As the new year approaches, brands are attempting to determine how they can best reinvigorate their marketing strategies. Prior to embarking into quarter 1 (Q1) of 2020, marketing teams are looking for any way they can get off on the right foot starting into the new year. One of the best ways to start the new year off right is to implement a strong affiliate marketing program. Easily achievable with the help of useful affiliate software, your company can begin enticing new customers to become acquainted with your brand and products for the year to come.
Ensure your website is optimized for web traffic.
Although not one of the foremost ways to entice influencers to become affiliates of your business, your brand will greatly benefit from investing in your website. While affiliates might drive customers to your website, those potential customers might be put off by your website if it is outdated and poorly constructed.
To boost your affiliate-to-customer conversion rates, you should make sure that your website is prepared for an increase in traffic. Web pages should be updated for the modern age; pages should load quickly; there should be a wealth of information to allow potential customers to learn about your company with ease. And, beyond just web page backend construction, you should produce a site that is aesthetically pleasing. Products should be easy to find, pictures should be crisp, and product descriptions should be enticing and exciting. Having someone land on your website isn’t enough. You need to give them a reason to stick around and take a closer look at your products and services.
Test out new affiliates to build a robust affiliate network.
When entering into Q1, it’s worth attracting new affiliates to your affiliate software platform. If you want to continue influencing consumers to become believers in your brand, you’ll want to find the right affiliates; maybe an affiliate you relied on last year just isn’t connecting with audiences the way they once did.
Consider attracting new affiliates that you can test over the course of the first month of Q1. Your affiliate software will help you track how well new affiliates are doing at converting followers to customers, along with measuring their overall engagement and content authority.
Look for potential affiliates that fit within your niche — people who understand your brand and have an aesthetic and outlook that is similar to your own. Furthermore, look for people with an established number of followers. Growth can mean a lot, but a small Instagram account might not lead to many conversions.
Maximize sales from cost.
You get the most out of your affiliate marketing plan and affiliate software by maximizing sales over affiliate costs. While you should offer your affiliates premium compensation for their conversions, you should also make you’re increasing internal revenue without also increasing overhead labor costs. Find ways to minimize costs to make the most out of your affiliate software to truly profit from Q1.
Increase affiliate productivity.
While your affiliates might work well on their own time, it can be beneficial to set daily goals for your newest affiliates. Converting customers can be a challenge, so your new affiliates can benefit from having some guardrails to keep them attentive and goal-oriented. You can create numerous goals for your affiliates, whether it is to aim for a certain number of conversions per week or produce x-number of branded blogs or posts each week. By giving them metrics to pursue, you can push your affiliate marketing program toward its intended outcome.
Get more niche affiliates.
As mentioned previously, you should be seeking out affiliates who align with your brand and your business model. You can effectively get the most out of an affiliate who understands your business, as they can reach the audience you’ve been long seeking but haven’t been able to secure. Due to the authentic relationships between content creators and influencers, you can utilize influencers that create genuine content, which will resonate more than a targeted post solely crafted for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes.
It Will Pay Off
New affiliates might not bring massive amounts of traffic to your website, but they will bring converted customers to your website, who are more likely to become long-term patrons of your brand.
