setup, quick and easy data restore, and military grade encryption.
Minimum bid: $45

Once the winners are determined, payment can be made by check – written out to Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Also, donations can be made online at http://iwalkforboobies.com which accepts credit card (Visa/Discover/AMEX/MC). For full donation payment option details, click here.

In addition to providing a great gift pack for the silent auction, Corey Lynch and Kolleen Meeker from Lindsay Phillips are bringing pairs of Jordi Flops and a variety of snaps to choose from.

Stop by our booth (#202) on Monday to meet Corey & Kolleen, learn more about the program and  to pick out a pair of Jordi Flops to take with you!

Questions about the program?  Contact morgan.foland[at]buy.at

-Amy

Our list of prizes is STILL growing!!
(which means even better chances of winning!) 

Affiliate Summit East is only a few days away and we’re adding even more advertiser prizes to give away in our ‘Twitter A Winner’ contest! ANY affiliate/publisher that is attending the show and has a valid URL is eligible to win – even if you are not a buy.at affiliate!

***We added a new set of very nice prizes from Designer’s Guild, a program that’s launching soon on our network where affiliates can earn up to 12%.***

• - BargainStation.com: a Samsung Galaxy tablet
• - Coyuchi: Basket Weave Blanket
• - Designers Guild: 1 zephirine candle, 1 peony candle, 3 20×26  pillow cases, 1 battista peony blanket, 2 bourton hand towels, 1 Christian Lacroix pillow (red), 1 Beduzzi silk throw pillow (pink)
• - Ghirardelli: 1 five pound bar, 1 Ghirardelli Squares gift basket, 2 filled bar gift boxes
• - Girly Checks: A free order of checks and checkbook cover
• - Goldstar: 3 $50 gift cards
• - Organic Bouquet: 3-month membership to their roses monthly gift club
• - Veer: Laptop bags by Acme Made & Missing Piece Puzzles
• - VIP Live Drive: 3 gifts of unlimited data backup online for your computer for 1 year

Look for twitter posts from @buyatUS announcing winners during ASE 2011. Winners must pick up their prizes at the buy.at booth (#202) – and don’t delay! Each winner has a limited amount of time to pick up their prize before it’s awarded to someone else.

Click here to enter and good luck!

Our event is less than a week away!  Bring your checkbooks get ready to bid on one or more of 5 great prizes.  For those of you attending, we’re excited to reveal the following silent auction items.  Remember that all donations go to Affiliate Marketers Give Back.

1 Signed Bottle of Signorina Wine
Donated by: Missy Ward

This 2008 Bordeaux style blend is classic in style with balanced fruit flavors, polished tannins, and a long, elegant finish.  All of the grapes are sourced from vineyards in Napa, California.
Minimum bid: $100

2 Tickets to Rock of Ages – Monday, August 22 @ 8pm
Donated by: TicketSizzle

2 Tickets, Left Orchestra, Row E, Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44th Street (Between Broadway and 8th Avenue). Set in LA’s famous Sunset Strip in 1987, Rock of Ages tells a story of Drew, a boy from South Detroit, and Sherrie, a small town girl’, both in LA to chase their dreams of making it big and falling in love.         
Minimum bid: $267

A Girly Checks Gift Certificate
Donated by: Girly Checks

The “Gift Certificate” includes a Girly Checks Check with a Coupon Code that will cover an order of a box of premium checks, a premium checkbook cover, and address labels or a self-inking address stamp.  Samples pictured here, but ANY designs can be chosen.
Minimum bid: $40

Lindsay Phillips Gift Pack
Donated by: Lindsay Phillips

Items include a Osceola Scarf, Lulu Pink SwitchFlops, Marisol Strap, Pearl Strap, Mischka Pink Snap, Eden Snap and Liz Black Ballet Flats. Choose your size and the items will be shipped to your door.
Minimum bid: $172

1 Year of Unlimited Computer Backup      
Donated by: VIP Live Drive

This gift includes 1 year of unlimited computer backup, simple setup, quick and easy data restore, and military grade encryption.
Minimum bid: $45

Once the winners are determined, payment can be made by check – written out to Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  Also, donations can be made online at http://iwalkforboobies.com which accepts credit card (Visa/Discover/AMEX/MC).  For full donation payment option details, click here.

Our list of prizes is growing!! (which means even better chances of winning!)

Affiliate Summit East is only a few weeks away and we’re adding more advertiser prizes to give away in our ‘Twitter A Winner’ contest! ANY affiliate/publisher that is attending the show and has a valid URL – even if you are not a buy.at affiliate – is eligible to win

• - BargainStation.com: a Samsung Galaxy tablet
• - Coyuchi: Basket Weave Blanket
• - Ghirardelli: 1 five pound bar, 1 Ghirardelli Squares gift basket, 2 filled bar gift boxes
• - Girly Checks: A free order of checks and checkbook cover
• - Goldstar: 3 $50 gift cards
• - Organic Bouquet: 3-month membership to their roses monthly gift club
• - Veer: Laptop bags by Acme Made & Missing Piece Puzzles
• - VIP Live Drive: 3 gifts of unlimited data backup online for your computer for 1 year

Look for twitter posts from @buyatUS announcing winners during ASE 2011. Winners must pick up their prizes at the buy.at booth (#202) – and don’t delay! Each winner has a limited amount of time to pick up their prize before it’s awarded to someone else.

Click here to enter and good luck!

This week affiliate marketers gathered in Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago Denver, New York, Orlando, San Francisco and Toronto to discuss various topics in online marketing.  Taking place on a monthly basis, these meetups are open to anyone with an interest in affiliate marketing or online marketing in general.  To see what’s happening in your local area, visit the Affiliate Summit FB page: affiliatesummit.com/meetups.  If there isn’t a group in your local area – start one today!  Email Mary Poiley to learn more.

In Baltimore, several people contributed to the topic of Getting the Most Out of Affiliate Summit East.  A few highlights of the conversation include:

• - Know your 30 second pitch, but don’t be too scripted and salesy – if you’re a network and say that you offer the highest payouts (said by many other networks), you’ll instantly turn people away
• - Bring plenty of business cards, pens to use for writing notes, hand sanitizer, several water bottles, and flats or flip flops to wear during the show
• - Write notes on business cards so you can remember your conversation and what day it occurred – this will help you create a personalized follow up message after the show
• - Use your conference badge to store/sort business cards so your hands are free to write notes
• - Talk to strangers – you’re next big business partner could sitting right next to you at the hotel bar
• - Attend parties for great networking opportunities, but be aware that what you say and do can (and will!) be photographed and posted online

Adam Riemer also shared a few tips from his posts on How to Prepare for Affiliate Summit and an Affiliate Summit East Checklist on what to bring.

In Denver, Dave Taylor spoke on the topic of Using Affiliate Marketing for Blogs.  A few of his tips for bloggers include:

• - Focus on one area rather than multiple areas, to improve Google rankings and draw targeted traffic
• - Look for programs that aren’t on auto-approve, because manual approval helps to screen out bad affiliates, making it easier for good affiliates to succeed
• - Don’t include an affiliate link in every blog post.  Sprinkle them throughout your content to gain added attention for them

In New York, Derek Halpern spoke on How to Turn Traffic into Sales and Leads.  This included how to use webinars with experts to build your list, then how to use your email list to create interactivity with your site visitors.

• - Be personal, ask a question, make the people on your list feel special
• - Always give them a reason to click back to your site, but don’t “sell” right in the newsletter
• - Provide valuable information

At this meetup, Deb and Vinny also handed out goodies from past Summits, spoke about the Affiliate ABCs series, gave out a copy of Internet Marketing by the Experts – The Gang of 88 and FeedFront magazines.

Thanks to everyone who attended and we’re looking forward to next month’s meetup!