Sam Roberts is senior affiliate marketing manager at Silverbean.
The affiliate marketing agency, founded in 2002 by Neil Robbins, is headquartered in Newcastle.
Prior to joining Silverbean in 2023, Roberts previously worked at Visualsoft and Brookson.
From the biggest challenges about his job to the advice he’d give to someone looking to follow a similar career path, Roberts shares his career journey and words of advice.
How did you first get into your industry?
I took a bit of a punt to be honest, I had recently come back from travelling and wanted to move to Newcastle for a new start in a new industry. I researched the top technology companies in Newcastle and joined a great company in their sales department before making the lateral move back into account management.
However, this time specialising in affiliate marketing. I was fortunate enough to progress quite quickly and then I moved just over a year ago to Silverbean which has been amazing.
What do you love about your job?
To be honest, there’s lots of great things about my job and it sounds cliche to say the people but it really is. There’s a diverse range of people with different qualities and interests so there’s never really a boring day. I have been fortunate enough to work with some fantastic brands and develop contacts through industry events too which is also nice.
Who – or what – has inspired you in your career?
My family are incredibly driven and their own success, particularly my sisters (one is a plastic surgeon, the other an accountant) is a real driver in my own motivation to succeed within my chosen path. I try not to have idols anymore but I really like the idea of being your own hero. Matthew McConaughey’s Oscar speech sticks out as a bit of lightbulb moment for me years after he said it originally. I just want to keep developing where I can. There’s a long way to go!
What are the biggest challenges about your job?
The affiliate and digital industry as a whole is ever moving and changing which presents a challenge in itself just to keep up! However, if I had to call out a particular challenge, particularly in the last couple of years, I’d say the use of third party data and understanding of attribution from a wider digital perspective is a tricky one. Saying that, often these challenges when they come present great opportunities to be innovative so whilst challenging it’s not necessarily a negative.
What skills have been the most crucial to you succeeding in your career so far?
Hard work and being honest about my strengths and weaknesses. Once I knew them I was able to double down on my strengths and address some of the things I can control that were holding me back. I’d also say I’m a big believer in trying different things, particularly early on in your career. I’ve tried a few different roles away from a more traditional career path and it’s not a waste at all. At the end of the day it was all experience in the workplace that will help you when you eventually find something you want to pursue longer term.
What was your first salary and what could someone getting into the industry expect to earn nowadays?
My first salary post uni was £14k but in a different industry. I’d expect any employer to at least match the living wage which I think nowadays equates to £22k for an entry level role.
What education or training would be most useful for someone looking to follow your career path?
I don’t necessarily think you need a degree however that’s not to say it’s not worthwhile. Particularly given the exposure a lot of business related degrees give you to the real life world of work. Definitely develop your technical understanding as soon as you can though, particularly in technical set up and tracking. It’s a really useful skill that many Marketers don’t fully understand.
What advice would you have for someone looking to follow your path?
Try different things! It’s all useful! Be open to doing the scary stuff, you’ll be amazed how quickly you’re not scared of it anymore the more you do it. You learn more from failing so don’t neg yourself out, dust yourself off and try again. Also, have an opinion in meetings and learn excel, you’ll develop quicker if you do.
