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How to Find an Affiliate ProgramThere are many many ways to find affiliate programs. After you have decided what types of programs you would like to promote, begin your research in to programs within that industry. Think about what you would like the affiliate program to have for features and benefits. Not all programs are alike. Knowing your likes and dislikes, needs and desires will help you in your decision making process. Listed below are several sources for your resource. 1. Your Friends Often times the best way to find affiliate programs is through your friends. Ask who they are using and how their experience has been with the program. Here are some questions to keep in mind when reviewing a program:
Typically you'll see payments made monthly or quarterly. Some programs will pay bi monthly.
Some programs have a $50.00 minimum payout meaning that you will only get paid once you have accrued their minimum amount or more. Other programs will allow you to set the minimum payout or do not have a minimum payment.
Really give some time to thinking about the types of people that come through your website and choose programs that your visitors would be suitable for. For example, if your site deals will hiking, you may want to promote programs that sell hiking gear, vitamins, health supplements, kayaks etc.
Typically programs have 30 day cookies. Some will offer longer lengths. The best would be lifetime cookies and you'll generally see those within pay per sale programs.
To run an affiliate program effectively and successfully, there really needs to be at least one dedicated person managing the affiliate program for the company. Additionally that person or another staff member should be available to provide you technical support. Some affiliates never feel the need to reach out to the affiliate program manager, but if there does come the time where you do, it's good to know that you have one there.
Look for programs that offer a wide selection of creatives that include banners, text links, html and text emails, data feeds if you're selling products, quote forms if you're generating leads, and custom creatives.
Programs that offer their affiliate partners custom creatives generally are very dedicated to their partners.
These types of theftware programs have a very bad reputation as they are know to steal affiliate commissions. They can drive a large amount of traffic to sites which is why some merchants choose to work with them, but any affiliate program that uses these types of programs are not focused on creating successful relationships with their affiliate partners. It is strongly advised that affiliates steer clear of affiliate program that work with theftware companies.
You work hard and should be rewarded. Look for programs that seek to reward their partners. Especially look for programs that try to reward a majority of their affiliate partners not just the very top affiliates.
It is surprising how many programs do not offer their affiliates online real time tracking. Checking statistics is crucial to determining the success of your campaigns. Imagine running a pay per click campaign on Google and not knowing anything about the campaign until the end of the month. The better the reporting ability of the program the better you changes of optimizing your campaigns and achieving your desired results.
Companies that are just beginning can die out quickly. However, they can also do just the opposite so staying away from a program just because the company is new to the market is not necessarily the best thing to do.
In general, the longer a form is the lower the conversion rate. Look for companies that really work hard to boost your conversion rates. 2. Affiliate Forums Affiliate marketing forums are not only frequented by affiliates, but also industry experts, affiliate program managers, and others involved with affiliate marketing. These forums can provide a plethora of information regarding various companies, tactics, trends, and solutions. Generally there is no cost to join these forums and the amount of information you can gain is invaluable. 1. iAFMA.org 2. ABestWeb.com 3. SEOChat.com 3. Directories There is a wide selection of directories to peruse through to find affiliate programs. Most have a search feature so you can see which programs meet your specifications. The listings generally have program descriptions written by the program managers so take what they say with a little grain of salt. Also, sometimes the directory will rate the program on a scale. Look for those that have actually been rated by the directory manager as they will give the most objective view. Listed below are some of the most popular directories.
4. Newsletters Many forums and directories will offer free affiliate marketing newsletters. These are excellent sources to read more about the affiliate marketing industry and also stay up to date on new programs. Most of these newsletters are free. 5. Search Engines Many affiliates find programs by searching through some of the major search engines such as Yahoo, Google, MSN, and Ask.com. It is best to make your search as specific as possible. For example, if you're interested in generating leads for car insurance, do not search for affiliate programs or affiliate lead programs. Rather search for car insurance affiliate programs or pay per lead car insurance affiliate programs. These will give you the best results and cut down the time is takes to find the best program. Once you have found your programs, speak with the affiliate program manager, in person or on the phone. Email in the beginning may not give you an accurate impression of the program or the manager. So many managers love to speak with their partners and those that do not, move on. Starting a partnership can take time and just like any relationship, it's best if you know each other a little bit before embarking on your journey together. Sign up for a Free Traffic Partners Account Today!Click here to register your program preferences with Traffic Partners and get started finding merchant matches right away! |
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