Affiliate Program Management: Launch & Maintenance
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This document outlines the comprehensive process for launching and maintaining an affiliate program, detailing essential steps such as assessing goals, evaluating competition, building a strong foundation, and ensuring effective tracking and reporting. It emphasizes the importance of clear policies, communication, and ongoing affiliate management to foster productive relationships and enhance program success. The final thoughts highlight the need for continuous reviews, monitoring compliance, and adapting strategies based on feedback to grow the affiliate program effectively.
Affiliate Program Management: Launch & Maintenance
- 1. Affiliate Program Management: Launch & Maintenance Kim Salvino, Chateau 20 Amy Ely, Under Armour Karen Garcia, GTO Management Geno Prussakov, AM Navigator & AMDays.com
- 2. Agenda • Introduction • Step 1: Assess Program Goals & Reputation • Step 2: Evaluate the Competitive Landscape • Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation • Step 4: Confirm Tracking & Reporting • Step 5: Review Your Affiliate List • Step 6: Develop A Communication Plan • Step 7: Launch! • Step 8: Maintenance • Final Thoughts
- 3. Introduction
- 4. Avoid Being… a) Shallow b) Bland Introduction
- 5. Step 1 Assess Program Goals & Reputation
- 6. What Are Your Goals? Source: http://www.moviefanatic.com/gallery/scrat-in-ice-age-continental-drift/
- 7. Program Goals: Establish Baseline KPIs • Data, data, data…. • It’s not just the total number of affiliates • Where does affiliate sit in the ecommerce revenue stream? Step 1: Assess Program Goals & Reputation
- 8. Reputation: Assess Where You Stand • Google search, forum search, affiliate survey • Google alerts – set for you and competitors • Accept the positives. Address the negatives. Step 1: Assess Program Goals & Reputation
- 9. Step 2 Evaluate the Competitive Landscape
- 10. Competitive Landscape: How Do You Compare? • Commission rate • Cookie length • Conversion rate • Creative suite • Feeds and tools • Terms and conditions Step 2: Evaluate the Competitive Landscape
- 11. Step 3 Build A Strong Foundation
- 12. Strong Foundation: Program Agreement (avoid confusion) It is not the same as the affiliate network’s agreement! Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 13. Strong Foundation: Program Agreement (don’t fall prey) Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 14. Strong Foundation: Program Agreement (don’t fall prey) Merchant naïvete -- loss of defensive behaviors and adaptations needed to deal with “predators” Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 15. Strong Foundation: Program Agreement (7 areas to cover) 1. Coupon & discounts policy 2. Trademark policy 3. Search engine marketing rules 4. Policies on loyalty affiliates 5. Email marketing terms 6. Social media, reviews, endorsements 7. Toolbars, adware & parasitic behavior Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 16. Strong Foundation: Program Agreement (structure) 1. Foreword (including your contact info) 2. Summary (outlining the main points) 3. Full agreement Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 17. Strong Foundation: Program Agreement (sobering truth) “How often do you read the program agreement?” Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 18. Strong Foundation: Creative Selection Banners(and text links!) • Cover the common sizes • Include sizes to replace AdSense units • Analyze what works for competitors • Create affiliate-friendly banners • Deep text links to boost conversion Additional Resources • Well categorized, regularly updated data feed Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 19. Strong Foundation: Creative Selection Banner Sizes • 468×60 px – 2-5 banners (AdSense too) • 125×125 px – 2-5 • 120×600 px – 2-5 AdSense size • 88×31 px button – 2-5 overlooked opportunity! • 160×600 px – 2-3 AdSense size • 120×240 px – 2-3 • 234×60 px – 2-3 • 254×331 px – 2-3 • 728×90 px – 2-3 AdSense size • 720×300 px – 1-2 • 300×250 px – 1-2 Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 20. Strong Foundation: Creative Selection Competitor’s Banners Do analyze, but beware of skewed metrics! Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 21. Strong Foundation: Creative Selection Common Banner Mistakes 1. Poor graphics 2. Unreadable font 3. Phone number/URL 4. Excessive animation 5. Missing CTA 6. Poor contrast 7. No line around edge Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 22. Strong Foundation: Creative Selection Good Examples Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 23. Strong Foundation: Program Support Content (FAQs, blog, social media support) • Think like an affiliate and anticipate questions • Share key information • Search engine friendly copy and content Step 3: Build A Strong Foundation
- 24. Step 4 Confirm Tracking & Reporting
- 25. Tracking & Reporting Test, Test, Test…. • Test shopping cart in all major browsers o IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari • Complete a test purchase o Confirm tracking and reporting are working o Test with third party payment systems – PayPal, Google Checkout, etc. • Check each network o Ensure transactions across networks track properly **AFFILIATES WILL TEST YOUR TRACKING** Make sure it’s right BEFORE they find errors Step 4: Confirm Tracking & Reporting
- 26. Tracking & Reporting Mobile Ready • Add Safari to the list of browsers to test • Safari and Chrome = most widely used on mobile • NO FLASH, as not all mobile devices support flash • Ensure your cookie works in mobile Step 4: Confirm Tracking & Reporting
- 27. Step 5 Review Your Affiliate List
- 28. Affiliate List Review Current Partners • Check your placement on their site • Understand how they’re promoting you • Ensure compliance with Ts & Cs • Ask others about their reputation • Consult your network or OPM • Use search engines and forums to review positive and negative feedback Step 5: Review Your Affiliate List
- 29. Step 6 Develop A Communication Plan
- 30. Communication Plan Intro & Ongoing • Getting Started o Introductory newsletter and feedback request o Announce in forums and social media • Make A Plan For Continued Communication o Newsletter content and cadence o Forum and social media involvement …Most of All… Provide full contact details and be approachable, genuine and responsive to affiliates Step 6: Develop A Communication Plan
- 31. Step 7 Launch!
- 33. Maintenance Growth • Consistent and timely review of applications o Approval rubric • Develop and implement a marketing calendar o Go beyond the holidays o Motivate your affiliates to participate • Ongoing Recruitment o What is your target market? o Where do they live online? o Who can get you in front of them? • Activate your current affiliate base Step 8: Maintenance
- 34. Maintenance Ongoing Communication • Reply to affiliate questions promptly • Affiliate requests: can you go above and beyond? • Newsletters o Include important information succinctly o Do not waste your affiliates’ time o What’s working? What’s not? • Review all affiliate-facing content regularly o Merchant site landing page o Network landing page o All application related emails • Your FAQ is a living document Step 8: Maintenance
- 35. Maintenance Creatives & Feeds • Avoid the Valentine’s Day Turducken o It’s January…what holiday banners do you have up? • Keep tabs on your demographics o Has your target demographic changed? o Has a new product or service expanded your customer scope? • Data feeds o Automation ensures regular updates o Review all feeds regularly from an affiliate perspective • Ask Your Affiliates What They Want Step 8: Maintenance
- 36. Maintenance Ongoing Affiliate Review Continue to review your current partners (look familiar?) • Check your placement on their site • Understand how they’re promoting you • Ensure compliance with Ts & Cs • Ask others about their reputation • Consult your network or OPM • Use search engines and forums to review positive and negative feedback Plus… • Utilize network segmentation tools • Look for simple suggestions to help Step 5: Review Your Affiliate List
- 37. Maintenance Compliance • Ensure your policies are clear o Repeated infractions could be a sign of unclear verbiage • Have a plan o What is the procedure for dealing with offenders? • Send regular reminders • Available Tools o Available network data can be useful, but often isn’t enough o Screenshots are your friend o Plus plenty of compliance resources… Step 8: Maintenance
- 38. Maintenance Compliance …speaking of compliance with program terms…. Agreement gives you a foundation, but is no substitute for policing & compliance enforcement Step 8: Maintenance
- 39. Maintenance Tools for Policing Compliance In Paid Search Campaigns: • iTrademarkBidding – itrademarkbidding.com • Brandverity PoachMark – brandverity.com/poachmark • SearchMonitor – thesearchmonitor.com/affiliate_monitor • AdGooroo Trademark Insight – adgooroo.com In Domain Names: • CitizenHawk – citizenhawk.com Step 8: Maintenance
- 40. Final Thoughts + Key Takeaways Set clear goals and measures of success Ensure the program is (and remains) competitive Build a strong foundation (terms, creative, support) Confirm (and continually test) tracking/reporting Design and carry out a solid communication plan Review (and continue to review) your affiliate list Monitor compliance and create an action plan Be responsive, proactive, build strong relationships and use feedback to grow and support your program Final Thoughts
- 41. Additional Resources Resources: Web Sites & Podcasts: Merchant ABCs & Geekcast.fm AMNavigator.com/TOS.html Book: Affiliate Program Management: An Hour a Day eBook: How to Start and Run a Profitable Affiliate Program http://merchantabcs.com/free(free today!) Find Us On Twitter Kim Salvino @kim_salvino Amy Ely @aely Karen Garcia @karengarcia Geno Prussakov @eprussakov