In this month’s Meet the IA Team blog post, we chat with Affiliate Marketing Coordinator Lina Kouli. As the newest addition to the affiliate team, Lina details her experience working at Income Access after four months in the role. She also shares with us valuable lessons, as well an overview on her favourite things to do outside of work.
Name: Lina Kouli
Position: Affiliate Marketing Coordinator
Background: Lina was born and raised in Montreal. She graduated from the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, earning herself a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in Marketing. Lina also holds a diploma in social sciences from Montreal’s Marianopolis College. She joined the Income Access team in October 2018 and has been working with several iGaming brands since.
Lina shares her experiences as an Affiliate Marketing Coordinator
Describe a typical ‘day in the life’ as an Affiliate Marketing Coordinator
A typical morning for me begins with checking my email and Skype for important messages. Then, I verify the morning statistics of my clients, Dragonara Casino and MustardBet Sportsbook and Casino, to review any overnight changes. I also make sure to get back to the clients with questions or concerns. Once I complete these tasks, I finally get myself a cup of coffee. I find that my job relies on strong communication, so while every day may begin with the same steps, the daily work can vary.
What were your expectations coming into this role and how did they differ from reality?
Before finding this role, I was a market research analyst at a start-up in Montreal. The big difference between the start-up and Income Access, is the team dynamic. The other affiliate coordinators are supportive and provide me with a sense of security and level of expertise I appreciate.
Coming into the role, I didn’t have much knowledge of affiliate marketing or the iGaming industry. As I mentioned earlier, the team here works well because of its impressive communication skills. I guess that’s one thing that also surprised me about the requirements needed for the position. I found that you need to be comfortable interacting with anyone including the coordinators within your team, the clients and, of course, the affiliates.
What’s the best advice you could give to someone who’s starting out as an affiliate manager?
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned so far is to remain open to learning new things. In the affiliate marketing team, I’m surrounded by people who have years of knowledge and experience, so it’s important to be comfortable in taking lessons from them where you can.
That being said, my first and most important piece of advice is to be organized. As an affiliate marketing coordinator, you’ll have so much going on in the day, so it’s essential to effectively manage your time and prioritize things. My agenda is my best friend.
The second thing I’d recommend is to not be afraid to put yourself out there and ask questions. Sometimes you won’t get the answers you want, but you shouldn’t be afraid to ask anything in order reach your goals.
What are your aspirations as you continue to grow in this role?
This may sound cheesy, but my aspiration is to never stop learning. Again, it’s about taking advantage of the knowledge and experience I’m surrounded with and applying it to my daily routine. With a team that is so encouraging, it won’t be difficult to do that.
Get to know Lina!
You mentioned your love of singing. Can you expand on your history and passion for the performing arts?
I’ve practiced the performing arts for as long as I can remember. Acting and singing came first, and screenwriting followed soon after. I took up screenwriting because I thought producing theatre projects was cool. I also enrolled in a few journalism courses in college.
Ultimately, I ended up focusing on singing because my parents were also very musical. I have actually been enrolled in singing lessons my entire life, even performing recital events in both high school and college.
Any fun facts about yourself that you would like to share?
I used to participate in an Improv Comedy group during my first two semesters at university in Ottawa, at least once a week. Now, I perform with my troupe here in Montreal whenever I can, which is maybe once every two months.
Speed Round!
What’s your favourite…
Food: Moroccan food
Movie: The Lord of the Rings
Sport: Basketball to play and soccer to watch
Animal: Dogs
Music Artist: Queen
Book: The Harry Potter series
To discover more about the affiliate marketing services offered by Lina and our Affiliate Team, please reach out.
