Affiliate Program Management: An Hour a Day

I am working with a large food manufacturer that is taking its own brand to market online. I do not have experience in affiliate marketing--only working high level on certain social media campaigns. I was interested in getting something that is usable on a large scale by a business, not simply for the audience that many books cater to, namely, the "make money from home" folks.I chose this book because of the author's experience in the field of affiliate marketing and the fact that it referred to it being a "one hour a day process." Geno has worked with some of the largest companies in the world as well as small start-ups. He understands that many of us have little experience but have big goals. His "one hour a day" methodology reflects an understanding that we are busy with multiple projects, and he spells out exactly how to integrate affiliate program management into our days.I liked the fact that the book is practical. For example, it identifies how to use affiliate networks with great specificity. More importantly, it identifies the limits of those networks and identifies specific tricks of the trade a program manager can adopt in order to be effective. It also steps through the different marketing techniques in great detail, leaving little left for guesswork.What I liked the best is the clarity of the writing. Far too often thought leaders and experts in a field cannot separate themselves from their industry jargon. Geno not only does that, but he explains what the terminology means. In short, he demystifies an industry that has caused confusion for many of us wanting to enter the affiliate marketing world.This is a substantive book, usable by business people and home users alike (but I consider it more geared to the business person). While some of the reviews note that the book is geared to merchants, and this is true, anyone can benefit from the perspectives offered by the author. This is one of the better reference books I have read, and the best read for this type of book I can remember. I strongly recommend it.

This is actually my third book on the topic of affiliate program management but when my chance came to set up a program, I needed to do it very quickly. Since I have other books in the "an hour a day" series that are outstanding, I had high expectations that this book would get me up and running in record time.I will admit I was intimidated by the thought of getting an affiliate program up and running with a ridiculously short time table without help. My first effort was to start interviewing management firms. I bought the book so I would be able to ask the right questions. However, my management nixed the budget for outsourcing this project. So, with the exception of a graphic designer to help me create banners, I was on my own.This book met and exceeded my needs and helped me hit my goals. I have a running program, with affiliates, in less than a week. The advice in this book alerted me to many pitfalls I might not have otherwise learned - except for the hard way. While I am still certain there is much to learn, this book has allowed me to develop and implement a structured plan to develop a program that is professional and designed to meet both our firm's goals and the affiliates' needs.I found the information refreshingly current. So many similar books offer stale information.In summary, if you need to start from scratch and develop a solid program, or if you set one up and it's time to take a step back and determine why you aren't getting the results you expected, this book is a good investment.

I bought this book thinking I would learn a lot about the best Affiliates Programs, on how to create impressive and persuasive affiliate sites, different options and ideas, and all the stuff I needed to know for becoming an affiliate. To my surprise, this book is oriented on How to create/manage an affiliate program, that is, you being the merchant and how to gather affiliates.Other than that, the book looks awesome if you are the right reader! But it you are a newbie in affiliate marketing you may fall under the same error.

I am relatively new to performance marketing, and we signed with a major affiliate network (as an advertiser)... Once I realized there was so much more to know than what the network was sharing with me, I started asking questions. I joined message boards, I started reaching out to OPMs, and everyone I spoke with suggested that I read Geno's book. Well, that was a no-brainer.I read the book in 1-1/2 sittings. I bought the kindle edition (and for this book, the ability to copy/paste and go to links provided are invaluable). I am fortunate that I read this BEFORE we launched. Geno helped me clarify auto-responder emails, program details and the MOST IMPORTANT terms & conditions...I bought the book on a Friday evening, by Saturday night (after a marathon read) my program had the look and feel of an established program.When the launch team at my "major network" saw what I did over the weekend, they assumed I hired a veteran OPM.Well -- buy the book, and you will get the same advice.On the show floor at Affiliate Summit in Philly (August 2013), veteran OPM after the next industry luminary had nothing but praise for this book -- and when they saw my program, they acknowledged that the concepts that I learned from this book were already paying off.EVEN IF you are going to hire a veteran OPM -- read the book and understand the industry. The network "university" or help centers will give you some very useful education. This is a non-biased and honest approach to the path to affiliate (advertiser) success.Just buy the book, read it, and do what Geno says.