With the biggest shopping week of the year right around the corner, your marketing plan for November and December better be in place. But is there another way you can attract customers to your site that you may not have thought of?  Yes! Your affiliates would love some holiday cheer as well.    

Consumers are shopping earlier and earlier every year and offers are expected to begin in October.  More and more brick and mortar stores are opening on Thanksgiving Day, which translates to more shoppers online as well.  As a result, Cyber Monday is transitioning to Cyber Week.  Here are a few strategies to consider to maximize affiliate revenue this holiday season: 

Put your best offer forward 

Make sure that your product offer is enticing for consumers. Help your affiliates by making them aware of your best-selling products and provide them with your best banners and text links.  A landing page with all of your top products or holiday deals helps affiliates drive traffic to the highest converting products. Free shipping is a great Q4 offer, and is popular with affiliates.

Launch an inactive campaign

You know those affiliates who join your program but never send any clicks or sales your way? Give them an extra incentive, like a small commission increase, to direct some holiday traffic to your site. A basic inactive campaign will activate 10 to 20 dormant affiliates.

Optimize affiliate commissions

Loyalty and reward affiliate drive a majority of consumer shopping, followed closely by coupon and deal affiliates.  Plan your holiday commission structure to optimize with these publishers.

Secure strategic paid placements

Deepen your affiliate relationships by paying for ad space on their site, newsletters, or social media outlets. Be featured prominently can boost sales..  Most affiliates sell space on their home page or within category pages.  They often have subscribers to their newsletters, fans on their Facebook pages or followers on Twitter, which is another way to get your offer in front of new consumers.

Affiliate Gifts 

Everyone wants to be noticed. Show your top affiliates some love by sending them gifts.  A simple card thanking them for their partnership throughout the year, or a small gift card can go a long way in solidifying a lasting relationship.