5 Rules of Affiliate Engagement

One of the biggest challenges for any affiliate program is getting the attention of affiliates. Below are some simple rules to follow whether you are looking to engage your existing active or inactive base or looking to recruit new affiliates.

1. Have Something to Say

There are thousands of affiliate programs out there and many in the same sector offer very similar commission plans so if you are looking to engage with your exiting affiliates or attract new ones you need to make sure you have something a but unique to offer them.

Whether that is increased commission, a novel and exciting incentive or even something that makes your brand stand out you need to have something to say when contacting affiliates that makes them sit up and take notice.

2. Keep it short & sweet

You might have lots to say about your program, your offer and your products but affiliates will not want to plough through a huge email. Make sure you get your key points across early in the email and try to keep it short and succinct. Link to web pages with more information if necessary or ask them to get in touch for more details.

3. Encourage a response

It is very easy for affiliates to read and then ignore an email so to get the dialogue started you should look to encourage a response by asking questions. Asking things like if they have any other sites, if they have heard of the brand or if they would like any content pr specific promotional tools will help increase your response rate.

4. Be Patient

Affiliates will receive a large amount of emails on a daily basis and may not have time to respond t yours straight away. The key is to be patient, do not bombard the affiliate with a follow up email every day, leave it a few days then follow up. When trying to engage with new or existing affiliates patience and time are key, if you do not hear back from them keep trying but with a different message, making sure you don't bombard them too often.

5. Get Personal

If you are serious about getting affiliates on board take the time to look at their site and do some research on the site and site owner. Just adding in their url is not enough, make sure you look at their site and offer suggestions on where you'd like to be placed. The more you can offer in terms of a personalised email the higher your chances of getting a response .

If you agree, disagree or have anything to add we would love to hear your comments and if you like what you've read, please share it with your friends and colleagues below: