Qualities of an Excellent Affiliate: What to Look For

In the world of affiliate marketing, there’s a lot of information about what a good affiliate marketing program looks like from the perspective of the affiliate. But what about your perspective — the perspective of the one running the program? There just aren’t as many resources out there to help you choose the right long-term affiliates (and avoid the wrong ones) for your program.

That’s why in this post we’re going to share several qualities you should look for when you’re figuring out which affiliates you want to invest in for the long-term. We’ll also talk a bit about why affiliates are such an important part of your online business. 

So let’s get started!

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Why Are Affiliates So Important?

There are a number of reasons it’s important to have affiliates in your online business arsenal:

• Targeted Traffic. Having affiliates in a specific niche or industry will help you pinpoint and target your audience. That way, you can make sure that those seeing what you have to offer are truly interested.
• Less Costly. Depending on your affiliate compensation plan, affiliate marketing can be less costly than spending money on social media and Google ads. Paying affiliates a commission only when a sale is made or compensating them with free product helps you save money and still effectively promote your business.
• Brand Awareness. Having affiliates on your team is not only great for conversions, but it’s an awesome way to build brand awareness and visibility among potential and current customers. 
• Saves Time. Crafting and implementing campaigns can be a huge task. However, when you work with a group of affiliates, you just let them know what you’re looking to promote, when you’d like to promote it — with a few additional guidelines — and you’re done! You don’t have to spend time coming up with grand promotions or complicated ad campaigns. Your affiliates handle their individual marketing efforts themselves.
• Valuable Networking Opportunities. Having an affiliate program is a great way to network with other businesses and individuals you might want to work with in the future, whether that be on more of your own projects or theirs.

Further Reading: 3 Ways That Micro-Influencers Can Benefit You

6 Qualities To Look For In Long-term Affiliates

So, you know that incorporating affiliates in your marketing strategy is an excellent idea, now check out a few qualities to look for in those you choose to work with long-term.

1.Consistency

Consistency is one of the most important qualities in a good affiliate. If you lay out a campaign where you want your affiliates to post once a week, create a YouTube video once a month, and create a blog post every two weeks, the success of that campaign will hinge on your affiliates holding up their end of the deal.

2. Organization and Knowledge

Organization and knowledge are closely related to consistency. You want to have people on your affiliate team who are able to properly organize the different promotions you throw their way, who understand the value of scheduling those promotions strategically, and who know how to manage different types of content for your promotions.

3. Team-Oriented

Good affiliates always have a team player attitude. They’re concerned about how their participation in a promotion can help not only them but the business as a whole. If an affiliate is shortsighted and only concerned with their own quick gain, they’ll be less likely to participate in campaigns as actively as they should and may not be as consistent in the promotion process.

4. Willingness to Learn

In your long-term affiliates, look for an openness and willingness to learn. To help your business thrive (and help themselves earn money) affiliates should be open to new ideas and methods you propose. They should also be actively learning about and implementing new methods on their own to make themselves better affiliate marketers.

Further Reading: Why Industry Knowledge Is Vital for Affiliate Programs

5. Patience

In any marketing effort, patience is a required virtue. Some campaigns may not immediately show results — it can take a week, a month, or even a few months to really see campaigns start working. If an affiliate participating in your campaign is too quick to give up or become frustrated, they’re not someone you want to work with in the long-term.

6. Creativity

Creative affiliates are extremely valuable because they know how to share your promotions in original ways that really stand out. A creative affiliate knows their audience well and can craft high quality content that keeps potential customers engaged and interested in what you have to offer. If you find a highly creative affiliate, take good care of them so they stick around.

Further Reading: Why Affiliate Marketers Should Focus on Quality Over Quantity

Create the affiliate program of your dreams with Easy Affiliate!

In Conclusion

It’s great to have affiliates and influencers who are willing to sign up and help you promote your online business. However, it’s important to seek out a few key characteristics to ensure that the affiliates you invest your time in are the kind you’ll want to keep around. 

If you keep the characteristics listed above in mind, you’ll be sure to find valuable affiliates who you can trust to have your best interest in mind and help you build your business over the long haul.

Want to learn more? Check out our posts on the importance of building an affiliate community, how to tell if your program is performing well, and how to turn your customers into affiliates. 

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