Times they are a-changin’, and becoming an affiliate is not as easy as it was even just a year or two ago. But just because things are slightly more difficult, that doesn’t mean that you can’t build a truly successful affiliate campaign in today’s economy. Follow these top tips, and you’ll be off to a flying start.
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Choose your affiliate programmes wisely
These days, almost every large merchant with a retail presence online will have an affiliate programme. That means that, for the first-time affiliate, you’ll have plenty of choice. Make sure you maximise your opportunities by picking merchants that offer adequate affiliate support. Some key things to look out for include:
1) A detailed product feed – this will mean that you are always offering the same products as your merchant, and you can give your visitors at least as much information as they’d get from the merchant’s own website.
2) Assurance regarding tracking and payment – you don’t want to invest your time and money into an affiliate relationship that will not reward you for your efforts.
3) Contact details of an individual – it is essential to know who you can contact in case you need to troubleshoot any issues. You’ll also begin to understand the structure of the affiliate relationship with the merchant if you know who the individual you’re dealing with works for. Are they a employee of the merchant, or an agency? Knowing these details helps you make an informed decision about which affiliate programmes to get involved with.
Embrace technology – even if you aren’t that tech-savvy yourself
We’ve already talked about product feeds and tracking… if you aren’t comfortable implementing and understanding such technology yourself, it is essential to get someone on board who can help you. Even if it is just a friend doing you a favour at the beginning of your affiliate career, you’ll find it invaluable to know that everything is working how it should.
Keep your sites topped up with unique content
Though it takes slightly longer, you will reap rewards for having unique content on your affiliate site. Every white hat SEO will tell you that content is king, and Google will not classify you as a “Thin Affiliate” if you offer a broader depth of content than what you’ll find on the merchant website. Having great, relevant content onsite will help your PPC quality scores if you’re bidding. Interesting content will turn your visitors into returning readers, so community affiliates will benefit too.
Be proactive and friendly
Direct contact with the key players in the affiliate-merchant relationship is a must. The chances are that each merchant will have an Affiliate Manager, and it is this individual who holds all the power in granting you more favourable terms and commissions. Being on good terms with the employees of the big affiliate networks such as Affiliate Window can be a massive bonus if you get into trouble with tracking issues. By being friendly, approachable, and always available by phone as well as email, you’ll easily be able to maintain those relationships. Play an active role in communication by making that indroductory phone call, and you’ll soon be on good terms with all the important stakeholders.
Know your merchant
Having a detailed understanding of the merchant you’re working with will pay dividends for you. Knowledge of the products they sell is of course essential, but more subtle details can help you, too. As this website demonstrates, a colour scheme which matches that of the merchant (in this case, T-Mobile UK) helps visitors feel reassured that they are on a legitimate website. It will also help the customer’s journey when they transfer from affiliate site into the merchant’s basket, and hopefully make a purchase.
If you don’t plan on developing your own in-house copywriting style, it may be worth matching the merchant’s – without directly taking their content, of course – as this will also make your visitors feel familiar with the brand you are marketing.
Join an affiliate community
There are multiple benefits to joining an affiliate community, the largest being that you’ll be able to find out information from more experienced affiliates. The biggest online community is A4U, which has an active forum in which to chat to other affiliates. As the old adage goes, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know; so keep your eyes open for networking opportunities and connections that you can make to further your opportunities.
Make sure you follow Google’s Quality Guidelines.
You will be taken more seriously as a credible website if you follow Google’s guidelines to the letter. Although more experienced affiliates are experts at bouncing right back from being de-indexed or getting Google Slapped, for first-time affiliates it is definitely best to steer clear of anything dodgy – if a search engine locks you out, that can be detrimental to a fledging affiliate!
If you’re marketing to UK-based customers, it is an especially good idea to keep on Google’s good side, because Google has almost complete UK market share.
If something works, great! Don’t expect it to work forever
When you hit upon a money-making scheme, that is fantastic! Even better if it provides minimal efforts for maximum rewards. But Search engines are nothing if not temperamental, and techniques that work one week may suddenly fail, with no warning, the next. Something may be a ranking factor one week, but a spam signal the next, and profitable paid search terms may suddenly turn cold within hours. This is why it is essential for affiliates to spread their risk across multiple strategies, and with multiple merchants. Follow this advice and you won’t get stung by a nasty surprise (and nor will your finances).
So there you have it; these few tips will stand you in good stead as you march off towards a career in affiliate marketing, and keep you in the business as long as possible. Happy marketing!