My name is Matthew Bredel and as of March, 2007, I am a full-time, work-at-home internet marketer.
For close to 10 years, I worked for a defense company which was an OK job, but I was so uninspired in life and frankly, I needed some more money. That is when I first discovered internet marketing! Now I admit that I didn't start making thousands in my first couple of months (in fact, I lost my shirt!), but I finally saw the "internet light"...
So I just drove back from Las Vegas and Affiliate Summit West 2009. I was a bit hesitant to go this year, actually. Last year was the first time I attended the Affiliate Summit event and I came home rather frustrated and confused.
It was no fault to the conference, but rather my expectations. Entering into [...]
So I just drove back from Las Vegas and Affiliate Summit West 2009. I was a bit hesitant to go this year, actually. Last year was the first time I attended the Affiliate Summit event and I came home rather frustrated and confused.
It was no fault to the conference, but rather my expectations. Entering into 2008 (well over a year ago), my view of affiliate marketing focused around affiliate brokers like Clickbank, PayDotCom, some CJ (Commission Junction), maybe a little Linkshare and a handful of in-house programs.
Essentially, I knew the outer-shell of affiliate marketing (what must of us initially get into when we first start). Affiliate Summit is MUCH deeper than this and this fact is what initially scared me during my first event and I felt very out-of-place.
One year later, I return: Wiser, more educated, more experienced (more skeptical).
It was a quick trip from me (drove in late Sunday and returned today, Tuesday, early morning). I went in with much more of a game plan:
- Pre-arranged meetings
- Reviewed the exhibition list prior to going and noting the companies I wanted to talk to.
- Be more aggressive, from a networking stand-point; attend more of the social gatherings, find the parties and make new random friend.
I come home today from Affiliate Summit getting my money’s worth 10-times over. And understand the people that I met are not necessarily new or old JV partners, but they were just amazing people to talk to, learn from and at least be there ally.
And if there was one theme about Affiliate Summit this year in Las Vegas, that would be the importance of Social Media and social networking. All of these people I liked a lot as friends, but more-so, they DO help grow my business not only from what I learn from them, but the additional networks and people they can (and have) introduced me to.
Affiliate Summit DOES feel more like home to me these days and for those of you who have never been to this event (which is put on by Shawn Collins and Missy Ward), it is really worth a look. You might feel out of place at first, but the real truths behind affiliate marketing can be seen rather quickly here!
(And that includes both the good and bad practices and potential that this affiliate marketing business has to offer!).
cheers…matt
P.S. Thanks Deb (Debrorah Carney, aka @Loxly or TeamLoxly) for the awesome print that I mention in the video! I’ve already hung it on my wall!
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