Here at Everflow, we certainly try not to play favorites. Really.
But, we’re HUGE fans of Publisher Discovery. That’s because they’ve created a product that helps ecommerce brands and marketers find the right affiliates for their program. The ability to do this well typically weighs heavily in a brand’s recipe for success.
So, to get an interactive look at how the platform works, Head of Partnerships Ed Ceballos hosted Chris Tradgett, CMO at Publisher Discovery for a live workshop. With questions and input from a real-time audience, we were able to take actual use cases and turn them into proper demonstrations.
Whether or not you feel the call to enlist Partner Discovery’s help with accelerating your brand’s affiliate program, we’ve highlighted a few key takeaways from the workshop that marketers should keep in mind:
Stay relevant. Working with partners that specialize in your vertical is the most effective way to grow quickly, but only working with specialized partners can quickly pigeonhole your program into a box with limited options. If it’s a relatively saturated market, then that box might start acting as walls that prevent growth for your brand.
Working with partners in your vertical benefits from relevance, but don’t be afraid to test out partners that are outside your space. For example, a CBD brand might be primarily focused on its own specific vertical, but there could be untapped opportunity under the health or beauty verticals. It could be worth it to broaden your audience and then trim down later after analyzing their traffic’s value.
Publisher Discovery’s platform identifies a varying degree of relevance based on which advertisers they are linked to – literally. They’re scanning domains for affiliate links and then organizing, cross-referencing and displaying the insights in simple, user-friendly formats. Conversely, the platform also allows for scoping out which affiliates your competitors are working with. You can do the same on your own, but it will take A LOT longer.
Pave your own way. When it comes to initiating a potential relationship, you’ve got to start somewhere, right? You might be tempted to simply send an email. If the recipient is a big-time player in the space, chances are you’re not getting a reply at all.
“You'll find that the biggest affiliates will be the hardest to contact." – Chris Tradgett, CMO at Publisher Discovery
The big wigs are getting somewhere in the vicinity of 5,000 emails per month. Try to make a connection in another way by making your presence known.
Set up social media accounts for your brand’s affiliate program and follow the affiliates you’re interested in working with. Being notified that you’re following them and seeing your engagement on their posts may light an extra flare of curiosity when they come across your email.
Make some noise. Chris really emphasized the importance of simply getting involved in the market, and not just from the lens of selling products. He mentioned how their team had released a blog post that listed some worthwhile affiliate management podcasts – simply to bring some awareness and spark some conversation. Thanks to their readers, that list has grown significantly since releasing that blog post!
“It's your market. You have to make some noise in there.” – Chris Tradgett, CMO at Publisher Discovery
Although many may advise treading lightly here, you can also try taking a stand about the important core values of your brand and drumming up some enthusiasm about those values with your audience. Search for hashtags to find other businesses that support the same causes or instill similar values in their workplaces, and thus, their products and/or services.
Engaged affiliate partnerships are stronger when they're not simply transactional, and there is instead some real team spirit behind your combined cause. Having these kinds of off-the-beaten-path conversations allow you to make a bit of a wave, and being intentional with them will help your brand find its tribe.
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