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Interview with Ivan Kalashnikov — Chief Business Development Officer at Profitov Partners
AffPapa recently interviewed Ivan Kalashnikov, the Chief Business Development Officer at Profitov Partners. Ivan spoke on a wide range of subjects, starting with his journey into affiliate marketing, as well as his role in the company. He also discusses what sets Profitov Partners apart in the CPA market and upcoming initiatives to look forward to.
Yeva: For starters, Ivan, can you share a bit about your journey and what led you to join Profitov Partners as the CBDO?
I entered the field in 2019, right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the recommendation of an acquaintance, I reached out to someone and the next day I found myself in my first affiliate marketing group chat. Within a few days, I started driving traffic through push notifications, and the initial decent results motivated me to dive deeper into the industry.
After some time, I began assisting the owner of a small affiliate network in negotiations with advertisers. A few months later, I was fully integrated into the work with several partners, effectively becoming a full-fledged member of the team. As a manager, I interacted with both advertisers and affiliates while handling various other tasks.
The next phase of my career after leaving my first small affiliate program was media buying. My team and I worked with Facebook ads. We had some good results in the beginning, but after about a month, a wave of bans hit, and the team couldn’t handle it, so we disbanded. After that, I worked as a solo media buyer, starting with push traffic and later moving on to TikTok ads.
At the end of 2021, I met the owner of Profitov Partners. Our meeting wasn’t related to business, it was purely a personal encounter and unrelated to the CPA industry. Later, I found out that the company had an open position for a Head of Advertiser Relations. I immediately reached out to him, shared my experience and was given one month to prove myself. I must have done a decent job because I’m still working at Profitov Partners to this day.
I greatly appreciate our company for recognizing my potential and giving me a chance. I didn’t have impressive case studies or extensive management experience, but they believed in me. I believe such an opportunity is given to only 1% of people.
Yeva: Profitov Partners is recognized for its extensive network of more than 500 offers. But why is Profitov one of a kind in the crowded CPA network market? And what does it take to guarantee that affiliates receive optimal terms?
Yes, but the 500 offers are significantly understated. There are many more, but when it comes to uniqueness, there are currently over 500 unique offers.
I agree that the CPA market is enormous. From my perspective, competition has skyrocketed just in the past year. The problem is that people with no experience enter this business, thinking it’s easy. But soon enough, they face challenges, and some choose the worst option — scamming. And then everything falls apart.
What sets us apart is that Profitov Partners operates officially with all the necessary licenses. The Profitov Partners holding company has been around for over three years. From the beginning, we’ve been focused on one main objective: offering our partners the highest quality services in the market. Without meaning to boast, it’s nearly impossible to find the same level of service that our affiliate team offers. I’ve had many conversations with colleagues from other teams and seen all kinds of cases. Honestly, you won’t find the level of quick response, professionalism, and unbiased communication that you get at Profitov Partners almost anywhere else. We provide quick request processing, professional, unbiased communication and optimal conditions.
When you’re offered test conditions that are 30% better than the rest of the market, it’s something to think about. Someone might not be playing fair and could be letting you run traffic through someone else’s link. Can we guarantee that our partners get the best possible conditions? Definitely. I’d love to say we have the best deals in the market, but it’s unrealistic to promise the best conditions for every product and every advertiser. However, we do have a selection of products from our trusted partners where we can offer top conditions for our affiliates.
When it comes to launching new products, test runs, and similar activities, we always make sure the conditions are competitive — typically at the market average, and often slightly better, at the very least during the testing phase.
After the test phase, if our partner delivers exceptional quality, we will always negotiate better terms and do everything possible to maximize our affiliates’ earnings.
This version conveys professionalism and highlights the company’s commitment to optimizing affiliate earnings.
We uphold fair play and transparency with both affiliates and advertisers. We steer clear of unethical practices, such as source manipulation or similar tactics. Those who have worked with us for a long time recognize and value this commitment even more. Without exception, we protect the interests of all our partners on both sides.
Yeva: Your company offers 24/7 support and free tools for work. We would love it if you gave us a peek into the way your support team works and how these resources improve the affiliate experience.
Let me explain how our support system operates. Our company boasts an exceptional support team that works from 12:00 to 21:00 (UTC +4). Support serves as the first point of contact with our company. These professionals are available during working hours, ready to answer any questions and handle requests with the highest level of professionalism. It’s important to note that support staff are not the same as managers. If a situation requires more specialized expertise, a manager will be brought in immediately.
We adhere to strict standards, ensuring that our partners receive responses within one hour. Every partner is important to us, and we believe that timely communication is the first step toward delivering top-notch service.
Yeva: Can you tell us more about your private parties for partners and individual conditions? In what way do these aspects help in establishing solid partnerships?
We kicked off a series of meetups, with the first one held in May. We hosted an event in Armenia for our existing partners—a private gathering with 100 attendees that included airsoft activities and extensive networking. It was an unforgettable experience.
It’s important to note that our meetups aren’t focused on attracting new partners or promoting special deals, unlike much of the market. Our goal is to host exclusive events for our valued partners, where we can spend quality time together, strengthen relationships, and show them that they are far more than just a source of revenue to us.
I can’t disclose too much about the individual deals at this time. However, we do have long-term partners who benefit from conditions that only we provide. These exclusive deals are negotiated specifically for us and a select group of affiliates. You can’t simply join our affiliate program, sign up, and expect access to these private offers. No. We only give it to our trusted partners, people we’ve known for a long time and whose traffic we trust. We filter out 80-85% of incoming applications and only accept experienced affiliates who can manage traffic effectively and demonstrate the quality of their work. As I mentioned earlier, we protect the interests of both sides, operating on a Win-Win model.
Yeva: With your wide range of offers and conditions, how do you customize your approach to different GEOs and traffic sources? As of right now, are there any specific markets that you are excited about?
It’s difficult to say that we focus exclusively on specific GEOs and stick to them. Market trends shift constantly, sometimes even on a monthly basis. Last year, everyone was all about Brazil. The market was packed with traffic and products because everyone wanted in. Then the IPL kicked off in India, and many shifted their attention to that GEO. I can confidently say that we are highly adaptable. We monitor market trends and prepare ahead of time. By the time the market realizes that Belgium is the next big opportunity, we’ve already optimized our conditions, and our partners are driving high-profit traffic at top rates.
At this time, it’s challenging to pinpoint a particular GEO. However, I can say that we don’t work with most Asian countries for a variety of reasons, including legal issues and profitability concerns. As mentioned earlier, we prioritize ensuring that advertisers also benefit. We don’t aim to drive massive traffic where only one side profits. For the same reasons, we also avoid working with Tier-3 countries like Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan.
In Tier-3, we primarily focus on Latin America: Brazil, Chile, Peru, as well as India. However, Tier-1 remains our top priority. This is where we consistently find high-quality players with strong metrics.
When it comes to traffic sources, there are occasional shifts in the percentage distribution of volume from different channels. Sometimes conditions become more restrictive, or moderation tightens. For instance, TikTok, which drove massive volumes two years ago, is now much less common. Our current priorities are PPC, ASO, SEO, Facebook, and In-App traffic.
Yeva: Looking ahead, what new initiatives or innovations should we expect from Profitov Partners? Any upcoming projects or features you’re particularly excited about?
The main thing to expect from us in the coming year is growth — both within the company and across the CPA market. We’re also planning to roll out several initiatives and projects within our affiliate program, but I can’t go into details right now because the NDA prevents us from sharing anything before it’s finalized. Our goal is to expand our international presence, attend global exhibitions and events, and build connections with affiliates beyond Eastern Europe. We’re also exploring new traffic sources. The plans are ambitious, and we’re excited about what lies ahead.
Yeva: For those who want to get started with Profitov Partners, what’s the best advice you can give to maximize their success within your network?
Honesty is key to achieving maximum success in partnership with Profitov Partners. There’s no need to deceive the support team during account moderation. We often receive Photoshopped screenshots of statistics, but affiliates don’t always realize how easy it is to verify them. Some manage to pass moderation with fake screenshots and launch their campaigns, but during the first test, the real numbers reveal the deception. Such users are banned, and we no longer work with them. We value fair play, transparency, and long-term relationships. If you want to join us, honesty and respect are the two most important qualities. We’re not interested in short-term cooperation. We’re here to build relationships that last for years. Those who have been with us long-term enjoy the personalized conditions I mentioned earlier.
Yeva: Finally, what motivates you the most in your role? What makes you stay inspired and driven in such a dynamic industry?
What motivates me? I’d be lying if I said money wasn’t a factor—just like it is for anyone engaged in professional activity. But if someone offered me the same money for a different job, I’d probably decline. What truly drives and inspires me is the desire to make Profitov Partners the best in the industry. At the very least, out of respect for the company that believed in me and gave me a chance.
Over the past two years, I’ve grown more within this company than I have in the previous 30 years of my life. I want the company to grow, not just to be number one in terms of numbers, but in quality as well. I don’t just want us to be the best compared to others; I want us to redefine what service means in CPA and set a new standard of excellence. In our highly dynamic and stressful industry, giving up isn’t an option.
I also find great satisfaction in passing on my knowledge and experience. What motivates me is seeing the results—watching someone who was a junior a year or a year and a half ago transform into a confident professional. That’s when I feel proud, not only of them but of myself, for believing in them, nurturing their talent, and helping them succeed.
Company: Profitov Partners
Interviewee: Ivan Kalashnikov
Date: 20.08.2024
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