There are a lot of resources available online that aim to teach you how to become a better affiliate marketer. These can be really helpful when it comes to setting up your campaigns and ensuring that they are optimized. However, there is one trick that very few people in the affiliate marketing world cover and that is conferences.

Training conferences to learn

Conferences are the key to making it big in the industry. They provide you with unparalleled opportunities to meet other people in your industry and gain insider information about future developments in your area. What is more, they are also the best place to meet people who you can work with in the future.

Just because affiliate marketers usually work from home, that does not mean they have to work alone. Conferences offer you the chance to form the great working relationships around the world. Remember, everyone wants to make money, and quite often people are willing to share their skills and advice in their areas for information about others.

If you can bring something to the table and help a fellow affiliate out in one area, then they may be able to help you out in return. Of course, that does not mean you should give away an award-winning formula for free in the hopes that others may give you one of theirs. It just means that you should be willing to share some of your ideas and get feedback and criticism from other people in the industry.

Networking training at the conference

Networking should be your primary focus at any conference. However, one of the most important things you should do before you go is to plan ahead. You will find your networking skills become far more effective and efficient if you know what it is you are looking for. Remember, there are a lot of people at conferences and therefore a lot of people to meet. You do not want to waste valuable time beating around the bush trying to think of things to say.

The same goes for those you speak to. Nobody likes small talk, and you will appear far more professional if you can present business and your needs clearly and concisely. That way, people will know straight away whether or not they can or want to work with you in the future.

Of course, conferences have other benefits too besides networking. Here is our list of the top four alternative reasons to attend conferences:

Discover emerging trends

Conferences are a place for businesses to show off what they have lined up for the future. If you can see where some of your larger competitors are heading and why then you will have a good idea about the future outlook for your campaigns.

Meet industry leaders

Conferences are packed full of interesting people and depending on which ones you go to, you could be standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the world leading business giants. Conferences really can give you the opportunity to rise through the ranks and get advice from people who know what they are talking about.

Learn and improve

Conferences not only have leading professionals who will talk to you about how to improve your business but many also have workshops and courses that you can take part in. They can teach you vital skills to learn and improve the efficiency of your campaigns and introduce you to new tools and innovative ways of thinking about your campaign strategies.

They are fun

You have heard the saying, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. Well, conferences give you the perfect opportunity to go out and have fun, without feeling guilty that you’re not at home or in the office.

Attending conferences gives you the chance to meet like-minded people working in your niche and make lifelong friends. What is more, many conferences throw amazing after parties with top DJs in attendance and free drinks.

Moreover, if you are trying to build up a brand image using social media, conferences will give you the perfect opportunity to get some awesome posts created.

Conference list

Conferences are often tailored to particular areas and niches. Therefore, it is essential to choose the ones which will be most beneficial to your campaigns. Here is a list of some of the most popular conferences in each of the largest affiliate areas:

General affiliate marketing conferences

• Affiliate Summit East
• Affiliate Summit West
• Affiliate World Asia
• IGB Affiliate Conferences
• The European Summit Affiliate Conferences
• Performance IN Live
• Native Advertising Days

Email marketing

• IBM Think
• MailCon
• Adobe Summit
• Email Evolution Conference

Media buying

• DMexco
• Digiday Publishing Summit Europe
• AdExchanger’s Industry Preview
• Programmatic I/O
• Ops New York
• Digital Publishing Innovation Summit