MarTech360 Interview with Leah Holcomb, Sr. Partnership Development, Admitad

“An affiliate program’s influence is limitless both in regards to potential revenue and other KPIs. This is especially true when folded into a broader marketing strategy, like a sales funnel.”

Hi Leah, could you tell us about your journey in MarTech? 

I have been lucky enough to experience a diverse journey in MarTech. My first position was in digital marketing at a Greater New York City area radio station. It was quite an experience shifting a lot of advertising from analog over to digital, and all the new doors that opened for us. From there I was recruited to a position on an affiliate partnerships team at a large publisher that was just launching in the US market. This was my first introduction to affiliate marketing where I learned the basics, and made my first connections networking in the industry. 

From there I spent some time at a small boutique type affiliate network that specialized in niche offers and worked with a lot of bloggers and unique smaller lifestyle publishers with highly engaged followers. During this time I started working on some freelance and consulting opportunities that came my way. Up next was a large and well known advertising agency. This agency gave me the opportunity to sit at the table with decision makers of some of the biggest and most well known brands, and allowed me to create strategies that would be implemented on a large scale. 

After my time at the agency I moved on to work directly for a tech brand. I was able to scale the program quite a bit by introducing my network and by finding new avenues to drive revenue that had not yet been tested. Up next I jumped at the chance to be on the team to launch another publisher in the US. During that time we grew revenue, introduced the publisher to the US market, networked like crazy, and created partnerships that set the foundation for their success. 

I am now on the team at Admitad Affiliate. Admitad Affiliate is a full network that works with over eight hundred thousand partners worldwide. With a diverse background in affiliate marketing giving me experience as a publisher, network, agency, and advertiser I would say my favorite things about Admitad Affiliate are their transparency and integrity, and the unmatched personal and hands on service we provide our partners with. At Admitad Affiliate you will never find yourself in a Zen desk ring of death trying to get support. 

All our partners have a manager assigned to them to grow their revenue — we provide white glove management and our results reflect that. With the knowledge of what it’s like to manage accounts at an agency, network, publisher or directly, this is PRICELESS and I am happy to be a part of an organization with these values and offerings. 

What challenges did the COVID-19 pandemic pose for you and your team? 

Every industry has been largely impacted by the pandemic. It has triggered fundamental changes and challenges for the affiliate marketing industry as well. Consumer behavior has changed, and new tendencies have surfaced. Consumers have adapted to a new reality and have turned to online shopping. Online shopping has become the preferred medium for commerce. There is also a new reality for corporate life. From the beginning of the pandemic, corporate employees across the globe started working remotely.

One of the core Admitad Affiliate values appreciated by our clients and partners is the quality, unmatched service we provide. We thoughtfully ran test days to eliminate and prevent possible errors and lags associated with the shift to home office mode. As a result, we were able to insure that this approach did not hit our productivity. We held meetings with our teams and collaborated and explored best work from home practices. We proved that shifting to the new structure didn’t harm the level of service we provide to our clients and partners. All the systems (including billing, verification of orders and communication) were set and double-checked so that our teams have all the necessary tools and are in touch during the regular working hours. Most importantly, we experienced how crucial it is to stick together while we are apart. 

COVID-19 has resulted in massive job cuts across the world, causing a huge amount of mental stress. Admitad Affiliate launched its global initiative – a ‘Social Fund’ of $3,00,000 for team members, whose families have suffered a job loss recently. The initiative to launch the fund was taken after considering the results of an in-house survey in which 20% of the staff confirmed going through mental-stress due to financial loss that their close relatives had suffered due to the COVID-19 crisis. As an organization that recognizes the value of its team members, Admitad Affiliate organizes regular surveys to gauge the morale and well-being of the team. 

“During such an uneasy time we decided not only to keep the salary level for all the employees but also to care about their psychological health. It is hardly possible to concentrate on work when your family members are faced with challenges, including the financial ones. That is why we took a very important step further to create this fund. We greatly value the human resources we have and are inclined to think that such a small contribution will help the employees deal with this crisis and overcome that successfully” – Alexander Bachmann, Founder and CEO of Admitad.

What sets Admitad apart from the competition? 

Admitad Affiliate network streamlines process by providing unmatched personal account management, technology and end-to-end tracking. 

• We provide superior white glove service through real people that specialize in the field. Our partners are assigned a personal account manager to focus on supporting and growing all their program needs including negotiation of exclusive terms, recruitment, planning, and more. 
• The traditional affiliate industry standard follows a monthly payment schedule for publishers. A huge incentive that Admitad Affiliate provides is a weekly pattern. We provide an option of Express payments for our partners. Our publishers can withdraw their earnings instantly, in one click and at any time, without waiting for a specific day. 
• We are constantly creating new tools both for advertisers and publishers. We have our own development team – our golden rule is to provide the market with convenient, timely solutions. Result-driven work and transparency are among the main values of Admitad Affiliate. We are always open to opportunities, ready to change and reach new heights. 
• We partner with and educate the market through Admitad Academy. The Academy is designed to educate advertisers and publishers, share in-depth guides, advanced tips, and marketing insights. This empowers and supports our partners growth far beyond what a standard network provides. 
• We serve as a global entry for our partners market needs to bring business to any market on the globe. Our services have no borders, we work with partners from all over the world! 

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How, according to you, has the MarTech landscape evolved and will evolve in the coming years? 

We have seen such an evolution in marketing technology transitioning from desktop to mobile devices, static to video, and completely personalized experiences leveraging targeted marketing. As we progress, every generation has scaled up their online purchases.

While that trend continues, I expect to see new mediums emerge and new methods of purchase as well. We are still witnessing the increase in voice commands and I look forward to seeing that become more intricate as it develops further. I also expect to see marketing continue to become more personal and customized to the audience. 

What impact does Affiliate Marketing have on the Sales funnel of a Business? 

An affiliate program’s influence is limitless both in regards to potential revenue and other KPIs. This is especially true when folded into a broader marketing strategy, like a sales funnel. Seventy four percent of online shoppers in the U.S. check multiple affiliate websites before deciding to buy a product. This proves that if your strategy isn’t optimized to leverage your partners, you are missing out on potential sales. 

The entire system becomes particularly valuable in a sales funnel, from first touch all the way to last. One of the most appreciated advantages here is that advertisers pay only for performance and conversions. If the affiliate marketing partner has an ineffective campaign, it won’t affect the marketing budget. It’s extremely advantageous to have a robust and diverse affiliate marketing program firing on all cylinders, from upper funnel content to lower funnel publishers with higher conversion rates. I have found that the largest scaling programs leverage a good mix of upper, mid, and lower funnel partners. 

What are the 3 things that business owners can do to optimize their Digital outreach? 

1. Use a client-centric approach. It’s essential to build effective communication bridges with your clients and partners. Listen to their needs. The best way to stay on top of their expectations is to have one or more designated “point” people. At Admitad Affiliate we have been successful doing this by assigning each partner an expert and dedicated account manager to handle communications, questions, or any other need that may arise. The goal is to use all available means (including the business website, social media pages, email, etc.) to determine what our clients and partners want and respond with effective messaging and solutions.
2. Want to really increase the reach of your online marketing strategy? Test to see what does / doesn’t connect with the audience. Test, learn and make changes to grow. The key is consistency. Create useful and informative content around your niche or area of expertise. Grow social media presence by sharing new content on a regular basis.
3. Keep in mind that all digital marketing channels (like Social Media, SEO and PPC) are linked. Good engagement on social media reflects on your SEO and can influence your SERP rankings. Using PPC data on best performing keywords allows you to create more targeted content to get more traction. Ultimately, all the channels are required to provide a seamless digital customer experience. 

Could you name the Top 5 apps/platforms that you use for Marketing and Sales? 

I use the following five almost every day: 

1. Admitad Affiliate
2. Hunter
3. Similar Web
4. Affilitizer
5. LinkedIn

Could you name one other Senior or C-level person that you would like to see featured here? 

I would love to see Evan Johnson featured here. He is Head of the Admitad in the US and is responsible for the launch and oversight of Admitad US.

Your top pick for a book on MarTech that everyone should read? 

I really enjoyed “Purple Cow” by Seth Godin. One of his quotes that has really stuck with me is “It’s safer to be risky, to fortify your desire to do truly amazing things…” This book talks about the importance of standing out in a saturated industry. Successful online marketing requires a uniqueness that can only be attained through risk. 

I have seen some of the biggest growth through risk, and I have also experienced some failures as a result of taking a risk. In short, at times taking some required risk will mean that you are vulnerable to and may experience failure, but those failures are a mere stepping stone to greater successes. 

Any advice you would like to give to all the budding marketers? 

Reflect on marketing that you experience. We are constantly bombarded by email blasts, banner ads, ads on YouTube, ads on TV, junk mail, banners, push messages and promoted posts. You’ve probably reached expert level in ignoring all of these annoying little interruptions. Stop interrupting and start creating high-quality content that users will find organically, and benefit from. Feeling your market needs is crucial. 

Last but not least, afford yourself to fail. When you fail, it tells you something about your audience and your message. This provides insights to the type of marketing your audience loves and even looks forward to.

Thanks, Leah!

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