Affiliate Summit Boston Day Three Recap

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Day three started out with “Ask The Experts” roundtable discussions.  The roundtable I initially selected lacked a speaker when the sessions started, so I headed over to Zac Johnson’s session on growing a blog.  Zac had a lot of great information and has me convinced that getting a customized blog template makes a big difference in separating your blog from the crowd.  I’ve followed Zac’s blog for a while and have written about him before the conference.  His progress with his blog in such a short time is amazing.

I then went to the session called, “Lessons Learned Using Video for Affiliates” by Jonathan Stefansky of Qoof.  I was actually a bit apprehensive about the session, since the speaker worked for an online video company and thought it might be an hour long sales pitch.  In fact, it was the exact opposite.  Jonathan gave an excellent demonstration that included good vs. bad video examples, information on how to set yourself apart from the crowd (even if you self-produce the video!), and actually couched a question that referred to his company specifically to discuss outside the session.  He could not have been more professional and this speaks volumes about him and his company that could never be accomplished in a sales pitch and helps set Affiliate Summit apart from other conferences.

Next, I attended “Lead Generation for EMarketers.”  This session was so “pitchy” and off-topic that I actually left the session early, but not without turning in my evaluation.  There were a few exceptions, but they could not overcome the downsides of the presentation.  Worse than that, I skipped the “Copywriting Clinic” that received raves from attendees to see this session.  Oh well, I guess I’ll catch up when the videos come out.

After some more Wii bowling in the blogger’s lounge, I went to the ethics panel.  What an experience.  This topic clearly produces significant, conflicting emotions and opinions, with good reason.  I don’t have enough experience to speak much to this topic, but it appears that the topic keeps getting brushed aside and emotions tend to boil over due to a lack of discussion and direction.  This panel got a lot of ideas and opinions out on the table and hopefully, something good grows out of the session.

Finally, I got to experience the “Un-Keynote” with Jim Kukral hosting a feedback session for Summit attendees.  Jim “provided” me with an opportunity to speak and give my feedback on my first Affiliate Summit.  I enjoyed this opportunity, as I’m always looking to improve my speaking skills, especially on impromptu topics.  I have already covered in the blog what I said at the un-keynote, but I must repeat that Shawn and Missy put on a great show that provides good information and fantastic networking opportunities for everyone involved in the conference.

I ended the day with a trip to a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway (my first), but that’s enough for another post, so you’ll just have to wait for that one.

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