Give First, Then Receive – Better Affiliate Marketing

Like all social content, it is best to mix your promotional material with a healthy amount of content that is of significant interest to your audience. If as part of your Internet strategy you’re writing a blog about audio equipment, a minimum of  60% of your posts should be about the technology and music that help deliver enjoyment to your customer. The other 40% or less can be about your product. Each post should close with a short pitch which relates to the post, but keeping your audience engaged and wanting to open your emails, read your blog posts or visit your facebook page depends on delivering content that interests them.

Engaging your Affiliates

Affiliates are like any other sales channel, the more information you give them the better they will perform. This also includes the frequency and content of your messages. Reach out with new content about your products on a regular basis, but also reach out to them on matters that will help there overall business. A high performing affiliate will mean more sales for you. Look at the email I just got from the Volusion affiliate program. It addresses an issue that all affiliates are concerned with; getting their site to the top of the search engine results. This affiliate newsletter does not even mention the Volusion product, it only purpose is to help affiliates succeed.

Lesson: No matter what communication methods you use with your customers, remember to address their desires before you address yours. Give before you expect to receive.