Guntater
Regular Member
- Dec 1, 2021
- 395
- 418
We know that affiliate marketing is a worthwhile, low-risk avenue for us to make decent profit but in my experience as a marketer, I've made several observations. There are misconceptions that people have about Affiliate Programs (I'll refer to them as APs for brevity) that are best avoided.
Before we start, a few general tips:
Now, onto my main points:
You can see if APs are valuable by looking at how they affect the customer's journey.
Good affiliate marketers only choose partners that bring significant value.
In reality, APs can be a great way to bring in new customers and help speed up the time it takes to make a purchase.
They can make sure that credit is given where it is deserved based on the customer's journey.
With the right technology, affiliate teams can work with other teams to make sure that they are not taking credit for growth influenced by other efforts.
The affiliate team can work with the paid search team to control costs.
They can give the paid search team a list of terms to approve, flag, or remove. This way, both teams can grow their market share by having a strategic approach to how their ads appear in search results.
APs can also help you reach new audiences by getting your brand mentioned in articles and linked back to your site.
In some cases, affiliate links can even push out your competitors in search results!
Before we start, a few general tips:
- Ensure your AP fits your business.
- Don't just shake hands with anybody. Consider the quality of your partners and find out what they can do for you.
- Your goals, cost framework, and attribution systems should match theirs.
- Make sure you're content with the agreement/contract you get.
Now, onto my main points:
1.
APs are not just about coupons that reduce the value of your sales. You can see if APs are valuable by looking at how they affect the customer's journey.
Good affiliate marketers only choose partners that bring significant value.
In reality, APs can be a great way to bring in new customers and help speed up the time it takes to make a purchase.
2.
APs don't take credit away from other teams that helped with growth. They can make sure that credit is given where it is deserved based on the customer's journey.
With the right technology, affiliate teams can work with other teams to make sure that they are not taking credit for growth influenced by other efforts.
3.
Using APs won't make your advertising costs go up. The affiliate team can work with the paid search team to control costs.
They can give the paid search team a list of terms to approve, flag, or remove. This way, both teams can grow their market share by having a strategic approach to how their ads appear in search results.
APs can also help you reach new audiences by getting your brand mentioned in articles and linked back to your site.
In some cases, affiliate links can even push out your competitors in search results!
