Types of Affiliate Programs.

Today, I’ll be talking about Affiliate Marketing. It is important to note that there are different types of affiliates. The method chosen by the affiliate to promote the advertisers’ products is the key difference. Each of these affiliate types fulfills a different role in terms of value, volume and reach. By understanding affiliates on an individual basis, advertisers will have the knowledge of who is best positioned to deliver in certain industries or to promote particular products.

Content sites and blogs

These types of websites are often focused on a niche interest and feature unique content.  Examples of these include product review sites, blogs and online forums. Often, Content Affiliates form part of an Affiliate Program’s long-tail strategy and are rarely large volume drivers. Regardless of their contribution to overall sales, they are valued partners. The reason for this is that, unique content suggests editorial credibility and often has a positive impact on an advertiser’s search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

Content sites can also help reach a new audience. This audience might not necessarily be looking for your brand in particular, but could come across it through a feature in a newsletter as the affiliate reaches an audience that is actively looking for the topic around your brand. A great way to engage and optimize activity with content sites is by providing fresh content or an exclusive offer. Recently we have also seen an increase in integrated content pieces as well as affiliates who are using video to monetize a product.

Reward sites

With online shoppers becoming increasingly savvy, reward sites have seen a surge in popularity. This type of affiliate drives sales by rewarding its members through a share of the commission it earns from an advertiser. If provided with a competitive offer, reward sites can generate significant volume. They provide brands with an effective way to increase its exposure, especially if products are not strongly positioned on aggregator sites.

 If used strategically, reward websites can drive incremental growth (e.g. reward to increase average order value, higher commission for purchase of new customers). It is important to have a sophisticated validation process in place in order to avoid paying commissions on cancelled bookings or return purchases.

Email Marketing

An Email Affiliate sends targeted emails to its own (or third-party) data base to drive conversions on behalf of a brand. In order to drive volume, a strong and time-sensitive offer is required and creative should be refreshed regularly. It is important to always consider the size and source of the data to ensure it is compliant with local and brand regulations and to avoid over promotion or database exhaustion.

Retargeting Affiliates

Affiliates re-target most commonly through tags that they place on the advertiser’s site and try to re-engage with consumers who have not completed their purchase. This could either be via an overlay when a consumer is about to leave a website, trying to persuade them to stay, or via email if they have abandoned their shopping cart; making it easy for them to return and to complete their purchase. The advertiser has full control over traffic source and targeting options.

Comparison websites

These sites offer consumers the opportunity to compare products of different advertisers (like credit cards or phone plans). Through a compelling offer, comparison websites can generate large sales volumes. They vary a lot on how they structure their rankings, which is not always based on best product but often earnings per click (EPC).

PPC Affiliate

A PPC (pay-per-click) Affiliate is a search specialist who drives traffic to an advertiser’s site by bidding on relevant keywords via a custom-built landing page. They generally work on a CPA basis but sometimes require hybrid commercial agreements. PPC Affiliates are not for every client but can be great strategic partners if:

• Competitors are cannibalising advertisers’ ads.

• Limited budgets don’t allow for an ‘always-on’ approach, leading to lost exposure.

• Aggregator ads are appearing on advertisers’ search terms and directing brand traffic to competitor products.

The key to a successful trial with a PPC Affiliate is to set up strict guidelines which help ensure affiliates are compliant.

Social Affiliates

This type of affiliate works via highly targeted posts on social networks or sponsored tweets, which can help to drive awareness and assist in generating need. It is important to keep the creative relevant, with a strong call to action.

Voucher and deal sites

These types of websites generate sales by offering their users a discount code that can be redeemed online against their purchase. They often promote generic deals in a designated section. An exclusive code will usually increase exposure on the site, where a quick expiry date will create a sense of urgency for consumers and can be used as a strategic tool to drive quick sales.

That is it for now. Let me have your feedback in the comment box below.