Affiliate Summit Discount Flights
I’m a big fan of JetBlue, so this is a neat promotion for the next Affiliate Summit in Boston this August…
Special discount from jetBlue for Affiliate Summit | Affiliate Summit Blog: “Here are the details on how to book via the jetBlue promo page…
Code: ASE08
Discount: 5%
Valid Cities: Any City to BOS
Travel Dates: Outbound: 8/6-8/8 / Return: 8/12-8/14
Promo Valid: 5/2/08-8/7/08″
The discount is good for a few beverages and hot dogs at Fenway at the very least!
Anne Kadet’s Analysis Falls Very Short
Affiliate marketing is not about quick profits, sleazy promotions or fly-by-night operations.
Rather, affiliate marketing offers people the opportunity to make a living by producing web content. That content can be determined by a person’s passion, interest or savvy, but at the end of the day it’s a very democratic way to do marketing.
Instead of having to build a website that has the arbitrary watermark of being taken seriously (one million viewers), affiliate marketing offers anybody with enough passion and voice the opportunity to support their work and eventually grow that into a full time business.
So, I was frankly astonished when I read a piece by Anne Kadet about the last Affiliate Summit West and affiliate marketing in general in SmartMoney Magazine. It is a poorly written piece of journalism or opinion and is comparable to an 8th grade history report on the French Revoluition (having taught 8th grade, I think I can make that comparison).
Shawn Collins summed it up Kadet’s piece in video form better than I can in text:
Kadet’s surface appraisal of the entire affiliate industry falls short of many of the criticisms or questions she could have raised about affiliate marketing had she dug a little deeper.
So Wrong It’s Funny
Shoemoney® is early on the April Fools’ Day jokes…
How Long Until Someone Is Killed At An Affiliate Summit - ShoeMoney®: So lately I have been asked a lot why I no longer attend affiliate summits. Well this is basically it. I think I would have had a lot more fun at the affiliate summit back a few years ago when I used to love to get drunk and crazy but that is not really my thing anymore. Mix that in with the fact each time I was asked to speak it was a complete train wreck. Then mix in the death threats, and the fact its kind of become a thug conference … well I just have a hard time justifying paying money to experience that… if that makes any sense.
This is why I don’t watch much TV these days… I have posts like this on the internets to laugh at and entertain me.
Head over and read the whole gut-busting post (and don’t forget the comments from the Shoemoney® Sheep Show as well).
The Greater the Fear, the Nearer the Consultant
If you’re in Chicago on June 9, this could be a “fun” talk to hear…
Affiliate Marketing: Far More Dangerous Than You Think: “For many years, Alan has been (and remains today) highly critical of the affiliate channel, so this promises to be a lively session!
Joining Alan on the panel will be Barbara Hurd, VP of Business Development, Harry and David; and Vicki Updike, VP of Merchandising and Marketing, Miles Kimball.
Affiliate fan or foe, come watch the fireworks!”
Or you could head over to the Oriental Institute at Univ of Chicago and ponder how, much like the consultants, false confidence in their own superiority (instead of developing better chariots) cost the Assyrian empire it’s position as a super power in the ancient near east. Both would accomplish the same thing.
Free Full Pass to Affiliate Summit East
The Affiliate Summit team is having a mini-contest for a free pass to the Affiliate Summit East event coming up in Boston on Aug 10-12 just announced on Twitter…
Twitter / Affiliate Summit: Share an idea for Affiliate…: “Share an idea for Affiliate Summit by midnight tonight - if we use it, you get a free full pass for Boston http://tinyurl.com/3698wl”
If you do affiliate marketing on any level, this is a must-attend event. So, hop on this if you’re looking for a way to score a full pass.
GeekCast Episode 6: Plugging the Right Holes
Every week Lisa Picarille, Shawn Collins, Jim Kukral and I do an episode of “GeekCast” where we discuss current trends in the geek marketing world ranging from tech to performance marketing.
The show is very free form and wide ranging, but there is a good deal of valuable discussion on affiliate marketing and related tech issues.
Here’s a brief and incomplete list of discussions this week:
-Headset Tech - Analogue or USB?
-Lisa’s Skype Troubles
-Cable is Dead?
-Super Bowl Twitter Friends
-Paying to Play in UK Affiliate Networks
-HD DVD is Dead
-Group Twitter at Affiliate Summit
-Ze Frank is the Steve Guttenberg of the Internet
-Jangro’s Approach to Affiliate Summit
-Affiliate Summit Attire
-Interesting Trends from the AffStat Report
-Aweber and Email Lists
-Gratuitous Nudity
-Gratuitous Pre-Rolls
-Gratuitous Politics
-Jim’s YouTube Porn Searches
-Jesus Horses
-Shawn Loves Metrosexual Country
Give it a listen and let me know what you think.
Wearable Video
I’ve seen some pretty strange ideas for catching eyeballs over the years (RIP Mr. PopUp… we hardly knew ye), but I’m not even sure how to classify this:
GeekCast Episode 3: Racing Stripes
Shawn Collins, Jim Kukral and Sam Harrelson expound on web celebs, affiliate network interfaces, iJustine and Jim's GuyLights (about an hour)
Show Notes
- TechCrunch Presidential Endorsements: TechCrunch
- Spammer Sam: CostPerNews
- ShowYourAdHere.com: 45n5
- Shawn in Middle of CJ/Pepperjam Spat: Pepperjam Blog
- Super Affiliates For Sale: Affiliate Summit Blog
- Zac Johnson Doing it Right: Zac Johnson’s Blog
- Jim is a Twitter Hater: Jim Kukral’s Blog
- Affiliate Summit Exhibitors Are Missing Out (By Not Doing Video)
Visit GeekCast.fm for More Great Geek Marketing Podcasts!
GeekCast Episde 2: Auto Approval
Lisa Picarille, Shawn Collins, Jim Kukral and Sam Harrelson discuss the week's news in affiliate marketing and online tech news.
Show Notes
- Affiliate Summit Tips
- Scoble Sells Out
- Ethical Standards and Blogging
- 45n5 and Affiliate Spam
- WickedFire N00bery
- John Chow
- Izea, PayPerPost and Ethics
- 5 Seconds of Suck
- Shawn is Yoko Ono
- Why is Jason Calacanis Affiliate Summit Keynote?!?
- Auto Approval Sucks… or Does It?
- Affiliate Certification?
Visit GeekCast.fm for More Great Geek Marketing Podcasts!
Gospel Brunch at the Affiliate Summit
One of my favorite events (or at least the one with the best food) at the Affiliate Summit is the Christian Affiliate Marketing Assoc’s Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues.
This is the second year the CAMA is putting on the event, and it should be even better this year since transportation is being provided from the Rio (where the Affiliate Summit is being held) down to the House of Blues. Last year, I walked from where Wayne Porter and I were camping all the way to the H.O.B. and I have to say that I got my exercise on that chilly morning. Good times.
The 2nd Annual Gospel Brunch, presented by the Christian Affiliate Marketing Association, is taking place at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on Sunday, February 24, 2008 from 8:45 AM to 11:30 AM. Yes, it’s early and most of you will have been partying late into the night on Saturday night, but you could probably use some good food and fellowship to cure that hangover and wash away some of the Sin City taint. In all seriousness, it’s a great event and I highly recommend. As the CAMA points out, you don’t have to be a Christian or from any denomination to attend (and no one is going to beat you over the head with the book of Deuteronomy to make you change your sinnin’ ways…).
So, if you need a moment of respite, rest and fellowship during a hectic Affiliate Summit week, make sure to attend the Gospel Brunch.
