Ad HustlerConfessions Of A Serial Internet Entrepreneur

You read about it everywhere that it’s important to meet and network with other affiliates.  Tracking202 in conjunction with Ian Fernando hosts a great NY, NJ, PA area meetup group once per month.  It just so happens that the next meetup is this Saturday, December 13, 2008. This meetup will take place at:

Panera Bread
21 Woodbridge Center Drive
Woodbridge, NJ 07095
(732) 602-1220
2:00PM

If you would like to attend, please join the meetup group and RSVP.  If you are a closet affiliate who has never networked and has some fear that people will judge you, or you won’t know how to act towards other affiiates, just show up.  The group is cool.  I will make fun of your social inability, but no one else will.  The group runs the gammet between complete newbs and pros.  If your a newb, I’ll even give you some ideas on how to make some scratch, quickly, with little investment.

Start your networking this weekend.

Ad Hustler

If your an affiliate marketer you are probably dealing with some of the major affiliate networks out there.  Each of these networks assigns you an affiliate manager.  USE THEM!

A lot of newbs don’t realize that the payout the affiliate network is showing you in their interface is not usually the best payout on the offer.  Furthermore, if they do realize this, they think they have to be driving 1,000′s of leads to that offer to get any kind of increase.  WRONG! Most of the time all you have to do is ask.

The same goes for a lot of other needs that an affiliate has.  Are you having a cash flow problem?  Ask the network for weekly payments.  They probably have a minimum threshhold to do this but most networks/affiliate managers will work with you.

Need a specific offer?  Most networks will at least try to get you the offer.

The bottom line here is that you shouldn’t care about what your affiliate manager thinks about you.  Ask them for whatever you need with no fear of being annoying.  That’s their job!  There are a gazillionbillionquadrillion affiliate networks out there.  They want your business.  Stick with the networks that help you get what you need.

Don’t be afraid to ask!

Ad Hustler

Facebook is an interesting beast to tackle.  SInce the beginning they have been rather advertiser unfriendly, viewing us as their enemies rather then their friends.  Many people that read this blog are probably already Facebook advertisers so there is no need to explain all of the problems that the Facebook ad system has over again.

Although Facebook killed a TON of diet ads this week, I actually feel like they are turning over a bit of a new leaf.  Ad approvals have been much easier.  I literally got 9 out of 10 ads approved and the 1 that was dissaproved was only due to grammar.  In the past it probably would have taken me 50 tries to get 1 ad approved.  This is good news as long as what I’m noticing is not a short term fluke.

Another very positive thing that Facebook did is add an “edit & resubmit” button next to dissaproved listings.

Although it was actually possible to edit and resubmit an ad before by deleting the ad and then using the “create similar” button, I feel that this move by Facebook was certainly aimed at HELPING their advertisers rather then hurting them which is a huge departure from their normal attitude.

If you haven’t tried Facebook Ads yet, give it a whirl.  There is some great information around on getting started.

Have you noticed any other positive changes with the Facebook Advertising Platform?

Ad Hustler

Ian Fernando beat me to the punch on this post but I’m writing it anyway.

Ian, Wayne & I got together in NYC last night for one of our meetups.  A topic came up that I had actually been meaning to write about for a while now and haven’t got around to write.

What Is A Hustler?

This question comes up often since my name is after all Ad Hustler.  People ask me why I would want to be associated with such a negative term.  I’ve been told that creating the business name Ad Hustler was the biggest mistake I ever made since people won’t trust me.

Off Topic Rant:

Throughout my life i’ve had a personality trait that some people find very odd.

I honestly don’t care what people think about me.

For real.  A lot of people say that.  I mean it.  I can’t begin to explain how many people have just hated my guts throughout the years.  It doesn’t bother me.  In fact, I embrace the hate.

Back to the topic at hand:  What is a Hustler?

A Hustler is someone who sees opportunity and ACTS ON IT!  People go through life in a fog.  Opportunities are right in front of their faces and they don’t see it.  Even if they do see it, most don’t act on it.  A Hustler is someone who sees this opportunity, can devise a plan, and benefit him or herself from that opportunity.  Hustlers get a bad name and that’s probably because most are pretty dumb and use their hustlin’ for criminal activities.  Not every hustler is bad.  If you don’t trust me because my name is Ad Hustler, so be it, but your missing out on working with someone who knows their stuff.

Look deep inside yourself.  Are you a hustler?  Do you deserve hustler status?  I hope so, because you aren’t going to make it in this industry if you can’t hustle.

Keep Hustlin’

Ad Hustler

I’m sure you’ve heard by now the claim that affiliates have been contacted by the FTC about weight loss blogs.  I was speaking to my bud WayneDog and he posed the question “At What Point Will An Affiliate Network Divulge Your Personal Info?”

Good Question!  To what extent will an affiliate network protect you?  Theres only one way to find out so I called out affiliate networks for answers at Wickedfire.  Here is a link to the thread:

Calling Out All Affiliate Networks: When Will You Give Up Personal Info?

As of the time of this writing Mike From Copeac, Ruck From Convert2Media, Steve From Max Bounty & Brendan From Motive interactive responded.  All had great answers and made me want to trust and use their network.

What do you think about this issue and the answers that networks gave in that thread?  Let’s discuss.

Ad Hustler