It's summer & I've got (literal) hot takes
Zlata Thoughts Vol. 15
HelloZ
Hello and welcome back to another Wednesday edition, friendZ! Hope it’s happy wherever you find yourselves this afternoon. After last week in Florida, it’s back to real life and business for me this week, trying hard to squeeze in some sweet summertime memories in between.
Another double-post week coming your way! Awin (a platform I’ve mentioned before) just dropped a new affiliate marketing report for 2022 and it is juicy! To be completely honest it is mostly LONG, but I read it so you don’t have to 🤗. It is full of little industry insights and some highlights on the big players, which I’ll be covering here with a healthy dose of my own two cents over the next few posts. Let. Do. It!
New - LIVE Q&A Coming This July!
A few of my colleagues recently hosted Q&As and they were honestly spectacular. It’s such a great format for smart (and sometimes just fun!) conversation. Sooo, this July I’m going to host my own for paid subscribers! Stay tuned for more details!
And speaking of paid, I’m going to get real real quick. If you’re not on a paid subscription and you enjoy my Substack, please consider joining. I love sharing my hot takes, smart tips, dumb jokes and affiliate biz, and this is my favorite format to date! But like anything, it takes work and time. So that’s my appeal and I hope you consider it! It’s a few bucks a month—literally the price of a latte—and it’s the best way for me to keep making stuff. 🙏 And even if you don’t/can’t pay, even just sharing my words with your friends and colleagues really means the world!
Affiliate ABZs
As mentioned, the Awin report is chock-full of goodies and I’ll be throwing you thoughts later in the week on the paid newsletter.
One of the things the report highlights is the evolution of the affiliate role and relationship, and I couldn’t agree more. It has gone from a “bonus” category of sorts to a bonafide revenue source. Not only that, it helps brands do more on their other channels, building compounding returns across all your marketing. Basically, it’s a really great investment when you’re prepared to put in a little thought.
I’ll get into the specifics of this on the paid issue, along with some thoughts on:
The so-called ”Clock Model” by NYU marketing professor Scott Galloway and what it means for affiliate marketing now.
How Intently went from small-time to global platform in less than a decade.
How technology like AI is absolutely changing the game for everyone.
Why you shouldn’t sleep on local commerce
And so much more! If you’re not paid yet, sign up now and you’ll get the next issue in a few days!
Does this sound boring? I can’t tell. I’m an affiliate nerd these days and I tend to look at affiliate marketing from the perspective of a brand … not just of a publicist. BUT AGAIN — MY FELLOW PR PEOPLE — affiliate marketing is how you can look EXTRA AMAZING in front of your clients. Yes, you need it for the Skimlinks, but there is SO MUCH MORE!
GroupZ
AffiliateZ from A to Z: A safe space to ask questions about all-things affiliate marketing. Join us! Bring friends!
PR and Marketing Jobs group: The latest opportunities in PR
ConnectionZ group: PR, marketing, and media professionals
Just for SmileZ
Everyone’s favorite corner of random thoughts: Funny tweets of the week.
