Affiliate marketing is a constant game of advancement, where the speed of decision-making and strategic thinking determine the result. Dmytro Myasnikov, COO of AdKey.Agency, has been developing this area for almost 10 years, building teams, testing new approaches, and accumulating successful cases. How is the market changing, what distinguishes top specialists, and what challenges will the industry face in 2025? These and many other issues are discussed in our conversation. Enjoy reading!
Starting in an affiliate program
How did you get into the field of affiliate marketing? What was your first step?
I started working with traffic in 2015. At first, I was engaged in browser and mobile games through targeted advertising. For some time, I was driving traffic to the agency on my own, and then I started to form a team there.
Since 2019, I have been heading the media buying department at Zorka.Mobi, where, in addition to mobile, I developed iGaming. Later, our team spun off and turned into AdKey.Agency.
SEO and customer service
Why did you decide to take a chance and launch an SEO project?
Actually, it was not my idea, but it was successfully implemented. The main success factor here was patience. You can’t sit on the riverbank and wait for the profits to come in.
What do you think distinguishes a good SEO specialist from a mediocre one?
I wouldn’t even say that we have classic SEO specialists in our team. We have an SEO Project Manager and a person with 15 years of experience in SEO. What distinguishes them from a mediocre SEO specialist is their experience, networking, and strategic vision.
How do you choose who to work with in terms of clients?
Client selection is not an intuitive process, but a clear analysis system that we have developed and use in the Sales department. We evaluate many factors: from market reputation to product details, including the look of the offer and even the number of times the “make a deposit” button appears. This approach helps us to work only with those partners who really match our values and prospects for cooperation.
Teamwork and achievements
Top 3 tips for effective teamwork?
- Don’t put yourself above the team, because without a team there is no company.
- Team motivation solves almost everything: without it, even the best diamonds turn into coal.
- Depending on the stage of the company’s development, it is worth thinking about setting up processes or adhering to a startup ideology. Healthy bureaucracy or its absence is a matter of time and business scale.
What case are you most proud of?
One of the cases I am really proud of is that a year ago we crossed the 100-employee mark. This is not just a number, but an indicator that the team is growing, processes are improving, and the business is developing. We also launched a successful SEO project in an arbitration company – it was a serious challenge, but the result proved that we are moving in the right direction. And, perhaps most importantly, we have never compromised our principles along the way.
Prospects and future of AdKey.Agency
What changes can you highlight in affiliate marketing in 2025?
Everything will be the same as always: there will be even more money in the industry, and it will be even more difficult to earn it.
How does your team implement ideas that seem to be “out of the realm of fantasy”?
All the success factors for implementing an idea can be present: planning, team, management, and control, but the project does not start. And then, for example, someone has an acquaintance or a distant relative who has recently done something similar and is ready to share their expertise. Sometimes something out of the realm of fantasy is realized through sweat and blood, sometimes through networking, sometimes you can just get lucky, and sometimes it’s a matter of finding workarounds.
How do you see the future of AdKey.Agency? What are your plans for the coming years
Probably the same as everyone else: to conquer the world and kick ass. But seriously, every year we conduct annual planning and sometimes a strategic session to determine the development vector for the next year or two. Our sphere is becoming more and more established and amenable to planning.
We have plans to grow our turnover 10 times in 2-3 years, as well as media activations and new directions. As a rule, we talk in detail about the most relevant things in relevant interviews.
… And about personal things
Was there a moment in your career when you wanted to leave everything behind?
To be honest, I have never had such thoughts. I really enjoy what I do. Of course, there are difficult periods, moments of high pressure or challenges that seem almost insoluble. But that’s what drives me – the ability to find solutions, adapt, and build something cool together with my team.
What books, movies, or courses have inspired you the most in your life?
Jules Verne’s novels added to my love of adventure. Among the movies, I liked Diarios de motocicleta (Motorcycle Diaries), about the travels of young Che Guevara. How to turn all the difficulties of life into a game – La Vita è bella (Life is Beautiful). Of the business books, I remember most of all “Delivery of Happiness. The Path to Profit, Pleasure, and Dreams.”
How do you cope with stress and difficult moments?
A glass of whiskey or a run, or both.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from 2024?
When you’re over 30 (and always), you shouldn’t forget about sports and health, because they affect all other areas of life.
If you could realize one unrealized idea, what would it be?
I usually immediately think about the process of realizing an idea. If the idea is interesting, you need to act. For example, this year I was thinking of running a triathlon, but I postponed it to prepare better. But the main thing is that most of the planned ideas do come true, and I wish everyone the same!
