A Web of Objects is the Object of the Internet
May 20, 2009 by Jim Hedger
Filed under WMR Blog
I’m taking a quick break from organizing the upcoming Affiliate Convention to write a cathartic, brain-clearing blog post. While I would optimally like to keep this blog updated daily, helping to coordinate a major affiliate marketing convention takes a lot of time and energy.
Affiliate Convention is not the only reason I haven’t been blogging as much lately. It’s occurred to me that I haven’t felt inspired about my understanding of the web for a while. This morning, I read a short quote in a piece at Search Engine Land by Greg Sterling from Yahoo!’s “search event” held in Sunnyvale yesterday that helped me gain some of my perspective again.
Prabhakar Raghavan, Head of Yahoo! Labs and Yahoo! Search Strategy is quoted saying, “We’re moving toward surfacing real-world objects rather than documents,” while explaining Yahoo!’s renewed focus on upgrading the public’s perceptions of its search offerings by re-outlining its current ones.
The idea that the web is made up of objects more than it is made up of documents is not really new. What is new is how the combination of Internet technologies with web based documents and applications has created an environment that has vastly expanded the boundaries of web design and experience.
Traditionally, SEOs have tended to see the Internet as a collection of documents rather than the repository of all types of media. While it is easier to envision delivery of web-media as a part of a document, objects such as a YouTube viewer or a Twitter client deliver as much or more information to Internet users than do web documents.
I know it’s a simple point which was incorporated into my thinking years ago but as simple things go, it’s one I need reminding on every once in a while. From a search marketer’s perspective, the objects over documents idea is inspiring. Objects make better toys to play with! Even in a virtual world, objects tend to have more dimensions than documents.
Affiliate Convention Delegate Breakdown
May 14, 2009 by Jim Hedger
Filed under WMR Blog
The upcoming affiliate marketing conference, Affiliate Convention has released a several charts giving a detailed breakdown of exactly who is attending Affiliate Convention, where they come from, what they do and the promotion techniques they use to do it. The charts give an interesting glimpse into the make-up of the affiliate marketing industry.
The Delegate Breakdown Page on the Affiliate Convention website shows that 60% of all people who have registered to attend the affiliate marketing conference, June 17-20 in Denver Colorado, are working affiliate marketers. 10% come from affiliate networks, 9% are affiliate managers, 8% work for agencies, and 6% are merchants. The remaining 6% are sponsors, media, organizers and guests.
Attendance appears to be spread fairly evenly among segments of the affiliate marketing industry. The largest vertical sector represented will be diet, health and beauty (9%), followed by dating and finance (both around 7%), business (6%) and travel (5%).
Primary promotion tactics and techniques are fairly evenly distributed among registered attendees with 20% saying search engine optimization is their primary means of promotion, 19% identifying pay per click advertising, 16% saying blogs are their main promotion vehicles and 14% suggesting they use social networking or viral marketing techniques.
Information gained from registered attendees confirms the choices made by organizers when selecting speakers. There will be several sessions with well known SEO and PPC experts on them, along with a session devoted to social network affiliate marketing.
Affiliate Convention runs June 17 – 20 at the Denver Convention Center. The conference is free for all affiliate marketers who can prove they are working with a major affiliate network. Admission is also free to all members of the popular AffSpot Affiliate Forums.
Affiliate Convention Contest – 10 days left to enter
May 5, 2009 by Jim Hedger
Filed under WMR Blog
As most readers and listeners already know, WebmasterRadio.FM has partnered with AffSpot Forums and Ticonderoga Ventures to produce a new conference series known as Affiliate Convention. We’ve been busy the last few weeks getting the details together and honing the line-up for the Convention which takes place June 17 – 20 in Denver.
Because each of us at WebmasterRadio.FM and our partners have all been working webmasters at one time or another (many of us still are), we deeply value the efforts webmasters put in each and every day. In the affiliate marketing world, webmasters are the workers and we appreciate how hard that work is. To that end, any affiliate marketer who can prove their affiliation with a major network will receive free admission to the event.
Affiliate Convention Contest
One lucky registrant will receive a bit more than that. Anyone who registers for Affiliate Convention before May 15th (that’s a week from Friday), will automatically be entered into a draw for free round-trip airfare and accommodation at the conference hotel, courtesy of WebmasterRadio.FM and our Affiliate Convention partners.
Registration is fairly easy and the cost of admission is even easier. We’re still adding to the list of speakers and finalizing details of one of our legendary WebmasterRadio.FM parties to be held on June 18th. Watch the Affiliate Convention website for more details as they develop.
AB178, California Affiliate Tax Bill Dead (for now)
April 28, 2009 by Jim Hedger
Filed under WMR Blog
Debate over a California bill that would apply state taxes to sales of merchandise over the Internet has been put off until next year by the Assembly Revenue and Tax Committee. The bill, AB178 did not receive a hearing at yesterday’s meeting of the Committee thus pushing it to the back of a long list of other taxation bills for the Committee to examine.
The temporary shelving of AB178 is seen as a small victory for e-commerce businesses and affiliates who worked hard to lobby against passage. The California decision to put off debate on AB178 comes two weeks after a similar bill in Maryland, (Senate Bill 1071) was also allowed to be shelved without debate. Similar bills have also recently been defeated in Hawaii and Virginia.
While AB178 is unlikely to become Californian law in 2009, opponents warn that the bill might make a comeback in 2010 or be used as a negotiation chip in 11th hour negotiations during debate over the regular budgetary deadlocks that befall California. The California Board of Equalization estimates taxation of online sales could bring almost $150million into state coffers annually.
The California Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation published its analysis of AB178 before yesterday’s hearing. The analysis gives a good overview of the purpose of the bill and includes information from supporters and opponents. It also includes a list of supporters and opponents.
State taxation of online sales will be a session at the upcoming Affiliate Convention in Denver, June 17 – 20.
Win a FREE Trip to Affiliate Convention!
April 21, 2009 by Jim Hedger
Filed under WMR Blog
The Affiliate Convention is rapidly approaching and WebmasterRadio.FM wants to give you a free trip to Denver to attend!
Register for the Affiliate Convention before May 15 and you’re automatically entered in the draw.
The prize, a free round-trip ticket and hotel room, will be drawn on May 18th with the winner being informed by email or telephone. The winner will be announced live on WebmasterRadio.FM on May 20th.
Affiliate Convention takes place June 17 – 20 in Denver Colorado. Designed for working affiliate marketers, the Affiliate Convention is programmed to give information online entrepreneurs can use to improve their businesses and bottom lines.
WebmasterRadio.FM, in cooperation with AffSpot and Ticonderoga Ventures is coordinating the convention. Because we believe the working webmasters support the entire online marketing industry, any affiliate marketer who is currently working with an established affiliate network will get free admission.
Enter the draw as quickly as possible by registering for Affiliate Convention today.
Attention Affiliate Marketers! – Affiliate Convention, June 17 – 20, Denver
April 3, 2009 by Jim Hedger
Filed under WMR Blog
In cooperation with AffSpot and Ticonderoga Ventures, WebmasterRadio.FM is throwing a convention designed to make affiliate marketing businesses better. Taking place June 17th – 20th in Denver Colorado, the Affiliate Convention is being organized to offer the real stars of the field, the affiliate marketers themselves a conference of their very own.
If you are in any way interested in the expansive opportunities in the affiliate marketing industry, Affiliate Convention is the show for you. Affiliate marketing is now the fastest growing sector in digital marketing and one showing continued strong returns for those involved. While affiliate marketing has brought wealth to many over the years, the current economic conditions make affiliate sales even brighter as consumers turn the Internet and e-commerce to save money.
Free Admission for Affiliate Marketers, Lowered Costs for All
We are dedicated to building a better affiliate marketing community and bringing the best speakers, sessions and information to that community. As we see it, working affiliates are the cornerstones of the industry. The efforts of the actual workers, affiliate marketers, make all of us successful. Therefore, at Affiliate Convention, any affiliate marketer who can prove their affiliation to a major network will get free admission to the event!
One of the reasons we choose Denver as the launch pad for the Affiliate Convention series is the city’s affordability. Denver is a hub airport for several airlines and has some of the least expensive room rates in the country. All expenses added up, some conferences cost $2500 or more to attend. We want to build one that costs attendees as little as possible while offering more than any other trade show or convention serving the affiliate marketing sector.
True Thought-Leaders as Speakers
It is our intention to build a conference free of generic sessions, incomplete information or product-pushing speakers. Affiliate Convention is designed for Affiliate Marketers with an intermediate to high level of knowledge and experience. To that end, we have invited some of the smartest and in some cases, most controversial names in Affiliate Marketing to speak. Watch for names like Kris Jones (CEO of PepperJam), Harrison Gervitz (founder of GervitzMedia), Heather Paulson (CEO of Paulson Management Group), Andrew Cotton (Sr. Sales Manager with Yahoo Search Marketing), Jeannine Crooks (Blogger), and Monte Cahn (CEO of Moniker).
Topics of Importance for Affiliate Marketers
Moving far away from generic affiliate marketing conferences, Affiliate Convention is built for experienced affiliate marketers. Information and learning sessions at Affiliate Convention include, Actual E-mail marketing case studies, video advertising, advanced SEO, local marketing, how to look after your business and financial interests, and working with niche tracks. Affiliate Convention’s speaker and topic list is compiled to give you the best access to the brightest brains in affiliate marketing.
Register NOW
Register as quickly as possible. We only have room for so many attendees and we want your name on the list. Registration is easy and inexpensive. If you are a working affiliate, registration is FREE!
To register for Affiliate Convention, please visit this page:
Affiliate Convention Registration
Affiliate Convention Videos
March 20, 2009 by Jim Hedger
Filed under WMR Blog
Two videos recently added to the Affiliate Convention website suggest a grass-roots revolution is taking place in the affiliate marketing space. The first video, produced by professional convention organizer Mark Lesnick outlines the programming directions of the newest conference he is involved with.
The Affiliate Convention (which is being presented in part by WebmasterRadio.FM) will be designed and programmed with affiliate marketers in mind. The show, which is free for working affiliate marketers to attend, takes place in Denver Colorado from June 17 – 20 and is the first of a series of conferences for affiliate marketers and affiliate managers.
“Some conferences cost over $1700 to attend,†says Lesnick early in the video, “As a fundamental difference, we believe that affiliates should not have to pay an entrance fee to attend the eventâ€.
The show is being held in Denver in order to keep costs as low as possible for working affiliate marketers. Denver is the most central major city in the United States and is a hub airport for several national airlines. It also has lower hotel and accommodation costs than many other comparable cities.
“Think of Affiliate Convention as your home,†Lesnick continues, “it’s your place to negotiate for better revenue percentages; it’s also your soapbox, your place to state your issues. We want you to participate in Affiliate Convention as you will gain more for the industry and for your business.â€
One of the goals of Affiliate Convention is to give affiliate marketers and affiliate managers a greater say in the way their industry works. The focus on the grass-roots of the industry reflects organizers’ appreciation of the hard work and planning that goes into a successful affiliate marketing business.
Mark concludes his video with a cheery, “We look forward to seeing you at Affiliate Convention, welcome homeâ€. More on the second video, targeted at Affiliate managers on Monday.
An affiliate convention in Denver, June 21st – 23rd
February 3, 2009 by Daron Babin
Filed under WMR Blog, affiliate convention
Comments Off
WebmasterRadio.FM is pleased to announce that we have launched a new Affiliate Convention to service the needs of those in the Affiliate Marketplace. We feel the performance marketing industry is rife with business that needs to be fostered along with the educational growth of its participants.
For anyone who knows us, knows that we have long had a hand in the affiliate marketing space. Most do not realize that we have been as involved as we were. To those ends, I had an idea to create a new trade show series after having spent a year working to those ends and just not quite so happy as I would be…if the project were solely in the hands of WMR.
The genesis of this plan was one that formed rapidly, as we knew there was a demand for our event. If you’ve never been to an affiliate convention programmed by WebmasterRadio.FM, than you’ll quickly discover how we differentiate ourselves from other conferences in the affiliate marketing space by focusing on the people who make the industry run, the actual affiliate marketers. Recognizing the cold realities of our current economic conditions, we wanted to present a low-cost, high-value show. In order to make an affiliate convention in Denver economically feasible for attendees, we decided to make admittance to the convention free for anyone who can prove they are a working affiliate marketer, which we take care of with a quick and painless phone call.
The offer of free admittance should remove a big barrier to entry for many affiliate marketers. Conventions give attendees a leg-up in an economy that is making many marketers feel unsure. The contacts, education and networking give us a chance to shore up our business ideas and relationships.
At AffCon2010 you will find value, benefit, education, and enormous networking opportunities in a beautiful setting. Focused entirely on affiliate marketing, the Affiliate Convention will feature keynote speakers Joel Comm, Jeremy “Shoemoney” Shoemaker followed by a line-up Heather Paulson, Jeannine Crooks, Tim Ash, Anita Edge and many more. Our goal is to provide a convention built around the needs and interests of the grassroots of this expansive industry, the actual affiliate marketers.
Over the coming weeks, the convention website, www.AffCon2010.com will continue fill out. We will be introducing a number of social media tools for delegates, speakers, attendees and organizers to use to communicate and help build a better affiliate convention.
WebmasterRadio.FM has consistently stood for the strength of the online marketing community. Together with our partners, WebmasterRadio.FM is proud to take a leading role in bringing the affiliate marketing community closer together by presenting the most inclusive experience possible. If you work in or around the affiliate marketing industry, AffCon2010 is for you.
WebmasterRadio.FM takes ownership position in Affiliate Convention
January 29, 2009 by Jim Hedger
Filed under WMR Blog
Comments Off
WebmasterRadio.FM, the premier B2B online radio and podcast network has taken an ownership position in the emerging Affiliate Convention scheduled for June 18th and 19th at the Denver Convention Center.
Registration and attendance at the Affiliate Convention will be FREE for those who can prove they are working affiliate marketers. The sign-up and registration pages should be active in the next 48-hours.
“Well, being the type of media property we are, we tend to have to be “Switzerland” most of the time,” said WebmasterRadio.FM co-founder Daron Babin, “This time, I heard my listeners…just as this nation wanted change…so does the affiliate marketing industry! As a consortium of non-biased owners, we are incentivezed to provide the best education and networking experience and at an affordable price. I suppose that’s the kicker….for verified affiliates…your cost to attend $0.00! As opposed to thousands of dollars in such a hard economic time, the affiliate needs every ounce of help they can get….and we’re here to do that!”
Sign-up and registration will be available through AffiliateConvention.com, WebmasterRadio.FM, AffSpot.com and WickedFire.com.
Affiliate Convention is being designed to provide the widest coverage of issues, techniques, opportunities and programs available to affiliate marketers. More information will be available at AffiliateConvention.com in the next seven days.
