Being an affiliate for someone else is fun, but having your own affiliates is even better.
Think of them as your own little cheerleading section!
It’s wonderful to find people who value your work and your products and services, and who aren’t afraid to help you spread the word.
Referrals are some of the best ways to build your business – and getting your referrals by affiliates is no exception.
So what can you do to help your affiliates promote you more easily?
1. Use an affiliate program software. There is nothing that’s easier than using the ‘honour’ system but it will make things easier for your affiliates to keep track of how much they are promoting and converting sales for you if they are able to log in to an affiliate portal to see for themselves. Set up a system that will work for you, and be sure your affiliates know how to access it.
2. Provide them with copy. Asking your affiliates to write their own copy is not a good idea for a couple of reasons. First of all, by providing them with the details of your products and services, you can be sure that they are promoting them the way you intend – to your ideal client and target market. If they don’t fully understand what you do, the referral may be confused. Also, you want to make it easy for them to cut & paste into their newsletter or their social media profiles. The simpler the better – if they can use your pre-written promo copy, they will be more apt to schedule some promotion for you.
3. Pay them well. Remember you would not have the referral if it wasn’t for your affiliate, so be sure to work out compensation that will give them the incentive to want to help you promote. A few bucks extra can go a long way to putting you at the top of the marketing calendar of one of your affiliates. Compensate them well for their efforts, and pay promptly!
Using affiliates to supplement your own promotion and marketing is a great way to get the word out to people that may not already be in your community.
That exposure can lead to new connections – and referrals!
Take care of your affiliates and they will help take care of you!