In an industry where people often like to keep their cards close to their chest, there is one woman on a mission to educate and enlighten. After 2 decades at the apex of the industry, Lee-Ann Johnstone decided to use her knowledge and experience for the greater good.
Just under 4 years ago she founded Affiverse, a company dedicated to lifting the lid on affiliate marketing and training the next generation of great affiliate managers. We sat down with Lee-Ann to discuss what you need to know and what you need to do to succeed in this crazy industry.
Lifting The Lid
In creating Affiverse, Lee-Ann made it her mission to create a space for comprehensive, trustworthy learning in the industry, which really was not there before.
“It dawned on me that the industry is lacking education and training, and because the industry is moving so fast, people are coming in without even getting basic training…I just wanted to get out there and teach what I’d learned over the last 20 years.”
This industry does have its fair share of snake-oil salesmen, and when starting out it can be hard to find a voice you trust, which is exactly what Lee-Ann is trying to provide.
“There needs to be a place where people can come for legit information. Practical knowledge that’s actually been tried, tested and implemented and isn’t selling you up the river.”
Knowledge Is Power
The Affiliate Management Performance Program offered by Affiverse takes the form of a 12 week coaching program, where you will learn practical knowledge like how to position yourself, how to run your program, how to find and talk to affiliates, all the actionable stuff you need to know.
The course indeed gives you a fantastic foundation on the tactical side of things, but Lee-Ann claims the coaching element of the course is what really elevates it.
“The coaching part of the program is actually where the value is. That’s where you spend an hour with me and other people in your industry every week. You’ve got practical problems that you are solving every week. It is a unique course in the industry. There’s nothing like it.”
Endless Opportunities
We’ve all heard stories describing the early days of affiliate marketing as the ‘wild west’, but the industry has come a long way since then. Lee-Ann has witnessed these changes, and believes there has never been a more exciting time to get into the industry.
“It’s not the wild west anymore, it is very corporate now. We’ve got really big companies, huge investment that’s happening and a lot of room for innovation and tech. So it’s a really exciting time to be in the affiliate industry. And it’s such a diverse industry to work in. There’s lots of different skill sets from technical to relationships to creativity.”
Affiliate Marketing has seen incredible growth over the last decade. In 2010 the industry was estimated at $2.5 billion, which by 2023 had grown to $19 billion. This growth brings unparalleled opportunities for people to progress.
“We need to spread the word and tell people about the career opportunities they can have in the industry. I started as an account manager for a media-buying company, and now I’m a CEO in less than 15 years. Where can people have that kind of trajectory in their career? It’s very rare in other industries. So you can progress very quickly if you work very hard.”
Talk The Talk, Walk The Walk
Conferences and summits are still the beating heart of the industry, and it’s simply something you have to be a part of if you want to grow, as Lee-Ann outlines.
“Network opportunities are gold. They are gold. Never ever shy away from coming out from behind your screen…You have to learn to be sociable in this job. Sometimes that’s a skill that needs to be honed. It’s not natural to some people. The more you speak to people you don’t know, the easier it becomes”
And what advice does Lee-Ann have for how to make the most of these networking opportunities?
“It’s really about getting out there. Just go, get out there and start having those conversations. It’s all fine and well to set up meetings through the networking apps, but go and walk the showroom floor. Walk it and talk to people you may not exactly be looking to meet or connect with or make a sale from, because you’ll pick up information from them about how they are viewing the industry, and that can feed back into the relationships that you are trying to build.”
Elevate Summit
Lee-Ann knows what she’s talking about when it comes to conferences. Affiverse, the company she founded, is hosting its own summit in London in a few weeks. Elevate is bringing together some of the best and brightest minds to discuss the future of the industry.
“I’ve brought together people from a cross section of the partnership economy because they are never in one room together, and what’s going to happen when they are… Lead gen, partnerships, influencers, technology, AI, they are all coming into this room to talk about performance.”
Time Is Money
Time management is a skill that all good affiliates must hone, and it’s something that Lee-Ann gives a lot of focus to in her course.
“I have 3 pieces of advice, it’s delegate, ditch and drop. It’s about being disciplined with your time. Knowing when to give your time to a person, and knowing when to politely decline someone, while still making that person feel valued.”
Being ruthless with your time is an essential for media-buyers and account managers alike. As an AM in particular, knowing when to ‘delegate, ditch and drop’ certain leads can be difficult, but it is necessary. Being able to do so while keeping everyone on side is a skill that will serve affiliates extremely well in the long term.
Learn Or Burn
When people get the bug and decide to jump into the industry, they often want to jump straight into the deep end. Although that enthusiasm is very important, if they want to truly succeed this also needs to be married with practical knowledge, and Lee-Ann has a very apt analogy for this.
“Everybody can say they ski after an hour, but to ski well it takes time and effort.”
To have longevity and give yourself the best chance, it’s all about having a solid foundation from which you can launch your affiliate marketing career. In this industry, it really is a case of fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Think you’ve got what it takes? Sign up here and one of our dedicated account managers will be in touch before you know it.