| Lisa Picarille: Well, thank you to Scott Hazard with | | | | screening process that they could put this together for |
| Brightside Media for joining us today. Scott has agreed | | | | affiliates that they deem worthy of it I guess. And it |
| to let us ask him some fascinating questions about the | | | | would be an invaluable tool to me. |
| world of affiliate marketing. And I think Shawn's going | | | | Shawn I sent you an email one time. I believe I replied |
| to chime in with some questions specifically about data | | | | to one of your emails that I just come in; I think it was |
| feeds. | | | | the three o'clock in the morning. I mentioned I was out |
| Shawn Collins: Yeah, I'm very curious about Scott's | | | | drinking tea and playing cards. I sat down to work and |
| opinions and experiences since he's been dealing with | | | | if I had access to certain data feeds at that time they |
| the data feeds a lot and he has some great insight. | | | | would have gotten integrated into one of my sites. As |
| Lisa: Scott is the long time, what we often call, super | | | | it is, those data feeds were added. They're now in the |
| affiliate. And back in October he launched a | | | | data feed push, but now I am in a position to where |
| PPC-driven affiliate operation that was funded | | | | my programmer is not available for sometime and it's |
| completely by venture capitalists called Cooperative | | | | going to be probably three weeks or another month |
| Affiliates. Scott, I'm wondering if you can tell us a little | | | | before those feeds work their way into my site. |
| bit about Cooperative Affiliates and then how that idea | | | | Shawn: So are there any networks that are currently |
| came about. | | | | giving that sort of access? |
| Scott Hazard: The idea came about by me looking for | | | | Scott: ShareASale gives you that kind of access. |
| ways to get capital together to use for affiliate | | | | ShareASale allows you to reach in and, once you're |
| marketing purposes. I actually went and spoke with a | | | | approved for the merchant, I understand that I am not |
| banker and after I talked to this banker for about 30 | | | | going to be able to log in at three a.m., and get instantly |
| minutes, and he still really didn't have a grasp on what I | | | | approved and instantly approved for data feed |
| did. I just gave up. I didn't even pursue it any further | | | | access and get data feeds that way. But if I'm able to |
| because I was unable to really get him on level with | | | | be approved for the merchant ahead of time, on |
| what I was doing. | | | | ShareASale then I can go in there in the middle of the |
| At that point, I approached a few people that I know | | | | night and look at a data feed, even determine if it will |
| with an idea, we talked a lot about it; had a lot of | | | | work or not. If it will work then I can load it in to the mix. |
| conference calls about it; and decided to give it a try. | | | | Then at that point when I am comparing calendars |
| We started with a small number of investors and I | | | | with my programmer, I don't really have a regular |
| operate as the manager of the operation. What I've | | | | programmer any more. What I've got now is |
| done there is create some niche websites and use | | | | somebody whose kind of working me in, it comes |
| PPC to drive traffic to them. And it's working at this | | | | down to a situation where I have to coordinate his |
| point. We are looking to grow a whole lot this year. I've | | | | schedule with my schedule, and if I have to coordinate |
| got an upcoming move that's going to set us back just | | | | that with the networks schedule, well then often that |
| a month or so as far as production goes. But once | | | | just throws things way off. |
| that's over we've got a lot of plans and we have | | | | Shawn: Give the opinion of should networks or |
| made pretty good money a pretty good ROI on our | | | | merchants themselves should severely limit the |
| spin throughout the holidays. So we're postured in a | | | | number of people that get access t o data feeds, do |
| way that we can hit the ground running in the second | | | | you think that they can do some damage? |
| quarter. | | | | Scott: I think they can be abused. There's been some |
| Lisa: So the power of this really is that as opposed to | | | | talk on one of the boards that. |
| being one affiliate, it's a group of affiliates gathered | | | | A company that has been disseminating data feeds |
| together to focus on specific niche areas and then | | | | through his company to affiliates who may or may not |
| they've sort of got the power of many as opposed to | | | | have been approved for use of that data feed. I think |
| the power of one? | | | | it should be a managed resource. I'll tell you when I was |
| Scott: Exactly. But it's not all affiliates. We actually | | | | a brand new affiliate, I applied for a data feed one time |
| have people that are not really in the affiliate marketing | | | | with a company with CJ and I received a very nice |
| world in our group. And we have people that are in | | | | email back from their program manager. He said we |
| other facets besides being an affiliate in our group. As | | | | give this out on a small scale, we consider it a |
| far as the synergy of ideas and stuff goes, that's | | | | managed resource and at this time we just don't think |
| really good and we have, I guess I hate to use the | | | | you are ready for it. |
| word outsider, but people in the group that could be | | | | Looking back on that now, to be perfectly honest with |
| considered outsiders, that will often say 'well, why | | | | you, he was right because I wasn't ready for it. But if |
| would this work this way' or whatever. And Shawn | | | | they need to manage it, it doesn't need to be given out |
| can tell you a lot of times when someone asks you a | | | | to just everybody, but those people that have proven |
| question and you explain your way of thinking to them | | | | to be productive and valuable affiliates there's really no |
| that often you come up with a better plan just by | | | | reason that they shouldn't be made available to that |
| being able to voice this. | | | | group of people on a 24/7 basis. |
| It's been a big deal for me as a single-soul affiliate for | | | | Shawn: Sure, and as far as somebody whose capable |
| the last several years. I sit hear and I beat on this | | | | of using a data feed do you have any tips for how to |
| computer; and I have a few friends that I talk to on the | | | | get started in for people that are totally new to it? |
| phone and such, but I have not had the benefit of the | | | | Scott: WebMerge. WebMerge is a great tool, there are |
| water cooler, as Lisa, you and I discussed back in the | | | | a lot of scripts out there, there's a thread at |
| interview in the magazine. This also acts somewhat as | | | | ABestWeb posted by a member named Dirk Gardner, |
| a water cooler. But obviously with also the infusion of | | | | and if you got to ABestWeb and do a search for Dirk |
| outside funds. | | | | Gardner you can find it. It's a wonderful thread, it's got |
| Lisa: Have there been other ideas that have sprung | | | | all kind of sample script that you can use, and just |
| out of these water cooler, brain-storming sessions that | | | | enter your information in, it's a great resource, its very, |
| you may be implementing in the future? | | | | very, very good. I do a little bit of stuff with PHP but do |
| Scott: Yes. Ideas and merchants and just general | | | | not consider myself a programmer. It's not where my |
| things that I probably wouldn't be doing if I were doing | | | | strengths are and never spent the time I need to |
| this completely on my own. I still have my own | | | | develop that. I really feel that my time is better spent |
| operation, Brightside Media, that's completely separate | | | | elsewhere. I have used those scripts applied by Dirk, |
| and that's still completely mine. But as Cooperative | | | | ABestWeb; it's a wonderful resource for someone to |
| Affiliates, the group of us have looked, discussed, | | | | get started with data feeds and databases. |
| researched and see some ways that we're going to | | | | Shawn: So if somebody is even intimidated by using |
| go that I probably wouldn't have gone on my own. | | | | WebMerge, would you recommend trying GoldenCAN |
| Lisa: Can you tell me how much time does the | | | | or DataFeedFile? |
| Cooperative Affiliates venture take versus your | | | | Scott: I love GoldenCAN, GoldenCAN is good, I don't |
| regular affiliate marketing endeavors? | | | | really know anything able DataFeedFile. I've worked |
| Scott: Probably a third to two-thirds two-thirds of my | | | | with assets at GoldenCAN on many things, and I do |
| own and a third of Cooperative Affiliates. It's really | | | | recommend GoldenCAN. What you need to consider |
| hard for me to measure that because sometimes I do | | | | you're using the JavaScript version of GoldenCAN |
| several things. I may work on something of my own | | | | you're going to need to put content on the page |
| for a week and not even hardly touch Cooperative | | | | otherwise the search engines will read it as a blank |
| Affiliates other than monitoring it. But if I had to give | | | | page. But I believe now that GoldenCAN is supporting |
| numbers, I'd probably say a third to two-thirds. | | | | a different system, a PHP system that actually shows |
| Lisa: Do you expect that to continue or do you expect | | | | up and is indexable. GoldenCAN's a great resource for |
| the balance to change as Cooperative Affiliates | | | | a new affiliate. |
| grows? | | | | Shawn: That's all I was wondering, that's a great |
| Scott: I think that 2007 will see that change. I think 2007 | | | | education there. I appreciate that. |
| will see me, hopefully, by the end of the third quarter | | | | Scott: There are several other good websites out |
| going into Q4, developing a considerably larger | | | | there that are WebMerge tutorials. Actually some |
| infrastructure of sites and such for Cooperative | | | | affiliate programs have there own version of |
| Affiliates and really getting that fired-up into Q4. The | | | | WebMerge that they'll give affiliates or sell affiliates at |
| available funds will be there for Q4 and I would really | | | | a very discounted price that's for use with their data |
| like to put myself in a position where we will be able to | | | | feed and its all set up with templates where you really |
| fully utilize them. | | | | just plug everything in. |
| Lisa: Well, that's great. I hope you will keep us informed | | | | For new affiliates I would also say take a look at the |
| about any new ventures that come out of that and | | | | MakeAPage on ShareASale that's a wonderful |
| things you can talk about that you guys are doing. | | | | resource. Many OPM houses and affiliate |
| Scott: Thank you. I will indeed. It just goes to show you | | | | management houses kind of have their own version of |
| that sometimes we have crazy ideas and some of | | | | the MakeAPage. I believe Akiva Bergstrom, was |
| them work and some of them don't and this one has. | | | | maybe the pioneer of that, and he's certainly got a nice |
| Shawn: Great. Scott, I have some questions I was | | | | setup over on his end. |
| curious about. With regards to data feeds, one thing I | | | | Shawn: a page generator? |
| was wondering from your perspective is what do you | | | | Scott: Right and those are generally, those are very |
| see as the biggest problem right now that you | | | | effect. They provide a nice table of items, and you |
| experience with data feeds? | | | | can filter the items by what you want to show up in it, |
| Scott: As far as data feeds go, Shawn, what I would | | | | and set the number that displays and everything. They |
| really like to see and I guess can consider a public | | | | are actually very good, I used those quite a bit when I |
| appeal to the networks, are a few things. The first | | | | first became an affiliate and had some success with |
| being a little bit more of a common format. The most | | | | them, and still use them today. I still use them for, |
| important thing that I would like to have as an affiliate | | | | mostly for a few related down the right side column |
| from the networks is the ability to log into my account, | | | | on a page or something. You can set it up to show |
| select the data feeds that I want to use, and actually | | | | one column with four items in it; it's a great page |
| look at them. Download them and take a look at them. | | | | dressing. |
| Once you look at them, a lot of them are going to be | | | | Lisa: Well, Scott, this has been a great education for |
| non-usable or not what you wanted or whatever. Not | | | | people. You spent a lot of your time looking at big |
| that they're bad, but that they're not going to fit in with | | | | picture things as well as getting into the nitty gritty, |
| your plan. | | | | giving a lot of people some great advice. So why don't |
| The system we have now requires affiliates to go | | | | we wrap it up by letting us know what you are going |
| through CJ personnel, either your account | | | | to be talking about at the Affiliate Summit? |
| representative if you are a CJP or through their | | | | Scott: At Affiliate Summit I am going to be talking |
| support people, and set a data feed up to be either | | | | about marketing your affiliate website outside of the |
| delivered to your server or for you to ftp in and grab. | | | | box and I'll say that outside' pretty much means |
| What I think the networks are missing on here is a) a | | | | outside of your house. These are offline, what we |
| lot of these data feeds, by the time the affiliate sees it | | | | consider today; nontraditional methods of advertising |
| and realizes they can't use it, they're still sending it on | | | | which fifteen years ago people lived and died by. It |
| whatever cycle it is they're sending it and it's not being | | | | seems that advertising these days is, in the online |
| used which is really just somewhat of a waste. | | | | world, has gone strictly online which I am a big fan of. I |
| Also, if an affiliate is working on a site at midnight on a | | | | think that's where your best ROI is, but I think there's |
| Thursday the networks work nine-to-five, affiliates | | | | also a lot of opportunity out there on the streets that a |
| work 24/7. If I were in one of the networks where I'm | | | | lot of affiliates aren't getting and that's what my |
| not able to get data feeds instantly and I was able to | | | | presentation is about. |
| reach in and grab something, set it up and it would | | | | Lisa: Well that sounds really interesting and I think |
| work, and then set-up a weekly update or a daily | | | | everybody will benefit from checking that out. |
| update or however it needs to be set-up all within my | | | | Scott: Thanks. |
| interface, that would be great. I realize that if this were | | | | Shawn: Yeah thanks a lot for coming on, Scott. I look |
| to ever happen, that it would possibly be very much | | | | forward to seeing you in Vegas. |
| abused and overused by people that go in and get a | | | | Scott: All right guys, thanks for having me. I'll see ya |
| lot of data feeds and disseminate them for whatever | | | | both here in just a few days. |
| reasons and such. It would need to be monitored. But I | | | | Shawn: Take care. Thank you. |
| think if the networks went through a fairly close | | | | Lisa: Ok take care. Bye bye. |