Commission Junction has announced the finalists for their CJYou Awards, which will be presented Wednesday, September 22 at Commission Junction University (CJU) in Santa Barbara, CA.

Here are the finalists for the 2010 CJYou Awards:

Rookie of the Year, Advertiser: Awarded to a new advertiser who has achieved the highest total revenue:

• BodenUSA
• Discover Bank
• HomeEverything

Rookie of the Year, Publisher: Awarded to a new publisher who has achieved the highest total revenue:

• Blue Door Media
• Natural Intelligence
• TheCouponScoop.com

Advertiser of the Year: Awarded to an advertiser who has achieved the largest year-over-year increase in revenue and greatest percentage of growth:

• Expedia
• HP Home and Home Office Store
• The Home Depot

Publisher of the Year: Awarded to a publisher who has achieved the largest year-over-year increase in revenue and greatest percentage of growth:

• Offers.com, Published by Vertive, Inc.
• Polyvore
• SurfMyAds.com

People’s Choice, Advertiser: Chosen by the publisher community and awarded to an advertiser who demonstrates the best partnership qualities and excellence in supporting publisher needs:

• BuySeasons (BuyCostumes.com & Celebrate Express)
• Priceline.com
• The Home Depot

People’s Choice, Publisher: Chosen by the advertiser community and awarded to a publisher who demonstrates the best partnership qualities and excellence in delivering value to an advertiser’s affiliate program:

• DealTaker.com
• Savings.com
• ShopatHome.com

Innovator of the Year: Awarded to an advertiser or publisher who demonstrates the most successful use of emerging technologies:

• Freshpair.com
• ShopStyle
• SurfMyAds.com

Agency of the Year: Awarded to an agency that has excelled at fostering relationships between its clients and Commission Junction:

• Blue Cherry Group
• Gen3 Marketing
• Schaaf-PartnerCentric

More details about the finalists at http://www.cj.com/cjyouawards2010/index.html.

I noticed that I am listed as the most influential affiliate marketer on Twitter, according to WeFollow.com, though I have no idea how they determine influence.

Anyhow, I thought I’d share the current list of the top 10, so you can find some affiliate marketers to follow on Twitter.

1. affiliatetip
2. MissyWard
3. matthewwood
4. AffWin
5. a4uexpo
6. mediatrustpete
7. affbuzz
8. JoaquinPena
9. sugarrae
10. jangro

They also sort affiliate marketing by most followers. It’s a largely different list, so they apparently don’t equate followers with influence.

Jim Kukral, author of the bestselling book, Attention! This Book Will Make You Money, delivered the keynote address at Affiliate Summit East 2010 on Tuesday, August 17, 2010.

Jim gave a really inspirational talk that focuses on building a business around a lifestyle.

During Affiliate Summit East 2010, we posted the live feed video of Jim Kukral’s keynote at Affiliate Summit East 2010 at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ase10.

Now, it is also available on YouTube. Watch the Jim Kukral Keynote at Affiliate Summit East 2010.

This week on the Affiliate Thing podcast, Shawn Collins and Lisa Picarille discuss the latest on the advertising tax in California, the best smartphone ever, and booth babes.

Also, the upcoming Affiliate Summit unConference, trying to figure out Facebook Places, and the new Digg.

Show Links

• California Advertising Tax Update
• PMA Board of Directors Election
• Not Only Did I Get a BlackBerry Torch, but I Love It
• ytcracker Launches the NERD LIFE media Network
• Photos from Affiliate Summit East 2010
• Presentations from Affiliate Summit East 2010
• Affiliate Summit unConference 2010
• ShareASale ThinkTank 2010 Applications Being Accepted
• The New Digg
• Facebook Places
• Affiliate Marketing ABC’s Forum

Subscribe to the Affiliate Thing RSS feed or listen on iTunes. You can also send a blank e-mail to affiliatething@aweber.com to get each podcast delivered by e-mail.

Affiliates were asked “If you are currently using WordPress to build out affiliate sites, what is your preferred WordPress theme?” for the latest Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.

Thesis for WordPress and Affiliate Theme were the most popular with 26.5% each of the vote.

Other WordPress themes being used by affiliate marketers include StudioPress, Woo Themes, and WPNow.

Personally, I use Thesis for WordPress on my blog, as well as all of my affiliate blogs, because it’s easy, flexible, and powerful.

Over eleven-hundred and fifty affiliates were surveyed on their methods, preferences, and strategies for the 2010 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.

More details on AffStat at http://affstat.com/.

I am running the World Trade Center Run To Remember with my daughter Caity on September 5, 2010 and we’d appreciate your support in the form of a donation to Families of September 11 (FOS11), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The 2nd Annual World Trade Center Run to Remember (WTCRTR) will be a celebration of the lives of those lost on September 11, 2001.

This event will offer a great opportunity for all people who were affected by the events of 9-11 to come together to remember each victim, while running, or walking, around beautiful Governors Island, in the heart of New York Harbor.

Families of September 11, Inc. (FOS11) was founded in October 2001 by families of those who died in the September 11 terrorist attacks. Membership is open to anyone affected by the events of September 11, be they family members, survivors, responders, or others as well as those who support our mission. The group has two goals:

• To support families and children by offering updated information on issues of interest, access to resources, relevant articles, and advocacy to raise awareness about the effects of terrorism and public trauma.
• To champion domestic and international policies that respond to the threat of terrorism including support for the 9/11 Commission Recommendations, and to reach out to victims of terror worldwide.

Read about the first World Trade Center Run to Remember in 2009, as covered in the New York Daily News.

Donate to Families of September 11.

Managing Your Affiliate Manager presentation from Affiliate Summit West 2008, which took place February 24-26, 2008 in Las Vegas, NV.

• Dan Murray, Internet Marketing Strategist, RavenwoodMarketing.com
• Steve Schaffer, Founder & CEO, Vertive, Inc.

To get the best returns for your affiliate efforts you need to manage your affiliate managers. Learn how to get better service, higher commissions, and communication with merchants on your terms.

Note: the companies and positions listed above were current as of the time of the conference. Some of this information may have changed since then.

Video: Managing Your Affiliate Manager

Managing Legal Risks in Affiliate Marketing presentation from Affiliate Summit West 2008, which took place February 24-26, 2008 in Las Vegas, NV.

• Steven Richter, President, Media Breakaway, LLC (Moderator)
• Jeffrey Greenbaum, Partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, PC
• Marc Groman, Chief Privacy Officer, Federal Trade Commission
• Bennet Kelley, Founder, Internet Law Center
• Don Mathis, President, AzoogleAds, Inc.

Provide updates on CAN-SPAM, keyword search liability and the recent FTC affiliate marketing rules to identify how audience members can ensure that their campaigns produce results, not liabilities.

Note: the companies and positions listed above were current as of the time of the conference. Some of this information may have changed since then.

Video: Managing Legal Risks in Affiliate Marketing

Q: Where is a good place to find contracts? Specifically, I am looking to create a contract with a content provider where we split affiliate revenue. Where is a good source for such contracts?

A: There are two different options. One resource I use for boilerplate legal documents is LegalZoom.com.

They have a variety of contracts for a reasonable price, and you can then customize them for your needs.

Otherwise, if you have something that is more specialized, I would suggest consulting with a lawyer.

You should be able to find somebody locally that will assist you at an hourly rate.

I’ve gone with lawyers for some contracts, especially more substantial deals, to be sure everything was done right.

While it can be a little frustrating to spend that sort of money for a few pages of information, consider the importance of this document in protecting your interests, and the fact that you aren’t equipped with sufficient legal knowledge.

Think of it in terms of this quote from Jim Rohn: “You don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.”

Video: Source for Contracts

I checked the other day and saw I was eligible for an upgrade on AT&T from my BlackBerry Bold, so I took a look at the site to see which phones were available.

Of course, they’ve got the iPhone 4 there, and a variety of Android phones with the Dell Aero on the way. Plus, I thought about the Dell Streak as my primary phone (still plan to get it as an extra toy).

But I went with the BlackBerry Torch, a phone I scoffed at when it was released.

I’ve never cared for the iPhone after repeated attempts to like it. I use an iPod Touch for my music, and can’t stand to use it for email when it’s the only handy device. I simply can’t type fast and correct on that keyboard.

In addition to my BlackBerry Bold, I’ve had a Nexus One since January. I really like the size, weight, and functionality of this Android phone, but I’ve got the same keyboard gripes there as I have with the iPhone.

I type a lot on my phone – I’m talking multiple paragraph emails regularly. And the only phone that I’ve really been productive with over the years has been the BlackBerry.

So, I ordered the BlackBerry Torch and had low expectations. But you know what? I am crazy about this device.

It’s got all of the fun features of the various touch-screen phones, and the option to type on the screen, but then I get to slide out my tactile keyboard.

I’m not going to list out the specs and all that nonsense you can read at 50 different tech blogs. Instead, I’ll show you how it looks next to my Nexus One and BlackBerry Bold with the keyboard in and out.

The BlackBerry Torch does what I need my phone to do – it makes it easy for me to work on the go, plus it has the easy experience for social networks and media.

It’s a phone mullet with the BlackBerry in the front and the touch-screen in the back, and it’s my new addicition.

Haters gonna hate.