An interview and resources to help marketers better understand the online affiliate marketing space.

Scott Rewick is the Vice President of Business Development for the YFDirect Trust Network, a newly launched affiliate marketing network that develops custom programs for publishers. The YFDirect Trust Network caters to publishers who want to run the most exclusive performance-based marketing offers from top-tier advertising clients. We talked with Rewick to get his views on the current online affiliate marketing space.

iMediaConnection: Since you are a veteran of the affiliate marketing space, what has been the evolution of affiliate marketing throughout the last three years?

Rewick: Affiliate Marketing continues to evolve at a very rapid rate. [Online] affiliate marketing is still so new, and as the Web continues to iterate, a new set of publishers and advertisers appear ready to explode on the market. The old guard of affiliate marketing has been pushed aside, and there is a new army of next generation marketers ready to move the bar. Affiliate marketing is the future of Internet advertising because it the only medium that really embraces what makes the Internet unique; everything can be measured.

iMediaConnection: It seems that all of a sudden affiliate marketing is hot again. Why the surge?

Rewick: Affiliate Marketing has always been hot; it just doesn’t get the press that Google does. Affiliate marketing has been a large part of what drives advertising online. As more mainstream advertisers move online, affiliate marketing is hugely appealing. Done on a Cost per Action basis, the benefits and advantages over Cost per Impression are undeniable. During the advertising downturn, when brand advertisers ran away, it gave rise to affiliate marketers. They've only gotten smarter and bigger during that period.

iMediaConnection: In your opinion, where does the future of affiliate marketing lie?

Rewick: We are truly in the infancy of affiliate marketing. Publishers see the value in working with affiliate marketers. Advertisers are flocking to affiliate marketers because of their favorable pricing structures. The first generation of affiliate marketers proved there was a market. The next generation of affiliate marketers will take this industry to new heights.

iMediaConnection: There are a lot of affiliate marketing networks out there. What makes a particular network successful?

Rewick: Successful affiliate networks, more than any one thing, over-communicate with their publishers. Publishers are the ones sticking their necks out and show a willingness to run campaigns on a Cost Per Action basis. At the end of the day, they want compelling offers (ones that convert) and they want to get paid. The great networks work extra hard to make sure they maximize the chances that a particular campaign will work for a particular publisher, by careful selection and a good understanding of conversion rates. Getting paid quickly is icing on the cake.

iMediaConnection: What is the best tip you can give to iMedia readers interested in affiliate marketing?

Rewick: Work with a lot of affiliate networks to find what style and set of offers suit you best. Each network has its own unique style, set of offers and ways of doing things. It’s important to know what expectations you have as a publisher going in, and then find a network that best fits those needs. Trying a lot of networks (its easy to join) helps you build that understanding. From an advertiser perspective, different networks specialize in promoting various types of advertisers. Look around and find the one that works for you best.

Additional resources:

iMedia has a great deal of information to help you find, choose and work with affiliate marketing firms.

For starters, read Affiliate Marketing 101, a primer on what it is, and what the benefits and challenges are for marketers.

Then peruse Reviewing 10 Affiliate Networks, a rundown of what nearly a dozen firms have to offer.

Choosing an Affiliate Network will help you process what you just read about the different firms. Among the advice there: do your research, work with a few networks to start with, develop predetermined performance benchmarks, and have an exit plan should things don't work out.

And finally, Making Affiliate Marketing Work and Affiliate Marketing: 10 Dos & Don'ts will help guide your affiliate marketing endeavors.