Affiliate Marketing Business Model life cycle can be breakdown into five stages like Introductory Stage, Early Growth Stage, Later Growth Stage, Maturity Stage and Decline Stage. Being affiliate program manager you should know what action needs to take to establish your affiliate brand which stands out from the crowd
Affiliate Program Pre launch Activity:
- Affiliate Program Website - SEO Optimized, functional and trusted online presence for your business partnership avenue.
- Affiliate program FAQ, product portfolio, affiliate signup procedure documentation.
- Affiliate Tracking Software – installed, tested and functional.
- Creative – Industry standard and brand Introductory content.
- Website Database Collection – 10, 000 web master contacts ready for email campaign.
- Build SERP’s around affiliate brand website – Affiliate directory submission, SEO, Forum Marketing
Affiliate Program Introductory Stage: 5 Months Plan
This stage is very crucial in terms of positioning affiliate program in the market, the characteristics and USP of affiliate brand need to be taken in consideration.
- Affiliate brand positioning through available communication channels
- Try to establish affiliate managers clean image through forums (ex. Jay Marsh + Hexpress, Dag Arbisa + Betsharks - My last two affiliate manager assignments)
- More and more affiliate recruitment through email campaign
- Support is very crucial in this stage, even do not ignore rejected email – thanks them for revert back
- Penetrate market with all possible online marketing tools and technique which is applicable and available for you
- Start Affiliate Newsletter
Affiliate Program Early Growth Stage: 4 Months Plan
Early growth phase is very important in terms of overall affiliate brand and program success; we have to fulfill lot of expectations. Expectation from market or niche, affiliate expectations, management expectation and more impotently our own expectation from our own brand.
- The Financial activity related to affiliate business been started in this phase and we need to act it on promptly
- In depth affiliate account management and analysis need to be done
- Dormant to active >> Active to Earners >> Earners to Supper Affiliate process has been adopted aggressively
- Advertising budget need to allot to support affiliate signups smoothly
- Quality affiliate recruitment on certain special commission structure
Affiliate Program Later Growth Stage: 8 Months Plan
- Affiliates special performance bonus excel relationship
- Try to arrange affiliate personal meet to enhance future activity
- Devise special commission structure for super affiliates
- Introduce entirely new creative and advertising materials
- Affiliates feedback need to be collected and act on improvement
Affiliate Program Maturity Stage: 12 Months Plan
- Increase the brand locality and prepare your affiliate mindset for tight commission revision plan and target sales
- Introduce new products or earning opportunity to your value partners
- Build strategic alliances with industry leaders and vertical niche
- Increase frequency of Newsletter, performance reports to push your affiliates
- Introduce new ideas for promotions and brand loyality
- Start preparing business plan for new affiliate life cycle
Affiliate Program Decline Stage: 3 Months Plan
- Prepare Action plan for new affiliate program launch
- Personally meet your super affiliates and convenience them to work with you in near future.
- Offer special value bonus to your super affiliates
- Announce close date of old program and give 30 days break to you affiliate business partners
