So, you’re starting up an affiliate program to help grow your business, but you don’t know exactly what to do. Do you need an affiliate manager? And if so, how do you find the right one?
An affiliate manager (AM) is a highly skilled individual or agency (OPM) who is an expert in internet marketing and advertising, search engine optimization, and social media marketing. A good affiliate manager helps affiliates generate sales, tracks purchases, and send commissions, among other activities. A few qualities that a good AM should have include determination, drive, and the ability to motivate others. A good AM will increase your program performance and growth, helping to revitalize your affiliate program or establish a new one. He guides the program to success, so you can see it is very important that you hire the right one. So, how exactly do you make sure that you do just that? How can you get the very best AM possible, one who will grow your program to the best it can be?
Be active in affiliate forums – Search through these forums for threads on affiliate managers. When you cruise through these, it’s easy to see who’s doing a good job, who’s getting good reviews, and who is not. Joining and participating in these forums will keep you abreast of any information you need to know about the person you’re considering hiring.
Attend affiliate conferences – AM’s routinely go to these conferences to try and recruit clients. Be sure to ask questions, and find out who’s friendly and not afraid to network. You want someone who’s not afraid to approach people, as that is going to comprise a large part of their job. Affiliate Summit is the largest and best know affiliate conference, so make sure to attend it if you want learn more about affiliate marketing in general.
Look for testimonials – A good AM will have clients who are happy to sing his praises. Check him out, ask around, and find out what he’s done for other companies.
Ask lots of questions – Give them an idea of what you are planning, and ask them what they can do for you. Ask them to review your site and give you some general ideas of what they would do first to promote your site.
And once you have found the right person, don’t forget that good communication between you and your affiliate manager is key. Tell them what your hopes for your company are, and where you want to take it. A good Am can take over all the work of growing your affiliate network, so that you can concentrate on other parts of your business.
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