July 1, 2021
If You’ve Got Big Growth Goals, a Diversified Affiliate Partner Portfolio is a Must-Have
In a perfect world, all it would take is one targeted piece of content and one well-placed affiliate link to convert a total stranger into a paying customer.
If only it were that easy.
But what you may not realize is, reaching significant growth goals takes a rock solid strategy and a diversified partner portfolio.
Over the last few years, a big trend in affiliate marketing has been to focus on full funnel opportunities–and for good reason. Not only will a diverse portfolio help you maximize results at every stage of the customer journey, but it will also help you reach a broader audience and broaden your revenue streams.
In other words, relying on content publishers alone isn’t going to cut it.
There Are Still Benefits to Partnering with Content Publishers, Right?
Absolutely! Think of content affiliates as brand ambassadors. Positioned right at the top of your sales funnel, their purpose is to promote your brand to their well-established audience through high-quality, relevant content that appears in outlets like mass media, blogs, or social media channels.
The content also works to establish trust with your potential customer and can be extremely influential in their decision to ultimately make a purchase. Considering that this is often the first contact that your target has with your brand, success at this stage of the customer journey is measured by an increase in brand awareness and engagement, not sales.
Why Do I Need More than Content Publishers in My Affiliate Partner Portfolio?
Content publishers reach your customers in the “awareness” stage of the affiliate funnel, which is typically two steps away from where a purchase is actually made. To get them from “awareness” to “action,” customers first need to make their way through the “exploration” stage.
Building brand awareness and customer engagement is great–and a critical part of the customer journey–but that isn’t enough to pay the bills. To achieve your growth goals–with the revenue to match–you need different types of affiliates on board to keep people moving through your sales funnel.
What Types of Affiliates Can Help Close the Deal During the “Exploration” Stage?
Now that you’ve effectively piqued the interest of your potential customer, it’s time to convert that engagement into actual sales.
To get the job done, look to these types of affiliates:
Deal Affiliates: A hybrid of a coupon and content affiliate, deal affiliates like thisiswhyi’mbroke.com can generate valuable traffic to your brand’s website through curated content featuring deeply discounted products or other incentives to make a purchase.
Coupon Affiliates: Brands look to coupon sites such as coupons.com to feature hard-to-resist deals or promotions that drive traffic to their website and increase on-site conversions.
Cashback + Loyalty Affiliates: Loyalty sites such as Rakuten.com offer its members cash back or points back–or sometimes a combination of both–for their purchases. Some loyalty sites like GivingAssistant donates a percentage of a purchase to a charitable cause of the customer’s choice.
Affinity Group Rewards Affiliates: Also known as benefits affiliates, affinity group rewards affiliates like BenefitHub operate through a closed network (i.e. behind a registration wall) to deliver exclusive promotions to a niche audience.
Conversion Optimization Affiliates: Conversion Optimization affiliates like UpSellit retarget customers on-site, as well as those who have abandoned their carts, to keep them engaged and incentivize them to convert.
How Do I Figure Out the Right Mix of Affiliates in My Portfolio?
Every brand is different, and in affiliate there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all strategy. Not all partners are created equal either. And guess what? Neither are all affiliate marketing agencies.
At PartnerCentric, our account managers have the highest experience level in the industry. Over fourteen years, on average. That’s a big deal. Our team has the experience and relationships they need to navigate the nuances of the affiliate channel and find the right partner opportunities for you.
And we’ve got the results to prove it: 98% of our current clients have experienced significant program growth since working with us.
Contact Us today and find out what PartnerCentric can do for you.