Memo to Merchants: Do You Got What It Takes?

Most merchants do not have the right idea when it comes to dealing with their affiliates. For some very strange reason, we are thought of as marketing slaves who will abide by the rules set by affiliate managers and are expected to generate leads and possibly settle for lower commissions. I have no problem abiding by the PPC rules and other small things that merchants put forward. But I have a simple test of my own that helps me determine whether an affiliate program is worth working with.

A successful affiliate relationship is a two way street that involves gives and takes. I personally find it appalling when a merchant expects me to give and give without getting in return. Here is the list of things that I expect to get in return for my work:

• Support: don’t ignore my e-mails. I can’t tell you how many affiliate managers I have seen who get back to me after 2 months or sometimes never! To be fair, there are folks who get back to me fast, and that is a big plus for me. If you are not going to have the courtesy to even send me a short note, then you are not worth working with.
• Creative: some affiliate programs put up a bunch of banners and leave the rest to affiliates. I am always impressed with merchants who value the relationship enough to work with me and provide banners that fit my site. This is just an example, but affiliate managers need to be involved and be there to help affiliates succeed.
• Warnings: affiliate managers who have kicked me out without even giving me a warning just upset me. You work for someone for years, and you have a bad month, and nobody gets in touch to see what you can do to improve your results. Next thing you know you are kicked out. No… No… No!
• Conventional Tools: if you expect me to promote your affiliate program, at least be kind enough to provide me with some basic tools. Maybe a report feature. Maybe a link maker. Something to get me started. It’s not too much to ask, is it?
• Unconventional Tools: If you go that one extra step to create an innovative affiliate tool, I am going to go a mile to bring you more leads. That just shows me that you are dedicated to succeed. An example that I use is Dell affiliate program. These guys created a portal for their affiliates to easily promote offers. Now, I don’t have any excuse for not promoting Dell, and why would I not do it?
• Gestures: some affiliate managers are considerate enough to send gifts or just holiday cards to their top affiliates. If I am bringing you a whole lot of leads, the least you can do is send me an e-mail for the holidays. Not doing that for your top affiliates is not a deal breaker, but it just shows that you don’t know how to take care of your affiliates. Kudos to the guys at Aweber for their best practices here.
• Meetings: affiliate managers who go the extra mile to meet with their top affiliates show that they are dedicated in improving and furthering their affiliate relationships. There are plenty of conferences and events that we can meet up, but if you are not going to show, or you won’t have time for me, then I won’t have time for you.

This is pretty much the list that I use with my own affiliate programs. There maybe a couple of other items that differ from one niche to another, but the above list has served me pretty well. Did I miss anything?