In anticipation of his presentation at Affiliate Management Days entitled Attribution and Commission Splitting: Where It’s At And Where It’s Going, our very own Geno Prussakov interviewed Chad Waite, Marketing Manager of AvantLink. View the Q-and-A below to learn Chad’s thoughts about the current state of affiliate marketing, in general, and affiliate management, in particular. Also, see what’s in store for AM Days 2016.
____________
Question: If you were to emphasize one important issue that every affiliate manager should be paying more attention to, what would it be and why?
Chad: Attribution and using clickstream data to keep all affiliates involved in the commission payout. Why? Because last click wins was invented in the 90s.
Question: What was the most important marketing lesson that you learned in 2015?
Chad: Little, and often untrackable efforts, can have a big impact later down the road. Remember that these moments can be just as valuable as your big, established channels.
Question: What do you believe to be the main areas of opportunity in 2016 – for online marketers, in general, and for affiliate marketers, in particular?
Chad: See answer one! Using real clickstream data to measure the value of each affiliate referral in a singular sales cycle and then taking action on that data to divvy up a traditionally singular commission payment to multiple affiliates is huge. It is Affiliate Marketing 2.0, a new era for the channel, and something that in the next few years will be in demand across the board.
Question: What do you believe to be the biggest challenge advertisers with affiliate programs face, and what steps could help them overcome it?
Chad: Again, determining and recognizing the value of all affiliates in the clickstream and then rewarding those referrals accordingly will be huge. AdBlock is also a major industry challenge that is impacting everyone.
Question: Please give us 1-3 reasons why marketers should attend your AM Days 2016 presentation, Attribution and Commission Splitting: Where It’s At And Where It’s Going.
Chad: Anyone interested in learning about what attribution is and how it specifically applies to the attribution channel should come to the session. Anyone interested in forecasting and predictions for trends in attribution and commission splitting should attend the session.
Question: If you were to leave online advertisers, merchants and affiliate managers with one piece of advice, what would it be?
Chad: Never settle for status quo! The moment a competitor has better technical capabilities, better communications, better anything, affiliates will always go where it’s best for them.
____________
Don’t miss Chad’s conference presentation, Attribution and Commission Splitting: Where It’s At And Where It’s Going at Affiliate Management Days on Monday, April 4, 2016, from 4:15-5:00pm. Click here to register for attendance.