Tools Of The Trade In Affiliate Marketing.

Tools Of The Trade In Affiliate Marketing.

Affiliate marketing today forms a fundamental part of most online retailers’

strategies. So, what tools does a merchant need to have a successful

programme?

Any retailer should have a product feed, either XML or CSV. A product feed

basically is a way of providing information about the products on a merchant’s

website in a way that breaks up the information easily, and is standardised. A

product feed will probably contain the following information for each product:

• Product name

• Product URL

• Product picture

• Product price

• Description

• Shipping price

• Stock status: in stock / out of stock

Affiliates, particularly search affiliates, can then use this to promote individual

products.

A product feed is made available on a simple URL, and displays content that

affiliates can use in their campaigns. You can view a product feed by visiting

http://www.jr.com/category/audio/accessories/musical-instruments/pedalsand-

effect-processors/pedals/n/4294563327/

Merchants need to create a set of banners and buttons that can be placed on

affiliate websites. At a minimum, the following sizes should be available:

• 468 x 60 (banner)

• 125 x 125 (square)

• 120 x 60 (button)

• 120 x 600 (skyscraper)

Having interactive banners, such as gift wizards or product searches, mean

that potential customers can interact with the brand before they even come

through to the merchant’s website!

If the merchant or the affiliate network hosts the banners, these can be updated

without the affiliates having to do anything! This means that the message can

be kept current across all of the merchant campaigns.

Merchants need to consider who will be monitoring and driving the success

of the affiliate campaign. Merchants might be able to run the programme inhouse

with current staffing resources, or can hire an affiliate manager. It is

also possible to outsource the management of the affiliate programme to an

agency that specialises in affiliate marketing.

Lastly, merchants need to keep in touch with their affiliates: the networks have

channels for communicating with a large number of affiliates, but it is also

worthwhile to interact on some of the affiliate marketing forums in order to

keep informed.

What tools does an affiliate need?

Affiliates need to get to grips with the spectrum of digital marketing tactics,

and choose what works best for them. Paid search affiliates will focus on PPC

tactics, while affiliates running bespoke websites will probably put a lot of

energy into SEO. It depends on where their talent lies, and where they see a

gap in the market.

For affiliates, keeping up to date with merchants, other affiliates and the

industry is probably the key to growth. That, and finding the time to put it all

into practice! Joining forums and keeping tabs on industry leaders will help to

do just that.

Some notable affiliate marketing Forums:

• Webmasterworld: www.webmasterworld.com

• Affiliates4U forum: www.affiliates4u.com