Six things every affiliate should ask before joining an affiliate program for the first time

1 ) With whom are you collaborating?

Conduct some background research on the company to ascertain who you will be working with and repare any questions you may have. For example: Are they licensed? Are they backed up? Where are the contracts for their services verified?

Assuring that they have a positive reputation is also critical for your brand. Most of the information can be found on the affiliate program's website . That is also the location where you may read their reviews. Consult your peers and engage in community and group discussions. As with any business, you must validate your consumers and ensure that you will be paid; otherwise, you risk wasting time and money.

Bear in mind that your users rely on you to give accurate information and guide them solely to reputable firms. Consider delving a little deeper into the account manager assigned to you and their experience level. Since iGaming is a small industry, you may have mutual connections who can share information about their dealings with them – or who can help foster that relationship. Make effective use of your contacts.

2) Where am I supposed to go if I have a problem?

Not all affiliate relationships function as smoothly as we wish, and escalation may be necessary at times. If there are any challenges with obtaining documents, access to reports, or anything else from operators, you must ensure you have a pre-agreed point of contact to speak to if anything goes wrong. When you begin a connection, discuss your service level expectations and ensure that your affiliate manager or account executive has the authority to confirm commercial arrangements.

3) What are the options for negative carryover?

This could be a deciding factor in your decision to become an affiliate. Although many affiliates ensure that no negative carryover occurs before onboarding a new brand, this is not always achievable. If there is a negative carryover provision in place, you may choose to negotiate for a trial period to ascertain how the partnership works for both parties. It could be a legitimate explanation, or you could propose alternate solutions in the event of significant wins. Consider the relationship and how it can benefit both yourself and them, and tailor your communications accordingly.

4) When and how are commissions paid?

Before any transactions, the commission structure should be disclosed. CPA, revenue share, hybrid, and tenancy are all common types of agreements. This can be negotiated and agreed upon with your affiliate manager, along with payment conditions and dates. Ascertain that they offer the cost-effective payment solutions which are necessary to support your organization. This will avoid unexpected foreign exchange or administrative costs that can be deducted from your initial commission plan.

5) How available are they to collaborate with you to expand your affiliate business?

If you are performing well for an operator, it stands to reason that they want to assist you in growing your brand and establishing a more excellent reputation. As part of the initial meeting, you should investigate the possibility of including them in assisting you in growing your affiliate business. This could be accomplished by way of providing testimonials, hyperlinks, or invitations to special conference events. These relationships in such a way that they benefit both parties and contribute to your mutual growth.

6) Is the operator's customer service up to par?

At first glance, affiliate marketing may appear to be a game of numbers and technical wizardry. However, it is all about individuals at the end of the day. When choosing an affiliate network, it is critical to engage with individuals that communicate effectively.

We assign advertisers to a dedicated account manager, responsible for the entire affiliate marketing process — from program launch to publisher identification and quality assurance. These managers are proficient in affiliate marketing, but they are also culturally savvy.

Final Thoughts

Affiliates should elicit further information from operators and be transparent about their business aims and parameters to avoid future disagreement and doubt regarding the contractual arrangements. Affiliate marketing must evolve into a two-way business cooperation rather than a place where affiliates' rules are defined, and they are COMMANDED to follow them. Affiliates now have an incredible number of choice of products to market. A partnership approach is significantly more beneficial and allows the relationship to develop. Affiliates, for their part, must become more professional in their dealings with affiliate managers and their compliance and regulatory management of their portals. The moral of the story is to emphasize the importance of effective communication. As with any corporate partnership, nurturing should be prioritized.