How to manually attribute sales to affiliates

Created by Stefan Perchinkov, Modified on Tue, 15 Oct at 12:28 PM by Stefan Perchinkov

Unlock the full potential of your affiliate program with our latest evergreen feature - "Manual Sale Attribution"! Seamlessly attribute sales to affiliates, even in cases where affiliate links weren't used or for offline sales. Take control of your affiliate program's performance and reward your affiliates accurately!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is this feature?
- Usage Cases:
How to use this feature?
FAQs

What is this feature?

This feature in the CRM is called "Manual Sale Attribution for Affiliates." It is a powerful addition to the affiliate management system within the CRM. This feature addresses specific pain points when customers' sales must be manually attributed to affiliates. Here are the critical aspects of the feature:

Attribution Control: The "Manual Sale Attribution" feature allows account users full control over attributing sales to the respective affiliates. This is particularly useful in cases where sales were not initially linked to any affiliate.

Offline Sales: In scenarios where affiliates make offline sales, the feature enables admins to create invoices manually and attribute these sales to the appropriate affiliates. This ensures accurate tracking and proper credit for offline-generated revenue.

Unattributed Sales: Affiliates sometimes refer customers, but the affiliate link may not be used during purchase. In such situations, admins can manually add the leads and attribute the sales to the respective affiliates.

Flexibility and Record-Keeping: The feature enhances flexibility by allowing admins to associate transactions with affiliates manually. This is beneficial for bookkeeping purposes and maintaining accurate records of affiliate-generated sales.

The admin must access the Affiliate Manager within the CRM to use this feature. From there, they can navigate to the Affiliates screen, click on the three dots on the right side, and select "Add Manual Sales." They then enter the customer's email and the relevant campaign name and choose the transactions they want to attribute to the chosen affiliate.

By providing manual control over sale attribution, this feature empowers affiliate admins to manage their affiliate programs better and optimize performance.

Usage Cases:

Offline Events and Conferences: Imagine your company attends a massive industry conference where your affiliates actively promote your products or services, leading to numerous offline sales. With manual sales attribution, you can accurately credit each affiliate for the sales generated during the event, even if no online affiliate links were used.

Influencer Marketing Campaigns: You collaborate with social media influencers to promote your products. These influencers share customized affiliate links with their followers. However, some sales may still occur when followers visit your website without using the affiliate links. By manually attributing those sales, you ensure the influencers receive appropriate credit for their impact on the purchase decisions.

Customer Referrals: Loyal customers enthusiastically recommend your offerings to friends and family. They actively refer potential customers who, in turn, make purchases without following the referral link. In such cases, you can manually attribute these referrals to the customers' affiliates, rewarding them for their advocacy.

Affiliate Offline Promotions: Your affiliates run creative offline marketing campaigns like distributing flyers, hosting local events, or utilizing traditional media to promote your brand. When customers engage with your business through these methods, manual sales attribution helps you recognize and reward the affiliates responsible for driving these sales.

Affiliate Partnerships with Businesses: Some affiliates might partner with other businesses, promoting your products through their channels. In this scenario, manual sales attribution allows you to accurately attribute sales to those specific affiliates, even if the standard affiliate tracking mechanisms are not applicable.

Charity or Fundraising Campaigns: You run a charity event or fundraising campaign, and affiliates are crucial in generating donations or contributions. Manual sales attribution helps you ensure that affiliates receive recognition for the funds they help raise, even when donations are made through offline channels or other unique circumstances.

Affiliate Marketing on Non-Traditional Platforms: Occasionally, affiliates may promote your products on non-traditional platforms, like community forums, private messaging groups, or niche websites where affiliate tracking is not feasible. Manual sales attribution enables you to acknowledge their efforts and incentivize future promotions.

Promoting Exclusive Offers: Affiliates may share exclusive offers or discounts with their audience, and customers may directly redeem these offers without using affiliate links. By attributing such sales manually, you encourage affiliates to continue providing unique deals, driving more sales for your business.

Affiliate-Driven Content Marketing: Some affiliates may create valuable content, such as blog posts or videos, that indirectly influences customers to purchase. Manual sales attribution lets you credit these affiliates for the sales generated through content-driven engagement.

How to use this feature?

Step 1: Access the Affiliate Manager

Please navigate to the Affiliate Manager section, where you can manage your affiliates and track their performance.

Step 2: Locate the "Add Manual Sales" Option

In the Affiliate Manager, find the list of affiliates or search for the specific affiliate you want to attribute a sale.

Look for the three dots (ellipsis) located on the right side of the affiliate's information.

Step 3: Choose "Add Manual Sales"

Click on the three dots (ellipsis) next to the affiliate's name, and a drop-down menu will appear.

From the dropdown menu, select "Add Manual Sales." This will open a new pop-up window.

Step 4: Enter the Customer's Email

You'll be prompted to enter the customer's email address in the pop-up window.

This email should belong to the customer who purchased and was referred by the affiliate.

Step 5: Select Campaign Configuration

After entering the customer's email, you must choose the Campaign Name or configuration you wish to apply to that customer.

This step ensures that the sale is associated with the correct affiliate campaign.

Step 6: View Customer's Transactions

Once you've entered the customer's email and selected the campaign configuration, the system will display all the transactions made by that customer.

Step 7: Choose Transactions to Attribute

Review the list of transactions and select the ones you want to attribute to the chosen affiliate.

You can choose one or multiple transactions to credit the affiliate accurately.

Step 8: Submit and Confirm

After selecting the appropriate transactions, click the "Submit" button to confirm the manual sale attribution.

The system will process the request, and the attributed sales will be recorded in the affiliate's account.

Step 9: Verification and Update

The attributed sales may take a few moments to appear in the affiliate's account.

Once the process is completed, you can verify that the sales have been correctly attributed to the affiliate.

Step 10: Repeat as Needed

You can use the "Manual Sale Attribution" feature for future transactions requiring manual credit allocation to affiliates.

This feature gives you greater control and flexibility over your affiliate program's performance, ensuring that affiliates receive proper credit for their efforts.

FAQs

Is there a limit to the number of affiliates I can associate with a single sale when using the manual attribution feature?

There is typically no limit to the number of affiliates you can associate with a single sale using manual attribution. You can credit multiple affiliates based on their contributions to the sale.

Are manually attributed sales subject to the same validation and approval process as regular affiliate link-based sales?

Yes, manually attributed sales undergo the same validation and approval process as regular sales. The system ensures that all attributed sales meet the criteria before approval and commission payouts.

Can I attribute a sale to an affiliate even if the customer's email address is not directly associated with their affiliate account?

Absolutely! The manual sale attribution feature allows you to attribute sales to affiliates based on other identifiable information, not just the customer's email address. You can use unique identifiers or custom fields for this purpose.

Are any safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized users from manipulating manual sales attribution data?

The CRM employs robust security measures to prevent unauthorized access and manipulation of manual sales attribution data. Access controls, user permissions, and audit trails ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the attribution process.

Can I attribute sales from offline events or in-person interactions to affiliates using the manual attribution feature?

Absolutely! The manual sale attribution feature is not limited to online sales. You can use it to attribute sales from offline events or in-person interactions, providing a comprehensive view of your affiliates' contributions.

How do I handle cases where a customer makes multiple purchases, and I want to attribute each sale to different affiliates?

In cases where a customer makes multiple purchases, you can attribute each sale to different affiliates through the manual attribution process. The CRM allows you to associate specific sales with the affiliates responsible for each transaction.

Is it possible to attribute a sale to multiple affiliates and split the commission between them?

The manual sale attribution feature currently supports attributing a sale to a single affiliate. However, you can manually split the commission between multiple affiliates after the complete attribution.

Can I restrict certain users from using the manual attribution feature and reserve it for specific admin roles?

You can restrict access to the manual sale attribution feature based on admin roles and permissions. This enables you to control who can perform manual attributions, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the process.