Affiliate Management: Keep It Fresh without Short Circuiting Their Brain
If you sell anything online, whether physical products, information products, or even services such as coaching, setting up an affiliate program is an excellent way for your business to grow and profit to its fullest potential.
My affiliate manager, business partners and I have been working very hard to make sure we are giving our affiliates the material they want and need in order to convert their customers and visitors to buyers.
One of the biggest mistakes I see with many affiliate programs is when product owners throw a few graphics and links on their site and leave the rest to the affiliates. The first problem with this is that the product owner ASSUMES everyone is a master at affiliate marketing. Not the case at all. Many affiliates are new to the affiliate marketing world and need guidance. If you aren’t there to offer them that help, how can they become great affiliates and sell your product to their potential.
That said, I’ve also noticed that some affiliate programs assume that their affiliates know zilch about affiliate marketing. They bombard them with emails telling them exactly how to do everything. They make it a long drawn out process that those who are experienced in affiliate marketing get sick of seeing. Many times, this can cause a possible super affiliate to leave the program because they just don’t need information on a daily basis. I’ve seen it happen.
Similarly, brand new affiliates may get overwhelmed with all the information if you give them too much at once, defeating the purpose altogether when they don’t promote because they can’t make sense of everything soon enough.
Now, I’m not saying don’t let your affiliates know what to do and I’m also not saying that you should just leave it up to them. What I’m getting at is that you need to have material for both ends of the scale, without burning any of them out before they get started. They should also be able to choose a learning track that's most appropriate for them. If you want to send them "how to" emails, get permission to do so first.
Another great tool that has been working for myself and a number of other online business owners I work with is a dedicated website set up as an affiliate center that houses all of your promotional material as well as training material for those who need it. You can also include a blog with all the affiliate updates, so if email gets lost or your affiliates want to comment or ask a question, they can do so.
Once you have that set up you need to concentrate on 2 things when it comes to your affiliates.
First, be available to them. Whether it’s you or an affiliate manager, be there if and when they need you. If you show them how important they are to you, they will produce better results. They will feel that sense of trust and willingness to help them succeed and not just put money in your pocket.
Second, keep the material fresh. Now, I don’t mean you have to post something new for them every single day or even week, but don’t just throw your site up and leave it without updating and adding new material. Make sure you have plenty of resources available to help them should they need it without having to contact you directly. Some people just don’t want to have to wait for their answers and if you give them those answers right there on your site, they won’t likely forget about it or get busy waiting for you to tell them how. Create a FAQ section or step-by-step instructions telling them how to re-direct their links.
These are just a few of the ways you can keep your affiliates happy, because if they aren’t happy they aren’t productive.
For more ideas on how to make your affiliates love you and excited about promoting your products, grab your free affiliate management tips here
=> Affiliate Manager Tips
My affiliate manager, business partners and I have been working very hard to make sure we are giving our affiliates the material they want and need in order to convert their customers and visitors to buyers.
One of the biggest mistakes I see with many affiliate programs is when product owners throw a few graphics and links on their site and leave the rest to the affiliates. The first problem with this is that the product owner ASSUMES everyone is a master at affiliate marketing. Not the case at all. Many affiliates are new to the affiliate marketing world and need guidance. If you aren’t there to offer them that help, how can they become great affiliates and sell your product to their potential.
That said, I’ve also noticed that some affiliate programs assume that their affiliates know zilch about affiliate marketing. They bombard them with emails telling them exactly how to do everything. They make it a long drawn out process that those who are experienced in affiliate marketing get sick of seeing. Many times, this can cause a possible super affiliate to leave the program because they just don’t need information on a daily basis. I’ve seen it happen.
Similarly, brand new affiliates may get overwhelmed with all the information if you give them too much at once, defeating the purpose altogether when they don’t promote because they can’t make sense of everything soon enough.
Now, I’m not saying don’t let your affiliates know what to do and I’m also not saying that you should just leave it up to them. What I’m getting at is that you need to have material for both ends of the scale, without burning any of them out before they get started. They should also be able to choose a learning track that's most appropriate for them. If you want to send them "how to" emails, get permission to do so first.
Another great tool that has been working for myself and a number of other online business owners I work with is a dedicated website set up as an affiliate center that houses all of your promotional material as well as training material for those who need it. You can also include a blog with all the affiliate updates, so if email gets lost or your affiliates want to comment or ask a question, they can do so.
Once you have that set up you need to concentrate on 2 things when it comes to your affiliates.
First, be available to them. Whether it’s you or an affiliate manager, be there if and when they need you. If you show them how important they are to you, they will produce better results. They will feel that sense of trust and willingness to help them succeed and not just put money in your pocket.
Second, keep the material fresh. Now, I don’t mean you have to post something new for them every single day or even week, but don’t just throw your site up and leave it without updating and adding new material. Make sure you have plenty of resources available to help them should they need it without having to contact you directly. Some people just don’t want to have to wait for their answers and if you give them those answers right there on your site, they won’t likely forget about it or get busy waiting for you to tell them how. Create a FAQ section or step-by-step instructions telling them how to re-direct their links.
These are just a few of the ways you can keep your affiliates happy, because if they aren’t happy they aren’t productive.
For more ideas on how to make your affiliates love you and excited about promoting your products, grab your free affiliate management tips here
=> Affiliate Manager Tips
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