In the episode of the Affiliate Buzz, James Martell talks to Stephanie Harris, owner & CEO of PartnerCentric, and today we are going to be talking with Stephanie about how her company embraces employing a remote team, and their recent 2018 Pinnacle Award; OPM/Agency of the Year presented at Affiliate Summit West.
Stephanie talks about her start in the industry as a college intern for Scholastic in 2003. She thought she would go into book publishing, but was placed in the “software” division where she embarked on her summer project, launching their affiliate programs! As time went on, she wore many hats in the affiliate marketing space, and learned all aspects of the business, and by 2017 became the owner and CEO of Partnercentric.
Building a Trend Setting Successful Remote Team
The power of employing a remote team that all work from home is becoming a popular working model. Inc magazine claims "One-Third of Employees Will Be Working From Home in 10 Years." Following this trend has made it imperative to have checks and balances in place, and made them conscientious about communication and focus. They offer a flexible work environment and a family first approach. Stephanie claims "people that work from home actually get more done and the team is more intentional about what work needs to be done".
Remote Teams Best Practices
How productive can you be working remotely was a big question. Because of technology, the team has deliberate and intentional communication and can easily collaberate on projects through video conferencing, screen sharing, and often meet face to face as well through regional meetups. There is accountability for the work done each week, and dedicated deep work time and sharing the learning to increase productivity.
OPM/Agency of the Year 2018 from Affiliate Summit
Stephanie says the award meant so much as she was being recognized by her peers. As an agency she is able to build virtual relationships and give her clients the advantage of having account managers who have built a community where they can share their knowledge base and opportunities. You get collective knowledge so your opportunity is unique and efficient.
Check Out These Affiliate Programs
Stephanie shares a few of her favorite affiliate programs which are looking to do more innovative work. She shares what products they have to offer and talks about the advantage of going with an Agency vs. an in-house merchant. A few of their clients include Bluehost, Capital One, Constant Contact, Surefit and Yelp. She welcomes affiliates to come and check out the programs available to market.
In This Episode You Learn:

* Managing a remote team that all work from home
* Why Inc Magazine views working remotely as the new trend
* Guidelines for working remotely
* How to have work / life balance
* Some favorite affiliate programs
* Advantages to going through an agency

Resources:
Partnercentric.com
Partnercentric Affiliate Programs
Inc Magazine article about working remotely

AB #491 | Growing from First Employee to Owner & CEO with Stephanie Harris, PartnerCentric

Since 2003, James Martell has been keeping affiliate marketers inspired, informed and motivated to succeed with affiliate programs. The Affiliate Buzz is the first and longest running podcast in the affiliate marketing industry. James interviews top affiliates and industry thought leaders on what’s working now (and what isn’t) in the pay-for-performance industry. Topics include marketing strategies ranging from podcasting, outsourcing, copyrighting, search engine optimization (SEO), social media, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, ebooks, membership sites and more. James is often joined by his wife Arlene who draws from her 15+ years working alongside James raising their family of 4 from home thanks to their success with affiliate marketing and they share it all in this popular weekly podcast. Subscribe now.

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A Message From WebMasterRadio.FM:
On September 27th, we here at WebmasterRadio.FM lost one of our show hosts, James Martell, who died tragically due to a brain aneurysm. He had hosted the Affiliate Buzz program since 2010, accompanied by his wife and co-host Arlene. James had been widely recognized as a pillar in the affiliate marketing industry for well over a decade.
His wife Arlene and Kimberly Juchnowski pay tribute to his life and career in what will be the final broadcast of the Affiliate Buzz. We listen to messages of tribute from his friends and peers and some choice clips from previous episodes.
WebmasterRadio.FM and all of those associated with the Affiliate Buzz would like to thank you for your support and listenership of this program throughout the years. Thank you for being a part.
A Message From Arlene
How do you say goodbye and fit 39 years of loving someone into a short letter of appreciation? I know James would want me to truly live a joyful life, so I will remember all the good times we had together, and when I am sad, remember that I have many amazing memories, and many friends and family to support me.
James and I met in 1979 when we both worked at Venus pizza in Surrey. When I saw him, I said “That’s the guy I am going to marry”. He didn’t stand a chance after that. We were 17 and 18 years old and got to go to high school graduation together.
He likes to joke that when he met me, I had my own apartment, a brand new Honda Civic, I could get into the liquor store and I had $5000 in the bank. What’s not to love?  Joking aside, we didn’t know then, the many adventures we would share together, and the amazing children and grand children that we would become the center of our lives. On September 1st, 1984 we got married and just celebrated 34 years of marriage together.
Then came the babies! It was always my dream to have a big family and we were so excited when Adam was born in 1987, then Justin in 1988, Shelby in 1990, and Victoria in 1995. We had two pregnancies that ended in miscarriage, and I will bet you that James is up there holding those babies and bragging that he got to meet them first.
James was a journeyman carpenter in the early days, and the kids fondly remember taking him his lunch when he worked close by. James just loved the kids and even though we didn’t have a lot of money, we had a lot of fun.

Parenting brought on a whole new challenge when Adam developed a severe seizure disorder when he was 4. Boy did we ever have to learn patience and compassion! James started to work from home trying to make a living on the internet. We have had some crazy businesses and learned to ride the wave of online marketing. A lot of highs and many lows, but we always supported each other and pushed through the hard times.
In business, James was absolutely brilliant, and could figure out what was trending long before it happened. Before long, he was a super star online, coaching thousands of people on how to make money, writing numerous books, creating amazing courses and speaking at seminars all over the world.
James and I hosted “The affiliate buzz” podcast which was the longest running podcast in the industry where we recently recorded the 512th episode. I am still shocked at the hundreds of messaged I am getting expressing people’s appreciation for all James has done for them. I put just a sample on the wall.
People were naturally drawn to James, because he was very honest and when he worked with you, you were the most important person. He shared all his secrets, gave his time generously and was always pushing other people to succeed and not give up on their dreams.
Speaking of dreams, when James was 42, he put his dream car in the garage. It was of course that Shelby Cobra. If you look at the photo album on the memory table, you will see that he actually threw an elaborate party at a golf and country club when that ...

A Tribute to the Life and Career of James Martell

In the edition, James Martell talks to coaches, consultants, affiliate marketers, agency owners, OPMs, speakers, and authors about how to attract "ready-to-buy" clients in 30-days with a podcast. James talks in detail about how you can use a podcast to help you build your personal or corporate brand, develop an audience, grow an email list and bring you speaking opportunities.
James talks about a recent HubSpot survey of marketers, that found a whopping 17% of marketers plan to add podcasting to their marketing efforts in the next 12 months, as an indicator of why it's a good time to start your own show is now.
17% of marketers plan to add podcasting to their marketing efforts in the next 12 months
In the episode, James answers the BIG question would-be podcasters have "How do I make money with a podcast?", and does so by providing real-world examples of how James attracts ready-to-buy clients with a podcast.
Aloha from Kauai, Hawaii
A 3-minute audio clip was shared to give you a flavor of how warm and knowledgeable a prospect is when they call in after listening to a podcast. You will hear in the clip, edited down from a 60-minute FREE Discovery Call, how a podcast can go a long way in helping you to establish trust, expertise, and sales.
The audio concludes with an invitation for James and Arlene to "come to stay with us" in Kauai.
Greetings from Ontario, Canada
James talks about another show of his called the: "SmarterLocal Marketing" podcast, and how the show was developed for local business owners who are looking to attract more local customers.
The podcast was developed to attract local business owners in need of local marketing assistance.
This new show, only 17 episodes in length is already generating new business. James shares an audio clip from a local business owner in Ontario, Canada that reached out to him after listening to episode #11 on Google My Business.
James points this out as an example that even a new podcast can quickly produce new clients.
Podcasting Is Worth a Serious Look
In this episode, you will learn why podcasting is worth a serious look. Why it will be a repeat touchpoint for your audience, and how you can use it to establish your credibility and build trust by demonstrating your expertise.
You will learn when a "ready-to-buy" client reaches out to you, why in a high percentage of cases they will be your become client.
You will also learn:

* How a podcast can help you build relations and connect you deeply with your audience
* How even a single episode can be heard by thousands or tens of thousands of times
* How to quickly become a recognized expert so that you can cultivate "ready-to-buy" clients
* How to create a body of work that will work for you for many years sending potential clients to you
* How to tap MAJOR traffic source available only to podcasters
* How to structure your podcast properly so it can be a reliable source of highly qualified leads
* How to develop a podcast you will be proud of and that will impress all who hear it
* How to attract ready-to-buy clients with a podcast

...and those are only a few of the many things you will learn in this episode.
Podcasting Coaching & Turnkey Services
James wrapped up the episode by talking about his podcasting coaching and turnkey services and how they include the same comprehensive system he uses and credits for his 15-years of longevity as a successful podcaster.
He concludes with an invitation to coaches, consultants, speakers, authors, marketers,

AB #513 | How to Attract “Ready-to-Buy” Clients In 30-Days with a Podcast, with James Martell, 15-Year Podcasting Veteran

In the episode of the Affiliate Buzz, James Martell talks to Duane Forrester, VP of Industry Insights for Yext, about Why Voice Search Is Eating Your Lunch and Already Shaping the Future of SEO.
Voice search is something the millennials have mastered! In the past, we tried many different things to get high search engine rankings, but then came mobile - which lit a fuse overnight! Now everyone has a cell phone and mobile devices are now getting smarter and people are using them to speak their questions.
Is Voice Search the Future of SEO?
Now we can use our cell phones to "voice a question" (among other things), but how does this affect the consumer? Duane talks about speaking to Google and Amazon and how they are heavily investing in bringing us new technology. He talks about how these devices can have a personal reaction with you which is endearing to humans, but the data side is most important.
Now Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Apple, are racing to backfill all of the information that people might be looking for to make sure they have the right answers. He talks about "how to ask" questions and how these devices can remember the topic of discussion.
How Website Owners Can take Advantage of Voice
Voice search is SO convenient, rather than typing your questions into your phone. From an SEO perspective, Duane explains exactly what you need to be aware of in voice search and what factors come into play. You need to be aware of what you are feeding into the system, and does it give everything you need to answer that question. They talk about the customer journey, so make sure you have the answer that is correctly formatted to be spoken out loud.
Duane talks about the #1 strategy for managing the entire footprint of information that is available from your business to a consumer. So you need to manage your information so it is available to the consumer when they want it.
Featured and Rich Snippets
If someone asks a question, you want your results to show up. Duane discusses what he recommends for anyone getting started with Rich Snippets. He explains where 80% of the spoken answers from Google are taken directly from the featured snippet. He talks about the "trust signals" the search engines "pull out" in order to use and verify they should be spoken out loud.
Voice Search Nuts and Bolts
Duane talks about how to find clues on where to find data that voice search might use. Understanding the phrases that are converting, allows you to be that snippet that gets voiced when someone is looking for that product or service. He talks about cataloging questions and answers and how to brand yourself through trust to show up first. He also talks in detail more about how to optimize your featured snippets and what people fail on most often.
Listen to learn:

* How prevalent voice search is used today
* How website owners can take advantage of voice search
* The #1 strategy for managing the entire footprint of information
* The importance of featured and rich snippets
* The trust signals the search engines use to decide which snippet to answer
* How to optimize your featured snippets
* What you need to know to get ranked in voice search ahead of your competition

If you are considering building a lifestyle business, where you can spend more time traveling, more time enjoying your family and more time doing all of the things that matter to you most, stay tuned to a little roadmap we are putting together which will be ready in a few weeks. James also invited you to Subscribe to the Affiliate Buzz on our website, on iTunes, and on our new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?

AB #511 | “Okay Google” – Why Voice Search Is Eating Your Lunch and Already Shaping the Future of SEO with Duane Forrester, VP of   Industry Insights for Yext

In the episode of the Affiliate Buzz, James Martell talks to Trevor Crane, an 11 time, #1 international bestselling author, and the founder of Epic Author Publishing. They will be talking about how to go from a blank page to a bestselling book in 90 days or less.
There are many people who are intrigued and have had thoughts of writing a bestselling book but have no idea where to start. Trevor Crane has a mission to publish 10,000 authors that share a message that matters, and he is grateful for the opportunity to help authors get their message out.
Writing a Bestselling Book for Profit
Trevor admits he spent a significant amount of time doing it wrong, so is happy to share with people what actually did work, and how he was able to 10X his income. He wanted to give people the same system and see what this could mean for you.
If you are looking to write a bestselling book, let me ask you:
1. Do you want to write a bestselling book?
2. Do you want to write it really fast?
3. Do you want to build a business around it?
Formulating the Development of a Book
Trevor talks about the first things you need to know before you get started and the belief level you have to have in yourself. He talks about strategies to pre-launch your book, which is not common knowledge. He shares the 3 'D' s to make this happen. He explains the logistics of "how to" to get your book out in 90 days or less and how to get help along the way.
Promotional Aspects
Trevor shares the secrets he learned with Amazon when writing a bestselling book. He talks about the power of a deadline and how to create a campaign around the book launch.
Being a #1 bestseller gives you instant credibility, opening the doors to high income and higher paying clients. Trevor talks about the total time it takes once the book is written to ensure proper promotion, and gives some real examples of billion-dollar marketing strategies. Trevor talks about using a launch team and how to use Social Media to make sure your marketing message makes sense.
Listen to learn:

* What you need to know when writing a bestselling book
* How profitable a #1 best seller can be
* The strategies to Pre-launch your book
* How to prepare the plan to launch
* How to create a campaign around the book launch

If you are considering building a lifestyle business, where you can spend more time traveling, more time enjoying your family and more time doing all of the things that matter to you most, stay tuned to a little roadmap we are putting together which will be ready in a few weeks. James also invited you to subscribe to the Affiliate Buzz on our website, on iTunes, and on our new YouTube Channel to be alerted to new episodes.
Resources:
Free Audio Download - Blank Page To Bestseller In 90-Days Or Less
Epic Author Publishing - Instant Book Money Machine

AB #510 | Blank Page to Bestselling Book In 90-Days Or Less with Trevor Crane, Founder of Epic Author Publishing

In the episode of the Affiliate Buzz, James and Arlene Martell talk about "how to scale your business to profitability with a virtual team." This is a topic that comes up again and again because if you are going to take the time to build an affiliate business, you want to make sure your time and money are managed well.
If you find yourself thinking:

* You are just getting started and hiring a virtual team is too early
* Your business is growing nicely, but time to accelerate it
* Maybe you are a veteran, things are going well but you are super busy and need some help

... then having an on-demand freelance team available to you may be what you need to accerate your growth, get more done and allow you to focus on more important business tasks, or having more time with family and friends.
In any business, sometimes you just don't feel like working because the weather is hot, there are things going on in your life that are keeping you busy, so having a team in place keeps you productive and profitable.
How to Find a Virtual Team
We initially hired our team at Upwork, and yes in some cases, we did have to try out several freelancers to find the right ones, but now that we have our team in place, we use them over and over again, and don't have to waste time posting projects. We now have a solid team, and they are on-demand when we need them.
The Essentials to Make it all Work
The magic of Basecamp (or activecollab) - our project management system that makes it all work like a fine tuned car. Listen to find out how we invite the team to complete the projects we need done, and how the communication flows to keep everyone on track, organized and in the loop. We have completely eliminated email and never have trouble finding the files we need.
Why You Need a Team
Trying to do it all yourself, especially if you do not have the expertise is frustrating and time consuming. A team helps you execute the plan quicker, which gets you to profitability faster. All pay by the hour projects are tracked and it is easy to see what is being done or you can also pay a flat fee per project. Find out how much we pay freelancers and how we pay them as well and keep costs within budget.
"Do what you do best, and outsource the rest".
Want to really feel good about your business? Whether you are just getting started, or been around for awhile, you will need a writer, a graphics designer and a Virtual assistant to get started. These people have made our lives more efficient with much less stress. The goal is that 5 years from now, this team will still be working with you!
Listen to learn:

* How to scale your business to profitability with a team
* How a virtual team saves you time and money
* Where to find a virtual team and which ones to hire
* How to keep your projects running smoothly
* How to manage and pay your team

If you need some help with this, I offer a coaching program that will take you through all these steps in detail and allow you to focus on the marketing end of your business.
If you are considering building a lifestyle business, where you can spend more time traveling, more time enjoying your family and more time doing all of the things that matter to you most, stay tuned to a little road map we are putting together which will be ready in a few weeks. James also invited you to Subscribe to the Affiliate Buzz on our website, on iTunes, and on our new YouTube Channel to be alerted to n...

AB #491 | Growing from First Employee to Owner & CEO with Stephanie Harris, PartnerCentric

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