ABZs are back! NEW Affiliate Audit Checklist
Vol. 49: Plus NewZ, ShowZ, and Snoop on a Shelf
HelloZ
Happy Thursday! My schedule, inbox and heart are all full over here. Hello to my new subscribers and my faithful readerZ! December is here (how?!), and I’m reflecting on the year. I feel like we’ve grown so much since our first posts here, and I am beyond excited for what’s to come. So thank YOU. Thanks for being part of it. For laughing at my jokes. Reading my long-winded posts about affiliate marketing. Asking smart questions. Enjoying the zingerZ I find on the internet. And for just caring enough about what I have to say to open your email and read my words. So yeah. Thanks forever.
A little housekeeping:
Pitch Bitch is live! First post is live with my commentary, and it’s free for paid subscribers!
A few more stories also went live recently:
I have my December stories coming, so be on the lookout for a separate Substack for my Call for PitcheZ.
Still looking for drinks that contain magnesium for Clean Plates. Please pitch me: zlatapitches@gmail.com
Next up… ABZs are back! Someone asked me last week about my approach to affiliate clients when they have an affiliate program, but they’re not happy with it. The simple answer is I do an audit, and I thought this topic was a perfect addition to the Substack. This week’s paid post highlights a checklist I use at ZlataPR to help explain my auditing approach and process. It’s my way of understanding how a client (or prospective client) is currently managing affiliate efforts, and it helps me zoom in on where I can add the most value. Great day to subscribe if you’ve not already!
And lastly, before we get into it, I leave you with this: Snoop on a Stoop Elf Christmas Decor. A real thing that exists that at least one person in your life will sincerely appreciate.
Ready? Here. We. Goooooo.
ShowZ
A new docuseries about the rise and fall of disco is coming to PBS and the BBC. The three-episode series, Disco Inferno, is slated to share “untold stories” of the genre. I’m guessing they can finally be told because the statute of limitations has expired.
Tell Me Lies returns for a second season on Hulu. True. Also true: Jackson White and Grace Van Patten are dating.
The fantastic Richard Lewis comes back to Curb Your Enthusiasm for the show’s 12th season in 20 years. I feel like accomplishing 12 big things in 20 years is a reasonable rate. Like we should all take a cue.
Food Network and the NFL have teamed up for a six-episode primetime event. Sunny Anderson and New England Patriots Hall-of-Famer Vince Wilfork host the show, which spotlights tailgate chefs. As if there are other kinds?! Premiers January 4 on Food Network and discovery+.
Oh snap! Netflix is reprising That 70s show in a new spinoff, That 90s Show. Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith as grandparents Kitty and Red along with a new group of teens to drum up all the nostalgia.
Steve Martin and Martin Short co-host Saturday Night Live on December 10, with musical guest Brandi Carlile.
NewZ
Elon Musk said Apple is withholding Twitter from the App Store. Of course he didn’t say JUST that. He also added eloquently “Do they hate free speech in America?” I honestly don’t care about Elon or Apple. But please don’t let Twitter die. Where will I get my FunnieZ?
Doing its best to be extra AF, Hawaii has not one but TWO actively erupting volcanoes at the moment.
Kim K and Ye are officially dunzo. In the settlement, Kim will get $200,000 monthly in child support. In retrospect, maybe she knows how to pick ‘em after all.
Fun fact
Sea otters have pockets! And now I want to be one. Loose skin under their forearms — uhhh OK I take it back — creates a perfect creature pocket where they store food and rocks for cracking shelled seafood like mollusks and clams.
Affiliate ABZs: Affiliate Marketing Audit Checklist
In software development and corporate management, retrospective meetings give teams a chance to reflect on their work. I’ve seen this work in a few different formats, but ultimately the purpose of the meetings is to answer three questions:
What went well?
What didn’t?
Why?
One of the things I’ve learned since I really dove into the affiliate world is that this kind of retrospective approach to project management is also super relevant to affiliate marketing. If you want to grow your affiliate program strategically, it’s important to understand what’s working, what’s not, and why. When you have these answers in hand, you can pinpoint areas for improvement and identify your best opportunities for growth. In a lot of ways, this is the first key to success.
Today’s paid post explores some of the topics I cover in my own audit. If you’re a paid subscriber, keep reading to learn about my approach. If you’re not, consider going paid today. You’ll get my audit checklist and all the archives!