Interview: Stacey Farooqui (Inuvo)

We're very excited to present our 42nd interview with Stacey Farooqui of Inuvo. Stacey Farooqui is a Marketing Manager at Inuvo. She has been with the company since September 2007 and has served as the Offer Manager on the PrimaryAds Network and shifted roles to the marketing team where she is currently a Marketing Manager.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? How old are you?

I’m Stacey Farooqui and I’m a Tampa native. I’m 32 and have been married 8 years and have an awesome 5 year old son. I graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems Management and have yet to use that degree. After graduating I lead a team comprised of graphics designers for over five years, then I was the Offer Manager for the PrimaryAds Network and now I’m a Marketing Manager at Inuvo and focusing my efforts on our BargainMatch app.

2. How long have you been in the industry and how did you get involved?

I joined Inuvo in September 2007. I saw a job posting and the core functions were very similar to my last job, even though it was a different industry. My previous role was at a company which produced graphics for homebuilders. But that gave me the organizational and creative know-how that really fit into the new role.

3. Tell us a little bit about Inuvo and what you do over there?

I’m the Marketing Manager for BargainMatch. We have created a shopping comparison app called BargainMatch that large publishers can integrate into their current site to drive user signups and engagement. We’ve got our own install of the app up at BargainMatch.com and I help promote our site as well.

4. There are already so many companies in the industry out there. What makes Inuvo different?

With the BargainMatch app we are really just focused on the very top publishers with hundreds of thousands of users and more. We are giving them the ability to seamlessly integrate a comparison shopping and cash back experience with their current site(s) to offer them a whole new revenue stream and an additional way to keep their users loyal. We feel BargainMatch is truly an unparalleled experience in the industry and we are constantly working to make it even better and to add in even more value.

5. Which traffic sources prove to be the most effective for your top earning publishers - E-mail, PPC, PPV, Facebook, Media Buying or any others?

Definitely email. Blogs are also great for getting content out there and helping your organic search rankings. Social Media is a great tool to help reinforce campaigns, but I don’t feel it should be relied on solely.

6. Do you offer online training for new publishers?

We have some general, industry related posts on our blog and a few ebooks found at inuvo.com. Then for our BargainMatch publishers, we meet with them frequently and help tailor a plan for their success based on the assets they have available.

7. For those who are interested in working with you and Inuvo - What's the best way/time to reach you?

You can reach our sales team at sales@inuvo.com or my directly at Stacey.Farooqui@inuvo.com. We are on the East Coast, so generally 8am-6pm EST but we are all known for answering emails around the clock.

8. In your opinion, what are the best places for a new affiliate to learn affiliate marketing? What advice would you give for them?

The Inuvo Blog has a lot of helpful articles about the industry and we also have some free ebooks on our website. Aside from those resources, I’d say do research, get active in industry conferences and websites and do lots of testing to see what your strong points are.

9. In your experience, what are the three most critical elements of running a successful advertising campaign.

You have to have eye-catching creative, target your audience and have a great offering.

10. What do you think about where the industry is going? Where Inuvo may be going? What advice would you give to affiliates to keep up the pace.

It seems the industry is improving since the big dogs are working to keep things in check and have been cracking down on sites which aren’t playing by the rules, so everyone has a level playing field. Inuvo is focused on bringing new, exciting products to the top publishers on the Internet. I agree with this approach, instead of just doing the same thing everyone else is doing, we are looking for unique ways to add value and create loyalty for our clients. Publishers should focus on what they know best and work on growing their user base.

11. What are your goals in 2011?

Growing BargainMatch and helping the rest of the team make it a huge success for Inuvo and our publishers.

12. What are your hobbies/interests/passions? What's your favorite movie and why?

I love spending time with my son, our pets, working out, running, cycling, hiking, yoga, pilates, shopping and going out to eat. My favorite movie is probably Clue. I enjoy comedy and mystery and it has both.

13. Give us a little glimpse into what a typical day in your life looks like.

I wake up, get ready for work, get my son ready and off to school, then I spend my work day engaging people via social media, creating new marketing materials, working on email campaigns, writing blogs, meeting with the BargainMatch team, brainstorming improvements and enhancements, and helping prepare everything for each new client’s launch. Then I go home, help my son with homework, spend time with him and our pets, put him to bed and have a glass of wine while playing Scrabble on my iPad.

Many thanks to Stacey for sharing your time with us and for sharing some great insight tips here! If you have any experience with Inuvo, please write a review for them on the Inuvo review page. Ps. If you are an affiliate marketer, AM or Network owner and are interested in answering a few questions about you, your network and affiliate marketing, please drop us a message.