8 Ways To Find Affiliate Marketers For Affiliate Programs

Hey there sea changers, today we continue our look into the other side of the affiliate marketing world and explore 8 ways to find affiliate marketers for your affiliate program. Affiliate marketing is a booming industry that is expected to grow by 10% ($1.2B) over the next year or two – and with current events (at time of writing) around COVID-19, a few more might be looking to pandemic proof their income with an online business.

So as businesses that look to expand their market, increase sales or brand recognition, or to achieve any number of other strategic outcomes, the development of affiliate programs has been something that they are tending to explore more and more. Just as it is with traditional sales models where companies need to find salesman to promote their products, building an affiliate program will not automatically attract affiliates to it.

Affiliate program managers need to be constantly seeking and sourcing good affiliate marketers to ensure that their programs can be given the best chance of meeting its goals.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Before we get to that however let's just make sure we are on the same page as what we call affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is essentially a partnership between the vendor (the company selling the product) and the affiliate marketer (the person marketing the product) in which commissions are paid to the latter on the sales they generate. This works as follows:

1. A company (vendor) decides that they want to start an affiliate marketing program.
2. They release the program out into the online world with affiliate links for their products.
3. Affiliate marketers apply/register for the program.
4. Once approved, affiliate marketers add links to the products they are promoting to their websites, social media and so on.
5. As ‘readers' click on the links within the affiliate marketer's content, they are redirected to the vendor's own website where the sales is recorded and products shipped.
6. The affiliate marketer is paid a commission for referring their reader to the vendor.

Advantages to Merchants/Vendors

This process is often referred to as a “win-win” for both the vendor and the affiliate marketer for the following reasons:

• Risk and cost free advertising – Whilst there are some costs to affiliate program owners (we will discuss this below), essentially there is no real risk in terms of marketing costs. Affiliates do all the work in regards to marketing the merchant's products and are only ‘paid' if they make a sale.
• Increased Brand awareness – Even if a sale is not made, the fact that by design affiliates will need to be ‘talking up' the products that they are trying to sell – as well as posting all over their websites and social media – there are definite advantages in terms of gaining brand exposure. If nothing else, this simply increases the sets of eyes that are viewing and sharing products, logos and slogans etc.

• Brand reputation – Believe it or not, there are many affiliate marketers (and influencers) out there with legions of followers. In many cases, if an affiliate is promoting a brand, then its reputation can easily skyrocket leading to increased sales both via affiliate marketing and more traditional options (this can also however be a disadvantage too – see below).
• Increased traffic and SEO – Even if affiliates are referring people to the site of the vendor who do not end up purchasing, there is still the added bonus of increased traffic to their websites. This has major advantages – especially for newer companies – in that Search Engine rankings increase meaning they can also attract potential customers via other means. This is an advantage not to be underestimated.

Disadvantages to Merchants/Vendors

Of course, with anything there are a few disadvantages that those looking to set up affiliate programs should be aware of including:

• Brand reputation – Yep, this is both an advantage and disadvantage as just as affiliates can enhance a brand, they can certainly do it some damage as well. Obviously a rogue affiliate is not going to make any money from the relationship however at the end of the day, the merchant had absolutely no say in how their branding, products and logos are displayed, discussed or promoted once an affiliate is let loose with their links.
• Management can be costly – Just as running an affiliate program can be very beneficial cost wise to a vendor, the actual costs of running the program can outweigh the benefits quite quickly if sales are low. These costs can include:
  • Managing commission payments
  • Updating creatives
  • Policing rules
  • Approving applications

What will affiliates want to know?

And finally, before we try and work out how to get our programs in front of those beady little affiliate eyes, it is worth just making sure that you are aware of what it is that many of them look for in a program. Obviously it will need to match their niche and sub niche requirements, but affiliates may also be looking for:

• Commission rates and cookie length.
• Payment terms.
• Statistics such as number of link ‘clicks’.
• Conversion rates of sales per click .
• Average sale amount.
• Average commission amount.
• Most/least popular products.
• Marketing materials that are provided.
• Back office tracking processes.

Now, obviously for newer programs this may not always be available, but it is definitely worthwhile keeping in mind that affiliate marketers will definitely want to know what is in it for them. This is because they can be required to put in a lot of time and effort in order to generate sales and will not want to waste time on a program that may not generate interest or a decent return on investment for them.

Ways To Find Affiliate Marketers

Ok, so let's now fast-forward and assume that the program has been setup as required and the affiliate manager is now on the hunt to find affiliates for it. There is an old saying within the sales industry that you need to go where your customers are. In online terms, this is often realigned to ‘you need to be visible on places that your customers look'. Let's check some of them out…:

1. Register with Affiliate Networks

Affiliate program networks are online platforms that work as intermediaries between merchants and affiliates. Many affiliate program managers, especially those who are new to the process, adopt the use of affiliate networks purely due to the fact that they provide plenty of support in terms of setting up and maintaining the affiliate program, tracking and reporting and affiliate payment solutions.

In terms of utilizing affiliate networks to attract affiliates, these networks also automatically provide high visibility to affiliates looking to promote programs. Not only that, many affiliates like these networks as it gives them easy access to a number of programs within the one niche so as to fully flesh out their website posts and social media. Common affiliate networks include:

• ShareASale
• CJ Affiliate
• Rakuten Marketing Affiliate
• AvantLink
• Pepperjam
• Impact
• LinkConnector
• Awin

2. Affiliate ‘hangouts'

Affiliate marketers, like most other industries like to hang out together and discuss all things online business. These can be social media groups or affiliate marketing training platforms such as Wealthy Affiliate who list affiliate programs for their members. Some of these programs will allow your to advertise your program and some will not. However even if not you can generally interact to gain an understanding of what they are looking for with an affiliate program (or what they are taught) and where they go to find them.

For example, many affiliate marketing training platforms will push those starting out with affiliate marketing to the big platforms such as Amazon or Clickbank. If you, as an affiliate program manager can find ways to get your program in front of them and outline your benefits over those other platforms (usually via social media or email lists etc.), then you might be able to redirect some marketers in your direction.

3. Ask for Reviews

Another oft used ploy for affiance program managers is to reach out to affiliate marketers within the ‘online business' niche and ask them to review their programs or include them within their lists. This can be very worthwhile as in many cases, affiliate marketers in other niches will look for these reviews in order determine whether the program is worth their time and effort in joining.

Generally, reviews will cover the information we discussed above in terms of commission details, program performance and assistance provided. The risk here is obviously that some writers may be less than favorable if the program does not stack up in their eyes compared to others however generally at the very least, it will get your company and program out there on high ranking sites a lot quicker than it may otherwise.

Oh, and a small ‘bounty' (a commission paid for every person that signs up as a result of the review) for the reviewing affiliate can definitely help here.

4. Social Media

Yep, as with most industries, good old social media is a great way to get your company and program noticed by a wider audience. Specific platforms such as Pinterest and YouTube are great for this as they tend to be where affiance marketers look for program reviews (as we discussed above) and comments.

Add your program details to your own website and social media pages so that everybody who visits can see those details regardless of whether they are affiliate marketers or not. You just never know.

5. Tell your customers

This next option definitely fits into the “you never know” category but if you have an affiliate program that you are trying to promote then why not let your customers know about it. If carefully promoted, it can be very powerful in increasing sales via those means. Some companies also use this strategy to add their own larger customers and retailers to the programs to allow them to make extra commissions via their own websites as well.

Other promotional processes can be undertaken via a number of methods such as:

• Social media promotion
• Website pages
• Email lists
• Direct calls to big customers

6. Check your competition

I have mentioned this option in many posts that I have written but it is a critical element in any business strategy, planning or marketing campaign process in checking what your competition is doing. In this case use your research skills to find out:

• Where they are posting their programs (affiliate networks, self managed etc.)
• Where they advertise for affiliates
• Social media presence
• What their affiliates are saying.

This information is critical in terms of not only how your competition is managing their programs, but also how they are attracting affiliates to them. As with everything in business, as long as you are not stealing content, copying your competition is a very shrewd way of succeeding with a solid affiliate marketing program.

7. Affiliate conferences

Ok, I need to make an admission here, until now I did not even know that these exist (and I call myself an affiliate marketer). But another way to get your program out there and attract affiliates is to attend affiliate conferences. It turns out that there are major affiliate conferences on most cities around the world yearly. These are effectively large networking events for affiliates, affiliate networks and in some cases, marketers as well.

Obviously there is a cost to attend (travel, accommodation and conference fees etc.) so it is critical that you have a good understanding of the following:

• What is your reason for attending and does the conference match those reasons?
• What is your plan of attack to meet these needs – i.e who do you want to talk to?
• How are you planning to engage and interact – do you need any documentation or S.W.A.G ?
• What are your post conference followup processes – we all know how many say they will be in touch afterwards and will call you – but never do.

If managed correctly, conferences can be a gold mine for either attracting affiliate marketers directly, or gaining exposure to your program to indirectly attract them in the very near future.

8. Offer incentives

And finally, once we have all of the above in play so that our program is more visible, there may be a need to offer incentives to entice affiliates to apply to your program. These can include:

• Discounts for the affiliate's customers
• Higher commissions for higher sales
• Self use of affiliate links
• Extra payments for click links instead of just sales (this is not always recommended but can be good to gain exposure)

These require careful consideration as there are a few negatives to this approach as well such as reduced profit margins and the attraction of affiliates who are there for the incentives only and not to ethically promote the products. However if managed well, these can certainly be the difference between an affiliate sighing with your program and going elsewhere.

Conclusion

So there you have it… how to find affiliate marketers for your affiliate program. As with everything in business, check them out and see what can work for your program so that you can take advantage of extra affiliate numbers to promote your business and its products.

I hope this has been helpful and as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share.

Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own online business?

Are you looking for a comprehensive training platform that can give you step by step training, 24/7 support, tools to ethically develop and host your very own website, ongoing assistance with SEO, post ideas, social media and access to some of the best affiliate marketing minds on the planet, then click on the following link to read more about Wealthy Affiliate.

Until next time

Have fun

Paul

Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price.

Introducing Wealthy Affiliate, My #1 Recommendation for Setting Up Your Own Online Business

When I started, I knew I wanted to work online, but had absolutely no idea where to begin! You see I had watched friends of mine run a sales party to sell essential oils and someone asked if they could just sell them online?

Then, as I sat on the bus heading into my office job, I started to wonder if I could do just that, sell essential oils online.

Anything to stop having to catch this bus to and from work every day right!

The trouble was, as I mentioned above, I had no idea how to even start.

So of course I started to look around online and found all these courses! They all promised me riches then took my money but left me with no riches!

Then I stumbled across the program that didn’t promise me riches, but told me it could help me get started even with no experience!

So I did that, joined Wealthy Affiliate that was it, and the rest as they say, is history!

But it doesn’t come without work!

That is the key here! I began on their starter membership and did the training! I then joined as a member and did some more training!

Each night after work, I would do a little more, then a little more.

And to cut a long story short, after 10 months I realized I didn’t really like writing about essential oils, so I sold the site for about $2000. But I had learned so much that I started another – about fishing and camping!

Then, after 18 months (by which time it had earned me close to $10k), I was offered $17k for the site, so I sold it too.

Now, through my travel blog, I’ve been able to fund my passion for travel and explore different places around the world.

In the past few months, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to some amazing destinations, including Bali, Los Angeles, Dallas, Vancouver and Las Vegas.

The success of my travel blog has allowed me to fully fund my travels and explore new destinations with my family.

Try the Wealthy Affiliate as a Starter Member and Build your First Hub!

As you start your journey, Wealthy Affiliate is there for you with the most comprehensive training package I have ever seen – And as I have mentioned, I have used a few in my professional career trust me.

To get you started, Wealthy Affiliate has recently introduced the Hub.

The Hub

The hub is an AI based niche and website creation tool that will get you up and running with the foundation of your OWN business in just a few minutes. This includes:

• Your website – hosted and inclusive of a WordPress editor
• Your brand
• Your ‘done-for-you’ research
• Your blueprint
• A task list that is going to help you drive the creation and growth of your business moving forward.

The hub makes the website creation process simple which allows you to get started on the training with a solid base and understanding of the processes.

All you need to do is choose your subject – which is known as your ‘niche’ – and follow the steps on the screen.

Oh, and as you run through the training below you may realize that what you created above is not exactly what you want. That’s ok, you can just create a new hub!

Access All the Tools You Need to Start Your Online Business Here

Wealthy Affiliate Training

Then as you continue your journey, the Wealthy Affiliate Hub is there for you with the most comprehensive training package I have ever seen – And I have used a few in my professional career trust me.

Above we discussed the use of the Hub to set up a website. Once you have done this, you will be able to access the “Step-by-Step Core Training”.

This is available to all members including starter members and will give you everything you need to know to continue to create your online business.

Member Training

There are also Live weekly classes taught by REAL industry experts on a range of topics like artificial intelligence (AI), SEO, YouTube, WordPress, PPC marketing and more.

Great, What Else Does Wealthy Affiliate Have To Help You?

So, let’s keep this short, Wealthy Affiliate is a one-stop-shop platform that provides:

• The Hub – this is the starting point and uses AI processes to assist you in determining your niche and creating your brand.
• Complete training programs to assist with the development of your own affiliate marketing website in your own niche.
• Website creation and publishing tools including access to WordPress editors and themes.
• AI Content article design and content creation
• Domain name purchasing (you get a free domain when you upgrade to the Premium membership).
• Website hosting, security and backup.
• Online help and chat forums.
• Weekly live training events.
• 24/7 support.
• Keyword access tools.
• SEO assistance.

The platform has been active for over 15 years with the original developers and owners, Kyle and Carson, still extremely active in its day to day operations – especially as they rollout their AI capabilities.

You Can Try it Yourself For Free

Now of course I can tell you all about how Wealthy Affiliate works (because it does) until I am blue in the face. But every other program out there – including the shams and scams – will tell you the same thing!

So how about you just try it for free yourself. The Wealthy Affiliate Starter membership is free to join and gives you access to everything you need to get started – all without the need to spend a cent!

With the starter membership, you get:

• 1 Limited Business Hub
• 1,500 AI Word Credits
• Try the AI Author Platform (BETA)
• 1 Practice Website
• Jaaxy Starter
• Limited Help & Support
• Core Niche Training (8 Classes)

And of course I will be there to help you every step of the way as well!

Look, in the interest of transparency, whilst Wealthy Affiliate does offer a free starter membership, this is designed to give you a look around, have a practice and see if it is worthwhile for you – which is a really great option.

However, as with all new businesses, you will need to make some investment so if you are serious about making money online , you will need to upgrade to a premium membership as this will give you access to all the tools you need in the one spot to succeed!

Afterall, every business needs tools to grow!

Access All the Tools You Need to Start Your Online Business Here

So How Much Does This Really Cost?

Wealthy Affiliate does not use upsells once you join – but as I mentioned in the video, to succeed here you will need to invest in a membership. There are a couple of options that provide access to all the tools, training and assistance that you could need – and a free domain as well.

Wealthy Affiliate offers a trio of membership tiers, as detailed on their pricing page.

You can opt for the Starter membership at no cost, the Premium membership for $49 per month or the Premium Plus+ membership for $99 per month. That’s the full extent of it – and you can absolutely build your website without having to spend another cent.

You won’t encounter any unexpected additional charges or covert fees and as a Premium member, you’re equipped with all the essentials to initiate, develop and expand a thriving online enterprise.

Those who opt for the Premium membership are provided with

• Hosting for their websites
• A complimentary domain name
• Access to hundreds of hours of current expert tutorials
• Various marketing and research tools
• Personal guidance from seasoned professionals in the field
• And much much more

And for those of you who want to make a serious investment into your future, there are some yearly options as well below to give you peace of mind that you have a whole year ahead of you to get stuff done!

Access All the Tools You Need to Start Your Online Business Here

And Don’t Forget the Personal Coaching

Once you join, not only do you get plenty of assistance from me, but you also have access to expert coaching, support and mentorship from real industry experts.

I mean, you can have access to all of the top-tier affiliate marketing training in the world, but inevitably, questions arise, particularly during the initial stages.

With an exceptionally dynamic and engaged community that boasts over 2.7 million members, Wealthy Affiliate offers an environment where you, as a member, can fully immerse and leverage this network.

You’re never alone; you have the collective wisdom of an entire community at your fingertips, ready to assist at any moment.

Plus, there’s always-on, rapid-response website support to handle any technical queries you may encounter.

Wealthy Affiliate Works: Real Results From Real People

As I have mentioned a number of times, Wealthy Affiliate has helped me make real money online though its training and tools.

I have made money each month as well as a sale for $17,000.

But again, those promoting other programs will tell you the same thing!

So let’s get away from me and see what others are saying:

To start with, Wealthy Affiliate has a 4.9 out of 5 Star TrustPilot rating, which is a remarkable accomplishment in any industry, let alone the online business industry.

And here are some of those reviews:

And this is what people are saying within Wealthy Affiliate as well:

So, Let’s Make a Decision!

Let’s be frank, you have read this far so why not go all in, click on the button below to get started on the way to your very online business.

Access All the Tools You Need to Start Your Online Business Here

And once you are in and have had a play around with the hub, look for the little envelope on the top right and there will be a message from me. It is of course automated so respond to let me know you are there and we can start this journey together.

(oh, and the profile is mine so you can find me that way as well)

See you there

Paul