IMPROVE YOUR AFFILIATE PROGRAM IN 10 EASY STEPS

Start today with these 10 steps to a better program. If you've already put these tips into action, now is the time to re-evaluate and see where you can make improvements to keep your program in top form.

1. Make a good first impression
   Your new publisher email is like a digital brochure for your program. It's a small tool that can bring big success if you use it to arm your publishers with the information they need to effectively sell your products and services. The email is also an opportunity to start a relationship with the person on the other end of that email. With the right offer, you might be starting a great partnership.
2. Just show up
   Fortunately, our Account Manager search engine doesn't require that you hire an optimization expert. What it does require is for you to insert keywords that best describe your company and products. That's it. Publishers are looking for new programs to work with on an ongoing basis, and the simplest way for them to find you is if your name comes up in the search results.
3. Make your program stand out
   Advertisers often ask how to get more visibility in the network, so more publishers notice their program. The simplest step you can take is to purchase a logo listing for your program, which puts your logo, instead of your name in text, in the advertiser directory that publishers browse.
4. Take time to communicate
   Like any relationship, your partnership with your publishers requires regular communication, and you can be proactive using our online Member Messaging tools. Use regular email communication to educate, motivate, increase loyalty to your program, and recruit new publishers. If you don't have something to say each month, that's okay. You can still send your publishers an email to let them know you appreciate their hard work, or to ask them how you can better support their efforts.
5. Feed the hungry
   Most publishers need to regularly generate new content to keep their site fresh. In addition, they need copy to promote your products. With content links, you provide the copy you know is most effective, and publishers can create contextual buying opportunities within their site. Create a few different content links, with different lengths of copy, and promote them to your publishers. By giving your publishers more options, you empower them to succeed.
6. Specify your offers' benefits
   You can designate any ad in your inventory as either a "Coupon", "Sweepstakes" or "Product" link type. Many publishers specifically look for ads that have a special offer for their site visitors, and by designating your special links, you can make publishers aware of them. Publishers have the option to search by these link types, so specifying this field may also help your links get promoted on more sites.
7. Be flexible
   One of the techniques publishers employ to boost their conversion rates is to focus on selling specific advertiser products or product categories and then send their visitors to deep, relevant pages on the advertiser's site. While some advertisers prefer that their visitors only enter through the homepage, deep linking is still one of the best ways to convert more visitors through a pay-for-performance channel. You will need to edit each link for which you want to enable different link destinations.
8. Build loyalty
   Research in our network has shown that longer cookie durations don't significantly increase the number of sales that take place via pay-for-performance links. However, it does create loyalty and good will among publishers who will occasionally receive additional commissions because of it. If you're not sure what an acceptable cookie duration is, look at your competitors. Then exceed them. Or just ask your publishers. Developing loyalty among publishers, like customers, is vital to your long-term success.
9. Let your commissions do the talking
   Commission Junction has just released powerful new incentive tools. Your performance incentives can now be tied to specific actions - leads or sales - instead of your program as a whole. That means you can reward publishers differently for the different actions they generate. If you're not sure about creating an incentive, just remember - an increase in your commission payout is tied to an increase in results!
10. Provide options
    Commission Junction gives you many ad options, so you don't have to limit your publishers to one ad type or size. Most advertisers are simultaneously providing offers for publishers running malls, email lists, incentive sites, content sites and more. The more possibilities you provide for promoting your offers, the better your chances for generating conversions across a larger percentage of your publishers.

Courtesy of Commission Junction