So you just set up an affiliate program. Now, how do you know what kind of affiliate is the right fit with your brand?
Choosing the right types of affiliates to recruit is the first step towards reaching your program goals. It will let you craft the most suitable strategies to promote your brand online. However, if the sole idea of recruiting the right affiliate partners for your company’s success sounds overwhelming, don’t fret. Here are the primary partnering options you have, along with their characteristics, the main benefits of working with them, and where you can find them.
1. Content Creators
When you ask yourself, “What type of affiliate do I need to promote my brand?” this is probably the first example that pops into your head. Content creators are beneficial to promote brands within a specific niche. They have an audience-first approach and are experts at catering to their interests and needs.
Content creators work hard to build engagement and trust. That’s why they’ll only provide you with top-notch user-generated content that sounds authentic and not like a shameless sales pitch. Types of content that a content creator might include blog articles, videos, social media posts, reviews, infographics, or other media types. To secure a partnership with a content creator affiliate, make sure you have a good commission rate. Offering them additional incentives like rewards and promo codes can also help you achieve that partnership you’re looking for.
2. Social Media Influencers
Social media influencers have expertise in creating engaging content that can target your ideal customer. They can use their platform and personal brand to successfully put you on the map for an entirely new audience — their loyal followers, of course — and promote your products, services, sales, coupon codes, and more.
You can reach out to your favorite social media influencers via direct messages through their platform of choice. Alternatively, look in their bios for an email or any additional contact information. If the influencer you’re trying to enlist is not yet familiar with your product or service, get them to fall in love with it by offering them a sample or free trial.
3. Agency Partners
If you’re running a B2B affiliate program, you could benefit from partnering with agencies familiar with the B2B sales cycles and can help you draw in business buyers. Keep in mind that an agency partner can actually end up being your very own customer, which means they’re already familiar with the product or service you’re trying to promote and are loyal to your business.
To recruit agency partners, you can always resort to filtering through your client base and reaching out to those customers you think are the most satisfied with your service and products. Additionally, you can use email campaigns or ask your sales team to promote your affiliate program during their calls and meetings.
4. Review Writers
Having users write first-hand reviews on your products or services is a great way to gain traction in a competitive market. It will make your company stand out and gain consumers’ trust. However, you want these reviews to be genuine — or you risk permanently damaging your company’s reputation and driving both potential customers and captive clients away.
Your best option is to offer your clients incentives and rewards to leave reviews on your site every time they purchase something from you. This is an organic way to promote your brand and earn credibility at the same time.
5. Email/Newsletter Marketers
Email might not be the hottest communication trend anymore — but never underestimate its power. You can ask both your agency partners and content affiliates to promote your affiliate links within their own mailing lists. Keep in mind your affiliates are likely to be selective on what they put in their newsletters. Nobody likes spammers, and your partners won’t risk losing their captive audience or ending up in the junk folder for promoting irrelevant content.
To land an email marketer partnership, offer your prospective affiliates some value by sharing useful resources or creating polls, surveys, contests, and other engaging materials. In return, type of partnership will effectively drive conversions by giving you access to a wider audience that purposefully signed up to receive content like yours.
6. Mass Media Marketers
This type of affiliate also revolves around content but on a larger scale. They typically reach a wider audience and help you attract new customers even when they are not particularly looking for a product or service like yours. Mass media marketers will typically feature your product within an article or list, and promote it without sounding too salesy, which is more likely to drive organic traffic into your site.
To seek a partnership with them, you can easily search for popular publications and media companies online and reach out using the contact information they provide.
7. PPC Affiliates
Pay per click (PPC) is a common way to promote products and services online. However, using PPC in affiliate marketing is not the most orthodox method to promote a brand. PPC affiliates typically use their own money to create social media and search engine campaigns. This might save you some money since you’re only paying for the conversions their ads generate but it can be more difficult to have control over the reach compared to other affiliate options.
Determine if you want your affiliate partners to use paid ads, and if it works towards reaching your marketing goals, go for it. Just make sure to set up clear rules before you allow your affiliates to create PPC ad campaigns to avoid any violations and misunderstandings.
8. Mobile Marketers
People use their mobile devices all day, every day. That’s why partnering with developers that create apps and software that attracts your specific niche can be such a powerful marketing tool. By promoting your affiliate links with them, you’ll be reaching the exact audience you want. You can reach out to mobile marketers and developers using the contact information provided on their sites.
9. Coupon/Deal Websites
This type of affiliate partner gives you the opportunity of getting first-time buyers to visit your site and make a purchase. After all, who says no to a discount? Promoting coupon codes and deals might be more useful if you’re a B2C company that’s looking to attract new customers with high-volume purchasing intentions. Allowing your partners to offer them a sweet deal will attract more sales — but it also might lead to thinner margins, so tread carefully.
To avoid potential traffic issues, always inform your partners of the limitations of your deals and make sure to ask them not to use your brand’s promo codes excessively.
10. Price Comparison Websites
These partners can help you make your customers’ journey much easier and a lot more enjoyable. They provide relevant information regarding companies and allow potential clients to compare and contrast different brands, including yours. This will help you reach a wider audience that might have never heard about you and what you have to offer.
Moving Forward With Your Affiliate Program
There are numerous types of affiliate partners which all appeal to different audiences. Keep tabs on your client’s specific needs, and it will be much easier to decide which of the affiliate types mentioned above will work best for you.
