Inman

Affiliate marketing expert reveals secrets of the trade

Shawn Collins, CEO of Shawn Collins Consulting, is experienced with all facets of affiliate marketing. Through his company, he offers short-term consulting and coaching as well as the ability to handle the entire outsourcing of an affiliate program.

Collins previously served as director of affiliate marketing for ClubMom, where he launched the affiliate program in March 2000. In his role with ClubMom, Collins also was a “super affiliate,” handling more than 120 affiliate relationships with brands such as Barnes & Noble.com, Dell and the Gap.

He is the author of “Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants” and is co-founder of the Affiliate Summit, an industry conference for affiliate marketing. He recently published the AffStat 2004 Report, a research, analysis and benchmarking report for the affiliate marketing industry.

Collins will speak at Real Estate Connect in New York City, Jan. 9-11, 2005.

Panel or session at Connect: Secrets of Guerrilla Lead Generation.

What are your current or childhood nicknames?

Scoll, Affiliate Ninja.

Which daily newspaper do you read and which section of the newspaper do you read first?

New York Post – front to back.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever packed in a suitcase?

230 foam cell phones.

What kind of music do you listen to?

Folk, ’80s pop, singers of the standards (Sinatra), rock, country.

What style of home do you live in and when did you buy it?

Cape Cod (2002) in New Jersey / Chalet (2004) in Pennsylvani.

Where did you spend your last vacation?

Wildwood, N.J.

What professional accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?

Authored a book, “Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants.”

What personal accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?

My three children.

How many e-mail addresses do you have?

10.

What worries keep you awake at night? 

Terrorism, meeting client goals.

What lesson did you learn in the last year?

I prefer working from home, because I am more productive, don’t have to commute, can sleep more, and see my family more.

What is your favorite technology device or software application?

Tie: Blackberry, MP3 player.

What is your opinion of Inman News? 

Very robust, quality information resource.

What was the best gift you ever received from or gave to someone else?

The healthy births of each of my children.

What was your top New Year’s resolution and have you kept it so far? 

Lose weight by cutting down carbs.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Both.

What is your worst vice or bad habit?

Extreme over-consumption of caffeine, primarily through Diet Dr. Pepper.

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