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Loyal affiliates should get paid |
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Monday, 19 May 2008 |
If you're running an affiliate program there's nothing worse than
seeing your publishers run to the competition because they offer a slightly
better commission. Affiliates that don't cross over so easily are worth
their weight in gold. |  |  |
How can you keep your affiliates by your side ? Presents, bonuses and incentives
are one good way, but affiliate marketing should be based on long-term collaboration
and trust. To really make a collaboration soar, it's not enough to just
invest financially.
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Provide your affiliates with good looking creatives, with up-to-date offers.
A banner with just a company logo does not convert well. Affiliate marketing
is a channel for sales and leads, not just brand promotion.
- Provide special offers regularly (free shipment for example), to which your
affiliates can place links. This will give your affiliates more possibilities
to promote your offers.
- Provide an easy possibility to deeplink.
- Be very specific about what is understood as a lead. Be as detailed as possible
about what you expect for your money, so affiliates won't be disappointed
when you disapprove a lead for a reason they only vaguely understand.
- Regularly go through the process of approving or disapproving leads or sales,
and be as transparent as possible about it.
- Pay out your affiliates on time.
- Provide a fast way of communicating with your affiliates, for example by starting
up a blog. By commenting your affiliates will also have the possibility to communicate
with each other. A blog is also a good way to announce news about your offers.
- If you have technical problems, compensate your affiliates.
- Don't let problems lie around for too long. Act as fast as possible on
every complaint. Answer e-mails within a day.
Affiliates are serious business partners, and should be treated that way. They
deserve all the attention they need if you want the long-term success of your
program guaranteed.
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