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Affiliate marketing Affiliate program – basic information

Today, anyone can have their own website with a small financial contribution. Building a website is no longer difficult, but creating a database of useful content is a real challenge, both in terms of time and money. Then comes the thought that it would be worth it if the investment in the website started to pay off or make money for itself. One of the most effective activities is affiliate marketing. How to choose an affiliate program and what do you need to know about it? 

Banners, boxes and advertisements – an affiliate campaign on a website

Monetization is associated with advertising products. That is why there are usually online advertisements in specific places on the website – banners, boxes, skyscraps and other visual forms that are displayed on the screens of computers, laptops and mobile devices. Finding advertisers, and those whose products or services match the subject matter of your website, is not easy. Not everyone wants to advertise with newcomers either. The solution is an affiliate program. You can join it using the services of an affiliate agency, e.g. Onaffiliate. You can also find such a program yourself. What are affiliate programs and how do they work? Is it worth taking an interest in this form of advertising and affiliate marketing?

Affiliate program – what is it?

Affiliate programs, otherwise known as affiliate programs, are specific agreements. Here, the merchant or advertiser pays the website owner – also known as the affiliate or publisher – a commission for the traffic generated in the advertiser’s store or website. The owner of the website installs special links leading to the seller’s website. They are usually in the form of banners or boxes. For the traffic generated in this way, the publisher is compensated. There are several ways to settle:

• for the number of visits to the advertised website,
• for the number of ad impressions,
• In addition, the possibility of receiving a commission if the customer purchases the product.

In Poland, affiliate programs have gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Affiliate agencies and even entire affiliate networks have been created to collect a very large amount of advertisements. Website owners who can document a large number of visits, using the services offered by affiliate networks can bring additional tangible benefits. First of all, you don’t have to worry about getting advertisers. However, there is a catch here – the publisher has to incur certain costs, i.e. pay a fixed, contractual commission. 

Affiliate Program Agreement

The affiliate program has not been codified in any legal act. An affiliation agreement is an unnamed agreement. Therefore, the legal relationship between the parties can be arbitrary. What should they pay special attention to when signing a contract? Onaffiliate advises that the following points should be included in the contract:

• specifying exactly how the publisher will settle accounts with the advertiser,
• with the listed activities of the website user for which a fee is paid,
• with the provisions concerning the possibility of changing the method of settlement of the parties,
• with provisions concerning the non-exclusivity of the affiliate’s activities – this provision will allow the publisher to undertake affiliate campaigns for the benefit of other brands,
• specifying the form of advertising activities: placing links, banners, creating a separate tab or blog entry,
• defining the contractual liability of the parties – both the actions of the affiliate, e.g. broken links, but also the conduct of the advertiser regarding, for example, late payment of commission or change in the method of calculating it.

An affiliate program should be mutually beneficial. Therefore, it is worth considering whether introducing this particular promotional campaign and building an effective affiliate strategy for it  will simply pay off.

Affiliate Programs – What Types of Payments – Affiliate Agency Explains

It is worth remembering that the type of contract drawn up depends on many factors. What counts here are:

• page viewership,
• target group,
• interest in a particular product or service.

These factors also determine what type of payment the advertiser will offer. There are three basic models of accounting for affiliate programs on the affiliate market. These are simple forms. There is also one – mixed. How to settle for an affiliate program? Onaffliate explains.

Simple and Mixed Billing Methods in Affiliate Programs

Cost per click – it is a situation in which the advertiser pays the website owner for each click and entry of a unique user to the website with the advertised product;

• Cost per lead – this method of payment occurs when an advertiser pays an affiliate based on the number of people who are interested in the product or service offered. Proof of interest is usually by filling out a form and leaving your contact details. If there is no such activity after the click, the publisher will not be compensated.
• Cost per sale – the website owner receives a remuneration (commission) for each product or service purchased by the customer.
• Mixed – the affiliate receives a fixed monthly salary and a bonus for the traffic generated and the lead base. There may also be a commission for selling and acquiring another affiliate.

Affiliate strategy – without a strategy, the program won’t work

Even the best affiliate agreement and the best affiliate program will not bring measurable success without a proper  affiliate strategy and a well-executed affiliate campaign. So, affiliates should plan their marketing efforts step by step. How to do it?

TARGET GROUP. For basic activities, even before starting an affiliate program, the website owner should first of all determine the target audience. In this case, it consists of people who visit his website and potential Internet users who are interested in the displayed ads with the product or service. These two groups should not be different. Therefore, if the website is about sports or dietary supplements, it is worth entering into an agreement with an advertiser who offers to display ads for these types of products.

SEO or visibility on the web. Even the best affiliate program does not guarantee real benefits from a website that is little or not visible on the Internet. Therefore, it is worth taking care of SEO activities. There are many suggestions here, for example, defining strong key phrases and expanding not only written but also graphic content with at least basic SEO elements. External and internal linking, as well as classic online advertising of the publisher’s website.

What are the essential elements of an affiliate strategy? These include elements such as:

1. Website: A website is a crucial component of an affiliate strategy. This is where affiliate links, banner ads, product reviews, etc. are placed.
2. Social Media Profile/Group: A social media profile or group is another important component of an affiliate strategy. You can place affiliate links, posts promoting products or services, as well as engage with your followers.
3. Mailing list: A mailing list is essential for running email marketing campaigns, which are often used in affiliate marketing.
4. Tracking tools: Tracking tools are essential for monitoring the effectiveness of your affiliate efforts.
5. Understanding your audience: Understanding your audience and their needs is crucial for successful affiliate marketing.
6. Choosing the right products to promote: Choosing the right products to promote is crucial to the success of your affiliate program.