Affiliate Marketing

While more than two thirds of online consumers find ads unbelievable and intrusive (various surveys), around 1 in 10 of all ecommerce sales globally can be attributed to affiliate marketing. There’s no time like the present to get started.

What is affiliate marketing?

Though there are many levels of affiliate marketing, done well it is a technique through which a brand attempts to increase its reach, brand awareness and revenue through building a network of relevant, trusted external evangelists (affiliates) who then promote the brand’s product while receiving a commission on every directly attributable sale they help to make.

What can affiliate marketing do for your business?

The main benefit of affiliate marketing is always going to be the increase in sales that can come from a well executed strategy, but there is also - as with ad campaigns - a huge potential for improving brand recognition and recall. Provided your affiliate marketing engages the right affiliates, you can improve your standing in the broader industry ecosystem you operate in.

Types of affiliate programme

Generally, affiliate partners will fall into one of three categories, each of which has unique uses and benefits depending on your brand.

→

1. Discount & cashback

We take a tactical approach to building out the bottom of funnel (high purchase intent) affiliates – retaining control in the discounting space, whilst avoiding paying more than you need to for the privilege. In short, we aim to deliver more exposure at lower cost.

→

2. Product aggregators

Obviously, the type of affiliates we’ll work with in this category will depend on your brand/products. However, we will always aim to recruit partners that’ll make the most of your brand and ensure you are getting exposure on only the most relevant aggregator sites.

→

3. Closed Networks

These partners are like voucher or cashback sites, but sit behind a login wall (examples are student discounts or Blue Light Card). While they require discounting, they are often much more top/mid-funnel in the way they operate as many people log in to these sites at the beginning of their shopping journey.

→

4. Content affiliates

From major national newspapers to niche, industry-specific bloggers, we look for the optimal mix of content affiliates for your brand and its products. We can also run partnerships with individual content creators, or work with large networks of publishers, ultimately boosting brand awareness and revenue.

One thing is worth mentioning here - affiliates matter, but the right affiliates matter even more. You always want to make sure that they’re relevant, engaging and authentic to best speak to your potential.

In addition, different affiliates play different roles in the customer journey – some adding more value than others.

The affiliate marketing customer journey

What are the steps that customers take towards a purchase? What are the types of affiliate that sit alongside each step? We hear you ask, we know you want to know! Let’s take a look…

→

1. Awareness

Content affiliates, including influencers and editorial sites, sit at the top end of the affiliate sales funnel. These affiliates typically receive a higher commission by default, as they introduce new customers to your brand.

→

2. Interest

When consumers are expressing a solid interest in your product and are starting to ‘shop around’, they’ll typically turn to product aggregators and price/comparison sites (CSS). This type of affiliate will normally receive a mid-tier commission as they operate as a nudge in the right direction to interested users (while improving brand exposure).

→

3. Conversion

When consumers have decided which product they want, and they’re ready to buy, where do they turn? To voucher code, cash back, and deal sites. This type of ‘conversion’ affiliate will receive a low commission, with options for tenancy deals and mailer inclusions to give your brand a boost.

Our affiliate marketing service

By making sure we find the right affiliates for your business - trusted in your sector, interacted with by your target customers - we can grow your business and your reach. We also make sure that affiliates are paid fairly based on the real value they drive to your business, taking the full marketing funnel into consideration.

Our experts are at the top of their game and dedicated to commerce - meaning we deal with the problems you're facing every day. We help you make the right connections, find the right partners, negotiate the right rates and commissions, and make sales in a way that delivers the maximum ROI.

→

Management/Optimisation

Managing multiple affiliates can be a complex task. But Velstar’s affiliate marketers have the experience and expertise to manage your affiliate partners in the most profitable way for you and your brand. We are experienced in taking over programs where the majority of the growth potential is achievable through optimisation of existing campaigns.

→

Recruitment

Recruiting the best mix of affiliates is essential to the ultimate success of an affiliate marketing campaign.

Velstar’s affiliate marketers are adept at recruiting those affiliates that are highly relevant to your industry, able to deliver the best possible results. We continually monitor this mix of affiliates, recruiting and dropping partners when and where necessary, maintaining the best ROI for your budget.

What can affiliate marketing do for your business?

Our affiliate marketing aficionados

Our affiliate marketing specialists use only the most reputable and effective affiliate networks and platforms, driving relevant users to your website. They operate a proactive and tailored approach, reacting quickly to opportunities to improve ROI while always keeping brand safety reputation in mind.