REPUTATION IN AFFILIATE MARKETING: AN ASSET THAT WEIGHS MORE THAN BUDGETS

HWYD: Tell us a little bit about your childhood: where were you born, what kind of child were you, what kind of family did you grow up in?

Kateryna: I was born and raised in the best place on the planet, Solomianka in Kyiv. As a child, I was active and talkative, just like my whole family. We lived like a Mexican soap opera.

HWYD: Were there any character traits that have remained with you in your professional life today?

Kateryna: I have three brothers, so the minimum task in my childhood was to survive. And that meant being brazen, agile, and able to defend my own interests.

My parents did not praise me, so I was constantly trying to prove that I was good and worthy of praise. I needed almost all of this in the affiliate sphere to get results.

HWYD: Do you remember any dreams or plans from your youth that influenced your career choice?

Kateryna: I dreamed of driving a hearse) But, fortunately, it didn't affect me!

HWYD: Who or what shaped you the most in those years: family, school, hobbies?

Kateryna: I was an active child, always in search of myself and hobbies. The only constant thing was my family - it was they who guided me and set the example (how to do things and how not to do them).

HWYD: Looking back, would little Katya have seen herself in affiliate marketing?

Kateryna: I dreamed of driving a hearse, watching Winx, and collecting cat magazines. What kind of affiliate marketing?

But in high school, I was already interested in international relations and marketing.

HWYD: How did you get into the affiliate sphere and why did you choose this particular direction?

Kateryna: When I was 19, I had an Instagram lingerie store. At that time, I was already studying targeting and Facebook to develop it.

Later, thanks to these skills and through acquaintances, I got into bingo and got acquainted with gambling (although at first I was very much against this niche).

HWYD: What was your path to the position of Team Lead Business Development Manager at TraffTer?

Kateryna: Long, thorny and with a pause for maternity leave.

But it was after that that my biggest professional boost took place. I joined a great big team, where I gained tremendous experience in all areas.

HWYD: What does business development mean to you personally - is it more about strategy, people, or numbers?

Kateryna: You can have clear goals and strategies, but you can't realize them without people.

For me, it is definitely about people who have ambitions and common goals. I've seen businesses stagnate because of people, and vice versa - with the right people, they grow rapidly. But this should also include a strategy and a vision for the development of each employee.

HWYD: Affiliate is often associated with fast money and aggressive competition. How does a long-term reputation become a bigger trump card than any budget in this dynamic?

Kateryna: The quieter you go, the further you will go.

I see teams shouting loudly about themselves, allocating huge budgets for marketing, and then quietly fading away because something was still missing.

I always talk about people and relationships with them. If you are not ready to compromise and negotiate, aggression will help only once - the first and last time.

HWYD: How would you define reputation for a company and an individual in the affiliate market?

Kateryna: Reputation for a company is the perception of its reliability, honesty, and professionalism by partners, buyers, and the media. In fact, it is the currency of trust, which directly affects the willingness of others to work with it.

For a person, reputation is the level of trust and credibility that he or she has gained through experience, knowledge, and ethics. It is personal capital that opens the door to profitable offers, partnerships and opportunities.

HWYD: Can reputation be measured? For example, in reviews, recommendations, repeat business?

Kateryna: Our sphere is not that big. Although the number of people is growing, everyone still knows each other. All the fakaps, gossip, and news quickly become known.

I don't know if it is possible to measure this with a clear criterion, but in aggregate, all of this forms an assessment of a person or company.

HWYD: Were there moments when a good reputation helped open doors where others could not?

Kateryna: Without undue modesty, I will say: constantly)

HWYD: Reputation takes years to build, and it can be lost in a minute. Have you personally observed such cases?

Kateryna: Yes, of course. I can't say that there are many of them on the market, but there are definitely a few.

HWYD: What mistakes do companies or professionals make most often that damage their reputation?

Kateryna: I can't say for sure, but I assume it's incompetence and overconfidence.

HWYD: Have you personally had a case when you had to "save" relations with partners or restore trust? How did it happen?

Kateryna: I don't remember. Maybe it was a long time ago.

I am usually honest with my partners and engage in a dialog if there are any disputable issues.

HWYD: You are in charge of business development. How much does a manager's personal brand affect the company's reputation?

Kateryna: I think it depends on what kind of person you are. In the words of Diogenes: "How many people there are, and how few men among them."

Expertise is important. But I know a lot of strong or media managers with whom it is uncomfortable to work. There has to be a balance.

HWYD: How do you manage to strike a balance: to remain professional and at the same time not to lose your true self in communication with partners?

Kateryna: Sometimes I'm super critical of myself for not being able to keep it up. But my partners, friends, and my team always support me.

HWYD: What do you think is the strength of female leadership in the affiliate market?

Kateryna: Initially, the female part of the affiliate community was perceived as a decoration that no one took seriously.

And then - bam! - there was a break in the patterns: women began to show how to work effectively, achieve results, and build from scratch.

We successfully combine emotional intelligence with business goals, creating trust and stable partnerships. But, of course, not all of us)

HWYD: What values do you try to convey in your work and in your team?

Kateryna: Honesty. Trust. Communication.

HWYD: How is the perception of reputation changing in the industry? Is it becoming a more expensive "currency" than a few years ago?

Kateryna: There are more and more scams, so yes, it is becoming more difficult to have trust and reputation.

HWYD: What would you advise to newcomers who are just starting to build their way in affiliate marketing and want to lay a solid foundation of reputation

Kateryna: Don't start) There are already a lot of people.

HWYD: If you have to choose between immediate profit and long-term credibility, what would you recommend and why?

Kateryna: This is a very controversial issue. It all depends on the specific case.

I would advise you to decide whether this trust is worth it.

HWYD: What does it mean for you personally to have a "good name" in the market?

Kateryna: Not to make cringe, to choose where and with whom to work.

HWYD: If you imagine that in 10 years your colleagues will describe Kateryna Savchenkova in one word, what would you like that word to be?

Kateryna: "Kitty."

HWYD: And the traditional HWYD question: what would you like to say to your partners and colleagues right now, here and through us?

Kateryna: Don't be a poop, have a good time and live an interesting life!