There is a right and a wrong way to promote your affiliate program.
As an online seller using affiliate marketing, there are two elements that create the foundation of your business success: your products and your affiliates. Your products represent the value you add in peopleâs lives; your affiliates represent the channels you use to promote products.
One thing I came to realize is that in each niche, there are typically many affiliates but only a few good ones. And it is those few good ones that will make 80% or more of the sales, thus having the greatest contribution to your profit.
Obviously, you want to keep these key affiliates happy, and this is where building positive relationships with them comes into play. When it comes to dealing with your affiliates, I believe you need to think in terms of customer service and to serve them in an excellent way.
This is the right strategy to promote your affiliate program.
With this in mind, here are my top four tips for building positive relationships with your affiliates.
1. Give Affiliates Additional Info
I teach people social skills such as how to start a conversation or how to find good conversation topics. Iâm also an affiliate for products in this niche. I particularly enjoy promoting one product on social skills because the guy who created it makes it real easy for me as an affiliate.
Without me even asking, he periodically gives me information I donât have access to, such as the number of visitors he gets from my blog and the conversion rate. Not only that I appreciate the gesture, but it also allows me to tweak the promotion of his product, which ends up benefiting both me and him.
As a seller, itâs important to constantly ask yourself: âWhat would my affiliates benefit from knowing?â Figure out how you can help them by giving them pieces of valuable information related to the marketing and sales process. Then, offer them that information, in an unsolicited manner.
2. Help Affiliates with Their Business
The work of your affiliates probably doesnât revolve around promoting your product. Thatâs just one piece of an entire online business they have and try to develop. Chances are that you can also help them in additional ways with this process, and if this is the case, you want to do so.
For example, if one of your affiliates struggles with customizing their blog theme and you know somebody that might be able to help them out, put them in touch with that person. If you can, even obtain a special discount price for them or something like that.
Affiliates love it when you go the extra mile and you help them not only to sell your product, but with their business as a whole. It shows that you care about them as long-term partners. So you always want to learn about the struggles of your affiliates in their business in general, and see how you can aid them.
3. Build a Personal Relationship
This is the most important part you should take into account when thinking about how you promote your affiliate program, short and long term.
One thing I love to do when Iâm endorsing somebodyâs products on my blog is to actually get to know them as a person and connect with them at a personal level. Usually, before I become an affiliate for a seller, I will have a phone or Skype conversation with them, to get to know them.
I find that many individuals are like me. Theyâre not comfortable promoting some product theyâve found on ClickBank, without knowing almost anything about the person who created it. They want to get to know that person, to have a conversation with them and get a feeling that theyâre the real thing.
So as a seller, itâs important to make yourself available for interactions with your affiliates. Even more, I think you want to initiate interactions with the key affiliates who are making you a lot of money.
Email them and say: âIâve noticed that youâre promoting my products and Iâd like to get to know you and your business better. Can I give you a call next week?â
4. Say âThank Youâ
Sometimes, small details can be significant in building positive relationships. One such detail is thanking people for working with you. Itâs amazing how rare this simple gesture is, and how it delights people.
Every once in a while remember to thank your affiliates in an authentic way for doing business with you. Donât wait for special occasions, just do it as a standalone thing. Write your affiliates a sincere thank you email right now. Youâll put a smile on their face.
I believe relationships are the new commodity in business. And it is the persons who are savvy at connecting with others, online or offline, that get ahead. Focus on building quality products and quality relationships. Your business will thrive more than you can imagine.
AUTHOR RESOURCE BOX
Eduard Ezeanu teaches people how to make small talk and confidently put their best foot forward in communication. He also writes on his blog, People Skills Decoded.
