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Affiliate INSIDER CEO Lee-Ann Johnstone Joins Affiliate Grand Slam’s Latest Affiliate Interview Series

Lee-Ann Johnstone is an award-winning digital marketing strategist who has also been named one of the top 10 most influential women at iGaming, and has been featured in AffiliateINSIDER, its culture, mission, training programs, how it manages and works with its various partners, and how it manages and works. He talks about why affiliate management is a rewarding job. Her story continues below.

How did you get into the affiliate space?

About 20 years ago, I changed jobs and entered the world of online marketing. I thought it was a very interesting place to explore. I’ve been working in marketing for about 5 years and I was really thinking about the next big trend. At that time, the Internet was a new thing, a new shining tool. I left my role as head of marketing at a small financial services company to join an online media company and start my career all over again. I started with a lot of media planning and buying, and then moved on to working in ad networks. After that, I moved on to working with publishers and partners.

Since then, I’ve worked with agencies, networks, clients, and affiliates. I have a 360-degree perspective on how the affiliate industry has developed from the beginning to today and how it moves forward.

In 2019, you were named one of the top 10 most influential women in iGaming by IGB Affiliate. He is also an award-winning digital marketing strategist. What does this mean for you?

It’s the result of a lifetime’s worth of work and learning, so it means a lot. And that’s one of the reasons why I have a strong desire to develop the careers of others in this industry, and that’s why I created the AMPP training course, which stands for Affiliate Management Performance Program, at AffiliateINSIDER. I have a strong desire to help new people come into this industry and learn how to build a successful career like the one I have in affiliate marketing. Because I really believe that in the digital world, it’s one of the most interesting spaces to work.

It also means a lot to me that I’m fortunate enough to be in this position to help others learn and develop their programs and careers. This also means being an ambassador for the industry. It’s obviously humiliating to be thought of as an influential person, but the important thing is that I want people to know that they can approach me at any time and ask questions. Because the rising tide lifts all the ships.

I think that’s my role. Based on the knowledge and expertise I like to share, I am helping the next generation of digital marketers learn, innovate, and grow within their industry.

When and how did AffiliateINSIDER start? What is AffiliateINSIDER? What are you doing at AffiliateINSIDER?

That’s a bit of a complicated question. I don’t think it has actually taken off yet. It’s only been a few years, so we’re just getting started. To be honest, I don’t do much. If you look under the hood of AffiliateINSIDER, my team is truly awesome. Not only do they propel and move the business forward, but they’re also a great support structure that allows you to take a step back from day-to-day management, stay on top of industry trends, and contribute to the conversations happening within the industry.

At AffiliateINSIDER, we talk about affiliate marketing, help people understand a little bit about affiliate marketing, and really support brands and partners who are working with us to grow their affiliate programs. But I’m not the only one; It’s the entire AffiliateINSIDER team that actually contributes to that story.

Can you tell us a bit more about AffiliateINSIDER’s culture, mission, and values?

AffiliateINSIDER has a culture of continuous development and learning. Without learning, testing, iterating, and optimizing, we can’t help our customers grow, so we encourage our teams to continue learning and developing their skills.

Our mission is to spread affiliate marketing to the world.

I think it’s easy.

We are very committed to this industry and make sure that those who use performance models understand the strategies and planning metrics they need to make that model successful for their business.

When it comes to our values, we are honest. Honesty and a direct approach are probably what clients expect most when dealing with AffiliateINSIDER. Whether it’s through work with a media team, a content team, or an agency team.

We also have a very strong culture of remote work. This is clearly a consequence of the pandemic. I think what you can always be sure of is taking a direct and honest approach to whatever problem you’re trying to solve. We work with our customers to provide KPIs and the support they need.

At AffiliateINSIDER, we organize training and coaching for affiliate managers. What are these programs? How do you support participants and what are the benefits? Who is it ideal for? Can you give an example?

The AMPP I made about 2 years ago is special and a little different. This is for those who really want to take their level to the level of an affiliate program manager, understand the frameworks that contribute to the success of affiliate programs, and gain the confidence they need to really present and market their brand in a better way. This program is actually a coaching program and is ideal for anyone who actually wants to take it to the next level, whether it’s someone who has been in an affiliate management role, 1~2 years, or 5~6 years in that role. Not only does it provide a mix of things like the frameworks and guidelines that we provide to our customers and agencies, but it also helps our affiliate managers understand their work environment and develop the skills they need to drive the program.

In terms of the interests of the participants, I think the testimonials speak for themselves. When I typed AMPP on LinkedIn, I got a great testimonial from Rebecca Ciala, Head of Affiliates at Hollywoodbets.

She was on the course and absolutely loved it. She has posted a nice article about us on LinkedIn and also writes about how this course has helped her.

Nowadays, many brands have partnered with a large number of affiliates, and managing all of them may not be so easy. Based on your experience, how can a brand successfully manage and align different affiliate partners? What strategies should be adopted?

Yes that’s right. Working in affiliate marketing is no longer so easy. This is because there are many different channels that partners can participate in. It’s not just a website anymore. With the development of social media platforms, more and more people are entering the field of affiliate and performance marketing. Figuring out what your strategy is can be quite difficult to navigate, as there is no longer a one-size-fits-all program aimed at all kinds of content, curators, and publishers. Importantly, brands need to understand how to work with different types of partners. You need to be flexible so that your partners have the space to test and try new things, and you can find the best way to work with the brands you’re working with.

Foresight and planning are also required. We live in a very unstructured environment; The online world has changed a lot in the last 20 years. It is very important for partners to work with the brands they promote. It’s also important for affiliate managers to really look at the available data and use it to make informed decisions about how they want to work with partners commercially. These one-size-fits-all fee models and compensation plans are no longer enough to make a partnership truly attractive.

So, keeping an open mind to maintain the liquid supply and demand of your commercial is very important to make sure that your program is continuously successful just by having an open relationship with the affiliates.

Why Affiliate Management is a Rewarding Career Choice?

If you want to work in an environment that isn’t the same every day, affiliate management is your career. I always say it’s a profession, not a job. Most people fall into affiliate marketing and affiliate management by accident, but the last people who are left are those who are truly passionate about the industry. I think it’s a bit like Marmite. You either love it or you don’t like it. However, if you are fortunate enough to learn from mentors and people who are passionate about the industry, I think it will set you up for success in your career.

The fact that an affiliate manager has to know a little bit of everything, as I said, is very rewarding because every day is not the same. Maybe you’re dealing with a little manager today, tomorrow you might be doing a once-in-a-lifetime commercial deal, and the next day you’re jumping into an event. It really has a little bit of everything, and you can experience many different types of digital marketing that operate in the affiliate space.

It’s a rewarding job; It is not an easy career because it requires a lot of skills. It’s not just about customer support, account management, relationship management, and sales. There are many different skills involved in working in this profession. If you’re going to get into this profession, it’s important to understand that it’s really a full-time job. It’s not something you can improve quickly. The industry is constantly changing, so you need to invest time and effort and engage in continuous self-development and learning.

What are the skills needed to be a good affiliate manager?

This is a very important question because there are many different types of affiliate managers. There are affiliate managers who are very good at looking at and analyzing data and optimizing campaigns based on numbers. There are people who are very good at building relationships and getting new sales and deals. Both skill sets are very important to have within a team. Depending on what type of personality you are, you will be attracted to these two different methods of affiliate programs.

The skill set is definitely a bit of analysis, understanding digital marketing, the ability to build relationships from the ground up, and not having a warm referral or lead. I think being an extrovert is certainly an advantage, but it’s not mandatory because even introverts can be really good affiliate managers. I think it’s very important to specialize in a specific place of affiliate program management. Because, you could be someone who is very technical and can handle things like advertising operations for affiliate programs, or you could be a very creative person who wants to create campaigns, deal with designers, create exciting content, and maybe even manage events. So, I think it’s also very important to think about what your skill set is, where you fit within the company, and where you fit within the structure of your affiliate program.

How can affiliate management be improved?

That’s a very simple question. I believe that with open dialogue, affiliate management will always improve. Also, I think being transparent about the program and paying attention to partnerships makes for a really good affiliate program. In addition, there are some that affiliates are trying to get involved in. I think there’s a lot of work in the industry, in terms of transparency, in terms of understanding data. That’s because we work across multiple platforms, and in some cases, not all of the data is available for well-informed decision-making.

Think of affiliate marketing and performance channels as open-ended commercial partnerships, not budget-intensive channels. So, allow affiliates to try new things and get a little creative, rather than just doing things like before. You need to be open-minded.

How do you see the future of affiliate marketing?

The future is bright. I think we’re heading into a really interesting time in the online world, where things like the metaverse and crypto come to the fore through NFTs.

I think it’s very exciting to see how these areas are navigated, and it’s certainly interesting to see how technology adapts to these new trends. So, let’s take a look at how we can integrate these things into our day-to-day marketing strategy, and how our partners actually integrate and use these new channels and types of integrations with consumers.

I think the future of affiliate marketing is going to be very interesting, but the pace is fast. Therefore, following trends and integrating them into traditional marketing strategies is going to be very interesting. So, I think now is a really good time to get involved in the affiliate space.

How was your experience at the SiGMA Expo?

We participate in SiGMA every year. Because it’s a great opportunity to meet with partners, publishers, and affiliates. It’s also a good way to understand what’s going on in the industry. We had a great time in Malta in November and it’s always a lovely place to visit. In November, I moderated a panel titled “” and a panelist on a panel titled “.”

We actually enjoy going out and meeting people in the industry. By doing so, you can hear how others are experiencing the space and how they are learning and innovating in their business. So, it’s a great opportunity to network and keep learning. We love attending events and I’m a big fan of SiGMA.

Tell us a little about yourself. Your hobbies, favorite books, favorite quotes, whether you yourself are interested in games, etc.

Strangely enough, I enjoy the outdoors. I live very close to the coast. I’m a water baby. In the water, on the water, near the water, you will always find me. My hobbies are stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and scuba diving. I love the beach and I am very lucky to live by the sea.

My favorite saying is an old African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go with me.” I was born in South Africa, so it’s very important to me, but it’s a fact. In affiliate marketing, in order to experience its growth, you often need to go with a partner.

My favorite book. I haven’t read a book in a while. I read a lot of talkbooks for industry, thought leadership, and entrepreneurs. However, one of the best marketing books I’ve ever read is “The Business Model Canvas,” which is a great book for affiliate managers and digital marketers to read in terms of strategy and planning. That would be the last book I could think of in my head.

I also believe that business is about people. So, I’m very approachable and I really like meeting people at events and hearing what they’re doing and how they’re learning. I consider myself a very sociable person by nature and at heart. I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of new people at the event.

Learn more about SiGMA Affiliate Grand Slam here.

Join us at SiGMA Americas (Toronto):

Toronto is the perfect hub for SiGMA’s growth in North America, and is the center of network and business development in the region when it comes to land-based, iGaming, sports betting, and more. As the hub of the large-scale iGaming industry, Toronto will be the hub of SiGMA Group’s initiatives, bringing together industry trailblazers from across the continent for three days of networking, workshops and awards. For more information about sponsorships, talks, or to enquire about attending the event, please contact Sophie at [email protected].