Successful Affiliate Marketing: Running A Profitable Program

Article written by: By Chris Malta & Robin Cowie

Affiliate marketing presents a tremendous opportunity for small
business owners to gain traffic and create a good buzz around
their product(s). To have a successful program, you need to
keep up with your current associates and aggressively recruit
new ones.

Size Matters

Some merchants tout smaller programs because they allow you to
maintain greater control and have more direct contact with your
affiliates. According to Dave Delisle, of
http://ThePartnerMaker.com, "The problem with that idea is it
puts a large reliance on a small group of people." It's better
to have a larger group of affiliates all driving a little bit
of traffic to your site. Advises Delisle, "Rather than having
fewer partners, try focusing on improving communications with
the affiliates you have."

Managing Your Program

Starting and managing an affiliate program requires a lot from
you, as a small business owner-there's more to it than just
purchasing tracking and contact-management software:

. You have to be adaptable to change. The affiliate marketing
realm is subject to constant changes; and changes in other
industries, such as SEO, that have repercussions that affect
the affiliate industry.

. You need to cope with multiple tasks simultaneously. It's
become increasingly difficult to set your program on autopilot
and expect to succeed with a handful of super-affiliates.

. You need to communicate with your potential affiliate
partners to make sure they understand clearly what you do and
do not allow, and what your policies are regarding things like
coupon sites and trademark bidding. Once you begin a business
relationship with them, you don't want any confusion about
what's acceptable and how they can actively market your
program.

Finding Partners to Promote You

You'll find affiliates spread all across the spectrum. There
are numerous ways to locate the good partners you need to grow
a solid program:

. Type relevant, popular keywords into the search engines, and
see who's sitting on the keywords your business is built
around.

. Join a large network, like KowaBunga or Commission Junction.
It's a great way to get out in front of a large group of
affiliates and have them approach you. But be careful not to
completely rely on the network, and just passively wait for
affiliates to come to you. You need to be actively recruiting
the right partners.

. Attend conferences and affiliate summits. Enthuses Delisle,
"They're a great way to get involved in the industry."

Affiliate marketing is a growing field. Even big players, like
MySpace, allow users to promote and recommend products and
artists, and earn a cut of the profits made from their
referrals. By taking the steps necessary to build a winning
program, you can really increase your business' exposure, and
ultimately, your sales.

About The Author: Chris Malta and Robin Cowie of
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