Does your affiliate program brand stand out?
If you’re a web retailer doing affiliate marketing this is a crucial question to ask yourself. Without a good program brand you are fighting an uphill battle to retain the loyalty of your strongest partnerships.
On the other hand, with a strong program brand, the needle moves quicker and in a more responsible way. Reaching sales milestones becomes easier, and you’ll discover quickly that a strong program brand can be your most powerful recruiting tool.
The better your program is positioned as the authority in your category, the easier it is to attract strong partnerships.
How do I build an authoritative affiliate program for my category?
First, be sure your store converts well so that when a publisher sends a customer they have a better chance of earning a commission. The networks and platforms report conversion rates, and the lower yours is, the more likely prospective partners will move on.
Next, have a dedicated and experienced program manager. Your program manager should be a communications specialist with the ability to build and maintain relationships. They should be responsive, patient, transparent, communicate clearly, and support your publishers to the highest degree.
It should be a no-brainier for publishers to send traffic your way, instead of to your competitor. Your program manager can influence that decision by being predictable, and following standard <a href=”https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/post/affiliate-marketing-workflow-management” title=”affiliate marketing workflow and management guidelines”>affiliate marketing workflow and management guidelines</a>.
Program managers should advocate for the success of their publishers. If they succeed, so does the manager and the store. Characteristics of a good program manager might include, but are not limited to, someone that’s a…
- Strong communicator
- Relationship builder
- Skilled merchandiser
- Ad copywriter
Building an authoritative affiliate program brand is not difficult but it is a process that takes time. Find a good program manager, pay them what they’re worth, and be patient. Measure results over months and years, not days and weeks.
When considering your affiliate program’s brand, realize this is distinct and separate from your store brand. Your customers know and respect your store brand, but your publishers and ambassadors should know another. It’s worth repeating…
The creation of a strong affiliate program brand is your best recruiting tool!
When you step to the front of the pack in terms of understanding the value of publishers, and supporting their efforts, you win.
This article was originally published at LinkedIn Pulse.
