MGECOM Blog

Meet MGECOM Affiliate Manager Josh Gale

How and when did you first get started in affiliate marketing?

I got into it completely by accident and without knowing what it was.  In late December in 2007, my wife-to-be and I were at our rehearsal dinner, the night before our wedding.  Among the guests were the parents of the flower girl and ring bearer.  The father was a gentleman I’d met at church, but we’d never really spoken in great detail.  My fiancée had been his children’s babysitter, though, so we were acquainted.

After speaking just a bit over dinner, he told me that they were going to create a new position with his company called an ‘Affiliate Manager’, and that I seemed like I might have the right personality for it.  Based on what he said, I was absolutely interested, and less than a month after getting back from our honeymoon, I started my first day.  I’ve been hooked on the industry ever since.

What do you most like about the industry?

It’s honestly a challenge to pick one thing, but I’d probably have to ultimately pick the low start-up overhead.  For someone with an entrepreneurial spirit, affiliate marketing is probably the least cost-prohibitive option for starting out.  As such, I love it as a tool for the ambitious ones among us.

What improvements you would like to see in the industry?

I’d love to see better funnel optimization within ecommerce.  A good company can create a profitable business selling a product to the right prospects, but a great company can sell several such products to the same prospects through a variety of touches and mediums.

Do you see affiliates embracing mobile and social?

Absolutely.  However, I think this will have less to do with the content optimization and more to do with streamlining the actual sales experience.  Make no mistake, I think optimized content has, and should continue to, precede this move, but it will be the ease of purchase that I think really bolsters mobile and social as major areas for affiliate businesses to thrive and flourish.

What other jobs have you had outside of affiliate marketing?

As a teenager, I got a job bagging groceries for a grocery store.  I essentially did that until I left for college.

While I was in college, I spent most of my time landscaping, both during school and over the summers.  It gave me a great sense of accomplishment when completing a job, and I loved getting the fresh air and working with my hands.

While I was building my own affiliate programs, I also spent time working as an account manager with a large marketing agency and event spent a few years doing email marketing design for another such agency.

What are a few of your hobbies?

First, I love spending time with my wife and daughter.  My wife and I tried to have children for ten years before our first-born came.  She’s our little miracle, and we cherish the time we get to spend together now.

I also love puzzles – not jigsaw puzzles – brain teaser puzzles.  I got hooked on them with a Rubik’s Cube when I was only about 10 or so.  Since then, I’ve loved them.  A few years ago, I even won a local contest for fastest time on a Rubik’s Cube (1:52).

I’m a big cinaphile, as well.  I love watching new movies I’ve never seen.

I’ve gotten into cigars, as well as Scotch.  Not something I partake in daily, but when I do, I’m always trying to hone my palate and learn more about the breadth of notes and flavors.

Finally, I love to tinker with computers.  I started this when I first needed to buy my own laptop.  I didn’t have the money for a new one, so I bought one off eBay that was missing parts, found the parts on eBay as well, and put the computer together using YouTube videos.  Since then, I’ve continue to enjoy tweaking and boosting machines in my free time.

What activities/sports did you do in high school or college?

I played baseball and football for four years in high school, and basketball for three.  When I went to college, I received a small scholarship to pitch for a little private school in Indiana, where I continued to play baseball for a couple years.

What is your favorite vacation location?

My family used to have a condo in Estes Park, CO.  It was up in the mountains, had a cabin-like feel, and was considerably large (3 floors, 5 sizable bedrooms).  I used to love going there every few years.

Today, since the family has since sold the condo, my favorite spot is Simi Valley, CA.  I have relatives there who make visiting a fun time.

If you won a lottery, what would be the first thing you’d buy? 

Probably gold.  I’d immediately start investing the majority of it.  As for what I’d buy that would be fun, I’d probably buy a yacht.

Your favorite band to see live? 

When I was young, my favorite was Blink-182.  As an adult, it would probably be Chris Botti.  He plays a mean trumpet.

What is your “must see” TV?

The only shows that are still airing that are ‘must-see’ to me are Suits and Elementary.  There are a few since-wrapped shows I absolutely loved, though: Justified, The Blacklist, Dexter, Breaking Bad, House, and Arrested Development

Coke or Pepsi? 

Coffee.  I mean, Diet Coke probably tastes the best of the two, but I’ll take coffee over either.

Meet MGECOM Affiliate Manager Lawrence Sarpong

In keeping with the MGECOM tradition of learning more about our staff, we bring you our interview with our Affiliate Manager, Lawrence Sarpong!

What do I like most about the industry:
I like the fact that the industry has gone from the ‘red headed stepchild’ of the marketing funnel to a fully viable pay for performance source of revenue. An analogy that I have heard before and love is: Marketing is like chicken noodle soup where as the affiliate channel is the carrots or celery…a filler. My goal is always to make the channel more of the chicken or noodles that brings everything together.

Hobbies:
Travel, travel and more travel! I take several international trips per year. My goal is to visit every continent. Between 2017 and 2018 alone I have visited/worked from Norway, South Africa, Italy, Ghana, Thailand, Hong Kong, Columbia, Brazil, Spain, Andorra and Mexico.
If I had to choose my favorite destination to work from I would say that Medellin, Columbia or Bangkok Thailand are by far my favorite. If I could live anywhere and just LIVE…it would be CapeTown, South Africa.

IF I won the lottery today ($1.6b) what would I do…I think I would get away and be unreachable for about 3 months while I figured out what I was going to do with my new riches..but the first thing I would buy after I figured it out is a fantastic compound style home sitting on about 5 acres in Hawaii or someplace warm and tropical!

Coke or Pepsi? Well…lets just say that no one orders a rum and Pepsi.

Meet MGECOM Onboarding Director Gennet Thompson

In keeping with the MGECOM tradition of learning more about our staff, we bring you our interview with one of our Onboarding Director, Gennet Thompson!

How and when did you first get started in affiliate marketing?
I was working as an admissions advisor for Kaplan University in 2004. The following year, I decided I needed a change and applied for a Lead Generation Manager position in the marketing department and after many interviews, I was accepted – not having any prior marketing experience! From there my coworkers were hands-on and taught me about education lead generation and affiliate marketing and my career grow from there.

What do you most like about the industry?
I like that although the daily activities and tasks are the same, you have the opportunity to work with different, companies, people, and different clients. There are a lot of interesting personalities in the space – everyone has a different story! In addition, even though the overall objective is to make money, different strategies are employed for each to increase business which keeps me consistently on my toes.

What improvements you would like to see in the industry?
Having come from the CPA side of affiliate marketing, I would say that fraud needs to be reduced. However, I have noticed that on this side of the business in terms of affiliate program management, this is not an issue.

In addition, overall, I believe that affiliate marketing is becoming more reputable as time passes and marketers see the benefits of how affiliates can help grow their business and increase brand exposure as opposed to traditional forms of marketing.

How do you keep up on industry trends, latest industry news, etc?
I read online publications, participate in social media groups dedicated towards people in the industry, attend industry conferences and chat with colleagues and friends in the industry.

What most attracted you to join the MGECOM team?
Matt Enders. He is hard-working, professional, honest, reputable, experienced and had created a great company. I also appreciate the fact that everyone on the team is seasoned and has a variety of different experience so we are all able to share and learn amongst each other.

What are a few of your hobbies?
I love going to the beach which is why I live 3 miles away! I also enjoy quality time with friends, exploring the different parts of south Florida. I recently obtained my first rental property and expect to focus more on buy and hold real estate in the future. Finally, right now I am I school obtaining ministry credentialing so those classes take up the majority of my free time.

What activities/sports did you do in high school or college?
In high school, I was All-State in basketball. I also participated in volleyball (4th team All-State) and track. In college, I played intramural women’s and co-ed basketball (our teams won many titles) and co-ed volleyball (4s).

What is your favorite vacation location?
I don’t have a favorite location but several years ago, I was in the south of France and Monaco and I definitely want to back and visit that area – particularly Monaco.

What would you treat yourself with if you won a big lottery?
I would by my parents and my brother’s family a place here in Florida, in addition to another place for myself, add to my niece and nephew’s college fund, donate to my church and King’s Ransom Foundation, retire, and travel the world.

Your favorite band to see live?
I am more of a play person so I would like to see Hamilton – heard a lot of good things about it!

What is your “must see” TV?
I don’t watch TV much anymore but I used to love Modern Family reruns because I love to laugh! Great writing!

Coke or Pepsi?
Neither – If I am drinking a soft drink it would have to be Canada Dry Ginger Ale!

Meet MGECOM Affiliate Manager Stacey Shannon

In keeping with the MGECOM tradition of learning more about our staff, we bring you our interview with one of our newest Affiliate Managers, Stacey Shannon..

How and when did you first get started in affiliate marketing?
I started working for Direct Response Technologies supporting the DirectTrack Platform as a Client Services Executive. I was able learn the affiliate marketing industry through the clients that I supported. It was great on the job training.

What do you most like about the industry?
The relationships that I have been able to build and maintain over the years. Even though I have changed companies over the years I still know that I can pick up the phone and reach out to the people that I have built relationships with over the years and pick up right where we left off.

What improvements you would like to see in the industry?
Along with the continuing growth of social media within affiliate marketing I’d like to see enhancements in the recruiting process for social media influencers.

How do you keep up on industry trends, latest industry news, etc?
I keep up with the trends through reading industry blogs, publications and posts and through conversations that I have within affiliate marketing groups and with co-workers.

What most attracted you to join the MGECOM team?
The team approach that MGECOM employs. It is not a competitive environment but a collaborative one where everyone works together toward the common goal of helping our clients succeed.

What other jobs have you had outside of affiliate marketing?
I started out my career in technical support. I worked for computer outsourcing companies that supported businesses large mainframe processes.

What are a few of your hobbies?
I love to listen to music and to read. I read a lot of true crime novels. I find the psychological aspect of the criminal mind fascinating.

What activities/sports did you do in high school or college?
I was heavily involved in musical theatre and was the main soloist for my school choir.

What is your favorite vacation location?
The beach….any place that I can relax and listen to the waves coming into shore.

What would you treat yourself with if you won a big lottery?
A brand new custom built home.

Your favorite band to see live?
Wow! That is a tough question because I have seen A LOT of concerts but if I had to pick a favorite I would say Pearl Jam.

What is your “must see” TV?
Game of Thrones

Coke or Pepsi?
Coke although I’m actually more of a latte drinker….I should own stock in Starbucks!

Get to Know Us – Meet Regina Morgan

MGECOM welcomes Regina Morgan to our team, and she comes to us from the Western US in snowy Utah. Please enjoy our interview with her as we get to know more about our rising BD star!

How and when did you first get started in affiliate marketing?

I started dabbling in affiliate marketing back in mid-2009 when I was looking for a way to make extra money. Towards the end of 2009 I was hired as a Sr Global Business Development Manager for a large online content publisher. I was responsible for negotiating affiliate commission rates as well strategizing with merchants/advertisers on various ways to monetize traffic and brand exposure on the site.

What do you most like about the industry?


This industry is always changing and there are always new creative ways to monetize a merchant’s product or service. It also presents many opportunities for both big and small businesses to generate revenue globally 24/7.

What improvements would you like to see in the industry?


I would like to see a better relationship between the merchant’s management of affiliate channel and the internal marketing department. Often times they do not work together and have different initiatives which can cause conflict.

Do you see affiliates embracing mobile and social?


Definitely. If an affiliate is not, they should. There are so many people on some sort of mobile and social device all day and every day. These platforms and devices are not only making promoting a product easy, they are making it easier for a consumer to purchase.

What other jobs have you had outside of affiliate marketing?

Back in college I worked at music store and it was great because I never had to buy CDs. My most memorable job was working in Washington DC as a Project Manager where I worked on various government contracts and worked on the President’s Y2K Council.

What are a few of your hobbies?

My favorite hobbies are interior design and collecting shoes and purses.

What activities/sports did you do in high school or college?

In high school I played basketball and participated in track.

What is your favorite vacation location?

Anywhere with sand and water.

If you won a lottery, what would be the first thing you’d buy?

I would of course pay off debt, invest and then buy Mercedes AMG S63 Coupe

Your favorite band to see live?

I really do not have a favorite band, as I like all types of music.

What is your “must see” TV?

I really do not have a “must see” but I guess I would say HGTV

Coke or Pepsi?

A nice ice cold Pepsi.

MGECOM Launches the iBodyFit Affiliate Program

About iBodyFit.com:

iBodyFit was founded by Franklin Antoian, one of SHAPE Magazine’s Top 50 Trainers in America. iBodyFit is in the business of getting you in shape. The iBodyFit program does not require a gym membership, customers will receive the benefits of a personal trainer who will provide custom training plans they can use in their homes. And, our trainers offer ongoing support to help your customers stay motivated.

If you can target the fitness, weight-loss and self-improvement markets, or can target your PPC ads around these markets, we want to work with you!

The iBodyFit Program offers:

  • 10% Commission
  • 90-day cookie
  • Open PPC Policy!
  • Coupons are available


ShareASale

Join the FireDiscCooker Affiliate Program on AVL

About FireDiscCooker.com:

FireDisc Cookers have revolutionized the outdoor cooking industry for the fanatic on-the-go! Our goal is to provide high-end, innovative products and accessories designed for the avid sportsman, tailgater, hunter, fisherman, and outdoor cooking enthusiast.

FireDisc Cookers are a business built around character, family principles, and we will never stop working hard at developing cutting edge cooking products and accessories that dramatically enhance the outdoor cooking experience for our customers. This is and will always be the FireDisc® way.

Join our affiliate program and help your customers find the FireDiscCooker for their outdoor grilling needs while earning a great commission. FireDiscCookers and accessories make fantastic holiday gifts!

The FireDiscCooker Program offers:

  • 7% Commission
  • 60-day cookie
  • Exclusive ShareASale Program
  • AOV of $350!

Have some ideas on how you’d like to earn commissions from FireDiscCooker.com? Let us know and we can structure a commission program to help you maximize your earnings!


Avantlink

Black Friday and CyberMonday Promos

Two of the biggest online shopping days year are quickly approaching and MGECOM wants to make make sure you have all the latest promotions to help you earn as much as you can! Please review the offers below to make sure you have posted the most recent promotions.

The entire staff of MGECOM wishes you good luck this holiday season. As always, please reach out to your MGECOM Affiliate Manager if you need anything, we are here to help you succeed!

 

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Coupon Codes

MerchantOfferCodeExpiration

FlowWall
Save 10% to 30%FunCyber16
BlackF16
11/28 – 11/29
11/24 – 11/26

RST Brands
Save 10% to 30%FunCyber16
FridayB16
11/28 – 11/29
11/24 – 11/26

French Toast
Get 25% Off Site + Free Shipping $99 +
30% Off Site + Free Shipping
30% Off Site + Free Shipping $99
Daily Deal $10 Puffer Jacket
HOLIDAYS
CYBER30
NOVSAVE
BLACKFRI
11/14 – 11/23
11/28
11/26
11/25

Posh Mommy
15% off SitewideEARLY11/24

ToGoSpa
25% Off
30% Off
TOGOSPABLACK
TOGOSPACYBER
11/28 – 11/29

Fiera
Save $50Thanks11/23 – 11/28

Renfro Socks
Free Shipping on Hot Sox
20% Off at Renfro + FS
20% at Hot Sox
TPHS16
CyberFreeShip
Y89TFVH
11/28 – 11/29
11/28 – 11/29
11/24 – 11/26

Alison & Ivy
15% off
20% off Jewelry
HOLIDAY
CHRISTMAS
12/1 – 12/7
11/15 – 11/30

MovieZyng
30% off all Film Rise titlesFilmRise3011/30

ThePersonalBarber
20% off Subscriptions + Free GiftNo Code11/24 – 11/28

Organic Merchants
15% offTHANKS1511/23 – 11/29

Nearly Natural
$40 off $300+
$20 off $150+
PUMPKIN
TURKEY
11/25 – 11/29
11/25 – 11/29

We-Vibe
$50 Off The Dreamy Desire CollectionWVDD201611/15 – 12/31

ISEEME
Save 30% SitewideBF201611/25 – 11/29

SmileBooks
40% on PhotoBooksBF201611/25 – 11/28

CME Info
$1500 Amazon GC
30% off CMEInfo & Practical Review
$500 Amazon GC with $995+
$200 Amazon GC with $495+
No Code
30CME
GIFT500
GIFT200
11/28 – 12/31
11/28 – 12/5
11/27
11/27

Mimeo
25% off SitewideNOV25OFF11/30

StashTea
30% off all orders
Free Shipping all orders.
blackfriday
No Code
11/28 – 11/29

DiBruno Bros
20% off + Free Ship $150+
5% off + Free Shipping $150+
No Code
No Code
11/26 – 12/18
11/25 – 11/28

Primordial Beard Oil
BOGO
25% off
FRIDAY
holidays
11/24 – 11/28
11/23

WorldWide Golf Shops
Free Ship Orders $99+No CodeNo Expiration

Edwin Watts
Free Ship Orders $99+No CodeNo Expiration

MobStub
20% off
25% off
blackfriday20
cybermonday25
11/25
11/28

Scribendi
Free Fiction Writing Workshop
10% off Manuscript Editing
No Code
No Code
11/25 only
11/25 – 12/9

TeaBox
10% off all orders
15% off all accessories
TBNOV10
TBACS15
11/30
11/30

HomeHealthcareShoppe
10% off all ordersdiscount1012/15

LookupFare
BlackFridayDeals Sitewide!No Code12/05

BuyEmergencyFoods
Up to 50% offsNo Code11/30


Tools to Keep Your Website Up to Date During the Online Shopping Season.

The online shopping season is in full swing for shoppers and retailers. Hopefully your website has been prepared, is SEO-friendly and your holiday pages have been picked up by Google which is resulting in increased traffic.

The one thing e-commerce shoppers love more than shopping online is to use a coupon code when they make a purchase. During November and December the coupons from e-tailers never seem to stop coming. As an affiliate, you try to keep you site and holiday pages are SEO-friendly so they are picked up by search engines. Even with the best effort to maintain your site there are still a number of things you can do to keep your pages fresh and up to date with the most recent coupon codes you constantly receive from your merchant partners.

Fortunately, automated tools are available which make the job of keeping your coupons up to date for your customers much more efficient:

FMTC.co. is a service which specializes in aggregating affiliate content, datafeeds and coupons. Many affiliates select the “Coupon Mini-Feed” http://www.fmtc.co/datafeeds/coupons/ to receive updated (and human verified) links for their merchant partners who are registered with FMTC.

Merchants: 10,680 merchants
Networks: 24 affiliate networks
Delivered: Daily
Fees: Varies

GoldenCan is a service for affiliates which aggregates coupons and datafeeds from merchants. They pricing is built around the “4th click” model. This means for every 4th click you receive from a merchants links on your site, GoldenCan will insert their ID. If the sale converts on that click, GoldenCan will earn the commission. For all other clicks, the affiliate will earn the commission. Some merchants have paid GoldenCan a fee.

Merchants: Thousands https://www.goldencan.com/allmerchants.aspx
Networks: CJ, ShareASale, Pepperjam, Avantlink, Amazon, LinkShare
Delivered: Daily
Fees: 4th click or All click free

ShareASale Coupon Feed: Affiliates who work with ShareASale merchants can register for this free daily delivery of coupons from their ShareASale merchants.
Merchants: Thousands
Delivered: Must log in or via RSS, or via XML download
Fees: Free

We hope you have a great holiday season! As always, if you have questions about the holiday coupons from MGECOM clients, please let us know!

MGECOM Launches the Lookupfare Affiliate Program

About Lookupfare:

Just in time for the holiday travel season, MGECOM is excited to launch the LookupFare affiliate program on LinkShare. Lookupfare provides fantastic deals for flights and hotels across the world, all found within their easy-to-search website!

Your customers can book their vacations, flights and hotels with confidence. In addition to outstanding customer service, your customers can select from the lowest fares, best selection, and as an ARC accredited agency, we are 100% safe and secure.

We offer flights and hotel reservations from carriers and providers to destinations across the world. Customers can even find last minute deals to save them even more when making their reservations.

Join our affiliate program today and you can earn some of the highest commissions in the travel industry! If your website can reach the travel, vacation or business customers, we want to talk with you!

The Lookupfare Program offers:

Commission for Flight Bookings:

  • 1 – 200 bookings: $9 commission
  • 201 – 500 bookings: $10 commission
  • 501+ bookings: $11 commission
  • Commission for Hotel Bookings:

  • 1 – 100 bookings: $16 commission
  • 101 – 250 bookings: $17 commission
  • 250+ bookings: $18 commission
  • Please note, we allow PPC marketing only with our approval, please contact us if you would like to learn more.

    Have some ideas on how you’d like to earn commissions from Lookupfare? Let us know and we can structure a personalized program to help you maximize your earnings!


    LinkShare

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