Shopee has certainly increased their presence over the years and remain bullish. With the eve of affiliate marketing and live selling, a Filipino stands as champion. His name is JAMES AFANTE, popularly known as Kuya James in his socials. He tops the list of people who have done remarkable work in this industry and we got to talk to him yesterday as he prepared for this month's 12.12. If you think the previous months were crazy, he's giving away a total of 2 Custom Tricycles, 4 motorbikes, and so much more today on his live sessions.
James started in the industry when he was only 14. Using different platforms, he engaged with people and sold just about anything that he could get his hands on. When he began doing it on the Orange app, he partnered up with friends and started training people. In his mind, he had the confidence to do it, knew that this particular work had his name all over it, and that had a remarkable effect on the people that learned from him. Livestreaming was something he did by accident when no one was left in their office to do it, and it went viral.
I picked his brain a little by asking why he doesn't sell his own products (so he could earn it all) and he said "A lot of people ask me about that, but in E-Commerce, you invest your money on stocks and where to put it. This was a huge problem for me and those who are in the same shoes. When something happens like the pandemic or any accident, you'll be left with nothing and a huge debt. With affiliate marketing, you do not have risks on your capital, (costs of storage and manpower for logistics), and I can sell thousands without thinking about space because the brands that work with him already handles that. I can see products if they can sell, sometimes I don't know how I ended up being the top livestreamer. I put in the extra work, I was part of production design, checking prices, every detail, I am concerned. This is a tool to perform better, and I also listen to my followers. What they want, that's what I must do. These products are what they consistently buy from me, only the best, prices will also be subjected to vouchers this 12.12."
He adds "This 12.12, I will be doing the largest livestream ever in the Philippines and in the region. I believe these efforts are also what I can do for the brands that trust me, including customers too. These bikes behind us also came from my own pocket, it's a way to give back to my community."
His advice for those who would want to follow his footsteps: "Work really really hard, work harder than anyone, then everything will follow. Everything starts with the work you put in, if you do things correctly, with passion, and you know that you are giving your 100 percent, you'll achieve what you want! This applies to any industry out there!"
Check out our interview with him before he went live last December 11:
His live stream is fun, entertaining to watch and you'll even forget that you're already checking out items on your cart. He promises that you'll have vouchers, free delivery and more surprises when you check out products from his stream. Plus the lowest prices from brands you already love!
Thank you James for sharing your story, here's hoping we get to be part of that big 12.12 celebration today!
