Customers of Refersion get automatic access to the Refersion Marketplace, our open network of affiliate partners who are actively looking to partner with merchants. This is a fantastic supplemental tool at your fingertips to quickly add affiliates. But just because you now have access to 5000+ reps doesn’t mean you can sit back and watch your affiliate army rise up. Like affiliate marketing itself, which is much more than “set it and forget it,” fishing for affiliates is more involved than just putting bait on your line.
Here is how to get the most out of the Refersion Marketplace.
Learn how to use the technology
We’ll do a quick summary of our support article here, step-by-step:
- Merchants must first create an offer in their Refersion account. Then head to Channels > Marketplace and change the Listing Status to enable the offer in the Marketplace.
- If you have more than one offer, this is also where you choose the one you’d like to publicize. You can only have one offer live at a time. We recommend you create a new offer specifically for the Marketplace so you can easily segment its performance.
- On the Content tab, add a description of your business, your offer, as well as the terms & conditions. (More on this later) You can also use HTML to customize how your text looks, as well as add images.
It’s a simple process and doing the bare minimum will just take a few minutes. But let’s see what else you can do to improve your odds of attracting the right affiliates.
Stand out from the pack
You’ve joined the Marketplace. Now let’s delve into how your offers and profile can stand out from the pack as you compete for the affection of the best affiliate reps in the Marketplace.
- Check out your competition — You won’t really know what the attractive offers are in your niche until you research what your competitors are doing. Maybe you think your 10% commission rate is great… until you see everyone else offering 20% + perks. Do your due diligence and see how your offer ranks. Pro tip: creating an affiliate rep profile is free and allows you to look around.
- Test different offers — Not all offers will attract the same affiliates. It’s best practice to test out not just different commission rates (because, well, higher rates will usually perform better of course), but the wording of your offer as well as different additional perks (here are some ideas other than just cash). Pro tip: Using a unique offer that you create only for the Refersion Marketplace will make it easier to track performance.
- Pitch your brand — Your offer page gives you space to connect with your potential reps on more than just a monetary level. Remember, these affiliates are people too, and many are looking to connect with a brand & company that does more than print money. Why should affiliates represent your brand? What are your core beliefs? How do you help people and/or improve the world? Even if you can’t afford to pay out as high as some of your competitors, an appeal to the emotional side can attract affiliates who want to be a part of a good cause.
- List averages — Percentages can be confusing. Many affiliates appreciate tangible dollar amounts in your offers. “15% commission” is less enticing than putting in your description that “our average sale amount is $300, average commission is $45.” This makes it easier for potentials reps to grasp how much they stand to make working with you.
- Be clear on your affiliate policy — On the other side of attracting reps, you don’t want to waste your time with those who won’t do well representing your brand. A great way to weed out the ones that probably won’t gel with your sensibilities is to write a clear, plain-English affiliate program policy. Use bullet points to keep it concise and readable, but don’t be afraid to write enough to cover your bases. Follow the link to see what you should include in your policy.
Maintain your reputation
Once you start connecting and working with affiliates via the Refersion Marketplace, keeping your reputation up is important. Burn a rep or two and soon you’ll see applications decline. They’re very intelligent people, and they also do their due diligence on the brands they work with.
Nurturing your affiliates is important, so they feel respected and you get the most out of each one of them. This can include:
- creating an affiliates-only newsletter
- bumping up commission rates when they’re on hot-streaks
- being available for Q&A at regular intervals
Check out our list of the best ways to motivate your affiliates.
The Refersion Marketplace can connect you with many amazing reps, but you’ll get the best results, like anything else in affiliate marketing, by putting in the work. Ready to start? Create your first Marketplace offer today!
