This post was originally published on Becki’s blog The Coach Virtual Assistant.
There’s no doubt about it, having a team of affiliates working for you is a sure-fire way to grow your business. However, finding the right affiliates could mean the difference in profits and performance. Here’s how to recruit affiliates:
Market to your list. Your list is made up of people who are interested in you and your products or services already. They may be the ideal people to work as affiliates because they’re already familiar with your business. And presumably they like you – that helps. You can send out occasional “Promote our Products” type of email message and you can include an affiliate sign-up link in the footer of your email.
Make sure you have a link on your website. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. A simple “Partner with us” link that redirects them to an information page will do the trick.
Get listed in an affiliate directory. That way affiliate marketers who are looking for your type of product or service can find you easily.
Advertise on relevant websites, forums and blogs.
Get noticed! Your blog and social networking interactions can drive traffic to your website. If you’re a force to be reckoned with, people will want to join you. They’ll want to become part of your success.
Network offline too. Attend seminars and workshops. Get out and make friends. Partnerships are often forged during the coffee breaks at seminars and conferences.
Make sure your affiliate offer is worth noticing. In addition to a nice chunk of the profits, make sure you’re giving your potential affiliates all the incentives they need to sign up. Bonus downloads, freebie marketing materials, and frequent pay outs are just a few perks.
Research your market. It’s often pretty easy to see what affiliate marketers are marketing to your industry. Once you’ve identified a few key affiliate marketers, contact them personally and make your pitch.
Be sure to promise a lot and then over-deliver. One of the best ways to recruit affiliates is to have other affiliates rave about you. Word of mouth is a great seller. The best way to accomplish that is to promise a lot and then to over-deliver.
Create the best products or services and deliver. One of the best ways to recruit great affiliates is to have a great product or service for them to promote. Good products and services are easy to promote and therefore easier to profit from. And they get to feel good about promoting you.
Affiliates can really take your business to the next level. If you’re ready to start an affiliate program, take the time to plan it well. Decide how you’re going to pay and reward your affiliates and then make it happen. Spread the word through all of your current marketing channels and don’t be afraid to try a few new ones.
