Earlier today, Shawn Collins has published a long list of comments left by affiliates in response to 2010 AffStat encouragement for affiliates to share their “complaints, ideas, suggestions or opinions … regarding affiliate marketing.” Having read through the whole list, here’s a cumulative bullet-point advice-list that affiliates want to give to affiliate program managers that they work with:
- Be reachable & responsive (see also this blog post of mine)
- Show you care (which includes but isn’t limited to: advance notices of important updates, information on the best ways to promote a merchant, regular promos, fresh tools, apps and creatives, input on how affiliates can do better… and God forbid you spam your affiliates!)
- Be clear (on prerequisites for commission increases, etc)
- Be honest (never lie to affiliates, and do not be afraid to admit your mistakes | see this too)
- Play fair (read: the rules should be the same for everyone)
- Be generous (both in the amount of your affiliate compensation, and its frequency)
- Don’t terminate poor performers
- Fight for a clean industry (free of parasites, and where merchants go with good standards and practices)
Such subjects as being “reachable and responsive”, as well as performance incentives and promos, have come up time and again. This is why I have listed them first.
Great pieces of advice, and each affiliate program manager must take heed of all of the above points.