Affiliate Marketing is a type of marketing channel wherein affiliates earn a commission by promoting the merchandise or services of a merchant.
Affiliate Management involves overseeing the affiliates in the entire channel to facilitate the program’s growth for the brand or merchant. This can be carried out internally or outsourced to an agency.
Affiliate Managers play a fundamental role as intermediaries between the client (merchant) and affiliates. Their responsibilities encompass producing regular reports on a weekly or monthly basis, participating in conferences, granting approval to affiliates, managing creative materials and promotional efforts, and engaging in check-in calls with both clients and affiliates.
Affiliates, which include coupon publishers, content publishers, loyalty publishers, etc., can be easily described as partners who promote products or services sold by a merchant.
How Does Affiliate Management Work?
Certain marketing managers believe that the affiliate channel can be easily activated or deactivated, similar to the ability to control paid search or paid social platforms.
Affiliate partnerships thrive on transparency and genuine connections, rather than isolated transactions.
The main objective of an affiliate program is to establish a mutually beneficial framework for both brands and their affiliate partners.
When effectively handled, the affiliate channel can contribute a substantial amount of a brand’s online revenue, showcasing high return on ad spend (ROAS) and minimal cost per acquisition (CPA).
Managing Affiliate Growth
The speed at which the channel grows and its overall success are greatly influenced by the management of affiliates.
There is a multitude of factors to consider in this discussion and numerous advantages associated with the different tools at hand.
Affiliate Program Recruitment
Recruitment is the process of contacting potential partners with the aim of persuading them to join the program and commence promoting the brand.
New affiliates can most easily be found in networks, Google, social media or other search engines.
Imagine you are assembling the most talented players for your beloved team by logically considering each step.
Affiliate Marketing Activation
When we talk about activation, we can consider it as a form of welcoming. It typically includes tasks such as sending welcome emails and arranging calls with affiliates who have recently been approved or recruited.
The aim, of course, is to increase traffic and boost sales.
Affiliate Channel Optimization
At its core, optimization involves the monitoring of the affiliate program and implementing actions to enhance its performance.
Brand exposure can be increased through commission increases and/or by paying for placements.
One effective way to begin is by contacting affiliates and analyzing the decrease in both clicks and revenue on an annual basis.
Optimization encompasses the auditing of promotions and content, including Trademark+ terms.
The presence of a significant amount of strategy makes it an enjoyable aspect.
It is equally important to use the network platforms that your clients or merchants are associated with.
When networks are fully utilized, they can be powerful tools that help with recruitment lists, placement options, and provide seasonal tips & tricks to fully optimize a program.
The essence of affiliate management lies in the establishment of relationships with contacts from networks, clients, and affiliates.
In order to effectively manage affiliates and affiliate programs, it is crucial to prioritize regular and consistent communication.
When affiliate marketing is effectively managed, with the appropriate partners, it proves to be an extremely efficient marketing model for attracting new customers and generating additional sales.
Successful Affiliate Management Focuses On Relationships
Although it may require more effort initially, developing relationships with affiliates usually results in stronger, more beneficial, and genuine partnerships for your business. Managers of affiliate programs who employ relationship-building tactics often attract affiliates who align with their business goals and effectively convey a brand’s narrative, embodying the company’s mission and values.
To no one’s surprise, the anticipated rise in U.S. affiliate marketing spend is projected to reach $6.8 billion by 2020. Hence, we are presenting our 13 top recommendations for affiliate program managers who aim to drive business growth in the imminent future.
1. Utilize a Portal Registration Page
By providing a portal registration page, you can obtain supplementary information from your affiliates, like their website or other beneficial details. Upon their registration through the form, affiliates will be automatically signed in to the portal, facilitating convenient sharing. Consider it as a central hub for program members.
2. Auto-Enroll Affiliates
To make participation easy, automatically enroll existing affiliates into your program for the relationships you have already established.
3. Kickoff the Program
To see quick results, don’t rely on affiliates stumbling upon your program. Instead, announce the launch of your program through dedicated emails.
4. Build a Program Overview Landing Page
To enhance visibility, include a link in the header or footer of your website that directs affiliates to a landing page providing them with a comprehensive program overview.
5. Enable Share Codes
Affiliates are allowed to generate numerous links, which they can personalize and redirect to specific products. By accessing codes from the portal, affiliates can easily share and acquire valuable information on the most effective conversion sources and mediums in a memorable manner.
6. Post on Social Channels
Enrolling new affiliates and reminding existing ones to share will be facilitated by continuously promoting the program on social media. Additionally, social media offers a valuable opportunity to connect with influential affiliates that you wish to have as part of your program.
7. Provide Promotional Assets
Once embedded onto their blog or website, the assets provided within the portal, such as banner ads, promotional offers, and even content, can be clicked on and tracked by affiliates.
8. Create an Educational Guide or Video
In a welcome email to new affiliates, send a toolkit containing the program’s details, along with a link to the program overview landing page. The toolkit should include information on sharing details, utilizing the portal, tips for achieving success, and more. Utilizing this approach will also allow you to introduce yourself as the program manager and start establishing a personal relationship with your affiliates.
9. Send Dedicated Emails
To promote participation, send dedicated emails that contain valuable program information. These emails may provide guidance on how to achieve success or suggest content that can be shared.
10. Write a Blog Post
This extended format content channel allows for the provision of more comprehensive program details. Subsequently, you can share the post through social channels or dedicated emails to further promote it.
11. Utilize a Revenue Share
The majority of affiliate programs provide a commission based on a percentage of the overall purchase, with monetary commissions such as PayPal being the most effective.
12. Offer a Dual Incentive
Providing a substantial boost can be achieved by rewarding both the affiliate and the referee. Coupon codes are an excellent choice to encourage the referee to convert, and they can be included in a personalized welcome message displayed when they arrive on your site.
13. Set up a Multi-Event Reward
To keep affiliates motivated throughout lengthy purchase cycles, consider offering rewards for multiple events. For instance, you can set an initial commission at a lower amount for generating a new lead, and then provide a higher commission once the lead successfully completes the sales cycle.
