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This month we caught up with successful affiliate marketer Kirsty McCubbin to find out more about her secrets to success, changes in the affiliate marketing industry, knowing when to quit and the impact affiliate marketing has had on her life.

Could you provide a bit of information about yourself and affiliatestuff.co.uk? E.g. Your background in the industry, how long the site has been running, who it’s aimed at…?

Affiliate Stuff has been going for over 3 years now. Its a personal blog where I talk about my own thoughts and adventures in affiliate marketing combined with a healthy amount of information aimed at both aspiring and experienced affiliates. It’s not a money making venture for me rather a place to share my passion for the job, help newbies avoid the get rich quick scams, and vent the odd bit of affiliate rage. It’s aimed at anyone interested enough to read it

I like to think of myself as a “pretty good” affiliate, preferring to strike a good work / life balance than chasing the massive paychecks affiliate marketing seems to be famous for. I only work 2.5 days a week and tend to travel 3 months or so out of every year. 2 years ago I decided to make use of the flexibility of location available to affiliates and took myself off to Australia where I now happily reside on the Sunshine Coast.

How did you get started in affiliate marketing?

I worked for an SEO agency, and the first I heard about affiliate marketing was when I got into work one day and was told I was going to be managing an affiliate programme. I was already at the point of feeling a little frustration at not being able to benefit proportionately from my traffic generation skills so it was an exciting discovery for me. After a bit of investigation I put up my first affiliate site and made 300 pounds in my first month. I went full time a few months later!

Why did you decide to start AffiliateStuff.co.uk and what benefits has it brought?

I was on a year long round the world trip and was worried my extended travel might erode the connection I felt to the job. I’d also just read one “get rich quick” ad too many and decided it was time to provide some information about exactly what goes on in affiliate marketing to deny the con artists a few customers. I get immense pleasure from helping people on their way to making some affiliate cash. It also helps me sort through my often chaotic thoughts about affiliate marketing. The most rewarding thing has been the great people I’ve met and befriended though my blogging – it’s a great way to connect in an industry where it’s easy to feel isolated.

What’s the one thing you wish you’d known about affiliate marketing before you started out?

That there’s no substitute for quality content and hard work. I’d be much further along with my business if I’d knuckled down and created decent, substantial content sites right from the start.

What impact has the recession had on the affiliate industry, and where is it now?

Whilst there have definitely been a fair few companies merging or unfortunately going bust within the industry recently, the overall trend in UK affiliate marketing is one of growth. The growth has perhaps slowed in response to these troubled financial times, but things are still very much on the up.

Within my own business the recession definitely bit hard in late 2008, but the great thing about affiliate marketing is that you can switch tactics and concentrate upon products and services that people do still buy in times of austerity. By seeing the situation as an opportunity rather than a threat I’ve also been able to grow my business considerably in the last two years.

What’s the worst domain name you’ve ever bought?

LegLove.co.uk – I thought it’d make a great hosiery and legwear type domain until, that is, one of my more smutty minded friends pointed out there might just be a slightly less wholesome meaning to the name. That was in 2006 and I still own it. I laugh so hard at my own naivety every time I review my domain account I just can’t bear to part with it.

As an affiliate marketer, how do you know when to quit if a website isn’t performing as expected?

A site has about 6-8 weeks to show at least some promise or I simply lose interest. that period of time is sufficient for me to generate enough traffic to get a feel for how the site will work out.

It’s never a conscious decision to quit, the project just somehow disappears from my work schedule (I have the most dreadful attention span). I’m fairly sure I’ve missed out on a few profitable ideas thanks to this trait. However, it does mean I’ve naturally focused on a small number of successful sites rather than falling victim to the common affiliate malaise of spreading yourself too thin.

You’re very successful in the industry – what impact has affiliate marketing income had on your life?

See above   in short – my affiliate income has given me absolute freedom to go wherever I please and do anything I want (within reason!). That is a wonderfully exhilarating feeling and it is with me almost constantly.

What are your top tips for attracting backlinks to affiliate websites?

It’s well worn, and everyone is sick of hearing about it but most important thing is to have good, compelling content that adds value to your users experience. Having a well designed site won’t do you any harm either. A friend of mine recently got a bit of link love from the New York Times to his affiliate site because of this – proof positive that it does work.

Which is the more crucial factor in developing successful affiliate websites: luck or skill?

Luck definitely plays a part in success but if you’re lucky enough to have the best idea ever for an affiliate site and lack the skills to take it from the conceptual stage into reality then an idea is all it’ll ever be!

What are your favourite online resources for affiliate marketing?

The A4U Forum, http://www.affiliates4u.com/ , is a great source of industry news, blogs, and chat. There’s also AffiliateDoctors.com which I contribute to. It lets people put their question to the pool of affiliates and other specialists on there. There’s also a fledgling affiliate chat room project which the guys behind the site hope will create a bit of community around it.uff