With so many affiliate programs and so many great deals that we would like affiliates to promote, the challenge is how to get affiliates to focus on your deal.

The first thing to do is make sure your network is updated with fresh banners and text Links. This is mission one (critical). Do not waste affiliates’ time by serving up old creative that does not work.  Second, make sure your product feed is clean and up to date, too.  The more you show you care about your affiliate program and its maintenance, the better. For affiliates, promoting your program is a commitment of time and resources. Show them you treat it the same way.

Newsletters – Keep in Touch

An easy way to make sure that affiliates see your offers is to send them a newsletter. You can either send it through your network or through an outside email service provider such as Constant Contact.  If the material is uploaded in a network as a link, it is best to use the html newsletter feature offered by the network and embed the link into the newsletter so that the affiliate can see the material and quickly pick up the html.  In the newsletter:

  • Provide a link to your detailed page link (within a network) so that the affiliate can login to see all of your assets and select from them.
  • Describe when and how the marketing material should be used. Is it for a special sale event? How long will the sale last? Any coupon redemption instructions? Who the target audience is?
  • You can even give your content affiliates some sample content that they can copy and paste.

Email – For the Personal Touch

If you have a personal/direct email address for an affiliate, use it! Direct communication is important – especially when you are trying to ensure that an affiliate gets time-sensitive information such as limited time special offers.

Use Your Network to the Fullest

The best way to get your offer noticed is to know how to work the best with your top affiliates. Each affiliate is unique, and each has his or her own way of picking up deals.  One may have a special email address while another might let you submit the deal right to their site. Another may want the newsletter sent directly to them.