Affiliate Summit West 2016

Affiliates & Affiliate Managers: Partners or Adversaries

Tricia Meyer, MeyerTech, LLC, @SunshineTriciaCindy Ballard, Greg Hoffman Consulting, @Cingroomer

Agenda• Recruitment and Joining Programs• Communication Methods• Negotiation• Information Sharing• Common v. Competing Goals• Affiliate Managers as Affiliates

Round 1

#1: Recruitment and Joining Programs• What do affiliate managers like to see in an

application?• Be sure to list the site you will promote the merchant

on. • How will you promote the merchant?• What can an affiliate do if she is rejected?

#1: Recruitment and Joining Programs• How do affiliates like to be recruited?• How can a merchant get an affiliate’s attention?• What turns affiliates off?• Do merchants get paid for the number of affiliates

they add to a program?

Round 2

#2: Communication Methods

“If affiliates don’t read their newsletters, it isn’t the affiliate manager’s fault they missed information.” --Cindy

“Affiliate managers need to understand affiliates get 1000s of emails a week from merchants.” --Tricia

#2: Communication Methods• Newsletters• Social Media• Instant Messengers/Skype• Phone• Direct Email• Blog Posts• Conferences/Meetings

Round 3

#3: Negotiation• Homepage placement• Newsletter placement• Blog/Video reviews• Social Media mentions• Featured merchant in category

#3: Negotiation• Products to review• Exclusive coupons• Vanity codes• Commission increases• Prizes to give away• Bonuses• Trademark bidding rights• Slotting Fees

Round 4

#4: Information Sharing• Overall program stats• Types of sites doing well• Products selling well• Top performing links/coupons• Upcoming deals• Merchant-specific information

#4: Information Sharing• Specific sites doing well• Stats for individual affiliates• Suggested keywords other affiliates are using (long-

tail or AdWords)• Ownership information of other sites

Round 5

#5: Common v. Competing Goals

“Affiliate managers’ goals are not always in line with the affiliates.” --Tricia

“Merchants often have different goals the affiliate managers must reach that affiliates may not like.” --Cindy

#5: Common v. Competing Goals• Overall program revenue• Overall commissions paid out• Number of active affiliates• Which affiliates make the most money in the

program• OPMs that get kickbacks on sales• Commission rates

Round 6

#6: Affiliate Managers as Affiliates• Experience on the other side• Competition now or later• Not all affiliates know

Questions?

Tricia Meyertricia@sunshinerewards.com@sunshinetricia

Cindy Ballardcindy@greghoffmanconsulting.com@cingroomer