Hashing It Out Ep 9: Can Affiliate Marketing Benefit from BSV Blockchain?

Calvin Ayre’s Hashing it Out Episode 9 is now out. The latest episode of the show with host Becky Liggero Fontana features Lee Ann Johnstone, the founder of Affiliate Insider.

Hashing It Out Episode 9 Is Now Out

The latest episode of Hashing it Out with host Becky Liggero Fontana aired on CoinGeek on Tuesday. In previous episodes of the show, industry experts have revealed what benefits casino operators may get from using augmented reality combined with blockchain technology. Besides that, in Episode 8 of the show, CoinGeek revealed how the BSV Blockchain can help operators with responsible gambling and compliance.

Now, Episode 9 of Calvin Ayre’s show features Lee Ann Johnstone, the founder of Affiliate Insider. By running a successful affiliate marketing agency such as Affiliate Insider, she has more than two decades of experience within multiple industries. Additionally, Johnstone has worked in several sectors, including retail, finance and iGaming. Participating in the Hashing it Out show, she reveals what the advantages of BSV are and how the affiliate marketing structure can benefit from it.

Reducing Risk Is Not the Same as Evolution

Speaking about risk within digital marketing strategies, Johnstone outlined that one way to reduce it is by diversification. She stressed that digital marketers must not be dependent on one channel such as YouTube or ads on Facebook. Johnstone said that any of those platforms can “cut off” the user in a matter of “nanoseconds” in case the ad doesn’t follow the rules and regulations, which are especially strict within the gaming industry.

Although she acknowledged that diversification may reduce the risk, Johnstone deemed the infrastructure “messy.” “Tracking gets lost, stats can fall over, pixels can misfire…it’s becoming a minefield to just reach your customer,” explained the Affiliate Insider’s founder. Johnstone added that, currently, affiliate marketing “sits on old rails,” which were built two decades ago. According to her, a time is going to come when those rails will no longer be able to scale and offer the needed functionality.

Moreover, Johnstone revealed that she thinks that the industry is “on the cusp of an evolution,” which changes the infrastructure, as well as the way people will think. One way to move from the old rails and streamline the current infrastructure is through blockchain. Johnstone suggested it is time to move from the old rails where “everything is disconnected and working in silos” to a new “platform and a solution that can actually make everything smart.”

The Benefits of Storing Data on Blockchain

Sitting on the old rails also means that affiliate managers and affiliates need to pull stats from multiple data channels. That process, painfully known to people within the industry, involves significant manpower, increases manual workload and increases the budget. With that in mind, storing data on a blockchain is 100% trustworthy, and also immutable and verifiable. According to CoinGeek, those unique features can help any affiliate program in any industry.

I mean, anything that builds trust faster is going to help you grow your program, because ultimately, this industry is still built around trust.”

Lee Ann Johnstone, founder, Affiliate Insider

On that topic, Johnstone said that the use of such a platform will “breed trust faster.” Considering that the industry is built around trust, this is going to help affiliate marketers grow their program much faster, explained Johnstone. Furthermore, she outlined that the current method for data collection is unnecessarily difficult and explained that the “bane of most of affiliate managers’ lives has been tracking breaks,” as well as methods for fixing the issue. However, Johnstone revealed that if the industry switches to “new rails” that offer to interconnect data which cannot be overwritten and there are no breakpoints, all of the current problems would be eliminated.

Microtransactions Make Things Simple

Another significantly important advantage of BSV is the high number of instant microtransactions. With the help of that unique functionality, BSV stands out from every other blockchain or payment platform. Johnstone revealed that such functionality can be used to test digital marketing campaigns. She pointed out that the process is, in fact, cheaper than a CPA (cost per acquisition) and it doesn’t involve “difficult paperwork.” Considering that there is no waiting time, Johnstone said that the whole testing process becomes simpler.

It just makes the whole thing a lot more simple.”

Lee Ann Johnstone, founder, Affiliate Insider

Acknowledging that the “refer-a-friend” model is a thing of the past, Johnstone revealed that “word of mouth referrals or personal referrals” is currently the best type of business. She revealed that depending on the business and the target group, the new BSV technology may be used in many different ways.

Will the Change to Blockchain Happen Soon?

When it comes down to switching to a new protocol, Johnstone explained that there’s a lot of money involved. However, to start the change, many major industry players need to “buy into all of this” before the “trickledown effect” occurs. One of the reasons why this change is needed, according to her, is because the current infrastructure is not optimized. Johnstone deemed blockchain “a likely viable option,” but said that it will be interesting how quickly the change will happen.