Affiliate Program Launch Guide

September 15, 2020
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Preparing your affiliate program can be a lot of work and might be overwhelming to set up for the first time. It requires knowledge in various disciplines that include marketing, design, programming, copywriting, legal, and financial. The following guide consists of two checklists. The first has what to complete before launching, and the second checklist includes methods and places to announce your program. Complete these lists to increase your chance of launching and growing a successful affiliate program.

Pre-launch checklist

Is your affiliate program ready to launch? There are many components required to set up your affiliate program, and it’s easy to forget something. Before promoting it, make sure to go through this pre-launch checklist below.

Tracking software - Your affiliate tracking software should be installed and tested. Affiliates need to be confident they will receive commissions for referred sales.

Program details - Clearly outline the details about your program in a way that is easy for affiliates to understand. (more on affiliate program descriptions)

Commission plan - Have you setup a competitive commission plan while leaving room for future incentives? (more on affiliate commission plans)

Terms and conditions - These are the essential rules that govern the relationship between the merchant and the affiliate. (more on terms and conditions)

Signup page - Are your program terms clearly outlined on your signup page? Have you decided what fields to require on your signup form? (more on affiliate signup page)

Email content & configuration - Affiliates should receive detailed emails after signing up for your program or after getting any sales. (setup affiliate emails)

Ready to use affiliate links - Affiliates can't get started without easy access to their affiliate links to share on their website or network. (setup affiliate links and codes)

Creatives - These include text links, banners, and other visuals that make it easy for affiliates to promote your brand. (how to make affiliate creatives)

Time - After launching your program, be ready to approve applications and communicate with affiliates promptly.

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How to announce your affiliate program

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_xtzEeQPk74

Send a newsletter - Send a newsletter to your existing customer mailing list. Current customers can be the best affiliates. They already know and love your business and are likely to be interested in earning commissions to refer others to your products or services. (how to setup affiliate newsletters on LeadDyno)

Write a blog post - Write a blog post that announces your affiliate program. Include your program description, photos of your product or service, and a call to action (CTA) to get people to click a link to visit your affiliate signup page. 

Announce on social media - Don’t be shy and announce your affiliate program on your social media channels. Add on social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn, Twitter, or TikTok. Each media channel has a different audience, so share the announcement on all your channels. 

Add a link to your website - Adding a link to your affiliate program on your website is one of the easiest and often most effective ways to get exposure to your program. Keep the link in a highly visible place, such as the header or footer. 

Add a signup form to your website - Add an affiliate program signup form directly on your website. Use a simple form that allows affiliates to signup with just an email address. (how to setup LeadDyno affiliate signup form)

Invite new customers to join your program - After new customers purchase one of your products or services on your website, send them a request to join your affiliate program. (how to invite customers to join your affiliate program on LeadDyno)

Post-launch. Now what?

Pat yourself on the back on launching your affiliate program, and let’s get back to work. It’s time to manage and grow your affiliate program. Below are some guides on the next steps. 

  • Onboarding Affiliates
  • How to engage affiliates
  • Affiliate program monitoring & policing
  • How to pay affiliates
  • Tips to optimize your affiliate program

And what is an affiliate program without affiliates? Ready our guide to affiliate recruitment.

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