The most successful affiliates think like an advertiser. An affiliate is, in pure terms, an extension of an advertisers marketing arm. That is, the affiliate is supposed to promote the advertisers product in a way that is consistent with the advertisers marketing plan.
But what happens in reality for the majority of affiliates is something far different. I am often asked the silver bullet question from affiliates: “How do I make money with your campaigns?” While this is possibly the most subjective question one can ask, I always answer it in the same manner. I ask them simply, “does the traffic you are generating now, have a connection with the products and services you are selling?”
This simple question stuns some affiliates while others “think” they are fulfilling the essence of the statement. Most of the time, an affiliate is simply posting up banners and text links on their site or in a media outlet hoping that the advertiser’s message connects with an audience.
What separates super-affiliates from the pack is the simple realization that a visitor to a web page is not there by chance. No one randomly clicks on links (unless they are 11) and no one buys anything unless there is a need. And that is where the difference between super-affiliates and everyone else happens.
What is the need of the end user? Super-affiliates create websites, social media pages, blogs and other forward facing properties that supply answers for needs. This leads to a deeper engagement of the visitor and conversely, more success as an affiliate.
Super-affiliates understand that to be successful you have to focus on the needs of the visitor and then fulfill those needs with relevant programs. In many cases, this means going beyond just placing a banner or a text link on their sites. It means that they invest themselves into thinking about the message that the advertiser’s campaign conveys to the end user and then capitalize on this by surrounding the campaign with content that supports the end user’s decision to purchase.
When an affiliate thinks like an advertiser they see the world differently.
- They don’t join a million networks looking for the one that will give them the silver bullet offer that will trump all others.
- They don’t simply place a link and forget it.
- They don’t take the easy way out, because they know that a little hard work up front will pay off in the end.
- They don’t make excuses.
What they DO is….
- Create properties that give the end user value.
- Create content that is consistent with the advertiser’s goals and messaging.
- Develop user mailing or SMS lists that they can count on as an asset.
- Extend the brand into niches where advertisers normally would not play or do not have the resources to attack.
The last point is the nugget that will breed success. Advertisers need affiliates to extend their message to fragmented audiences. Advertiser’s create affiliate programs in the hopes that affiliates will extend their brand message into deeper and deeper pockets of traffic. Most of which is too granular for an advertiser’s marketing and advertising budgets to get reach to. But by employing affiliates, they can get the reach to these disparate audiences. That’s what most advertisers think they are doing when they open their business to affiliates.
It is the 1% of affiliates that understand this and take action to seek out those niche audiences and then dominate them for a product or class of products and services. The affiliate that understands this is usually the one who is bringing home the largest commission checks.
