How to Prepare for Fourth Quarter

Fourth quarter is undoubtedly not only the busiest time of year, but also the most profitable for most Affiliate Marketers. 

Therefore, you need start planning NOW!

Here is a list of things that you can do immediately. These are all actionable suggestions that will allow you to savor the holiday season while still making money!

Look at Last Year’s Stats

First things first. Look at what you did last year:

• What worked (deep linking, giveaways, using dynamic banners,etc.)?  Do that again! 
• What didn’t work (promoting through a certain social media channel, working with non-FTP Datafeed Merchants, etc.)?  Don’t do that again!
• Which Merchants performed well for you and which did not?

Look at what types of blog posts or social media blasts converted best or received the most clicks. Analyze your data, interpret the data and act on the data.

Search for New Merchants to Promote

New brands are joining the Affiliate Marketing space every single day. We regularly add new Merchants to the site and if you’re not paying attention you could easily miss out. That is great news for all bloggers out there – so many options! It’s easy to stick with what’s familiar but make sure to check in frequently with new Merchants because you could find a real gem! You can use the on-site search feature to identify up-and-coming Merchants who would fit into your blog’s niche or theme, and also search by product to stay in line with items that you already are promoting.

Tip: Browsing the web and curious to know if a brand or company is on ShareASale?  Use our Bookmarklet tool to quickly find out!

Try Something New

Affiliate Marketing is constantly changing because the internet is constantly changing. New tools, new rules, new strategies, new social media platforms, etc. Because of this state of constant change, bloggers need to be ready to adapt and try new things to make sure your blog is on top! Make sure to do research, stay up-to-date on blogging trends and force yourself to implement a new strategy. You never know what might just work. 

Start Looking for Deals Early!

Deals, deals, deals! The fourth quarter is full of deals! Black Friday deals, Cyber Monday deals, holiday deals and more. Start looking as soon as possible for deals to fit your blog. When people begin their holiday shopping, make sure you are the one they run to in order to find the deals of the year!

Sign up for ShareASale’s Coupons & Deals Database RSS Feed to get instant notifications of our newest deals. We even have a Black Friday & Cyber Monday category!

Use Gift Guides

Gift Guides are amazing.  Seriously.  Who wouldn’t love these little morsels of themed gift inspiration? Create beautiful image maps of images. Spend time creating unique niche themes. Find gifts that you’d give or want to receive. Do not underestimate the power of gift guides!

Here is our gift guide inspiration for you:

Think About Next Year

On top of planning for the fourth quarter, you should begin the beginning stages of coming up with a strategic plan for the following year. It might feel stressful to be planning this before the current year is over, but we promise that it will be well worth it!

RULE OF THUMB = Plan Ahead!

The fourth quarter is all about planning ahead. It is a busy time for everyone, but planning ahead can not only alleviate a lot of stress, allowing you to revel in all the festivities, parties and get-together’s, but it can also ensure that you are not missing out on any extra cash!