The happy hour is taking place at Dave and Busters in Times Square (234 West 42nd Street), so swing by to network, have a drink, and play a few games.

RSVP at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=254357324958.

And if you’re going to be at SES, don’t miss my panel, Affiliate Marketing 3.0, on Thursday, March 25.

This post originally appeared on the Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins

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There is a theme song contest for the ShoeMoney System, a program from Jeremy (ShoeMoney) Schoemaker that helps new affiliates learn how to make money online.

Jeremy has posted a video about the ShoeMoney System theme song contest that features some unique vocal styling.

Highlights include some auto-tune work and a Miley Cyrus cover.

In order to enter, just upload your ShoeMoney System theme song and post the URL in the comments on ShoeMoney’s blog post about the contest.

He will accept submissions until March 26th and then he will have a final vote off for the winner, who will receive $1,000.00 cash.

Video: $1000 ShoeMoney System Theme Song Contest

This post originally appeared on the Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins

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This report follows an article by the Providence Business News about how the advertising tax, also known as the Amazon Tax or Affiliate Tax, has not generated revenue for the state of Rhode Island.

Here is the executive summary of the report, “Amazon Tax” Laws Signal Business Unfriendliness And Will Worsen Short-Term Budget Problems:

Citing significant budget shortfalls and the inability to collect sales taxes on many Internet-based transactions, a number of states are considering the adoption of “Amazon taxes.” Such laws, nicknamed after their most visible target, require retailers that have contracts with “affiliates”—independent persons within the state who post a link to an out-of-state business on their website and get a share of revenues from the out-of-state business—to collect the state’s sales tax.

Contrary to the claims of supporters, Amazon taxes do not provide easy revenue. In fact, the nation’s first few Amazon taxes have not produced any revenue at all, and there is some evidence of lost revenue. For instance, Rhode Island has seen no additional sales tax revenue from its Amazon tax, and because Amazon reacted by discontinuing its affiliate program, Rhode Islanders are earning less income and paying less income tax.

Amazon taxes also do not “level the playing field” between brick-and-mortar and online businesses; the laws actually mandate disparate burdens on online businesses. Litigation over the constitutionality of Amazon taxes is ongoing, with scholars on the left and right disputing their wisdom and legality.

Enacting an Amazon tax law also sends a signal of hostility to businesses engaged in interstate commerce, runs the serious risk of retaliation from other states and from affected businesses, and undermines efforts to improve the uniformity of state sales taxes.

Get the special report at http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/25949.html.

This post originally appeared on the Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins

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This week on the Affiliate Thing podcast, Shawn Collins and Lisa Picarille talked about Amazon terminating affiliates in Colorado, monetizing the Oscars, and affiliates upset with a contest from panties.com.

Also, data feeds in WordPress, the ShoeMoney System, and Affiliate Marketing 101 from Jonathan Volk.

Show Links

• Dirty Affiliate Contest from panties.com
• Sports Marketing, Datafeeds and Traffic Geyser
• The ShoeMoney System Reopens
• Amazon Removes Colorado Affiliates and Why
• Amazon drops Colorado Affiliates
• Colorado – bad turn by Amazon
• Letter from Amazon Terminating Colorado Affiliates
• Affiliate Advocacy Conference Call Affiliate Legislation March Update
• Affiliate Marketing 101

Subscribe to the Affiliate Thing RSS feed or listen on iTunes. You can also send a blank e-mail to affiliatething@aweber.com to get each podcast delivered by e-mail.

This post originally appeared on the Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins

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Amy Ely of buy.at has posted an update on the company at their ABestWeb forum.

The company will be relocating to new offices in their existing regions, and all current US staff were offered positions within the new organization, according to Ely.

She also mentioned that Affiliate Window and buy.at will continue to maintain two separate brands for the time being, but they plan to combine them in the future.

More details at http://forum.abestweb.com/showthread.php?p=1004397.

This post originally appeared on the Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins

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The Amazon letter below provides a couple links for affiliate marketers to express their views to members of the General Assembly in Colorado, as well as Governor Ritter.

From: “Amazon.com Associates Program”
Date: March 8, 2010 1:07:36 AM MST
Subject: Important Notice from the Amazon Associates Program

Dear Colorado-based Amazon Associate:

We are writing from the Amazon Associates Program to inform you that the Colorado government recently enacted a law to impose sales tax regulations on online retailers. The regulations are burdensome and no other state has similar rules. The new regulations do not require online retailers to collect sales tax. Instead, they are clearly intended to increase the compliance burden to a point where online retailers will be induced to “voluntarily” collect Colorado sales tax — a course we won’t take.

We and many others strongly opposed this legislation, known as HB 10-1193, but it was enacted anyway. Regrettably, as a result of the new law, we have decided to stop advertising through Associates based in Colorado. We plan to continue to sell to Colorado residents, however, and will advertise through other channels, including through Associates based in other states.

There is a right way for Colorado to pursue its revenue goals, but this new law is a wrong way. As we repeatedly communicated to Colorado legislators, including those who sponsored and supported the new law, we are not opposed to collecting sales tax within a constitutionally-permissible system applied even-handedly. The US Supreme Court has defined what would be constitutional, and if Colorado would repeal the current law or follow the constitutional approach to collection, we would welcome the opportunity to reinstate Colorado-based Associates.

You may express your views of Colorado’s new law to members of the General Assembly [ http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics/CLICS2010A/csl.nsf/directory?openframeset= ] and to Governor Ritter [ http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/GovRitter/GOVR/1177024890452 ], who signed the bill.

Your Associates account has been closed as of March 8, 2010, and we will no longer pay advertising fees for customers you refer to Amazon.com after that date. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned prior to March 8, 2010, will be processed and paid in accordance with our regular payment schedule. Based on your account closure date of March 8, any final payments will be paid by May 31, 2010.

We have enjoyed working with you and other Colorado-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program, and wish you all the best in your future.

Best Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team

Affiliate Advocacy will be conducting a conference call on Tuesday, March 9. Register ASAP for the call, as space is limited, so you can participate in the discussion.

This post originally appeared on the Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins

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Affiliate Compliance 101 panel from Affiliate Summit West 2007, which took place January 21-23, 2007 in Las Vegas, NV.

• John Engler, Vice President, UnsubCentral (Moderator)
• James J. Fosina, President and CEO, Fosina Marketing Group
• Jennifer Leuer, VP Strategic Asset Assurance, Experian Interactive

Insight, guidelines and a complete view of compliance from both the advertiser and publisher sides of the table, including how affiliate email practices can affect the reputation, image and deliverability rates of a merchant.

Note: the companies and positions listed above were current as of the time of the conference. Some of this information may have changed since then.

Video: Affiliate Compliance 101

This post originally appeared on the Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins

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I had flooded basements in the past, due to sump pump issues, so I got a battery back-up. Some advice for you – battery back-ups don’t work after the battery dies. Check those suckers.

Anyhow, I know a lot of affiliate marketers have their office in the basement, and there is a little gadget you ought to get that starts at $10: a water alarm.

I’ve got three of them now – one for the sump pump, one for the hot water heater, and one for the bathroom.

These things aren’t going to stop any water, but they’ll give you a piercing alert to rescue your stuff and stop further water damage.

Also, if you’re not doing it already, be sure to regularly back-up your files.

This post originally appeared on the Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins

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Domaining and Address-Bar Driven Traffic presentation from Affiliate Summit West 2007, which took place January 21-23, 2007 in Las Vegas, NV.

• Monte Cahn, Founder and CEO, Moniker

How domain owners, web developers and businesses can increase revenue by owning a portfolio of domain names. This program examines the various strategies for domain traffic monetization.

Note: the companies and positions listed above were current as of the time of the conference. Some of this information may have changed since then.

Video: Domaining and Address-Bar Driven Traffic

This post originally appeared on the Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins

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Shortly after I wrote about the ShoeMoney System a couple months back, it sold out.

But now it is open again, and I’d suggest this video training program for anybody new to affiliate marketing, as it walks affiliates through the steps to make money online.

As you may have heard, Jeremy won the Pinnacle Award for the Best Blogger at the recent Affiliate Summit West 2010 conference in Las Vegas.

So, he knows his stuff – he’s not one of those guys making false claims about his success. He walks the walk.

Get more information on The ShoeMoney System.

This post originally appeared on the Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins

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