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I have written and spoken several times about what affiliates want from affiliate managers and merchants but have never flipped the coin over to see what is on the other side. Thinking about the topic and talking to others, here are some suggestions about how we can all be better affiliates.
Be honest about volume: If you make promises that you know you cannot keep, you will not only burn a bridge but word will eventually get around. Be optimistic in your projections but not unrealistic.
Don’t violate terms: It should go without saying, but apparently it doesn’t. Read the affiliate agreement before you bid on trademarks, offer incentives, or anything else that might be in question. When in doubt, ask the affiliate manager for clarification. We have only ourselves to blame when we get busted.
Follow through on deals: If a merchant gives you something in return for exclusive placement, give the exclusive placement. If they send you a product to give away, give away the product. If they send you something to review, do the review. And timely.
Give contact information: No matter what your preferred method of contact is, you should at least give them one way to get a hold of you quickly in case a promotion ends, the site is broken, etc. Using one email address that you know you never check isn’t fair.
Understand their role: We may not always like when we are told “no” or have to explain something, but we have to understand the position of the person we are working with. There is a difference between a merchant who can make decisions on the fly and an OPM who might need to wait a couple of hours or days for approval on something. An OPM should know industry terminology but you might have to explain a particular traffic method to a new merchant. Be patient and don’t assume that they are stupid or incompetent just because they don’t know everything we know or can’t act on something immediately.
I can’t proclaim to always do everything above, but I should. We all should. Our industry is only as good as the people in it.
Affiliate managers, merchants, OPMs…anything you would like to add that you want from us?
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Tricia you pretty much nailed it & I concure with with Kim & Deb. Affiliates expect program managers to read and respond to inquires ASAP, why not return the favor? It could be a difference between earning a $XX or a $XXXX commission checks <— writing from experience.
Make sure your customer get the product
Contact him/her for product feedback, and offer him/her diffrent things.
Please, please PLEASE answer my emails. Yes, I’m from a network. Yes, I want you to run every program that would appeal to your site traffic. Yes, I want to help you make money. But none of that happens if you dismiss my email. I could be trying to alert you to a special deal, or ask if you’re interested in a custom vanity code, or letting you know the merchant allows bidding on brand + term. I could be letting you know the deal you’re currently deep linking to is going to a 404, or that the merchant closed their program months ago and you’re sending them free traffic. Help me help you, and please answer my emails. This is a plea to all affiliates, regardless of “size.”
I agree with Deb. Communication is #1 priority. It has to be both ways. We all know everyone gets busy, but a quick turnaround time is essential. And yes, don’t be afraid to open dialogue. Questions should always be welcome. Communication also allows for proper game planning.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. If you have questions about an affiliate program you want to run and you are unclear on terms or just want to find out if the manager is responsive, send an email and get connected. Like Tricia said, don’t assume they are going to think your questions are stupid, and don’t assume they are if they don’t have an answer for you right away.
Get a dialogue going and then if problems crop up, you have already established a relationship and can reach out and get answers.