Anne Fognano, a.k.a. Clevermom, has been in the affiliate marketing industry since the late 1990’s. She has been an affiliate for most of that time, but over the past two years has started as an affiliate manager with MGECOM. Her work ethic, drive and positive attitude are some of the great qualities that make her a well-respected member of our team and the industry as a whole. In our first series of “Get to Know Us” interviews, we asked Anne some questions about her start in affiliate marketing, her thoughts on the industry and her life outside of work. Hope you enjoy getting to know Anne!
How did you first get started in affiliate marketing?
I actually got into affiliate marketing by accident. I had a website for moms and was posting coupons as a small part of my site. 99% of the traffic was clicking on the ‘coupons’ tab and I decided to focus on coupons, and became one of the first ten or so ‘coupon’ sites online. My site became very popular, very fast, and the rest is history!
What do you most like about the industry?
I love the people in affiliate marketing. So many self-motivated entrepreneurs, and great minds think alike. I especially like the ‘family’ feel that the industry has… everyone always seems to be willing to lend a hand or support when needed. I also love the quality of life aspect that working in such a flexible industry provides.
What improvements you would like to see in the industry?
One of the things I have heard talked about over the years is to have a standard format for product feeds. I think this sort of thing would be helpful to many. I would also like to see merchants better educated about the value of coupon sites, and the benefit of using them to drive sales to their site.
What are some of the challenges that you encounter as an Affiliate Manager?
Sometimes communicating with affiliates can be difficult. I think this is mainly because affiliates get SO many emails that they really don’t see all of the emails that are sent to them. I try to do a work around by calling affiliates directly, sometimes that nixes the concern about if someone has seen an email or not that I have sent them!
Do you see affiliates embracing mobile and/or social marketing?
Definitely this is clearly the trendy thing right now. Although I do see more on the social side. Affiliates are really embracing some creative ways to help their visitors spread the word about their sites and the merchants they are representing!
How do you keep up on industry trends, latest industry news, etc?
I follow all of the top professionals in the industry through typical avenues: Facebook, twitter, blogs, etc… I also attend industry events ( Affiliate Summit ) as able.
What most attracted you to join the MGECOM team?
The amazing group of professionals at MGECOM is really the catalyst for me signing on. One of the greatest things about MGECOM is we simply have an awesome team… Great people that are talented, know the industry, know their job, are always available to lend a helping hand and also are fun to work with!
What other jobs have you had outside of affiliate marketing?
From the age of 14 – 16 I was a tour guide at Luray Caverns… a tourist spot in Virginia. From 16 – 20, I worked at McDonalds, Roy Rogers, and Pizza Hut. My background is in psychology, and my education the same ( BA, MA). From the age of about 21 until about 14 years ago, I worked mainly with autistic children and adults as a behavioral specialist/program coordinator.
And we learned a few insights into the life of Anne outside of work:
What are some of your favorite things to do?
My favorite thing to do at the moment is travel.. In the last five years I have been to Bermuda, Mexico, Australia, Canada & England. I try to hit the gym a few times a week, though I have never embraced this as a ‘fun’ activity…. I am also planning to take up biking as soon as the weather is nicer. Recently I have taken on ‘hot yoga’ clases… 1 ½ hours of yoga in a room heated to around 110 degrees. I can honestly say, though odd, this is actually almost fun.
What are a few of your hobbies?
I sing and even have a singsnap profile! I have recently set up a mini recording studio in my home and really enjoy recording different types of music. I used to sing in a band when I was younger and have been playing around with the idea of doing that again in the near future. Aside from singing, I like to do creative things like arts, crafts, sewing, and writing. I am anticipating I will also write a book eventually, but I haven’t taken the time to figure out what the will be yet.. lol.
What activities/sports did you do in high school or college?
I played basketball in high school, was in all county choir, all regional choir, and all state choir.
What is your favorite vacation location?
Australia… I went a few years ago and am dying to go back!
If you won a lottery, what would be the first thing you’d buy?
I’d pay my house off and buy a new car. After that, depending on the winnings, I would probably share the wealth with my family and friends in need.
Your favorite band to see live?
I still love the Eagles… after all these years!
What is your favorite Christmas gift you ever received as a kid or adult?
My UGG boots a few years ago
Coke or Pepsi?
Diet Coke or Diet Cherry Pepsi
That wraps up our first round in our new “Get to Know Us” series. We hope you enjoyed getting to know Anne, and please come back next week for our next interview!