Ricky Ahuja – ADOTAT

2011-07-252016-05-01

Byron Kho Unlocks Money Making

Byron Kho is the CEO of IDz Media, formerly InstantDollarz, an affiliate network and advertising solutions provider. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005, Byron helped build and develop IDz Media from loyalty website specialization to an affiliate network handling tens of thousands of clients. IDz Media continues to do all development in-house, including its affiliate network software, the now ubiquitous Content Unlocker software it debuted in 2008, and exciting new products scheduled for release in late 2011.

1) Byron, tell us briefly about yourself and how you got started in this industry. Before moving into this industry, I was conducting biomedical research into neurodegenerative diseases at Penn. While fascinating, the bureaucracy and politicization of science was very frustrating and prompted me to look at opportunities elsewhere. Initially as a side project, my business partner and I started developing websites back in 2004 and 2005 to varying degrees of success. We ran all kinds of content sites, including a very popular MCAT preparation site, several ringtone sites, credit card comparison sites and other such ventures. Our first financially successful hit was a shopping cash back program that very rapidly grew in sales and volume to grab a place right behind Inbox Dollars and FatWallet for a time. We started out as affiliates working with content we enjoyed creating and sharing, but we picked up a lot of experience on the way and realized that we could do a lot more with our talents. We then switched business models to helping others monetize their own content and generating value for advertisers. Currently, we operate as an affiliate network and as an advertising solutions provider for all types of clients.

2) Do you think being an Asian in this industry has hindered or helped you achieve the level of success you currently have or anticipated?I would throw age into the mix as well. As a very young entrepreneur trying to pitch my wares to networks and advertisers way back in the day, age and race were definitely considerations I had to think about. I assumed that everyone would take young people less seriously, and knowing some of the stigmas against Asian marketers, I felt that I also had a duty to ensure I presented myself as a serious, educated businessperson with some solid ethics. This rather obligated me to set aside some time to review what I wanted for myself and for the company, how I thought I could get there, and then putting all of that to paper as our future plans. In reality, I found the industry to be extremely diverse and accepting – which was exceptionally rewarding and helped let me know this was a business I wanted to be in. Looking back, I realized that the time I spent planning was the best possible thing I could have been doing to get started properly, and get ahead.

3) What are the top 3 factors that you feel contribute to your success? First is definitely technology. I’m the front-end designer and my partner is the back-end programmer, and together, we’ve built a whole slew of advanced products that have helped establish our little niche in this industry. A case in point: a few years ago, we sat together in a little room for ONE WEEK and cranked out the software for our affiliate network. Today, our affiliate network software handles tens of thousands of clients; hundreds of advertisers; tracking and adserving for millions of impressions, clicks and leads every month; robust IP filtering and fraud detection/prevention measures; and rigorous accounting and quality control management modules. With only minor modifications and periodic upgrades to newer versions of PHP, SQL and other necessary items, our programming has stood the test of time – no major failures or technical loopholes (fingers crossed, of course). Back in 2008, the release of our Content Unlocker software got a whole new channel of online marketing started and a whole bunch of our competitors busy replicating. At the moment, we’re even working on a new technology that will hopefully break open a channel of its own.

Second, planning. I find it a great idea to keep up to date on all sorts of news, from tech updates to entertainment tidbits. Everything is of use to an affiliate marketer, and can help you figure out the Next Big Thing. We sit down and figure out what’s working in the industry and what people want, and from there we plan what products and services we need to be offering to keep up with the times. Same with managing content – you need short-term and long-term analyses of what will be hot, and you create and release content and marketing plans accordingly.

Third, being prudent with risk. After being around this long, we’ve seen dozens and dozens of companies rise and fall, many of them catapulting their way to short-term fortune with poorly prepared forays into new channels and abusive marketing methods that provoke consumers, advertisers and the government to react – and react hard. When releasing our Content Unlocker technology, we chose to ease into the markets and grow conservatively, constantly monitoring advertiser response to these new business methods and practices. We take the time to properly introduce and acclimate our current and future clients to our new products and services, leading to more steady growth, manageable cash flow and an overall positive experience. Six years after our founding, it’s this approach that has ensured that the issues and scandals plaguing our industry have not touched us in any significant way, and which sees us still around when many of our more wild competitors have disappeared or have garnered terrible reputations and frequent lawsuits. Much of our aversion to risk is because it will eventually lower the value of the business: largely unethical behavior will generally make up a significant portion of that risk, and it is that kind of behavior that advertisers and the government will eventually target for punishment and over-regulation.

4) How important is it to you to communicate with your partners? Is there a particular message you are wanting to convey? Lines of communication should always be open. To build strong healthy relationships between partners, both sides need to be convinced of what the ultimate goals are, and whether or not the other side is stable, honest and trustworthy. The more they know about what we do, why we do what we do, who we are and the problems we face, the more likely they will be there for us when we need it – and it’s a two-way street.

5) Talk to us specifically about your experience and frustrations in dealing with people in the industry. Personally, I love learning, so hearing about or debating new advances in technology and how they can propel the industry forward is a supremely attractive proposition. My frustration comes around when dealing with companies that are less interested in ideas and very narrowly focused on numbers, or on things that are comfortable. We see it often: companies go stagnant, doing the same old thing year after year, and don’t adapt with the market and with new discoveries until it’s rather too late. We’re often in the front of the room pitching new business models and technologies to clients and having to persuade them that new ways aren’t bad, that they shouldn’t play defensive and always be retreating on their marketing, and that figuring out what the “next big thing” is doesn’t include doing the same thing you’ve done for the last 5 years. We’re a technology company, so for us it’s easy for us to have an idea in the back of our mind one day, and a working advertising platform to play around with the next; creativity is our lifeblood, and so we’re always trying to preach the religion of change.

6) What do you think is the impact of the “new” media on today’s generation? Are they leveraging it effectively and more importantly – are they leveraging it for the betterment of our industry? A lot of the time, today’s generation is creating the new media and leaving others to leverage it! The business news section is filled with an incredible amount of innovation shown by tons of young technology and marketing firms and their subsequent acquisitions by industry behemoths, and the fact that this growth and creativity hasn’t let up and continues to attract advertiser dollars is a testament to its positive effect on the industry. These newcomers create new technologies, leverage other technologies to create new products and services, and then incidentally create huge public demands for all these new things. It all adds up to more methods of reaching consumers, some in more meaningful ways than the “old media” that came before it. Even when there are speed bumps, there have always been community-minded companies and professional organizations that step up and help develop industry guidelines, best practices and even lobby for changing the legal and regulatory atmosphere to better serve society and business together.

7) Being a minority myself, there are constant stereotypes that I have to overcome, have you ever experienced this? Yes and no. I try to combat those stereotypes before I ever have to face them, so it’s mostly preparation and a little bit of luck that has limited my exposure to any negative stereotyping. With the reputation that certain rings of Asian “marketers” have, I have always prepared well ahead of time to defend my ethics, traffic quality and goals and beliefs in a coherent fashion. That job gets easier and easier as time goes on, as the reputation I’ve built for my company can now speak for me.

8) What are some effective tools and products that help you keep your life organized? We use a lot of internally designed software to manage our marketing campaigns, financial accounting, quality control, etc. We designed them to streamline, centralize and automate as many of our tasks as possible, so it ended up being more efficient, decreasing the amount of repetitive daily tasks and leaving us time for R&D, and saving us a ton of money that would have otherwise been spent on hiring out some third-party applications. For my own life, I go simple. The calendar on my phone keeps my schedule intact, OneNote holds my “Giant List of Stuff to Do and Look Into”, and Google Docs was the easiest way to coordinate development projects and issue tasks to my team.

9) If you had a money tree in your back yard and could purchase anything for your business tomorrow, what would it be? A few motivated and dedicated programmers are worth their weight in gold. That’s what I’d get – you can never have too many programmers.

10) Any words of wisdom for my readers looking to get into this space? As a technology house, we are a fan of marketers who really know the mechanics of their tools. Put your time and effort into figuring out the products and services you use. You should always have an edge, and being intuitive and improving efficiency can always make you money – whether you’re creating your own products and software, or trying to streamline campaigns for clients, or just fiddling with landing pages and driving leads. Knowing your stuff is always good for the sales pitch!

2011-07-062011-07-28

Divya Patel finds her Voice

Divya Patel has taken a full turn in her career since college. Having obtained a degree in BioChemistry, she’s taken a turn to business. In the beginning it was an adventure, working as a consultant in companies where she was able to gain all sorts of experience. Going through the ‘dot com’ era, struggling through the ‘bomb’ she regained herself and put herself back in the market. What she discovered, is now booming industry. She landed in an online marketing company and started her never ending learning process, and it still hasn’t stopped, and it never will.

Passion drives her, the abundant amount of knowledge, the challenges, and seeing the results.

Divya’s also one of the founding members of Glam Interactive Group. A company which has recently had to revamp its brand, and is getting a facelift as we speak. Glam Interactive is built to be a networking forum for women in the online marketing space, consider it a LinkedIn + MySpace. Recently we have seen more women entering the affiliate space, but not many are finding the confidence to stand up in the male dominated industry. The goal is to help these women network, and eventually build their confidence to go head to head with the men in the industry. This confidence builds over time, and eventually starts to come out naturally. The network started in 2007 with 12 members and now has reached close to 1000 members.

When she’s not negotiating and crunching numbers, she’s counting out reps for ab crunches in the fitness studio. She’s a fitness instructor for Mona Khan Dance Company, banging out Bollywood filled aerobic routines.

Whether as a marketing professional or an instructor, Divya’s always looking to make a difference. Whether it be just a chat, or an intense cardio workout, the end result should be beneficial. This is her story:

Divya, if you would be so kind, please tell us about yourself and what you are currently doing. Currently, I am working for Unbent Media, an newly developed affiliate network. I am THE Marketing Manager for the company, bringing on new advertisers and affiliates, along with representing our Agency of Record campaigns. The focus on the network is subprime financial, i.e. cash advance, payday loans, installment loans, debit cards, credit cards, etc.

How did you find yourself working in the Affiliate Marketing industry? Many, many years back I was starting a new phase in my life after going through the ‘dot com bomb’ era. I put myself back in school, and started looking for new opportunities where I was able to get my hands dirty. I started interviewing and landed a job in an online marketing agency, like any other during that time, the company focused on Mortgage and was building out Online EDU. Low and behold, I had to start reaching out and learning about the online industry. What had been labeled as ‘online marketing’ is not known as ‘affiliate marketing’.

How have you found this industry to be? Was it what you thought it to be? I didn’t know what to expect from the industry as I had entered it as it was just being born. What the industry has developed itself to be, is nothing I could have imagined. There is a constant flux of ideas, everyone pushes the limits of technology. Many companies have stuck to what works, but there is an ‘out of box’ movement going on. There are companies that are starting to look beyond the norm, and open up the online marketing space.

There are more and more women playing a significant role in this industry, what do you attribute that to and more importantly – do you think that to be the case going forward? For an industry that is very male dominated, women are starting to stand up and prove themselves. I attribute this to their work ethics, women not only ‘sell’ they ‘do’. We’re multi taskers by nature, managing home and personal lives, children, husbands, and everything in between. The women that are playing a significant role in the industry have had the confidence to stand up and take more prominent roles. Being in the industry for over seven years, I have seen a greater number of women work their way to the top, but still feel there are many looking to find their voice.

Who was or is a major influencer for you? Hands down, Marissa Mayer, VP, Consumer Products @ Google. Her passion, enthusiasm, and dedication can be seen in everything she puts her hand on. Hired as one of the first female engineers at Google, she has quickly become a major influence to the company and to her peers. Now, I can’t compare our industry to Google. We have progressed fast and far beyond expectations years ago, but we have a lot of growth ahead of us. Marissa is a full package deal for Google, someone that I strive to be at a company one day.

What are your favorite must read industry blogs or websites (brownie points if you mention RickyAhuja.com)? Of course I am always on RickyAhuja.com. But I’m also on Adotas, Association of Marketing, LeadCritic, PaydayBrokers, Media Post, etc. Trust me I don’t get bored sitting on the computer, there is always something that I’m reading on.

Where do you see the affiliate marketing industry heading with social media in the next year? Do you think that micro blogging platforms like Twitter, Four Square and FB have the potential to change the entire landscape of presenting information to the public? This is a hard one to answer. Several years ago the affiliate space was just tapping into the search market. Companies like QuinStreet were dominating search within Mortgage. Over the years, many one man companies started emerging and started running search campaigns from their basement offices. Then emerged email marketing, which led to affiliate marketing through other traffic sources. The whole industry had to learn who their customers actually were, what made them ‘tick’ and how could we grab them with a tag line. In a sense, it was all about hitting them emotionally. Now we hit a new mode, social media. With the dominance of Facebook and Twitter we have been thrown a curve ball. It’s not just about the emotions, it’s about what do my friends think, how are they making their decisions. With social it seems to be about the influence and enticement. What’s a good deal, who is recommending who, and how can we get their attention. Customers are not reading the ads, they are reading their friends comments, posts, and opinions. Blogs are great, they have become research tools now. But Facebook and Twitter are moving at a much more rapid pace. In my opinion, this is going to be a challenge for the affiliate industry. We move fast, but can we get any faster? Or is it best to keep to what we’re doing and find a way to use these platforms as resources, and not primary tools?

You are given a free pass to Affiliate Summit, Ad Tech or Leads Con – where do you go and why? At this point in time, where I am career wise, I would go to LeadsCon. For what Unbent is doing across verticals is lead generation. I feel the audience LeadsCon attracts is more in tune with the lead generation side of business and I’m able to walk away from every meeting feeling as it was a success. There’s more forward thinking, and the panels, when we get a chance to sit in, are valuable to what we’re doing now.

If you could pick the brains of anyone – dead or alive, who would it be and why? Obama, why not? What was he thinking and what is he up to? Being such an influential speaker during his race, I want to know what runs through his mind and how, or if, he uses his words to influence decisions now. Trump, he has that ‘it’ factor. Everything he’s gone through, all that he’s doing. I want to know what makes him tick. Martha Stewart. She’s been through a lot and doesn’t cease to stop. Her sheer efforts in self improvement, confident, and still being a respected figure in the industry is utterly amazing.

What advice do you have for my female readers who are looking to get into affiliate or online marketing? Love what you do, whatever it may be.

Rusell Rockefeller

2011-05-032011-07-26

Sam Sim Isn’t a Guppy Anymore

Of all the recent posts I have done – I am frankly not sure where to start with this one 🙂 . From his nipple turning antics to constantly picking on his employees or eating more and working less at his office. I am honestly not sure how they get anything done business-wise with all this but he seems to be doing something right. In a recent trip to Seattle, Sam was gracious enough to pick up myself, my wife and my brother to show us his office and introduce us to his team and show us the inner workings of the aquarium aka offices of Guppy Media.

Sam was born and raised in Honolulu and LA and resides in Seattle, WA. Currently marred to Christine, has a daughter Jessica and son Justin. On his spare time, he plays on a club soccer team, practice kendo, plays guitar, Xbox live (at night) and heavily involved a volunteer board member at my church. Also, active with volunteering for world missions at his local church and of course spending time with family. His favorite sports teams include UW Huskies, Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Seahawks, LA Dodgers, Boston and Vancouver Canucks. Graduated from University of Washington in 1995. Favorite foods are: Pho, Bibimbap, Sushi and Red Mango and Bubble Tea.

Sam, tell us briefly about yourself and how you got started in this industry.
My career in affiliate marketing got started when I changed my career as a stockbroker for Smith Barney and started business development with Zango / 180Solutions (current day Pinball Network). I knew I wanted to be on more on the ‘tech” side of the industry, as I saw that many of my clients were making much more money than I was J And particularly in the late early 2000’s with the initial dot com bust, it was a perfect transition for me, with no prior experience in tech, to start in a biz dev role at Zango, driving installs and distribution. I had always been a top performer and receiving sales and production awards as a stockbroker and fortunately, this naturally carried me over to the interactive ad world. My spheres of influence, contacts and relationships started in the interactive advertising and affiliate marketing world from here on out. I owe Zango quite a bit in terms of my initial training and fundamental understandings of interactive media buying.

Do you think being an Asian in this industry has hindered or helped you achieve the level of success you currently have or anticipated?
Honestly, I feel that actually one of the positive characteristics of our industry is that is so diverse and progressive to begin with. I believe that these two characteristics actually define our industry as a whole, as well as many other adjectives which come to mind such as “hip”, “glamorous”, “trendy”,”youthful”, “energetic”, etc. I do feel that it is actually because of this culture of diversity, that I feel, personally, I was able to actually flourish more, in the sense of reaching my true potential from a career perspective. So, to answer this question, I would have to say that given the environment and the surroundings which I live and breathe everyday within our industry, I would actually have to say the celebration of diversity has actually help to foster and proliferate my career. This is actually one of the key traits about our industry (affiliate, performance marketing) which I actually admire most – cherish and encourage your diversities, uniqueness, and creativity.

What are the top 3 factors that you feel contribute to your success?
1. First and foremost is to always keep your “creativity” cap on. In my honest opinion, creativity and novel and unique ways of marketing will allow our industry to thrive and flourish. Innovation is the key to not only survival of a company but also ongoing success as well

2. We are in a service and relationship industry – we should never lose sight of this. With our industry, being as competitive as it is, the only real way to stand apart from the crowd is to always place an emphasis on best possible client service, to the absolute best of your ability. Much like the golden rule states, treat others as you would like to be treated. This hold so true in our service and relationship oriented industry.

3. This is also somewhat related to point #1, but just like Jack in the Box say’s, we must think “outside the bun”. Our industry, at times I believe, just tends to stick to standardized norms and processes at times and if everyone then begins to follow the same process, this could then lead to what I call “idea saturation”. We must encourage ourselves to go against this grain and think of and develop new and innovative ways of conducting business, from an operational, marketing and relational perspective.

How important is it to you to communicate with your readers? Is there a particular message you are wanting to convey?
If there is one word of encouragement that I could communicate to my fellow peers and industry colleagues, can all be summed up in one word – “value”. I encourage everyone, particularly as a daily reminder to myself, to always provide value in all that you do. Value in the sense that we must give our clients a reason to work with us.

Talk to us specifically about your experience and frustrations in dealing with people in the industry.
It’s really a pet peeve when I go out of my way to do favors for fellow industry colleagues and I often stick my neck out on the line for them. In many cases, they in turn do not return the favor; much less appreciate what I have done for them. I do feel at times that albeit we are in an “online” world, we should always remind ourselves that we are all human beings ultimately behind the keyboard and we should all treat each other with mutual respect and courtesy, as is the natural laws of humankind and the universe. I do believe that we shy away from the tendency to think that we are not email aliases and Skype ID’s behind our PC’s…and that if we were doing business face to face, would things be done differently?

You are well known in the industry, who has been your motivation or inspiration, in other words, who is your driving force?
First of all, I give all the credit and all blessings to God in Heaven. Through Him all blessings flow. Secondly, my family is my number one motivational force. Finally, in terms of inspiration, I actually believe and admire myself. It may sound pompous, but when I look back at my previous trials and failures and how I was able to maintain a positive attitude and continue to survive and succeed each time; it is a constant reminder and inspiration to me.

What do you think is the impact of the “new” media on today’s generation? Are they leveraging it effectively and more importantly – are they leveraging it for the betterment of our industry?
New media is the reason we are progressing as a society and is one of the few economic sectors still experiencing rapid growth and progress from the financials markets sense. It is because of this innovation, that new jobs are created daily and I truly believe will continue to be the driving force behind the salvation and comeback of our current domestic economic situation. Reciprocally, I would hope that with the onset and growth of “new media” that this does not preclude us from continuing to be in touch with our human side as well as the value of real interpersonal relationships and the human touch.
Being a minority myself, there are constant stereotypes that I have to overcome, have you ever experienced this?
Growing up in the south (brief time in elementary) I did experience this, but primarily living on the west coast for the good majority of my life, I have not really experienced it.

What are some effective tools and products that help you keep your life organized?
Google Docs is the only tool you need!! I also highly recommend Basecamp for CRM as well Assembla for ticket and task management.

If you had a money tree in your back yard and could purchase anything for your business tomorrow, what would it be?
Definitely. I always wanted to have my own 59’ lifesize “Gundam” robot – http://sneakermaniac.com/59-foot-tall-gundam-to-be-displayed-in-tokyo-park/

Any words of wisdom for my readers looking to get into this space?
Be real and genuine. Remember you are dealing with humans and not AIM ID’s. Always remember the golden rule and the basic laws of the Universe and you’ll be fine. Lastly, always believe in your “inner superstar” – you just need to find the right outlet to release it and let it shine.

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Ricky Ahuja is the CEO of Affiliate Venture Group