June 10, 2021

PartnerCentric: The Force Multiplier Your In-House Team Needs

By PartnerCentric

If you have an affiliate program, you probably already know that managing a successful affiliate marketing effort is not a part-time gig. After all, performance-based marketing is pretty complex. There are a lot of moving parts (vetting publishers, negotiating terms, and tracking data to name a few) and a lot of room for error and, unfortunately, fraud and bad actors, too. 

Initially, an in-house team may be enough to oversee your program, but as your program grows so does the need to call in reinforcements. And that’s a good problem to have. Bringing in the outside expertise of an agency doesn’t mean you’re relinquishing control of your program but rather, amplifying your efforts to make your team even more successful. 

Read on to learn six reasons why an agency can be a force multiplier for your in-house team. 

#1: Affiliate marketing is in no way a set-it-and-forget-it solution

At first glance, affiliate marketing may just look like a numbers game, but don’t be fooled: High traffic doesn’t always equal big profits. The reality is, a lucrative affiliate program can’t be built without recruiting and nurturing the right partners who will reach the right audiences and drive the right traffic in a way that results in new customers and actual sales for your brand. That calls for constant attention and a rock-solid strategy, one that is grounded in experience and sound enough to work week over week, month over month–and, by the way, also flexible enough to pivot when the market dictates. Our motto? Always be optimizing.

#2: In digital marketing, the only constant is change

Here’s the thing. Tactics, tools, and strategies that worked last week won’t necessarily work again next month. Seriously. Technology and algorithm updates happen all the time, too. And don’t forget about competition. One thing you can always count on? Your competitors are not sitting still. A huge part of an affiliate marketing agency’s job is to navigate all that change and capitalize on the latest trends and best practices so all you have to do is reap the rewards. 

#3: Who you know matters

The truth is, there is no such thing as over-vetting a potential publisher and to do that, you really need a team that has the right connections. Plain and simple, an agency’s breadth of relationships will far surpass that of an in-house team. In affiliate marketing, it always pays to get an inside edge on the best contacts through tenured experts who know the industry inside and out. At PartnerCentric, our account managers have the highest experience level in the industry. Over fourteen years, on average. Our team has the experience and relationships they need to find the right partner opportunities for our clients and, if necessary, to quickly make strategic changes. They know their stuff, and they deliver real, measurable results. In fact, 98% of our current clients have experienced significant program growth since working with us. 

#4: No one has an unlimited budget

No two brands are alike, and neither are any two budgets. From securing the best possible rates (the ones only agencies have access to) to negotiating commission structures, an agency is able to strategically stretch your marketing dollars–and maximize your return. It’s also important to remember that time is money. Outsourced marketing agencies handle such a large volume of work that they can’t afford to be anything less than efficient. They’ve nurtured the relationships, perfected the workflows and streamlined the processes needed to roll out quality programs with ease–and in record time. So while an in-house team may be slogging through endless red tape that they aren’t equipped to handle, an agency can complete the same amount of work in far less time. And you know what that means: A much faster return on your investment and more efficiency for your team so they can focus on what matters. 

#5: There is strength in numbers

A couple in-house people will never have the wealth of industry knowledge and the relationships needed to navigate the nuances and recruitment needs of building a successful affiliate program. All of that takes a whole lot of expertise–and a lot of time. At PartnerCentric, we take a “pod” approach to managing a brand’s affiliate program. That means every one of our clients gets the specialized support of anywhere from six to eight departments on their account every single day.  Affiliate has the power to be a scalable engine of growth for your business but only if you commit the necessary resources and manpower towards your program. 

#6: Your brand is only as strong as its reputation

Without a doubt, your brand’s reputation is one of your most valuable assets–and the integrity of your brand is a crucial part of that reputation. Not to mention, brand integrity is the gateway to converting leads into customers and customers into advocates who will shape and grow your business. That said, the real threat to your brand integrity depends on which affiliates you’re partnering with and how carefully you’re monitoring content, compliance, and potential fraud across the channel.

PartnerCentric is the only agency in the industry that combines award-winning account management with our proprietary software tools. We call this our Technology Enabled Account Management (TEAM), and results speak for themselves. For every dollar our clients spend, they see a sevenfold return on ad spend. We can do the same for you.

Check out our quick “Horror Stories from an Affiliate Marketing Insider” video. We’ve covered a lot of ground in this short 10-minute video about things like:

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