Who makes great affiliates? The anatomy of affiliate selection

Searching for an affiliate marketer is not difficult, but finding the RIGHT one can be a tough task. In order to find the best match, you need to know what distinguishes such a marketer. What do you need to focus on when looking for the perfect one? We’ll tell you what to look for and how to search effectively.

Skills of a great affiliate marketer

First things first – if we’re looking for a great affiliate marketer, it’s worth knowing what skills they should have. Below, we have listed a few of them.

Creativity – marketing is based on creativity. To be a good affiliate marketer, you need to be a good marketer first. They must interest a potential user and convince them to take the desired action. To do so, the marketer must find a way to stand out from the huge number of ads and marketing messages. Nowadays, it is not enough to have a good CTA alone – the promotion strategy should stand out with an idea and execution to catch the client’s attention. That’s what creativity can do! Creativity also contributes to thinking outside the box.

Productivity – you know the saying that everyone has the same number of hours in a day? It depends on us how we use them. An affiliate marketer should use every last minute. It is not only about their work, but also about developing skills. Similar to your employees’ productivity, they should be productive enough to accomplish their tasks and find time to focus on honing skills, since the industry is extremely competitive.

Data analysis – being familiar with data is an important skill that helps affiliate marketers evaluate their time, revenue and efforts. After all, it is the data that shows whether or not a campaign is effective. Thanks to it, affiliate marketers can also find out what kind of content attracts the most, who visits a particular site, clicks through links or registers. Understanding the results is crucial for drawing conclusions. The marketer can effectively use this knowledge for taking even more effective actions.

Self-discipline – affiliate marketers work on their own. Many of them are freelancers. They don’t have a manager over them who would assign tasks at various stages of a project and discipline them to ensure completion. One should naturally entrust marketers with this job, and that they undertake executing it well. The whole process of creation belongs to them. They must be disciplined enough to meet both deadlines and quality requirements.
Problem-solving – it is another key skill that every good affiliate marketer should have. This is what the improvement of actions is about. Let’s assume that a campaign does not bring the desired results. Analyzing this problem and making conclusions is the basis for improvement. Recognizing the nature of the problem may bring one closer to solving it.

Of course, these skills are only the tip of the iceberg, and each case should be taken into consideration individually. The list above provides a good general indication of skill sets to look for in affiliates though.

Since you now know what to look for, let’s answer another crucial question.

Who makes great affiliates? The anatomy of affiliate selection

Where to look for affiliates?

So, let’s assume that you know who you’re looking for, then here comes the next question. Where should you look for solid affiliate marketers? No worries, we’ve prepared some good options for you.

It is worth starting with some proven referral programs. Who knows, maybe a particular marketer who has proven himself to someone else will also be a perfect fit for your campaign. It’s worth checking out those who’ve already worked well, delivered satisfying results and have a proven track record. They may come at a high price for you, though.

You can also use affiliate lists. Some affiliates are listed with several sources, so you may just think of reaching out to them.

Groups on social media can be a goldmine for your affiliate marketing. Facebook seems to be a natural choice here if you want to find some affiliate marketers. Join some groups dedicated to affiliate marketing. This is where you can find the best fit for your own affiliate programs and get to know affiliate marketers’ needs and requirements better.

It is always useful to think outside the box and not just follow in the footsteps of others. Many affiliate marketers work in various industries but, as we all know, it’s not good to spread yourself too thin. Such marketers don’t really sell anything because they don’t focus on any of the projects enough, trying to divide their attention elsewhere.

This is why sometimes it is worth vetting your own affiliate marketer. What does it mean? You may have a shining star in your team, or know someone who may not yet be into affiliate marketing but actually has everything required to become a great affiliate marketer.

Such a marketer is likely to be trustworthy and focused on your product, and this makes the results of their work even better. Where to look for marketers that are not affiliate marketers yet but could definitely make great ones? Here we provide the following suggestions.

Social media groups related to your industry. Try to join the most valuable and active ones, where evaluating knowledge will be simplified. Choose marketers that are knowledgeable about your industry and very likely to be into your product. They may not only promote it further, but also use it themselves to make their everyday jobs easier while making some commission on the side.

Slack and Discord channels – when searching Slack and Discord channels related to your industry, you may come across many potential candidates. They may be rather niche and sometimes hard to find, but it’s definitely worth checking them out.

Sales managers in your niche know what is going on in the business. They know how to react and what arguments to use in order to sell a particular product in your niche. It is worth choosing people who know all the tricks in your industry and have already grown some network around them. Of course, not all sales managers are equal, so remember to verify them before you signing up with them.

Who makes great affiliates?

Let’s recognize a few groups of people who can make great affiliates, then.

Social media managers – Using the latest social media tools, social media managers know how social media works and how to promote products on it by using the most sophisticated methods. When working as affiliates, they’ll know how to benefit from their knowledge and combine it with a nice commission. They are good at recognizing target groups and reaching out to them using social media channels, and this may be priceless for you.

CEOs with strong personal branding – CEOs often build an influential network around them, so any recommendations they make are likely to be taken seriously and with respect. This is why it may be a good idea to invoice them in your affiliate marketing program.

Influencers – influencers have a wide network of followers on social media, so their promotion may reach a really huge target group. If your product or services are the right fit for them, promotion via influencers may be really effective. Be aware, though, that choosing influencers is a complex process during which you need to take a lot of things into consideration.

Bloggers – they usually run a website or a blog where they can publish sponsored articles or write their own promotional content. Then, they can use social media platforms to distribute the message. While influencers often only run social media profiles, bloggers are likely to have both a website and a bunch of social media accounts to promote their content on. If you want your affiliate program to have even more influence, choose chief editors for collaboration. They may be more powerful when it comes to valuable publications – but they may come at a higher price as a result.

People with a solid sales background – they know how to sell without selling. They usually have an outstanding social network that they can use to the advantage of your product, and they are knowledgeable about which sales techniques to use for attracting and persuading potential clients.

Your loyal customers – yes, customers! Have you ever thought about involving them in your affiliate marketing? They can be a really good pick as affiliate marketers since they know your product, use your product and are able to recommend it further. They may be extremely trustworthy with their message. You can reward them with free software or set up a commission fee.

Key takeaways

Make sure that the marketer you are looking for knows what they do. Review their experience, who they have worked for and what the results were (if it’s possible to evaluate these).
Focus on those who work in your industry. Marketers working in many different industries may not really focus enough on any one of them. And you would rather be a priority, right? Before you sign up with anyone, check their potential and network first.

Look for people who know the industry, but also appreciate your customers. Since the latter have already chosen you, it is worth showing them gratitude by testing them out for further cooperation. Of course, do not forget about a reward for the effort they put into affiliate action.
Once you find the best affiliate marketers, you need to manage them effectively. It may be difficult to keep everything on track, though. This is where Post Affiliate Pro steps up, helping you to maintain your affiliate programs.