Can you tell us more about your role at AP as Partner Development Manager?
I work on the Partner Development team and our main goal is to find interesting affiliates or affiliate opportunities for our clients in EMEA. I also work closely with two or three clients at any one time, who have a bigger focus on affiliate recruitment and finding more out of the box partner opportunities.
What excites you about the affiliate marketing industry?
I think now is a particularly exciting time in general for the industry, as many brands and companies are starting to see the true value of affiliate marketing and giving it a lot more attention. However, I have always liked the innovative nature of the industry. It amazes me year after year how unknown affiliates suddenly come onto the scene with new ideas and new ways of adding value. It is also exciting that anyone with an audience can be an affiliate. There are so many opportunities out there for people, groups, companies, etc. to get involved in the industry and create exciting partnerships.
Have you seen any prominent changes in the industry, since starting your career?
I started off in the industry 12 years ago, so I've seen a lot of changes during that time. I think the main change I've seen is to do with how people perceive the industry. When I first started, affiliate marketing almost had a tarnished reputation, with big question marks over incrementality and fraud. These questions still do exist, but the industry is in a much better position to deal with them. It has gained the respect it deserves and is now a really valuable channel for many brands, becoming increasingly important, year after year.
Your role focuses on finding new partners for AP's clients. What tips have you got for brands looking to diversify their programme and how can AP's Partner Development Team help?
I think brands need to have a really good understanding of their programme, before being able to diversify. They need to understand who they are working with, what types of partners are on the programme, what's working well and why etc. At that point, they can start to highlight where the opportunities are and how to diversify. It is also really key to understand what brands can offer affiliates on their programme. If they're just offering a discount code to all affiliates, then they're likely to have a bigger emphasis on one or two affiliate types. They need to start looking at other ways they can help affiliates drive traffic, like content, new imagery, etc.
Our Partner Development Team can help brands do this and work with them to understand where the gaps are. We facilitate relationships with new partners that we know can make a difference and develop strategies to help our clients engage with non-traditional affiliates, to further diversify their affiliate programme.
What does your daily routine for success look like?
I'm a very organised and structured person, so in order for me to be successful, I need to know what I have going on that day and what I want to achieve by the end of it. I'm also a big believer in 'eating the frog', meaning I usually pick the task I'm dreading the most and attack it first. This puts me in a good mood for the day and gives me a sense of achievement, regardless of what else comes my way.
What tips do you have for people who are working from home during COVID-19?
I think a lot of people are facing different challenges while working from home during this time. But I would say whatever your situation is, try to make time to stay in touch and communicate with your colleagues. It can be easy to prioritise certain tasks over this, but it's really important to stay in close contact and get regular face time.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
I think it would be great to be able to freeze time. There was a TV programme on when I was a kid called 'Out of This World', where a girl could freeze time by putting her two fingers together and then unfreeze time by clapping. I always thought that would be very cool and extremely useful!
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