Many know him from the STM forum as Mr. Payne. Many read his blog — affiliatesuccess.com. But his story begins many years from when these resources were created. He has been in the digital marketing industry since its early days, for over 14 years!
He has experience with all sorts of traffic and does both affiliate marketing and e-commerce. He was one of the first affiliates out there to start monetizing push notifications.
We met in Barcelona in 2019 and had a nice talk for the show I ran back then. What I noticed first about Andrew Payne is that he is super passionate about affiliate marketing. Probably the most passionate guy I have ever met in the industry, and I met a lot.
So, the last thing that Mr. Payne wants me to mention is that when he is not working… You will usually find him at the gym or eating tacos! The rest he will tell you himself.
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Going through the crises
How did you go through the COVID thing?
For me it hasn’t been too different. I typically work from home so the added quarantines are not too usually – but the gym and taco spots being close has impacted me haha.
Really, most of us in the US are still dealing with COVID to some level with most of the cities still at a standstill. But in terms of my business I always try to find opportunities when others see chaos.
Ecommerce has always been a huge opportunity and with COVID influencing even more the way consumers shop, I see it being a faster growth than previously recognized. Click To TweetWhat new opportunities did you spot?
There are so many opportunities available, I have been fortunate to be involved with push notifications when it first began to explode and I learn so much from it.
Ecommerce has always been a huge opportunity and with COVID influencing even more the way consumers shop, I see it being a faster growth than previously recognized.
The most important lesson that you managed to take from the situation?
Maybe this isn’t about the COVID situation specifically but one thing I’ve learned is to surround yourself with the right people. Don’t waste your time with leeches and don’t give your time to people who fumble along. Be very mindful of who and where you spend your time with. And I will add another one, it’s vital to get control of the whole process as soon as you can. Own a product, a service, or something that you can own the entire customer journey.
What mistakes could you have avoided but did not?
I have made a lot of money and I have lost a lot of money, the one lesson I learned from this is to build systems early on in your business. Don’t allow too much to rely on just your own shoulders, delegate.
Affiliate Marketing today
Does push format still work for you well? Tell me what changed?
I am still involved in push but not at the same scale that I was previously. My original strategy still works but I also have been able to adapt to new ways that I don’t share with anyone. Overall, push ads are similar to pop traffic in that it will not see a growth. It will continue a slow gradual decline or plateau as it has already for the most part, and only the most analytical marketers with the proper tools and reporting can make it work well.
Have you experimented with in-page push?
I have not used in-page push very much, although we have run some campaigns using this ad format. It does perform well but from my experience the overall volume of traffic is not huge – at least in the US.
Without a doubt, relationships have been probably the most vital part of my growth over the last few years. Click To TweetHave you noticed any major shifts in the industry recently?
I see some people doing the same or similar tactics as before, still doing well with it but either it’s getting harder or it’s fading. On the other spectrum, I see more experienced marketers are taking greater control and really leveling up their business – it’s been a big shift to my mindset but it’s going very well.
What are your biggest plans for the rest of 2020?
I have recently opened an office, my team is expanding and we are involved in a few areas but my primary focus moving forward is building an ecommerce business and leveraging my marketing expertise.
You never succeed in affiliate marketing without … what?
Relationships. Without building and cultivating strong relationships you will take so much longer to learn or struggle to stay on top of the industry as it is constantly changing. Without a doubt, relationships have been probably the most vital part of my growth over the last few years.
Learning and thinking
Most impactful books that you ever read?
When I was a younger guy I purchased the books Multiple Streams of Income and 4-Hour Work Week and they did have an influence on me. At a later point a close friend of mine gave me the book called Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. And maybe it’s a bit unconventional but I have surprisingly learned alot from the KJV bible over the years. But if I’m to be honest, I have never been much of a reader. I prefer to immerse myself, learn with a hands-on approach or interact with others in order to gain experience.
I also believe that ideas are easy to come by putting the ideas to the test. Click To TweetHow do you look for new ideas, where?
I rely a lot on my own creativity and surrounding myself with smarter people than myself. I am very observant and notice details all around me and naturally I am curious how things work. This is something that is just who I am. I also believe that ideas are easy to come by putting the ideas to the test and identifying the best opportunities is what you need to do.
What helps you to think clear?
Going to the gym regularly helps me, it’s not uncommon for me to be in the gym 3 or 4 days a week. I had a personal trainer for 2 years prior to this COVID mess but outside of that I like to have conversations with my brother. He is in many ways very opposite of who I am but at the same time he provides the opposite spectrum of thought that forces me to think through things more clearly – and he’s a great guy.
What are the biggest ideas that changed your world?
Dream and work towards big things, or don’t dream at all – that is my way of thinking. Perhaps it is not the best way for some but in my mind, you get what you expect and you can only achieve what you reach for. The first month I hit 7-figures profit, it changed my world, the first time I lost a huge chunk of money in one day, it changed my world. But the idea that you can achieve anything you wish if you just focus and do it, that is a huge if you really believe it. There are opportunities laying around everything – don’t be the person who waits for something – be the person who goes out and finds or makes it happen.
Most powerful talk or lecture that you ever listened to?
This is a good question and a little difficult for me to answer. I recently flew down to see a friend and had a conversation with him. While I don’t want to share what we discussed, but for me personally it really opened my eyes and reflected on myself differently – to say the least it very much motivated me and helped me when I was personally going through a hard time. This is why I mentioned before to surround yourself with the right people, it has a big influence on your life.