The 2013 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report is now available for free at AffStat.com. The report can be viewed online or downloaded.

More than sixteen-hundred affiliates were surveyed on their methods, preferences, and strategies for the 2013 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.

The report features dozens of charts of data, based on the responses from the participating affiliates on affiliate marketing, social media, search marketing, blogs, email, and demographics of affiliates.

Feel free to use material from the report in blog posts, presentations, etc.

Just reference that the information came from the 2013 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.

Get your free copy of the Affiliate Summit AffStat Report at AffStat.com.

Tell me I’m not the only one who takes care of herself last.

After a particularly harried day last month, I found myself staring at the pile of work on my desk, and I could only think about how tired and burnt out I felt.

It happens to the best of us — even the ones who love what they do for a living.

Parents notoriously take care of everyone but themselves, and that’s especially true for work at home parents. Yet, our businesses, relationships and health suffer when we ignore our needs.

In order to attempt to establish balance and order in my life, I came up with the three steps below to use as a guide. I definitely haven’t figured it all out yet, but I’m trying!

1. Figure out what you really need.

You know you need a break, but what does that look like? For me, during the day, I love being outside — whether it’s at the beach or simply taking a walk. In the evenings, I love trying new restaurants and sampling a wine I’ve not yet tried.

For you, a pedicure or massage, an evening alone with a good book or a night out with your real live friends may be the prescription that makes you feel relaxed, renewed and rested.

So, how do you figure out what you need? Think about the perfect day, and list what you would do, where you would go and who you would see. That dream day includes the activities you need to include in your schedule as you care for yourself.

2. Prioritize and schedule self-care.

Most of us have strict deadlines. Miss one, and risk losing a valuable customer. So, why are we negligent in scheduling a deadline for ourselves? By not taking care of ourselves, we jeopardize our health, relationships and income.

Open up that Google calendar of yours and make an appointment at least once a day to do something nice for yourself, even if it’s only a 20 minute nap, a short walk around the block or a quick telephone chat with a friend.

In addition to your daily break, schedule a longer break once a week, and take at least one day a week off.  Don’t even walk through your home office door.  Turn off your phone, shut down that iPad and simply recharge.

Yes, your deadlines loom, but you won’t be able to function at your best if you’re burned out. Prioritize and schedule self-care!

3. Set boundaries.

If you struggle to say no, join the crowd. I’m a sucker for saying yes when my kids need a ride somewhere or when a client asks for a last minute help. Then, I wonder why I’m working past midnight trying to get everything done.

Self-care is not a luxury. It is a necessity that I need to do for myself. I’m learning to set boundaries and say no, and I hope you can too. The next time someone asks for something you don’t have time to do, try this technique.

• Pause and say, “Let me check my schedule.”
• Close your eyes and envision yourself enjoying your favorite free time activity.
• Quietly but firmly tell that person that you have other plans.
• Give them a time when you would be able to accommodate them or suggest two or three alternative providers.
• Move on with your day and reward yourself for saying no and firmly sticking to your boundaries.

The nurturing, protecting and parenting nature in us wants to take care of everyone. As a work at home parent, make yourself a priority and find the balance and order that improves your relationships, health and job performance.

I hear my morning walk calling. Which self-care step will you implement first?

Affiliate Summit, the premier affiliate marketing conference and tradeshow, is experiencing the largest volume of registrations in the 10 year history of the conference.

The Early Bird period, where registrations sell for a lower price, wrapped up on May 17, 2013, and the registrations for Affiliate Summit were nearly 100% higher than the previous year.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Austin, TX (PRWEB) May 22, 2013

The Early Bird period, where registrations sell for a lower price, wrapped up on May 17, 2013, and the registrations for Affiliate Summit were nearly 100% higher than the previous year.

Additionally, the conference hotel, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, has sold out of the Affiliate Summit group rate. This is the first time the hotel for the conference has sold out three months before the conference.

Last year, the conference block was still available with two months to go before Affiliate Summit East 2012.

Over the 10 years and dozens of events in the Affiliate Summit portfolio, each successive year has been bigger than the last, despite years of challenging economic times.

This trend shows no signs of changing with the upcoming Affiliate Summit East 2013, taking place August 18-20 in Philadelphia.

All of the top sponsorships sold out for Affiliate Summit East 2013 by early April 2013, and many of the smaller sponsorships are already gone.

Also, the exhibit hall and Meet Market are quickly filling up, and both are expected to sell out again.

This three day conference will include an exhibit hall with affiliates, merchants, vendors, and networks, as well as multiple tracks of educational sessions covering the latest trends and information from affiliate marketing experts.

More details on Affiliate Summit at http://www.affiliatesummit.com.

The next Central Florida Internet Marketing Meetup (Sponsored by Affiliate Summit) is taking place on Tuesday, May 28th at 6:00pm at Diva Off the Park in Winter Park, FL.

Internet Marketing Meetup Agenda:

6:00pm-6:30pm: Announcements and Housekeeping
6:30pm-7:30pm: Session – How To Monetize & Sell Your Blog
7:30pm-9:00pm: Q&A and Open Networking

Speaker: Zenée Miller

Session details:

Selling a blog involves several steps. You must prove the blog’s ability to bring provide sustainable income and a proven business model. Learn how to create a blog and utilize tools to entice buyers to want to buy your monetized blog!

About the Speaker:

Zenée Miller has been blogging since 2009. In her 2010, she made $5000 from one blog. In 2011, she made over $27,000 from this same blog. She later sold this blog for nearly $60,000 in 2012. She shares her some of her monetization techniques with bloggers so they can enhance their current online business.

Cost:

Admission is free. Diva’s full menu is available if you’d like to purchase dinner

Click here to RSVP on Meetup.com

And don’t forget to join the Affiliate Summit Orlando Meetup Group and follow us twitter.com/otownaffiliates at to stay on top of our local events.

If you would like to present on a topic in the future, please contact Missy at orlando@affiliatesummit.com.

The Affiliate Summit East 2013, early bird pricing will be ending on May 17, 2013.

Starting on May 18, 2013, the rates to register for Affiliate Summit will be going up across the board:

• Networking Pass ($99 to $249)
• Networking Plus Pass ($279 to $549)
• VIP Pass ($879 to $1,249)
• All Access Pass ($1,870 to $2,249)

Register now to get the lowest rate. There are no exceptions after the deadline.

The keynote speakers will be Rae Hoffman, Dr. Randal Pinkett, and Wil Reynolds.

But that’s just a small sample of what’s happening – see the full agenda.

For a description of the available pass types see registration options for Affiliate Summit East 2013.

Limited Affiliate Summit East 2013 sponsorships, booths and Meet Market tables are still available.

Rooms at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown are available at an Affiliate Summit group rate of $169/night until July 19, 2013 or until the group block is sold-out, whichever comes first. After that, the hotel will charge the prevailing rate.

More details at Affiliate Summit East 2013 Travel.

Register now at AffiliateSummit.com.

After you register, be sure to join the Affiliate Summit East 2013 event page on Facebook to begin networking and stay up on news about the show.

I’m excited to announce that Affiliate Summit, the premier affiliate marketing conference and tradeshow, will be providing $1,000 scholarships to up to 10 U.S. college students this summer.

As part of the ongoing education initiative of the conference, Affiliate Summit will be providing scholarships to U.S. college students.

These Affiliate Marketing Scholarships are only open to currently enrolled students at a college or university in the United States.

There will be as many as 10 scholarships awarded of $1,000 each.

In order to submit for a chance to receive the scholarship, qualified entrants must submit an essay of 250-500 words below answering the question, “What is your biggest frustration with online shopping and how would you suggest fixing it?” by June 1, 2013.

Scholarship entries must be submitted at http://www.affiliatesummit.com/affiliate-marketing-scholarship.
Winners will be contacted by August 1, 2013.

About Affiliate Summit:
Over the 10 years and dozens of events in the Affiliate Summit portfolio, each successive year has been bigger than the last, despite years of challenging economic times.

This trend shows no signs of changing with the upcoming Affiliate Summit East 2013, taking place August 18-20 in Philadelphia.

The top sponsorships are sold out for Affiliate Summit East 2013, and many of the smaller sponsorships are already gone.

Also, the exhibit hall and Meet Market are quickly filling up, and both are expected to sell out again.
This three day conference will include an exhibit hall with affiliates, merchants, vendors, and networks, as well as multiple tracks of educational sessions covering the latest trends and information from affiliate marketing experts.

The keynotes for Affiliate Summit East 2013 will be Rae Hoffman, CEO of PushFire; Dr. Randal Pinkett, Chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, as well as a philanthropist, author, and season 4 Winner of NBC’s The Apprentice; and Wil Reynolds, Founder of SEER Interactive.

More details on Affiliate Summit at http://www.affiliatesummit.com.

This post originally appeared on itsaWAHMthing.com, where I regularly contribute articles about affiliate marketing, productivity and technology tips for small businesses and work at home moms.  

An elevator pitch is your thirty to sixty second chance to sell yourself. Traditionally delivered in elevators to busy executives as they rushed between floors and meetings, the elevator pitch can happen anywhere now. If you’re like most busy work-at-home moms, you may find opportunities to sell yourself or your company on the sidelines of soccer fields just as often as you would at a tradeshow.

Whether you’re looking for a job, trying to sell a product, or looking for new clients, you will find opportunity everywhere, and an elevator pitch is your chance to grab that opportunity and make it yours. You should be prepared to give your pitch anytime and anywhere, but before you can deliver it, you will need to craft one.

The Components of the Perfect Elevator Pitch

Essentially, an elevator pitch is your own personal commercial. It is your chance to sell yourself, your product, or your services. Ideally, your pitch will start with a hook. The hook gets the other person interested so that they will listen to the rest of your pitch.

Once you have them hooked, your pitch simply needs to explain three things:

• Who you are or what your product is
• What you do or what your product does
• How you or your product is going to benefit the other person or their company

You Are Unique

While explaining these three points, you also need to focus on what makes you special. Countless people have internet marketing companies, thousands of women do web design, and hundreds of people have the “next Great American novel” saved on their computers. Your product may sound like everybody else’s, but your pitch gives you the chance to set yourself apart from the rest.

If you have the extra experience, innovative ideas, or money-saving secrets that no one else has, you need to make sure that you highlight that.

Writing the Perfect Pitch

The perfect pitch probably isn’t just going to pop into your head. It is something that you are going to need to carefully craft over several days or even weeks. To get started, you just need a pen and a piece of paper or a keyboard and a blinking cursor.

When you start writing, you should note everything that you would want a prospective client or employer to know about you or your business. It can be hard to talk about your accomplishments, and if you’re having trouble, you should try to silence your inner critic. Let yourself shine during this process because you deserve it!

They Need You

Good advertising works because it makes people feel like they want or need a product, and your pitch is no different. You are selling yourself to someone, and you need to make them think that they need you. What hole are you filling in their life? How are you going to improve their business? Are you going to make them money? Will their lives be easier thanks to your service?

Editing for Perfection

Your first pitch may end up being a page or two, but once it’s written, it’s time to edit. It can be hard to summarize your best ideas or your years of experience into a short pitch, but it can be done. If you are using a computer, you may want to check the word count as you edit. Most people can speak about 150 words per minute, and your pitch shouldn’t be any longer than that.

Once you have your elevator pitch written, you need to walk away from it. If you let your pitch rattle around in your brain for a few days, you can easily streamline and perfect it. Then, one day, while you are vacuuming, chopping onions, or clearing your mind at yoga, the words will rearrange themselves, and you will have your perfect pitch.

Delivering Your Elevator Pitch

Creating the perfect elevator pitch is only half the battle. Now, you need to get ready to deliver it. Fumbling speech and notecards are not going to impress anyone. Your pitch needs to be well rehearsed and natural. Imagine the best joke teller you know. Their jokes work because they deliver them well. The same joke told by someone else might not even be funny.

Practice is key to your elevator pitch. Practice in front of the mirror, with your children, or in the car. The more times, you give your speech to yourself, the better it will sound. As you practice, you should imagine the other person. You may even want to create a few versions of your pitch for different people and different scenarios.

Nail It!

You’re ready. The next time you meet opportunity, you simply need to look it in the eye and deliver your pitch with confidence. The outcome may not be perfect every time, but you’ll love it when it is.

For those of you that know me, you know that I could talk all day about music, wine and affiliate marketing.  And yes, I can incorporate all three into one conversation at any given moment.

So, I couldn’t be more thrilled when I found out about BottleRock, which is taking place in Napa (one of my favorite destinations in the US) on May 9-12.

BottleRock, which will be held at the Napa Valley Expo, will feature more than 60 bands, top wineries, the best of Napa food, microbrews and today’s top comics.  There’s also a bunch of late night VIP events and after-parties.   You can check out the full BottleRock lineup here.

And talk about the Wine and Food!   BottleRock will feature over 40 top wineries and Napa restaurants that you can sample.

What makes this event even more cool is the fact that just by attending this unique festival, you’re also supporting many good causes such as Autism Chords, Bacchus Benefits Group and a couple of dozen non-profits.  Additionally, you can participate in their 300 Heroes Challenge which promises to raise a minimum of $1,000 for BottleRock charities.

BottleRock, the Tri-Fecta of Festivals!

So we’ve covered two out of three reasons why I think BottleRock will be awesome — music and wine. But, what’s does BottleRock have to do with affiliate marketing, you ask?

Well, when I found out about the event, I posted about it on Facebook.  Some of my affiliate marketing friends started posting that they were also interested in going, so I started the BottleRock, Napa Valley – Affiliate Marketing Girls’ Trip.   Since then, we’ve rounded up a group of women from different sectors within the affiliate marketing industry, from all over the United States,  that are now all headed out to BottleRock.

Some of them I’ve known since 2001 and some are fairly new to affiliate marketing.  But, that’s one of the things I love most about our industry — the fact that not only do we work hard together, we play hard together.

So, if you’re one of those last-minute kind of peeps, or if you’ve been sitting on the fence… get off of it and get to Napa for BottleRock.

If you need some more encouragement, here’s my BottleRock Napa playlist on Spotify featuring a couple of hundred songs from the 60+ bands that will be playing there!

If you’re headed out there and want to meet up, leave me a comment!

There are a handful of different types of people who head out to conferences.

Some are looking solely to network, while others want to both attend sessions and network with their fellow conference attendees.

And then there are the folks looking for a free ride.

Well, not exactly.

These characters pay for airfare, a hotel room, restaurants, cabs, drinks, etc. but, they don’t bother to get a pass for the conference – the reason they ostensibly made the trip.

Sounds pretty spot on with one of the definitions of a parasite:

          “a person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another or others without giving any useful or proper return, as one who lives on the hospitality of others.”

I am not talking about the people who hang out in the hotel lobby and try to meet up with attendees without registering for the show.

Those people doing “lobbycon” are outside of the conference area (the space designated on the maps for the conference – not just the exhibit hall, Meet Market and sessions), and in a public part of the hotel.

However, the “lobbycon men” sneak into the actual conference without a badge, and that’s a problem.

Not only are they interlopers, but they’re also criminals.

Yes, criminals. They are committing theft of service and trespassing.

Others who go through the trouble of creating falsified badges are committing theft of service, trespassing, and fraud.

Ballers on a Budget

I totally get that there are plenty of ballers on a budget, and they have a hard time affording a conference trip.

But if you’re in such dire financial straits, you’re better off staying at home and working than coming out and acting as a parasite.

However, if you are tight, but still want to attend, we provide lots of ways to get a free pass.

Opportunities include a large allocation of passes for attendees to give away in their own promotions; our Pay It Forward scholarships; the Race to Affiliate Summit contest; our sweepstakes for passes on Twitter and Facebook; free passes at our meetups; and press passes.

Also, we offer Early Bird rates where passes start at $99. These rates were open a full four months (January 17 to May 17) for Affiliate Summit East 2013.

Are You a Pro or Con?

We’re all marketers, and as Seth Godin once wrote, “All Marketers are Liars.”

But that was rhetoric, and anybody who read the book understands that the book was actually about the power of marketing an authentic story.

But I’m guessing the guys that get a suite and bottle service and limos, but then sneak around the conference without a pass didn’t read beyond the title of the book.

The same guys working their confidence trick in the registration area, as they look over their shoulder to see how soon they’ll be asked to leave again.

By the way, you might have noticed that all of the references to these charlatans, cheats, and swindlers are male. Well, it’s no accident. We catch lots of them at each show, and they’ve been 100% guys.

Anyhow, if you’re a con who doesn’t see value in getting a pass for the show, please stay home.

The folks who think it’s a good thing to have a thriving industry conference and who support it, we love y’all and look forward to seeing you in Philly this August and back in Vegas in January 2014.

Shawn is a Co-founder of Affiliate Summit and Co-Editor-in-Chief of FeedFront Magazine and you can follow him @affiliatetip on Twitter.

Type-A Advanced Philadelphia is taking place on Saturday, April 20th in Philadelphia.

If you’re not familiar with Type-A Parent Conference, it is a well-established conference for mom and dad bloggers. The conference has a reputation for bringing together parents that blog and the brands that want to engage with them, so that both groups can grow their businesses.

I had the pleasure of attending their 4th annual conference in Charlotte last year.  I walked away with some great connections with other business moms (and a handful of dads) that I am able to bounce ideas off of for my ItsaWAHMthing.com site.

This year, I’m going to be speaking at Type-A Advanced Philadelphia on Advanced Affiliate Marketing Techniques.  My fellow session speaker is Debbie Bookstaber, who is the President of Element Associates and is the blogger behind Mamanista.com and Bloganthropy.org.

Here are some of the topics that we’ll be covering:

• Step by step instruction on creating the perfect monetized post
• Ideas on how you an integrate creative monetization techniques that provide value to your readership
• We will provide you with a list of free affiliate marketing WP Plugin, tools and resources that we use every day
• and last but not least, we’ll share six nuggets of wisdom, that no one else will tell you.

Nothing makes me happier than to provide bloggers with all the tips and tricks that I know.  What’s even better is hearing from them a year down the road that they’ve doubled, tripled and even quadrupled their income.

That’s what’s cool about the TypeA Parent Advanced Conference Series.   It provides advanced information that you’d likely not find out at your typical blogger conference.

The  Type-A Advanced Philadelphia Agenda is below.   I’m looking forward to attending a number of these sessions myself.

If you’re attending Type-A Advanced Philadelphia, don’t forget to check out my gift to you which will be inside your attendee bag! [Hint:  If you want to learn even more about affiliate marketing, you'll love this!]

If you’d like to set up a meeting with me while we’re there, please shoot me off an email.

If I don’t see you in Philly, I hope to get to see you at Type-A Parent Conference 2013 in Atlanta, taking place September 27-29, 2013.