Change is Good but Be Prepared

September 16, 2005

Chelsey Langan
Business Development Manager, HomeGain.com

The affiliate marketing is an industry that is constantly changing. Modifying your program for the twists and turns (cookie stuffing, trademark bidding, spyware, Google policy and algorithm changes) that online marketing throws at you can be difficult. Here are some things to keep in mind as change inevitably comes your way.

Be Flexible
Expect the unexpected and trust that affiliates will often be on the forefront of any technological innovation. It used to be programs were only pay-per-sale. Today we have multiple payout structures: cost-per-sale, cost-per-click, cost-per-lead, cost-per-acquisition and other various hybrid models. Affiliates are going to want to try new things as they come along; you need to be able to give them options.

Be Responsive
If an affiliate takes the time to ask a question, as an affiliate manager you should take the time to respond. Even if you cannot answer the question immediately, send an email letting the affiliate know that you received their email and will respond soon. Communication is the key to any successful relationship. I view my affiliates as partners, and a partnership is a two-way street. Both sides need to work together to make the most out of the relationship. It’s all about partnership, sharing and communication.

Reward
Reward those affiliates who are top performers with special payouts and bonuses for reaching targeted goals. Remember, we are all working toward the same goal, to earn revenue.

Get in the Trenches
All affiliate managers should also be affiliates. This will help you have a better understanding of the intricacies of affiliate marketing. You will be more sympathetic to the challenges affiliates face and likely have a better idea of trends and issues that are coming down the pipeline.

Offer Help
Many things can impact the success of affiliates - poor shopping carts, low conversion rates, commission rates, tracking, lack of communication, fraud or a poor understanding of the market. Find affiliate partners who consistently perform and continue to develop new campaigns to market a program and product. Do as much as possible to help low-performing affiliates turn around programs. Don’t just rely on top-performers to keep your program successful. Try to make a larger percentage of your affiliates successful.

Encourage Affiliates to Focus
Affiliates often fail by spreading themselves too thin. Encourage them not to sign up for 20 programs and expect to build out high converting sites for each program. Advise them to focus on building out a site, optimizing it and then promoting it before moving on to the next program.

Remember, never underestimate an affiliate and be sure to keep the lines of communication open. Affiliate Managers and affiliate marketers are on the same side, if we work together, we can all achieve our goals. Hold onto your hat, affiliate marketing is here to stay and, like a fine bottle of red wine, will only improve with age.

From: Revenue Today