When you know how, it is not difficult to recruit and retain your affiliate army and reap the benefits in the form of huge profits. Building your affiliate army is all about recruiting them, activating them and keeping them motivated to keep up a steady flow of sales. So how can you inspire and motivate them? You’ve got your affiliates. However, it’s a highly competitive world out there and you need to keep them enthusiastically promoting you as well as recommend you to their successful peers. Here’s how you motivate your affiliate army:
You’ve got to help your affiliates by giving them all that they need to be successful. Have a regular affiliate newsletter featuring tips. You could have a toll free number to provide them affiliate support with someone knowledgeable answering their queries.
Inspire your affiliates by demonstrating by example the methods used by your top affiliates to be successful. This must be a step-by-step method and simplified so that they can replicate them.
Recognize the affiliates who are doing well. A token gift would be a good idea.
Treat your affiliates as friends and phone them. They will be impressed that you care. Your top affiliates can turn into your loyal friends and supporters.
Ask your affiliates for their feedback to improve your affiliate program. Act on it.
Praise your super affiliates on your website and provide their affiliate links. They benefit with more traffic while other affiliates are inspired. It develops loyalty in the top affiliates.
Another way to build affiliate loyalty and motivate them is to recommend your super affiliate in email discussion groups. They will really appreciate you for it.
Make sure your affiliate receives the commission for a sale whether the customer visits the next day, the next week or even one year later. Customer tracking will make this possible. Set your ‘return days’ duration to a minimum of 30 days - the more, the better.
Think about paying lifetime commissions to your affiliates.
Allow your affiliates to earn special bonuses when they perform well.
Categorize your affiliates and consider paying the top ones special commissions.
Apart from commissions, you also need to work out residual commissions and two tier commissions. Referrals are valuable and deserve compensation.
Give your affiliates preferential treatment in discounted prices.
If there are multiple products, it is better to give your affiliates one link per product.
Make sure all your loyal affiliates get a mention from you at affiliate marketing conferences. They feel good.
Don’t ignore those affiliates who are not very active. Instead, ask them what the issue is so that you can fix it.
Drop by your affiliate’s sites and give them suggestions for more success.
When you add to your product portfolio, and a customer buys via an affiliate link give them credit for it. Your affiliates shouldn’t have to sign up each time a new product is added.
Let your affiliates be informed via email each time they make a sale. Give them the option of receiving these emails or turning them off.
Make sure you send a weekly status report that is easy to understand.
Pay your affiliates as often as you can. Give them the option of setting minimum payments.
Affiliates are your business associates. To keep your affiliate army performing well, it is important to motivate them and treat them specially.
