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October = spooky season but it also means the holidays and Q4 are right around the corner. Even though we’re still a couple months out, when it comes to affiliate marketing you need to start prepping well in advance. To secure the best promotions with the most desirable partners, brands need to be ahead of the game and especially ahead of their competitors. Why is that? Not only do prices increase the closer it gets to the end of the year, but placements fill up early and you don’t want to end up in a position without publishers to work with. So as you’re drafting your plans for the last stretch of the year, here are some things to keep in mind so you can put yourself in the best position working with affiliates.
#1 Branding
Branding is very important in Q4. Publishers are going to be comparing brands based on what they bring to the table. Brands should work on preparing their marketing materials, assets, and deals weeks before the intended promotion to make sure they get the best value for their spots, and that they snag them before they’re gone. If you’re struggling with what to include in your media kit, some items we recommend are canned content (graphics, captions, videos) that affiliates can use on your behalf, links to previous media features, and eye-catching brand news like X product went viral on TikTok and our best seller Y sold out in less than 24 hours after our last restock.
#2 Promotions
Make sure you articulate all the sale items and promotions you have running for the holiday season. It’s better to give affiliates too much info than not enough, especially in Q4 when there’s more deals going on than normal. Connecting deals with key holiday shopping markers like Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, day after Christmas sales, and limited edition holiday items, will help affiliates build more targeted and relevant promotions for your audience.
#3 Partners
When choosing which partners to work with in Q4 you have to keep in mind that most people aren’t shopping for themselves, they’re buying gifts for other people in their lives. You might sell strictly men’s clothing, and in a normal month it wouldn’t make sense to publish with SheKnows or a blog geared towards women. However, in November and December when women are searching “best gifts for men” and “what to buy my boyfriend for Christmas” you’ll wish you’d secured a spot with them. Think about who is shopping for your target audience this holiday season and shoot for placements that will gain their attention.
#4 Pricing
The sad reality is, having a good product isn’t enough to secure a promotion in Q4. It’s the busiest season for retail, everyone is trying to promote ahead of the holidays, and organic placements are few and far between (if they even exist). The best way to approach publishers is putting your best foot forward and hoping they bite. Most mass media publishers are looking for at least 15% CPA for a competitive offer, according to our head of content partnerships, Becca Norr, and coupling this with a paid placement in Q4 could boost your chances lead to organic inclusions down the line. Since content pricing goes up in the last quarter, we recommend establishing your budget for these affiliates ahead of time and making a list of the affiliates you want to work with the most. Decide if you want to focus on mass media or bloggers and influencers and work from the top of your list down until you’ve exhausted your media spend across your desired partners.
Hopefully these 4 tips to consider will help you navigate the last quarter successfully so you can secure the best partnerships for your brand and see massive returns in the last stretch of the year. Wishing you the best of luck and a high ROAS this Q4!
