IMMania.com

In a previous post I went off on a semi-rank about the frustrations I was having building a relationship with the affiliate manager(s) at one of my most profitable merchants. They seemed to have a revolving door leading in (and out) of their affiliate manager’s office. I recently emailed a VP there who has been very cooperative in the past and was able to get some useful updates directly from him.

He also told me that the previous affiliate manager was no longer the affiliate manager. Big shocker.

So while they continue onward in their never ending quest to find an affiliate manager who will last in the position longer than the director of FEMA, I will continue to wait patiently and continue to promote their high-converting/high-paying products until someone new is in the position. I will then try to build a relationship with him before he attains the coveted title of “He’s No Longer With Us”.

However, before I start building a reputation online as a disgruntled blogger who is constantly frustrated and impossible to satisfy, let me tell you about a recent conversation I had with another affiliate manager that left me feeling rather warm and fuzzy.

My second oldest site is built around a particular niche of women’s wear. I won’t come right out and reveal what it is here, but some deft searching in Google should yield it up rather quickly. I’ve been around the seasonal cycle with this niche almost twice at this point, and I’ve been able to identify the particular seasonal trends and merchants that convert well.

This is a great niche for both PPC and article marketing. I’ve cannibalized most of my profits from Adwords costs in the past promoting this niche using PPC, but at least I know very clearly what products, merchants, and time periods convert well.  Given enough time, I’m sure I could make some decent profits here provided I’m willing to put in the time and effort.

One of the affiliate managers for a merchant that I’ve done well with in the recent past emailed me asking if we could have a discussion about my participation in her company’s afiliate program. This in and of itself was extremely refreshing. I can’t recall any affiliate manager contacting me asking for a chance to discuss things.

We set up a call and got down to discussing business.

It was a great sign that she had taken the time to have a look at my affiliate site. Granted, she probably only looked at the pages where her company’s banners and other creative were used, but that’s what we were on the phone to discuss. It was also a another great sign that she was very willing to discuss what was going on at her company and also asked me some questions about CJ.

In no particular order, below are highlights from my notes of our discussion:

• She accurately pointed out that some of the links to their product lines were on pages that really weren’t relevant. In other words, my pages were pretty unfocused. Point well taken.
• She told me about some new dynamic buttons that they just put up on CJ that automatically get updated on a seasonal and promotional basis. I haven’t checked yet, but I’m wondering if these are actually JavaScript buttons rather than HTML. I prefer HTML affiliate links, but it may be time to loosen the rigidity in refusing any and all JS links.
• The merchant’s website has been revamped, especially the homepage, to put prominence on another line of women’s clothing products. One that I’ve had marginal success promoting in the past. When I mentioned this, she was quick to suggest ways in which I might improve my chances with it. Especially during the upcoming holiday season.
• For their main line of clothing products she gave me some really good ideas of accessories and specific items to promote.
• This particular niche has money to spend and also has a vocal cadre of celebrities and online personalities. She gave me the names of some worth checking out. Yes, I do spend some time following women’s fashion trends in this niche.
• I expressed my extreme admiration for one of the top fashion models in this space who has become identified with this particular merchant. My heart melts every time I see her on a banner ad. Sigh.
• I got the inside scoop on a designer brand of clothing that I’ve been promoting pretty heavily as well as successfully. Apparently, the designer has shipped the manufacturing of their line offshore. The result is inferior quality with things like broken seems and other quality issues. I guess they never heard of Cathy Lee Gifford’s big time screw up going the cheap labor route. I can only hope they’ve discovered the error of their ways in time to rescue their brand. They really have some incredible designs and it would be a shame to destroy that for the sake of the bottom line.

In addition to these great tips and insights she provided me, I was also able to share a few small thoughts and experiences that may be of some use to her down the line. I think the biggest outcome of our discussion is that it opened a fruitful dialog that I sincerely hope continues.

In my Affiliate Utopia, all affiliate managers would take the time to contact me asking for a brief chat. Sigh.