The Affiliate Marketing Therapist is In!

In my role as CEO and founder of an #affiliatemarketing agency, you’d imagine I spend most of my days in the belly of this complex beast—focused on issues siloed around affiliate marketing.

But, since I work with companies across industries and varying business models, I find myself in the marketing therapist seat pretty often. The clients we work with are established, #disruptive brands succeeding in the most complex, dynamic, highly-regulated industries. Yet, there’s still so much confusion around how to generate marketing that works.

Several times a week I’m on the phone with company leaders who have to process the outside “noise” with internal decision-making: resource allocation, staffing, understanding channel #ROI, increased competition, and more.

The burden falls on the #CEOs and #CMOs to parse out what’s really going to impact their plans this year and next among all the distractions in the marketplace: the economy, tech innovations, legal and regulatory shifts, and political dartboards.

Here are three common themes I’ve observed since the beginning of the year that seem to stand in the way of progress. I bring them to you here and offer some suggestions for clearing out the cobwebs to make way for a successful remainder of 2024 and beyond.

Performance-Based Channel Attribution: What's Really Working?

? Tip 1: As you review new performance-based channels, it’s essential to truly define which affiliate partners are driving #incremental growth. Are you able to access unbiased attribution data that allows you to invest opportunistically where true results reside—and then pull back where the data is muddied?

? Tip 2: Make sure your team understands all facets of the customer journey in order to truly assess where to allocate your marketing spend. How much time is your team spending on unraveling the difference between what your network is reporting, and what data your internal source of truth delivers?

"We Tried That Once But It Didn’t Work”

? Tip 1: Consider agency partners who can offer new and tailored affiliate partnerships as part of their scope and onboarding. This should not be “extra;” it’s business as usual in the partnership marketing space. Do you have the in-house tech and partner relationships that will drive the growth you seek? Does your management team use data-driven insights vs. just relying on gut instincts to present strategies to grow your affiliate program?

? Tip 2: Measure what matters: Set the right KPIs for the channel that will get you to your goals, not the ones that make everyone feel better.

? Tip 3: Have realistic expectations about the time frame within which you can expect results from your affiliate programs. Be sure your agencies and partners are being honest about the promises they make. If you’re promised instant growth, please levy a little skepticism so your goals are realistic and actionable.

After over 17 years in this business, these are just some of the trends and themes I’ve continuously heard across verticals and business challenges. The good news is that the affiliate channel provides a solid return on ad spend when it’s done correctly the first time.

Are there any additional tips you’d add to the list? If so, leave them in the comments.