Uh-fil-ee-it Marketing- A Rookie’s Journey to Affiliate Summit East - By Zach Winterton

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The date was April 1st 2008. In an office building in downtown Walla Walla, WA, I officially stepped into my new role as the Affiliate Coordinator for QualitySmith, an internet based lead-gen company that connects homeowners with contractors nationwide.

Fast-forward five months and I am crawling out of bed at 5 AM to catch my flight to Boston for my very first Affiliate Summit. Upon arriving at the Seaport, I immediately realized this was going to be an amazing experience.

After it was all said and done I learned a ton, met some amazing people, and had a great time. For all of the affiliate newbies out there, here are some tips I’ve learned to help with your first time at Affiliate Summit.

Leading Up to Your First Affiliate Summit

Networking – Get involved. There are tons of ways to connect with others in the affiliate marketing space. Affiliate Summit has a networking site (network.affiliatesummit.com), and there a lot of affiliate marketers on Facebook also.

Make a point to meet with companies that could be a good fit for you to work with. It helps to set an appointment with them if you can also.

Business Cards – You’ll need them, and lots of them. Try thinking outside of the box with these. Rounded edges, odd sizes, and clever design will help your cards stand out.

Affiliate Summit Mentor Program – Sign up for this. You’ll be paired up with an affiliate marketing veteran. They will be a great resource, and maybe even your first friend at the Summit. I was lucky enough to have Shawn Collins as my mentor.

Travel – Pack lightly. Chances are you’ll have a bag full of goodies to take home with you. Comfortable dress shoes also came in handy.

During the Conference

Networking – Seems to be a common theme. Networking is one of the most beneficial things you can do for both your time at Affiliate Summit, and your career. You never know who you are going to meet, or where. Be friendly, say hello first to people you see.

Attend Parties –These are great opportunities to meet more people in the industry. A tip from Brian Hawkins of Pingo.com is affiliates usually stick together. I was able to meet ten affiliates in one sitting by approaching one when he was by himself.

Stay Organized – You will meet tons of people, and have tons of business cards. Spend some night before bed each night organizing and making notes about the cards you have collected.

Have Fun – There are plenty of opportunities to have a great time at Affiliate Summit.

After the Summit

Follow up – Make a list of the contacts you made that could most benefit you or your business, and start reaching out to them one by one.

Affiliate marketing is a fascinating industry full of brilliant, motivated people. Whether you take these tips to heart, or not, you’re destined to have a great time at Affiliate Summit.

Zach Winterton is a dedicated Affiliate Manager for QualitySmith & Glass.net. www.qualitysmith.com, www.glass.net

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