When contacting an Affiliate:
- Don’t spam!
- Do research the affiliate’s site before contacting them.
- Craft a message that is concise and to the point using legitimate stats and minimal sales jargon.
- Personalize! Using the research you did on their site, communicate exactly why the two of you create a great team. Use specific examples that highlight the potential between your product and the website they operate.
- Be gracious. Affiliates are real people and just like you, they appreciate the thoughtful touch of something like a hand written thank you note. Be sure to thank you recruits when they’ve done something special like joined the program or made their first sale.
Think outside the box:
- Think of related marketers who may not already be in affiliate marketing but might be a good fit. For example, Sell hair products? Consider reaching out to salons. Or sell pet products? Contact some local dog-walkers.
- Affiliates and bloggers specifically are in high demand. They may be receiving hundreds of program invitations on a regular basis. Find a way to cut above the noise and make your program stand out! Which brings us to the next point…
Incentivize:
- To maximize the ROI on the hard work you put in to find the perfect prospective Affiliate, provide them with the absolute best incentive you can offer. Some examples of join incentives may include the following:\
- Double or triple commission for a period of time.
- Cash bonus in exchange for a specific action such as blog post, social shares, banner placement, etc.
- Tangible product. The double reward with sending product is not only is it a nice bonus reward, it also guarantees the Affiliate will become that much more familiar with your product from first hand experience. Plus who doesn’t love getting something in the mail?
Recruitment Tips
Consider timing:
- Affiliate recruitment is traditionally slower during the fourth quarter and there may be fewer affiliates looking to join new programs during this time.
- If you have a high sales season, be sure to put extra emphasis on recruitment several months before to allow affiliates enough time to set up their site with your links and maximize on the sales potential.
Plan, plan, plan!
- Keep a log of affiliate prospects you’ve already contacted as well as a target list and remember to follow-up
- Track which recruitment tactics are working and converting best for you
- Carve out time on a regular basis that is dedicated solely on recruitment efforts.
Program Integrity:
- Try to remember to keep the focus on the quality of affiliates rather than the quantity. It can be easy to wrapped up in the number of affiliate in a program when the attention and effort should be on finding quality affiliates who will help grow a program. A program could have 1,000 low quality affiliates with 1% driving sales, or 50 really solid high quality affiliates with 30% driving sales. Concentrate resources on affiliates who are motivated and well matched to market your product or service.
Additional Resources:
Learn about our Recruiting Tool
