“Can you guarantee performance from my affiliate channel?” This is the question that inevitably is raised whenever I discuss affiliate marketing with clients and potential clients.

No matter how much agencies dance around the issue – that’s what clients really want. Performance Guaranteed.

Of course the answer is “Yes and no”. Not the best answer when you’re trying to close a new client J, but truthful nonetheless.

A more in-depth answer is:

I can guarantee performance against our proven methodologies – however the fact is that not all affiliate programs are created equal.

Consider affiliate management as the platform on which your program is built. If your affiliate management platform is not solid, dependable and proven – you’re going to fail.

However, affiliate programs success depends on four key factors in addition to proven management.

• You need a great product that people actually want to buy and a viable consumer base.
• You need a site that can convert the consumers into clients.
• You need a competitive offer for affiliates.
• You need a ready pool of affiliates reaching your consumer base.

Without these four building blocks for success your affiliate program will struggle. This simple checklist is where you should be focussing your energy when developing your affiliate program.

There are of course many other factors we review and use to develop the affiliate strategy – but once you’ve got the four key elements aligned the answer is “Yes, we guarantee performance FROM your affiliate channel”   (edited the farm lol)

Your thoughts?

2 Responses to “What clients really want”

1. Danny K Says:
   August 3rd, 2007 at 6:25 pm

   “farm” is a mis-spelling. It must be “from” your affiliate channel.- at the end.

   I would say most programs get to a point of having varying degrees of the 4 different prerequisites that are key to affiliate channel success. How well a merchant is optimized within each necessary building block to a point of 100% is the question. Because each merchant has varying ideas or industry constraints that cause question of ultimate ROI. Networks and managers are asked to show similar industry, historical evidence of why they should cater to independent internet publishers in whatever manner they are being asked to whether it’s increasing commissions or investing in well targeted prospecting campaigns affiliates can appreciate.

2. Jonathan Miller Says:
   August 7th, 2007 at 9:13 am

   Ooh, thanks for the note - I’m farming out my spelling checker from now on
   You’re right - not all merchants think the same way. That’s why, as Affiliate Managers, it’s our responsibility to consult adequately in the early stages of planning an affiliate program.

   Too often I’ve seen programs come undone because the ground rules were not laid upfront and no proper success benchmarking was put in place to judge the value of the affiliate channel.

   As an illustration, at Forge we first put together a Strategic Marketing Plan and detailed project plan in consultation with the client for each affiliate program we start. We use best practices for integration, design, launch and ongoing management and provide clients with detailed step-by-step reporting against the agreed benchmarks.

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