How to Attract Affiliates to Your Program
If you operate an affiliate program, you should be in close contact with your affiliates. It is they who help you generate sales. In some instances, they are the backbone of your company. Their ability to advertise and sell your products is what leads to increased sales. These sales, in turn, increase your profits. That is why good support and help is advised, but how do you get it? With an online message forum.
As nice as it is to hear that you can and should setup an online message forum, otherwise known as a message board, for your affiliates, why? What are the benefits? Continue reading on to find out.
1 – Your Affiliates Can Help Each Other
What is nice about online message boards is that internet users are able to communicate with each other. Some post a question, suggestion, or a complaint and others can read it. Not only that, but they can respond with an answer. If you do not have the time to answer questions from new affiliates, an online message board is your best option. You created an online community. Your affiliates will help each other.
2 – It Shows You Are Interested In What They Have to Say
Often times, affiliates feel ignored. They post a question or make a suggestion to the affiliate manager and never hear a response back. This is not what you want. In fact, it may cause affiliates to leave the program. No one wants to wait days or never get a response. Having a message board for members, especially one that you visit on occasion, shows that you care about your affiliates. You are truly interested in what they have to say.
3 – Online Message Boards Are Easy to Setup
When it comes to operating an online message board, you have many options. The easiest is to head online and search for a software program. You purchase a program and upload the message board format to your website. Most cost less than $100 a year. A few clicks of the mouse here and there and you should be ready to go. It is very easy to setup a message board. In fact, if you can operate a functioning affiliate program, setting up a message board will be a walk in the park. Just make sure your forum settings are set to private and require membership to keep only your affiliates inside.
4 – They Limit Your Work
As previously stated, you should visit your online message board on occasion. Answer lingering questions affiliates have or join in on discussions that have no responses. With that said, only 10 minutes a day is enough. Moreover, since your affiliates are able to provide each other with help and support, it leaves fewer questions for you to answer by phone or email. It significantly reduces the time and money spend on training or helping new affiliates.
5 – You Can Sticky Posts
Most online forums have posts that stay at the top of the page; these are known as “Sticky,” posts. You can create your own. Use these messages to help new affiliates. Have posts that show affiliates how to navigate the website, get links, and share moneymaking tips. Better yet, create a post just for frequently asked questions. Take the most common questions you are asked and answer them. New affiliates can visit the frequently asked questions section and find the answers to most of their problems, without needing to contact you.
Affiliate Managers: Why You Should Create a FAQ Section
Do you operate an affiliate program? If so, your program will soon start to takeoff, if it hasn’t already. When your current affiliates are paid and pleased with the results, they will talk about the program online. Word will spread that money is to be made with your affiliate program. Getting new affiliates is nice, but it is a lot of work. Not all of these affiliates are familiar with affiliate programs, ad placement, web design, and internet marketing. You will likely hear a lot questions. Of course, you should answer these questions, but take them and create a frequently asked questions section on your website or message board.
One of the many reasons why you should create a frequently asked questions section about your affiliate program is because it reduces the questions asked. As an affiliate manager, you have many tasks. You cannot spend all day answering simple questions, like how do I know which banner performs the best and so forth. By creating a frequently asked questions section and by displaying it on your program website or message board, you eliminate some of these questions. Your new affiliates can head straight to your section and get the answers to their questions. If, by chance, the question wasn’t answered then they can email you.
Another reason why a frequently asked question section is a good idea for your affiliate program website is because of the information it provides. New affiliates are likely to have questions, but those questions won’t come at the same time. You direct new affiliates to the frequently asked question section and they read it. They get a lot of information on common concerns. They are now educated. The more information you provide, the better.
Speaking of information, what should you include in a frequently asked questions section? It is important to cover all aspects of using and making money from your affiliate program.
To get started, clarify the rules and restrictions. Common questions in this area are about using affiliate links to make personal purchases and having the company or product name in the web address. If you do not want your company name used in any http address, state so. If you don’t want your affiliates to click on their links for personal purchases and get paid commission, state so.
Next, focus on getting started with links and banners. Depending on your program, you may have text links, banners, and picture links for individual products. One of the questions you will be asked is “how do I find them?” Provide detailed instructions. Take any other questions you have been asked about using your embedded links or pictures and insert them here.
Then, focus on how affiliates make money. Of course, it is each time a sale is generated through an affiliate link, but restate this again. Then, state the importance of internet marketing. One common question you will get asked is “how do I market my website or the affiliate product?” This is where you can provide a detailed list of direction or tips.
Finally, focus on payment. Your new affiliates not only want to know how they make money, but how much, when they get paid, how often, and through what method. Take these questions and answer them in this section. State your minimum payout requirement, how payment is processed, and when your affiliates can expect to receive it.
The above mentioned examples are just a few of your ideas. You want to take the most common questions you have been asked by new affiliates in the past and compile those questions and their answers into an easy to read list.
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