So Eric, How did you first get into Social Media?

I first started utilizing Social Media back in high school, to help increase the exposure and online presence of my band. I remember earlier sites like Garageband.com and Mp3.com and how they really helped get our music out to people all over the world. Then, when sites like MySpace, Purevolume, and later on Facebook came about, I immediately saw the potential those platforms had in helping bands connect and engage with their fans on a whole new level and I quickly took advantage of it.

I spent at least 4-5 hours a day building relationships with our current fans, and then continuously reached out to new people all over the world and started talking to them about music, shows they’ve been too, their hobbies etc. Soon enough, they started asking me more about my band’s music and it wasn’t long before we had fans in countries all over the world. By engaging in conversations with them and showing that I really cared about their thoughts and opinions (not just about selling my music) I was able to not only build long lasting friendships and fans for life, but I also sold a TON of records.

What is the biggest challenge you continue to face in this industry?

One of the biggest challenges is making sure that I constantly keep myself up to date with everything that happens in the industry. As you know, the affiliate marketing industry is extremely fast paced and is constantly changing; so continually educating myself on the latest’s news, trends, and technology is definitely a challenge, but is also a top priority and something I truly enjoy.

How Has Working For Clickbooth Helped You Succeed in Life?

Working at Clickbooth has really been a dream come true. This company has given me so many wonderful opportunities (e.g I was recently interviewed by the Wall Street Journal about our Twitter contest) and I constantly get to do what I love and what I’m good at 24/7 (Social Media, Online Marketing etc..). With the current state of the economy, it’s very refreshing working for a company that is growing very quickly (over 12,000% over the last 4 years) and also works very hard at making sure their employees are happy. I’ve met so many amazing people so far and learned so much since I’ve been here, and I owe a lot of it to Clickbooth. Plus, I get to live in Sarasota, one of the most beautiful places in the Unites States! Can’t get any better than that!

How do you see social media changing affiliate marketing?

Social Media has already helped tons of Affiliate Marketers all over the world drive more traffic to their affiliate links. Utilizing sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr etc., affiliates are now getting their messages and affiliate links out to the people that are looking for them, and in turn, are selling more products than ever before.

As Social Media continues to grow and expand, it will be even easier for advertisers to automatically target their potential customers quickly and efficiently. By aggregating social data, utilizing behavioral targeting and through the continued growth of mobile marketing, there will be huge monetization opportunities and advertisers will be able to give their customers exactly what they want, when they want it.

How important do you think having a mentor is when you first get started in affiliate marketing?

Having a mentor is one of the most important things you can do, especially when you first start out. As I mentioned before, the affiliate marketing industry is extremely fast paced and is constantly changing, so it can be very frustrating trying to learn everything all at once. Having someone around who has been through the ups and downs of affiliate marketing, learned from their mistakes, and is now succeeding in the industry, will speed up the learning process for you ten-fold. Not only that, it’s also great being able to bounce ideas off someone who’s been doing affiliate marketing for a while and can help you refine your ideas and make fewer mistakes than you might have trying to do it all yourself. That’s why I encourage all affiliates to try and attend at least 1 or 2 conferences a year. They are by far the best place to network and meet fellow affiliates.

What can my readers expect when checking out the Clickbooth Blog?

For those of you that have been reading the blog since we first launched it back in 2008, you will notice that it went through a huge facelift three months ago. Working with our friends over at Unique Blog Designs, we were able to create a new theme that really exemplifies the Clickbooth brand, is user friendly and focuses on the most important part of the blog, the content.

One of our biggest priorities for the blog is making sure that we constantly provide high quality education for affiliates at all levels. Tutorials, exclusive interviews, product/site reviews, and keeping our readers up to date with the latest industry news, trends, and technology are just a few of the ways we do that. We also use it to connect and engage with affiliates, inform them on company news and events, and we also hold a variety of contests as well. So long story short, if you are an affiliate marketer that is looking to grow your business, get tips and tricks from some of the most successful people in the industry, and quickly transition yourself into a Super Affiliate, I highly recommend that you subscribe to the Clickbooth blog.

Thanks Eric Clickbooth & your blog will continue to prosper & succeed in this Affiliate Marketing age we live in to your success!