Q&A with Chuck Hamrick of Affiliate Crew

What is the best thing about working in Affiliate Marketing?

The relationships you build and the day-to-day interaction with affiliates.  Before I started in affiliate marketing I worked in an agency doing paid search and SEO. And other than occasional interaction with clients and email, I didn’t have much interaction.

Before I started in online marketing I was in manufacturing and worked with sales reps in the field. That experience has close parallels to affiliate marketing. You are working with commissioned sales people and you have to have a great relationship. But you can’t force them to comply or mandate things. I think my experience in sales management is very applicable to the success we have had with affiliate marketing.

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen in our industry in the past few years?

From my perspective, one of the biggest changes I have seen is the increased understanding of the role that agencies and OPMs play in working with emerging retailers and smaller brands. There is a very defined niche for that role in the affiliate marketing channel and I see increased understanding from Advertisers, affiliates and the networks.  Certainly when DoubleClick Performics launched the AffiliateDirect platform, that marked a significant change. But we have seen increased interest and support throughout the industry.

What’s the secret to successful affiliate program management?

The most successful affiliate managers are those who form strong relationships.  It was a common theme at the DoubleClick Performics Client Summit last year and at other industry events I attended, affiliates want more communication.

Affiliates need to have a relationship with affiliate managers and they are not as demanding as some people perceive.  The important thing to understand is that different classes of affiliates need different things. For example, I have formed alliances with many top coupon and deal sites and for all of the programs I manage, affiliates in the coupon and deal category represent at least 40% of the top 10 affiliates. Even when the Advertiser doesn’t have obvious coupons available, we can work together to develop a common ground. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t but any merchant who doesn’t make an effort to leverage coupon and deal affiliates is missing out.

We make an effort to be available and responsive to affiliates. We provide direct telephone numbers and contact details in all of our email communications. We also have live help on our affiliate Web pages.  I am actually surprised at how few affiliates take advantage of alternate contact opportunities.  I think we are all inundated with email but I don’t know if there is a way around that.

What will affiliate marketing look like in 2010? 

We’ll continue to see the rise in social sites and blogs being successful.  Affiliates will continue to grow larger and more professional.

In talking with my peers I get a sense that traditional marketing managers may or may not truly understand the online play yet. So that’s something we’ll continue to see evolve in the next couple of years.   I believe affiliate marketing should deliver incremental sales. I think it’s a mistake to promote a brand new site that doesn’t have conversion data yet. If you take on a client like that you are doing a disservice to the potential merchant and to the channel as a whole. 

I see affiliate marketing as one of the latter steps you need in online marketing. We’ll continue to see affiliate marketing takes its place at the table and become a more routine part of the overall online marketing mix; right alongside search, display and email marketing.

What advice do you have for how Advertisers can better leverage the affiliate channel?

There is a temptation to use it as a testing ground because it’s ROI-driven and affiliates must show a return.  And it can certainly used for testing but you shouldn’t look at the affiliate channel as R&D because once you burn an affiliate they won’t come back.

We need to advocate the channel. We need the market at large to know that it isn’t about spamming and cookie stuffing, but affiliate marketing is about bringing one thousand points of light together to develop a program that drives value for a company.

Some affiliates have been around for five or ten years and they have amazing insight into what works.  Advertisers can better leverage affiliates as part of their marketing effort. For example, affiliates are experts at writing high-performing ad copy, there is nobody better at it. So a merchant can hire some kid who is a good writer, right out of college to write ad copy or they can have affiliates, who write the best performing copy, help them attract customers.

I am looking forward to this channel really coming of age, it is still perceived as the wild, wild, west. We need to get the word out to the great marketing arena about what’s happening in affiliate marketing.  Consider search affiliates, there is some tension between what a search affiliate can do and a company’s SEM effort but there must be a way we can work better together.  I have a personal goal to work more closely with search affiliates.  They can drive traffic for the merchant and might be able to do it at lower cost per sale.

We have seen a real rise in professional affiliates. I see some of the more successful affiliates as evolving into small corporations, more professional than the stereotype of an affiliate.  You see maybe 40 affiliates coming to all of the industry conferences and if you can spend $20,000 per year on industry conferences, you are doing quite well! There are a lot of "stay-at-home-moms" who are doing quite well for themselves and are building companies. But affiliate marketing is hard, hard work. Successful affiliates are not the stereotype sitting around in their underwear, working a couple of hours day. Successful affiliates are working long, hard hours doing good work.

When you are not busy growing affiliate channel sales for your clients and influencing our industry – what do like to do? 

I live Park City, Utah so we spend a lot time outdoors. I came to Park City a couple of years ago to work for Backcountry and my oldest daughter and family stayed behind in Colorado to finish out her last year of high school. So with two households to manage, I didn’t get much skiing in that first year. But once my whole family joined me in Park City, we started taking advantage of everything the area has to offer. My wife and I volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival and with the resorts for free ski passes, one of my sons works for a ski resort and all of our kids are in ski programs.  I ski as much as I can and each season I get better and more courageous. This year I have been skiing the trees a lot and my kids are getting comfortable with the Black Diamond bumps. There is always a higher mountain, a tougher run and a new challenge.  And the summers here are great too, we love hiking. Colorado is beautiful but there we lived beside the mountains, in Park City you live IN the mountains and it’s wonderful. 

Any final words?

I have been really thrilled with the service and support we have through DoubleClick Performics. The team is incredibly responsive and that means a lot to us. We are very pleased with the product overall – the value, the support, tools and the network. It makes our jobs easier and we appreciate that.

Chuck Hamrick is the Affiliate Manager at Affiliate Crew, an affiliate marketing agency. Chuck has been active in online marketing since 1999 with SEO, PPC, lead gen., and a full-time Affiliate Manager since 2005. He previously managed the affiliate programs for ToolKing.com, Backcountry.com and Ancestry.com. Chuck also spent 13 years in manufacturing project management and marketing. Chuck lives in Park City, UT with his wife and four children.

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What Would Affiliate Marketing Be Without a Little Publisher Recognition?

Here at DoubleClick Performics we have a fantastic set of Publishers. 2007 was a very exciting year for us, especially in the area of Publisher recognition.  In August of 2007 we launched Affiliate VIP, our Publisher recognition program which provides rewards and recognition to outstanding Publishers in the DoubleClick Performics Network.  Affiliate VIP is awarded to Publishers based on performance and productivity measures as well as best practices in terms of compliance, responsiveness and transparency.  Affiliate VIPs receive a wide variety of benefits including a special icon in ConnectCommerce, as well as a dedicated Publisher relationship manager. New Affiliate VIP recipients are recognized on a quarterly basis.  We have received extremely positive feedback from both Publishers and Advertisers and look forward to rewarding more Publishers with this special badge of honor.

Learn more about the Affiliate VIP program

If you liked Affiliate VIP, keep an eye out for our newest Publisher recognition program:  Rising Stars. This is our new tier of Publisher recognition which focuses on emerging Publishers representing growth or potential growth for our Advertisers.

5 in 5 with Jamie Ross!

At the end of the day, it is our employees who make things happen!

For our first employee 5 in 5 (5 minutes/5 questions) we tracked down Jamie Ross who is the Manager of our Affiliate Customer Support team. Jamie’s five year DoubleClick Performics career began in a program management role where her responsibilities were focused on managing Publisher relationships for Advertiser clients. With her extensive Publisher experience it was natural for her to gravitate towards her current role. Additionally, she has been an active moderator on ABest Web helping Publishers with any issues.

What do you like best about working at DoubleClick Performics?
That is easy-the people!

Your team has been growing exponentially! Tell us a bit about them.
Our team has been rapidly growing over the past two years.  Part of the team is focused on our Affiliate Direct clients, while the rest are pure Publisher support. We are responsible for everything from approvals and onboarding to troubleshooting payment issues. We receive thousands of inquiries per month, and hundreds of calls which keeps us busy 24/7!

What is the strangest request your team has ever received?
Once someone asked if a customer support representative liked steak! We get strange requests all of the time.

What do you believe to be your biggest challenge in Affiliate Marketing in 2008?
All of the networks operate differently and it is a challenge for the Publisher to learn how to work with each network. This filters down to our team as we are continually tasked with educating our Publishers on how to use ConnectCommerce and keeping them up to date on our offerings and updates.

When you are not fielding Publisher issues, how do you spend your free time?
What is free time? Just kidding. I live in the Chicago suburbs with my husband, 3 year old daughter and 5 month old son.  When I am not changing diapers, watching Blue’s Clues and making forts I enjoy Yoga and relaxing.

Let’s give Jamie a high five! Thank you very much!

For our next 5 in 5 you will hear from a member of the Affiliate Strategy team...

Top Ten FAQs

The Affiliate Customer Support team receives hundreds of requests through email and telephone keeping them extremely busy 24/7.  We asked the team to share their top ten requests. Here is what we learned:

1. How do you join Advertisers?
2. How do I get links?
3. How do I set up a data feed?
4. How do I set up BYOL?
5. How do I change my password?
6. How do I verify if orders are not tracking?
7. Why was I declined from an Advertiser program and can I reapply?
8. I have other affiliate sites. Is there a place to enter my additional web sites or do I have to open new accounts for each site?
9. When will I get paid?
10. Who do I contact for assistance?

1. How do you join Advertisers?

In order to apply to an Advertiser's affiliate program, please follow these steps:

1. Log into ConnectCommerce
2. Mouse-over ‘Advertisers' tab
3. Click ‘join' from the drop-down men
4. Find the Advertiser that interests you
5. Read Agreement & Terms
6. Select check box to the left of the Advertiser's name
7. Select check box at the bottom of the page (Yes, I agree to the Agreement & Terms)
8. Click Apply to selected button at the corners to the right

2. How do I get links?

There are several options available to retrieve links.
Under the "Get Links" tab in ConnectCommerce, you will see:

• Newest Links: allows you to search and filter on ALL links within the past 7 days across ALL Advertisers. This shows you the newest links from ALL Advertisers regardless of your relationship status.
  Navigate to- Get Links tab > newest links.
  
  
• By Advertiser (Get Links [Beta]): allows you to choose the type of links you are looking for by using filters. This feature is available for Advertisers with whom you have a relationship.
  Navigate to- Advertisers tab > Approved > Locate desired Advertiser> Action Drop Down select Get Links [Beta].
  
  
  • If the Advertiser has Build Your Own Links functionality, you can also choose to Build Your Own Links (BYOL).
    
    
  • When you are accepted into a program a "Primary" link is created automatically, you will find it as the first link in the get links list.
    
    
  • There are several filters available allowing you to narrow your results. Choose any of the several ways presented to create your desired links.
  
  
• Orange Links: is a link delivery service that sends you the type of links you want via email or FTP.  Sign up to receive by promotion, size, and banner/text in one online form. Navigate to-Get Links tab > OrangeLinks
  
  
• Hot Promotions: showcases limited time promotions available.

3. How do I set up a data feed?

You must be approved for an Advertiser in order to receive their feed. To view a list of feeds available, navigate to your approved Advertiser list (Advertisers>Approved) and review the Data feed available column. You can sort the column by data feed status.
We ask that you request no more than 5 feeds at one time. Once you have identified the feeds you'd like to receive, please email affiliate@Performics.com with the following information:

1. Advertiser whose data feed you are requesting
2. ftp address
3. username
4. password
5. directory (if required)
6. file format (select one)
   • uncompressed text (.txt)
   • compressed zip (.zip)
   • compressed gzip (.gz)

We will then establish feeds for your account. It typically takes 3-5 days to complete depending on the volume of requests and the number of feeds you need. Feed files will come from the following IP addresses:

1. 65.167.65.53
2. 65.167.65.81
3. 65.167.65.82

Please confirm with your internal teams to ensure compliance with these IP addresses.

4. How do I set up BYOL?

Build your own links is available for many Advertisers. In order to build your own links please follow these steps (pop-ups from ConnectCommerce.com must be allowed):

1. Log into ConnectCommerce
2. Click "Get Links" tab (top left tab)
3. Find Advertiser
4. Click on drop-down menu
5. Select Build Your Own Links. If you do not see this option, BYOL is not available.
6. Click Go button (a pop-up window will appear)
7. In pop-up window, navigate to the page for which you would like to create a link
8. Copy complete URL
9. Paste in Link URL box - Step 2
10. If desired, enter an image in the Banner URL box – Step 3. This is not required.
11. Name the link
12. Enter any additional comments and click Build Link.

Please note that it can take time for a BYOL link to become active. If you are directed to a Link Inactive page, the link is still being activated.

5. How do I change my password?

1. Log into your account at www.performics.com/login.html
2. Click "Setup", from the top right navigation links.
3. Click "Change My Password", in the top center navigation links under the Personal tab.
4. Enter your existing password and then your new password (twice)
5. Click "Submit" to change your password
6. The next time you log into your Performics account you will be required to use your new password.

6. How do I verify if orders are not tracking?

First, check ConncetCommerce to verify the order is not listed.
Under Setup (located upper right-hand corner) navigate to Account>Find Orders> Enter Order ID. You can also run an activity detail report for the specific Advertiser and date range to see all tracked orders. Under Home, navigate to Reports>Performance>Activity Detail.
If you are certain that an order was placed via one of your DoubleClick Performics links and you can't locate it in the system, send the following information to affiliate@Performics.com.

1. Advertiser
2. Order number
3. Date of order
4. Dollar amount

With this information, we will forward the request  to the appropriate internal parties for further investigation.

7. Why was I declined from an Advertiser program and can I reapply?

There are many reasons you may have been declined from an Advertiser program.  A very common reason for decline is because the Advertiser feels you are not a good match for their program.

If you have a variety of web sites, please list them all in your Publisher site description so you can make sure the Advertiser is reviewing the applicable site.

To reapply to a program, please email affiliate@performics.com

8. I have other affiliate sites. Is there a place to enter my additional web sites or do I have to open new accounts for each site?

You do not need to open additional accounts for each site. Please list additional web sites under the Publisher site description which is located in your ConnectCommerce profile. Under Setup (located upper right-hand corner) navigate to Account > Account Profile > Publisher Site Description.

9. When will I get paid?

Clients are invoiced after the close of the month in which the Publisher generated fees. Payment is due 30 days from invoice. DoubleClick Performics agrees to pay Publishers no later than 30 days after the close of the month in which we receive payment from the client. DoubleClick Performics makes payments twice monthly (middle and end). This process usually takes between 45 to 60 days (from Advertiser invoice to Publisher payment).It is important to note that the schedule above depends upon when DoubleClick Performics receives payment from the Advertiser. DoubleClick Performics pays Publishers after payment is received from the Advertiser. Publishers must accumulate $50+ in aggregate commissions to receive payment. Please be assured that DoubleClick Performics works very closely with our Advertisers to collect timely payments. We understand very well the strain late payments can cause.

10. Who do I contact for assistance?

Email support: affiliate@performics.com
Phone Support: 800-404-9332

If you have an Advertiser program specific question please use the Advertiser's profile contact information. This can be found under Advertisers > Join, Approved or Declined > Click profile under the Advertiser's name.