For home-based workers, working in online marketing can often feeling like working on an deserted island. When you work from your home, there are no monthly birthday party celebrations with your co-workers in the break room, there isn’t a “coffee club” hanging around the coffee machine talking about the latest episode of American Idol, and there are no 15-minute smoke breaks with your buddies to talk about how your team played over the weekend.

Sure, home-based workers have emails and phone calls with peers or business partners to give some human interaction, but many days it is just you and your computer getting through the workday. It is often stated that affiliate marketing, “Is about the relationships”. But, other than those few contact points or attending industry events a few times a year, you don’t have many opportunities to really get to develop a deep working relationship or even a good friendship with someone you work with on a regular basis.

That said, we at MGECOM want to post of series of “Get to Know Us” interviews with our staff. We want to use these interviews as an opportunity to foster a greater relationship between our clients and business partners. We hope that these light and fun interviews will put a face and personality to the person behind the “@mgecom.com” emails and that voice on the other end of that phone. You never know what you may find you have in common with someone!

We will start our “Get to Know Us” series next week with our first interview where we’ll feature Anne Fognano, who recently won two awards from ABestWeb.com, the “2011 New Affiliate Manager of the Year” and the “Affiliate Marketing Legend”.

Enjoy getting to know us!

-The MGECOM Staff

Evolution at MGECOM in 2011 pays-off with a deluge of nominations for “Best of” awards.

Outsourced Affiliate Marketing Program Management (OPM) firm MGECOM is setting records with four nominations in the ABestWeb.com “Best of 2011″ awards. “We are humbled to get more nominations than any other OPM. The past two years have seen tremendous growth of the MGECOM team with the addition of the best Affiliate Program Managers in the industry, supported by the most innovative custom program management technology. We believe that the Affiliate Program design, build, and management solutions that MGECOM clients enjoy are the best in the industry. However, it is gratifying that the industry insiders at ABW have recognized the superior value that MGECOM provides”, says Jeff Cress, MGECOM’s VP of Business Development & Marketing.

MGECOM 2011 Best of Award nominations include:

Best Affiliate Manager in 2011:
Darren Zapsky, MGECOM Affiliate Account Executive representing the Century Martial Arts and Century MMA Affiliate programs.

Best OPM (Outsourced Program Management firm) in 2011:
MGECOM

Best NEW Affiliate Manager or OPM in 2011:
Anne Fognano, MGECOM Affiliate Account Executive representing various client brands. Anne is one of the original “Super Affiliates” and 2011 was her first full year of transition into the role of managing affiliate programs. Anne’s years of experience as an affiliate, deep knowledge of the affiliate industry, and wealth of great affiliate relationships have earned her much deserved recognition for her newly demonstrated skill in managing successful affiliate programs for MGECOM clients.

2011 ABW Legend Award:
Anne Fognano, MGECOM Affiliate Account Executive representing various client brands. While the Best NEW Affiliate Manager in 2011 nomination is focused on Anne’s recent work as an Affiliate Account Executive, the ABW Legend Award is a reflection of a long and influential career in the affiliate marketing industry.

MGECOM’s Director of Affiliate Program Operations, Mike Kansa, is of course very happy with this recent news as well. “I’m ecstatic that Darren and Anne have been nominated for these awards, as it appears their contributions to affiliate marketing and MGECOM have been recognized by many in our industry. Thanks to everyone who’s supported Darren and Anne!”

2012 is off to a great for MGECOM. Some of our monthly highlights include:

· Blowing away the competition, MGECOM jumped 8 spots in the top 10 Rankings of the Best Affiliate Marketing Companies, moving ahead of affiliate industry powerhouse Commission Junction. A leading independent authority on online marketing vendors, TopSEOs, has ranked MGECOM in the top 10 Best affiliate marketing companies for quite some time. As of January 2012, MGECOM has rapidly risen from 9th to 2nd in the TopSEO rankings, and has sights firmly set on the number 1 position. Of this momentous feat, MGECOM CEO Matt Enders says “MGECOM focused heavily throughout 2011 on reinvesting in our own technology, staff, processes, and exclusive affiliate program management software. These fundamental improvements across every key metric of the company have already begun paying dividends, not just for our clients, but for MGECOM’s brand name recognition as well.”

· MGECOM’s premium, turn-key affiliate marketing program management solution was chosen through a vigorous comparison of affiliate advertising service providers by ClickN KIDS, developers of online research based education products and software for schools and homes. Created by Dr. J. Ron Nelson in 2003. Current products in its family are ClickN READ, ClickN SPELL, and the newest member, Looney Tunes ClickN READ Phonics that incorporates all the characters from the beloved Looney Tunes line-up.

· The affiliate industry’s most experienced and successful Affiliate Account Executive team took another significant leap forward with the addition of industry veteran Chris Mohler to the MGECOM roster. With affiliate Superstar Mohler in the mix, the MGECOM Program Management Division boasts over 76 years of combined Affiliate Industry experience. The larger MGECOM, Inc. organization is rapidly approaching 100 years of combined success in the Affiliate Industry.

· Every January the MGECOM team represents our clients at the biggest conference in the Affiliate industry: Affiliate Summit West. For ASW12 the MGECOM team hosted a private, invitation only cocktail party at Caesar’s Palace. The party was well attended by some of the most productive ethical affiliates in the industry and was a huge benefit to MGECOM clients. Pictures of the event can be seen here: ASW12 Pictures.

· The 2011 results are in and MGECOM drove record affiliate program growth for clients. The trend of skyrocketing average sales growth continued with over 275% average year over year affiliate program sales growth among MGECOM clients. That is nearly tripling the affiliate advertising channel sales, on average, across a client base of about 50 different brands. This amazing performance was delivered on the heels of a strong 2010 where MGECOM clients enjoyed nearly doubled affiliate channel sales (94% average YOY sales growth).

Who is MGECOM?
MGECOM, Inc., based in Cary, NC, is the best Agency for Outsourced Affiliate Marketing Program Management & Affiliate Advertising Services. Specializing in affiliate program growth, affiliate recruiting, fraud prevention, and affiliate nexus tax compliance.
2011 TopSEO top 10 Affiliate Marketing Agency
ABestWeb 2010 Affiliate Agency of the Year Nominee
Winner of the 2011 & 2009 Small Business Commerce Association Best of Business Award
Trusted by great Internet Retailer Top 500, Internet Retailer Second 500, and Internet Retailer Hot 100 brands.

Join the best affiliate program management at the Affiliate Summit West conference in Las Vegas, January 8 – 10th. The MGECOM team is scheduling meetings throughout the conference in a private hospitality suite at Caesar’s Palace. Appointments are now being scheduled with our affiliates, merchants and potential new clients who would like to explore needs and be introduced MGECOM’s Premium Affiliate Program Management and Affiliate Support services.

Also in Las Vegas the same week is the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) conference. Merchants attending CES can meet with MGECOM without buying a pass to Affiliate Summit West. Simply email our staff for a private appointment in the MGECOM suite at Caesar’s Palace to discuss brand specific needs and for an invitation to the MGECOM cocktail party.

The excitement is growing within the MGECOM team. Director of Business Development, Mike Bump says “Come meet and relax with the team that will lead your affiliate marketing to deliver record Performance and Profits in 2012 and beyond….MGECOM!”

A private, invitation only Cocktail Party for Affiliates, Merchants, and mainstream Affiliate Networks will be held the evening of Monday, January 9th in the MGECOM suite at Caesar’s Palace. This exclusive event will feature a drawing for $1,000 in Caesar’s Palace Chips and an open bar. Many of the big parties at Affiliate Summit West can be loud, smokey, and crowded. The MGECOM Cocktail Party will be hosted in a relaxed setting to chat, network, and socialize before hitting the mega-parties later in the evening. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to explore options to boost the profitability of your affiliate efforts, while relaxing… and maybe even winning some cool prizes.

Affiliates/Publishers:
Rock Stars from the MGECOM Affiliate Account Executive team will be on-hand to discuss the challenges that affiliates are facing and develop personalized strategies and support for an even more productive and profitable 2012.

Affiliates can schedule private meetings or request cocktail party invitations by emailing info(at)mgecom(dot)com.

Merchants:
Interested in boosting Affiliate channel performance? taking affiliate program performance to the next level, reducing risk, and saving money? Schedule your private consultation with the MGECOM team to learn more about Premium Affiliate Program Management services and explore options for your business.

Merchants can schedule private meetings or request cocktail party invitations by emailing:
Mike Bump (West)
mike(dot)bump(at)mgecom(dot)com

Jeff Cress (East)
jeff(at)cress(at)mgecom(dot)com

Who is MGECOM?
MGECOM, Inc., based in Cary, NC, is the best Agency for Outsourced Affiliate Marketing Program Management & Affiliate Advertising Services. Specializing in affiliate program growth, affiliate recruiting, fraud prevention, and affiliate nexus tax compliance.

2011 TopSEO top 10 Affiliate Marketing Agency
ABestWeb 2010 Affiliate Agency of the Year Nominee
Winner of the 2011 & 2009 Small Business Commerce Association Best of Business Award

Trusted by great Internet Retailer Top 500, Internet Retailer Second 500, and Internet Retailer Hot 100 brands.

What is Affiliate Summit West?
Affiliate Summit was founded by Missy Ward and Shawn Collins in 2003 for the purpose of providing educational sessions on the latest industry issues and fostering a productive networking environment for affiliate marketers.

Have you budgeted for a robust and profitable affiliate program? According to a recent survey by Forrester Research – Affiliate Marketing, Search Marketing (SEM), and Organic Traffic are the top acquisition sources for web retailers. Affiliate marketing is a very cost effective source for acquiring online customers. Forester reports that 91% IR Top 500 retailers have an affiliate program on at least one of the top affiliate networks, which Forrester identifies as Commission Junction, LinkShare, Google Affiliate Network.

What Forrester fails to mention is that a well managed affiliate program can boost natural search rankings and shift the risk of Search Marketing from the merchant to affiliates that are SEM experts. Forrester’s numbers only reflect the current state of the industry. Sadly, most merchants have sub-par affiliate programs that dramatically under-perform. From MGECOM’s vantage point, it is clear that as SEM continues to increase in cost, the pay for performance model of affiliate marketing is looking more attractive and proving more effective for a growing number of merchants.

The answer depends on a number of factors. An Affiliate Marketing program is likely to be successful if these key conditions can be met:

MGECOM bucks the “slow November” trend and wins many new affiliate program management clients.

In the Outsourced Affiliate Program Management industry, November is traditionally a very slow month for new client signings. Specialist agency MGECOM leveraged industry leading technology and a track record of success to acquire a record number of new clients in November.

Jeff Cress, VP of Business Development & Marketing at MGECOM attributes this success to a combination of factors. “MGECOM is fantastic at making merchant’s affiliate programs more profitable. However, historically, we have been rather reserved about publicizing our successes. In 2011 we have more openly communicated the value that MGECOM provides our clients and are seeing a spike in demand for our premium affiliate program management services among top tier merchants. Additionally, many of our clients have referred other merchants to MGECOM”, says Cress.

Some of the brands that signed in November with MGECOM to outsource their affiliate advertising program management include:

French Toast – America’s leading brand of school uniform providing families with quality school uniforms at great prices. The French Toast affiliate program is managed by MGECOM on the LinkShare network.

Andy’s Auto Sport – A world class auto parts retailer. Widely acclaimed as a leader in the industry. The Andy’s Auto Sport affiliate programs are managed by MGECOM on Commission Junction and Google Affiliate Network.

Primal Muscle – Hardcore supplements for hardcore weightlifters who have hardcore goals. The Primal Muscle affiliate program is managed by MGECOM on the ShareASale network.

Vitamin Jungle – The best and friendliest source on earth for all your fitness needs! The Vitamin Jungle affiliate program will be launched by MGECOM on a major affiliate network soon.

Anytime Scarf – Scarves from all over the world, some handwoven, some knitted, some sewn with love in the USA! The Anytime Scarf affiliate program is managed by MGECOM on the ShareASale network.

OTC Only – Over-The-Counter drugs delivered to your door at a fraction of the cost seen on drugstore shelves. MGECOM will launch the OTConly.com affiliate program on Commission Junction soon.

Reship.com – International package delivery no matter where you live or what site you order from online! MGECOM will launch the Reship.com affiliate program on Commission Junction soon.

Mike Bump, MGECOM’s Director of Business Development, says of the new signings “”Earning the opportunity to partner with quality brands like these is proof positive that MGECOM is a trusted affiliate management expert firm. We are honored that our merchant clients and affiliates alike, put their confidence in MGECOM to help them perform at the highest level!”

Who is MGECOM?
MGECOM, Inc., based in Cary, NC, is the leading Agency for Outsourced Affiliate Marketing Program Management & Affiliate Advertising Services. Specializing in affiliate program growth, affiliate recruiting, fraud prevention, and affiliate tax compliance.

2011 TopSEO top 10 Affiliate Marketing Agency
ABestWeb 2010 Affiliate Agency of the Year Nominee
Winner of the 2009 Small Business Commerce Association Best of Business Award
Trusted by great Internet Retailer Top 500, Internet Retailer Second 500, and Internet Retailer Hot 100 brands.

Affiliate Marketing SuperStar Mike Kansa joins MGECOM as Director of Affiliate Program Operations.

MGECOM has shaken the industry by hiring industry superstar Mike Kansa as MGECOM’s Director of Affiliate Program Operations. In this role Mike will guide what may be the most experienced team of Affiliate Account Executives in the industry in their quest to deliver record breaking affiliate channel sales growth for every client.

Mike is well known for his contributions in the affiliate marketing arena, most recently as an affiliate program manager supporting the award winning eBay Partner Network. Prior to that, Mike consulted for numerous successful brands, merchants, agencies and affiliates. His official start to internet marketing was with Overstock.com in 2003 where he worked in various capacities during their years of hyper growth.

What brought an Affiliate Marketing Rock Star like Mike Kansa to the specialist firm MGECOM? “I’ve known Matt Enders (MGECOM founder and CEO) for a long time, as well as Mike Bump, Adam Russo and Anne Fognano. After interacting with MGECOM team members at industry events, I became even more impressed with what Matt & MGECOM accomplished in a short amount of time. … it seemed like the perfect fit in so many ways” said Kansa.

When asked about how his experience will benefit MGECOM clients, Kansa said “I’ve contributed to many sides of the fence in affiliate marketing. Big brands to small brands, agencies, networks and most importantly as a publisher. Few get to see and do what I’ve done in this space”.

The future looks bright for MGECOM, if you ask Mike Kansa. In true Rock Star form, Kansa will tell you “I gotta wear shades”.

MGECOM is hiring again! We continue to expand rapidly, and we are looking to add another new Affiliate Account Executive (Affiliate Manager) to our team of experts. If you have the experience and results to meet our needs, we want to talk to you! We are accepting resumes beginning immediately, and plan to fill the open role before the end of this year.

Job Title
Affiliate Account Executive

Reports to
CEO

Overall Responsibility
Manage affiliate marketing programs on a daily basis by completing both day-to-day tasks and focusing on long-term goals and objectives which are designed to increase revenue and ROI for our clients.

Areas of Responsibility

Qualifications

Compensation
This is a full time position, providing you the ability to work from anywhere in the world. Compensation is commensurate with experience.

About MGECOM, Inc.
MGECOM, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful Outsourced Affiliate Program Management firms in the world. We are located in Cary, NC but provide the opportunity for our team members to work from any location in the world. We have been in business for over 5 years and accept nothing less than excellence from our team members. We work with our clients on an outsourced basis to provide services which they do not have the resources to maintain in-house. Our clients are located all over the world and range from small shops to large, multi-national companies. We pride ourselves on providing customized solutions for each client, paying close attention to detail, and creating a true value for everyone we work with. For more information, please visit www.mgecom.com.

Interested candidates should submit a resume AND cover letter to jobs@mgecom.com. Applications lacking a cover letter are very likely to be ignored.

According to Outsourced Affiliate Marketing program management firm MGECOM, Inc., Merchants do not have to kick out affiliates to avoid State Affiliate Nexus Taxes!

Many US States are scrambling to fill budget gaps by enacting new Online Tax legislation that has caused confusion and headaches for online merchants. Known as the “Amazon Tax” or  ”Affiliate Nexus Tax”, these State taxes unfairly burden merchants that have Affiliate Marketing programs and expose online merchants to significant new risks.

Affiliate Nexus Taxes are confusing and vary from State to State. Many merchants have taken the knee-jerk, aggressive action of kicking out all affiliates from States that have enacted Affiliate Nexus Tax laws, in order to avoid creating nexus and the associated State Affiliate Nexus Tax liability. Matt Enders, MGECOM Founder and CEO observes “In affiliate marketing, any knee-jerk reaction is the wrong approach.  Affiliate managers must always remember to balance the wants and needs of the company, with the wants and needs of their affiliate partners.” While we understand that most merchants are not affiliate program management experts, these “conservative” actions are extremely damaging to their affiliate programs. “Long-term success is the goal, and short-sighted reactions are counter to that goal” says Enders.

Sadly, many merchants are taking action based on incorrect understandings of the various State Affiliate Nexus Tax laws and the options available to effectively mitigate tax risks.

MGECOM has developed several less-drastic, highly effective options that allow merchant clients to:

-Benefit from their competitors knee-jerk decisions to dump all affiliates that are based in states that have enacted State Affiliate Nexus Tax laws
-Preserve productive, profitable affiliate relationships that have taken considerable time and resources to build
-Grow their affiliate channel profitability
-Comply with the various State Affiliate Nexus Tax laws while boosting their affiliate program sales
-Rebuild programs that already dumped all affiliates that are based in states that have enacted State Affiliate Nexus Tax laws

Who is MGECOM?

MGECOM, Inc., based in Cary, NC, is the leading Agency for Outsourced Affiliate Marketing Management & Affiliate Marketing Program Services.

2011 TopSEO top 10 Affiliate Marketing Agency

ABestWeb 2010 Affiliate Agency of the Year Nominee

Winner of the 2009 Small Business Commerce Association Best of Business Award

Trusted by great Internet Retailer Top 500, Internet Retailer Second 500, and Internet Retailer Hot 100 brands.

Affiliate Marketing agency MGECOM launched new Affiliate Relationship tool, hired by top merchants to boost their affiliate channel profits

On the heels of introducing a custom Insight Reporting tool to manage affiliate relationships, Outsourced Affiliate Program management agency MGECOM acquired a record number of affiliate program management clients over the Summer of 2011, says Jeff Cress, MGECOM’s VP of Biz Dev & Marketing.

Insight Reporting is a revolutionary tool built exclusively for MGECOM which turns reams of affiliate performance data from multiple networks into timely and actionable business intelligence. “The unique Insight Reporting tool gives MGECOM clients a huge advantage over their competitors,” Cress says.

Some of the new brands outsourcing their affiliate program management to the specialists at MGECOM include:

Century MMA – The world’s leading manufacturer and retailer of the best fight gear and equipment from Tapout, Sprawl, and more

BrooksRunning.com – High performance running shoes and running gear – Run Happy!

MovingComfort.com – Best-in-class sports bras and innovative fitness apparel that support, flatter and inspire women to achieve their own unique personal bests.

Bag Inc – Top of the line, trendy handbags for fashionistas, at wholesale prices

EnvyCig – Shortest, Lightest, Most Affordable Electronic Cigarette Available

The Justus Clothing Company – A leader in comfortable, style-driven underwear, shirts, headgear and accessories for men and women.

Easy Life Savings Club – Where saving money on your everyday expenses is made easy!

Subjekt – An LA based company delivering superior sounding headphones that are both fashionable and affordable!

South Beach Swimsuits – Everything from sizzling swimsuits, elegant cruisewear to hot and sexy spring break bikinis.

Backwoods – Since 1973, all the camping, hiking, travel, and survival gear you need for your next adventure!

Somme Institute – Patented MDT5 technology delivers clinically proven results.

Founded by affiliate industry innovator, Matt Enders, the award winning MGECOM, Inc. is based in Cary, North Carolina. MGECOM is the leading Agency for Outsourced Affiliate Marketing Management & Affiliate Marketing Program Services. MGECOM boasts over 75 years of affiliate industry success, and the best team of All-Star Affiliate Account Executives in the business. Specializing in Affiliate Program sales growth and delicate issues like State Affiliate Nexus Taxes.

2011 TopSEO top 10 Affiliate Marketing Agency
ABestWeb 2010 Affiliate Agency of the Year Nominee
Winner of the 2009 Small Business Commerce Association Best of Business Award
Trusted by great Internet Retailer Top 500, Internet Retailer Second 500, and Internet Retailer Hot 100 brands