Affiliate Program Management

Affiliate program management can take the time and hassle out of your partnership program. Although affiliate marketing generates a high ROI, it can also be resource-intensive. Cultivating publisher relationships takes time and effort so it requires a dedicated focus to do well. But not all companies have the in-house expertise in affiliate channels or can hire people especially for it. This is where program management can help. In this article, we explore what it is, how it works, and which types of businesses can benefit from it the most.

 

What Is Program Management?

Affiliate program management is where the running of a campaign or account is outsourced to a third-party. It’s usually handled by specialist agencies that are subject-specific experts in marketing. They can take care of the everyday management of your network which frees up time for your team to focus on other areas. But the best companies won’t just manage your affiliate programs – they’ll focus on growth and multiply your revenue results.

Affiliate marketing companies will have a team of dedicated program managers who can oversee your channel. They usually have at least five years of experience which means they’re able to develop strategies that will increase program output. Managers will always be up-to-date with the latest trends, news, and best practice, which they can apply to your affiliate program immediately. There’s no ramp-up phase – they can hit the ground running and make meaningful improvements quickly.  

 

How Does It Work?

Program management involves overseeing everyday marketing tasks as well as long-term direction. It starts with a discovery meeting where the manager learns about your brand, products, and business objectives. They will then recommend a strategy that aligns all of these areas based on their extensive channel knowledge. Once the details have been discussed and agreed by all stakeholders, they will take over the project management of your program.

Managing affiliate programs also involves a good deal of relationship building. Our experts already have established networks that they can go to with recruitment ideas. But they can also foster greater working relationships with existing affiliates so that you get better results from them too. They’ll get in contact with publishing partners who have complementary audiences to discuss bespoke campaigns and activities.

Affiliate program managers can field all of the day-to-day inquiries from affiliates. They’ll answer all of the emails, phone calls, and questions, as well as resolving any technical issues that publishers encounter. Managers are skilled at balancing the immediate demands of affiliate support with longer-term planning and strategic growth. This is how they increase your leads, conversions, and sales while taking care of the daily administrative tasks.   

 

How Can an Affiliate Manager Help?

An experienced affiliate manager can take care of your entire program. They’ll have the expertise to define strategic plans, recruit high-quality affiliates, and manage day-to-day tasks. Here are just a few of the areas that outsourced program managers can help with.

• Affiliate recruiting that’s exclusively focused on the best partners with an engaged audience that matches your target.
• Communicating with publishers to build relationships, develop online marketing plans, and suggest ideas for generating even greater results.
• Providing proactive affiliate support by phone, email, or instant messaging services so that all the little requests like coupon codes are handled quickly and efficiently.
• Creating high-performing promotions, sales competitions, and sweepstakes that motivate affiliates to promote your campaign in a big way.
• Developing promotional tools and digital marketing content that reflect your brand, including banners, blog posts, and compelling copy.
• Leading regular strategy calls with clients and conducting program evaluation so that it is constantly innovating and improving.
• Working with affiliates to optimize landing pages, analyze search engine traffic insights, and identify opportunities for driving traffic.
• Promoting social media and email marketing best practice so that affiliates maximize all their marketing channels to drive sales.  

If you have other needs that aren’t covered here, then have a chat with your agency about whether they can meet them. Most companies are willing to customize their support in order to meet client requirements. If they aren’t, then it’s a red flag that you should be looking elsewhere. Agencies that take a rigid, cookie-cutter approach to affiliate program management are unlikely to get you the best results. They’ll have one strategy that they use with all of their clients, no matter what their business objectives or target audience. It’s best to avoid these in favor of agencies that will create customized marketing plans based on your specific requirements.

 

Who Is Affiliate Management For?

Outsourced affiliate program management is ideal for businesses that want to get the benefits of a pay-for-performance channel. Paid search advertising and social media can sometimes be hit and miss in terms of results. When a campaign doesn’t produce the outcome that was hoped for, it can feel like a waste of money. But affiliate marketing is a risk-free channel because you only pay once sales are generated. This makes it a highly attractive approach for companies that sell products or services online.  

But if you don’t have the resources or expertise for affiliate marketing, then outsourcing to a management agency makes sense. You’ll get a dedicated account manager for less than you would pay an internal team member. Plus, you can be sure that they have the experience and knowledge to get customer acquisition results for your marketing program (something that junior team members often lack).

Management of an affiliate program is also useful for busy teams who are reaching the point of being overstretched. Outsourcing will free up time so that they can focus on other revenue-generating campaigns or activities. Because it’s a pay-for-performance channel, you can be confident that the returns will more than cover any investment.

 

What To Look For In A Management Agency

If you do decide to outsource your affiliate program management, then it’s important to do your research. Ask for recommendations and referrals from colleagues or friends in the industry. Read their case studies to establish what kind of experience they have and whether they’d be a good fit for your business. Find a marketing agency that can demonstrate the proven results and really know how to grow affiliate programs.

A good agency will be able to manage affiliate program strategy, creative, and terms. They won’t treat your campaigns or products like islands – they’ll take an omnichannel approach that integrates everything into a cohesive program. They will listen to your feedback and devise strategies that address your business needs (instead of adopting a one-size-fits-all approach). If you’re interested in working with the leaders in affiliate management, then we’d love to be your sales acceleration partners! Simply get in touch with one of our friendly team to learn more.

 

#1 AFFILIATE MANAGEMENT AGENCY IN THE USA

Advertise Purple is the #1 affiliate management agency in the United States. We help clients across the country to super-charge their affiliate revenue and get the most out of the channel. In fact, our clients see an average of 131% growth in affiliate sales within our first six months of campaign management.  This is done for any niche, whether you are in it for direct e-commerce sales or lead generation.

Through our extensive network of high-quality affiliates, we’ve driven over $22 million in revenue for clients. With over nine years of successful affiliate management experience and a team of dedicated experts, we’re revered by networks and publishers as the leading affiliate management company.

We strive to position clients as the top advertiser in their vertical. If we cannot ensure this, then we don’t take them on as a client. Through close affiliate relationships, proven strategy, and proprietary affiliate management tools, our affiliate management has proven to be the best in the business.

If you want to step up your performance marketing or need help developing your affiliate network, our team can help. Simply send us a message using the form below, call us on 866.833.0574 or email

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