Comments Off on Selling the Affiliate Program

Here is a typical outline of issues that a merchant (advertiser) should consider when explaining to prospective affiliates (publishers) why they should consider participating in the merchant’s “performance-based advertising” program (affiliate program). Read more »

Comments Off on Outsourced Program Management (OPM) for Affiliate Programs

1. My usual recommendation is that merchants should hire a full-time in-house affiliate manager to administer the program. However, you should be aware that there are a number of “outsourcing” options for administration of an affiliate program. Read more »

Comments Off on Affiliate Program Policies

This is a quick summary of the “program policies” that I frequently recommend that advertisers (merchants) consider when creating or updating their “affiliate program.” Read more »

Comments Off on Captive and Stealth Affiliates

In every niche, there are “opportunities” that seem open for exploitation, and usually the affiliate manager can identify several such opportunities. For example, she may say, “There should be a web site that compares pricing or service levels for [these products/services].” Or she may identify one or more “acquisition targets,” such as content sites which are “stale” and which are either available for purchase or due for expiration. Read more »

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Once a new affiliate program is launched, these are the most common strategies for recruiting new affiliates; I assume this work will be done initially by a single full-time affiliate manager. Read more »

Comments Off on My Usual Recommendations (for Merchants planning an affiliate program)

This is the most common set of recommendations I give to merchants who are planning to launch an “affiliate program,” based on the factors discussed in my other posts in this section. Read more »

Comments Off on Affiliate Technology & Network Choice

• There are dozens of “technology options” for a merchant to implement an affiliate program. Read more »

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• Primary Factors Considered by Affiliates: When a prospective affiliate is considering which merchants’ programs to join and promote, the affiliate may consider a wide range of factors. Many affiliates rely only on one or a few of these factors in making decisions; none consider all factors. Read more »

Comments Off on Public vs. Private Affiliate Programs

1. Should your affiliate program be public or private?
   • Public: Most affiliate programs are “public,” so that any member of the general public can learn about the merchant’s affiliate program (by using a link on the merchant’s site, by viewing a list of merchants on an affiliate network, or by finding a listing for the merchant in an “affiliate directory” site).
   • Private: However, several thousand merchants offer “private” or “secret” affiliate programs, which are available by “invitation only.” Read more »

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As a consultant, I earn much of my income by advising merchants who seek to add an “affiliate program” (also called an “associate program,” “referral program,” or “partner program”). However, not all merchants should have affiliate programs, and even those who can benefit from an affiliate program should be aware of certain “drawbacks.” Read more »