Affiliate Manager Overview

Affiliate marketing is a powerful tool that allows businesses to leverage the networks of affiliates to promote their products or services, expanding their reach and boosting sales. An affiliate management system streamlines this process, enabling businesses to manage their affiliates efficiently and track the performance of various campaigns. This article provides an overview of how an affiliate management system can be used effectively, outlining its key features, benefits, and a step-by-step guide to getting started.

Key Features and Benefits

1. Centralized Management: The affiliate management system consolidates all affiliate activities in one place, making it easy to oversee campaigns, track performance, and manage payouts.
2. Customizable Commission Structures: Set flexible commission rates for your affiliates based on specific products, services, or sales targets. This allows for tailored incentives that align with your business goals.
3. Automated Tracking and Reporting: Automatically track clicks, conversions, and sales through unique affiliate links. Access detailed reports that provide insights into affiliate performance, helping you optimize your strategy.
4. Multi-Tier Commissions: Some systems offer advanced tier settings that allow businesses to reward affiliates at different levels, encouraging them to bring in sub-affiliates and further expand their reach.
5. Easy Affiliate Onboarding: Streamline the onboarding process by using automated forms and templates. Affiliates can sign up, agree to terms, and receive their unique links without manual intervention.
6. Seamless Integration: Integrate the affiliate management system with your existing funnels, order forms, and payment processors to ensure a smooth flow of data and accurate tracking of affiliate activities.

How to Use the Affiliate Manager

Step 1: Set Up Your Funnel and Product

• Before creating your affiliate program, ensure you have a funnel or sales page with an order form that includes the product or service you want affiliates to promote. This step is crucial as the affiliate system relies on specific funnels for tracking.

For this go to sites> funnels> create new/edit existing funnel

Create a step with an order form and attach a product to it
Ensure that you have linked your domain to this funnel

Step 2: Access the Affiliate Manager

• Navigate to the Marketing section and select the Affiliate Manager. This is where you will set up and manage your affiliate campaigns.

Step 3: Create an Affiliate Campaign

• Click ‘Add New’ to create a campaign. Select the funnel or sales page that contains the product.

• Choose the product(s) for which affiliates will earn commissions, and set the commission structure (percentage or flat fee).

Step 4: Configure Commission Settings

• Define the default commission rate for all products in the campaign. Optionally, set up multi-tier commissions if you want to incentivize affiliates further based on sales performance.

• Customize affiliate rewards for recurring products with Commission Length and Variable Commissions.

•  Limit commissions to a set number of transactions or assign varying rates for specific charges.

For more details please view the article, Commission Length and Variable Commissions in Affiliate Manager

Step 5: Onboard Affiliates

• Add affiliates manually from your contact list, upload a CSV file, or send an invitation link to prospective affiliates to sign up. Affiliates will receive their unique links via email, along with instructions and terms of your affiliate program.

To do this, go back to the affiliates tab> select affiliate> add new affiliate 

(for this example, we’ve imported our affiliates from our contacts)

Go back to Affiliate>Campaigns>add an affiliate to that campaign. Add a campaign description at this step as well.

Step 6: Manage Affiliates and Payouts

• Track affiliate performance directly from the dashboard. You can view the number of clicks, leads, sales, and commissions owed. To process payouts, export the list of approved commissions to your payment processor, and ensure funds are available to complete the transactions. Ensure you change the campaign as a draft.

Step 7: Provide Affiliates with Marketing Assets

• Upload media files such as banners, email templates, and social media graphics to the system. Affiliates can access these assets through their affiliate dashboard, helping them promote your products more effectively.

Step 8: Enabling Automatic Payments in PayPal

To set up automatic payments, ensure that both your business PayPal account and your affiliates' PayPal accounts are connected. Navigate to the payout settings in the affiliate manager and connect your PayPal account by following the integration wizard.

You can then choose between individual payments:

or bulk payments for your affiliates:

Verify that PayPal API credentials are correctly configured in your CRM system to facilitate seamless payouts.

Affiliate Campaign Click Tracking

The click tracking feature for affiliate campaigns allows users to monitor clicks across various interfaces within the affiliate management system. 

Benefit: This functionality enhances visibility into campaign performance by showing clicks on the dashboard, affiliate details, and affiliate portal, helping businesses identify top-performing affiliates and potential issues with conversion rates.

How to Use: Navigate to the affiliate management section under the marketing dashboard. View click statistics on the main dashboard, affiliate profiles, or affiliate portal to analyze performance and make data-driven decisions.

Automating the Affiliate Process Through Workflows

Automating your affiliate management process with workflows can save time, reduce manual errors, and enhance the overall experience for both your business and your affiliates. Here’s how to automate key steps:

1. Automate Affiliate Onboarding:
   • Create a workflow that triggers when a new affiliate signs up using the affiliate sign-up form. This workflow can automatically send them a welcome email, including their unique affiliate link, onboarding instructions, and access to marketing assets.
2. Set Up Automated Payout Reminders:
   • Use workflows to set up periodic reminders for payout reviews. For example, a workflow can be configured to notify you every 30 days to check and process affiliate payouts, ensuring timely and consistent payments.
3. Automate Tagging and Tracking:
   • Workflows can be used to automatically tag affiliates when they complete certain actions, such as making their first sale. This can help segment affiliates and apply different commission rates or incentives based on performance.
4. Automate Agreement Collection:
   • Integrate contract management into your workflows by automatically sending affiliate agreements (such as W-9 or other required documents) upon sign-up. The workflow can trigger reminders until the documents are completed and submitted, streamlining the compliance process.
5. Send Performance Updates:
   • Keep your affiliates engaged and informed with automated performance updates. Set up workflows to send monthly performance summaries or milestone achievements, motivating affiliates to continue promoting your products.

Pro Tips

• Monitor Performance Regularly: Regularly check affiliate performance to identify top performers and areas that need improvement. Use these insights to refine your campaigns and provide targeted support to affiliates.
• Set Realistic Cookie Duration: The cookie duration determines how long an affiliate's referral is valid. A typical duration is 90 days, but you can adjust it based on your sales cycle and business needs.
• Use a Clear Payout Schedule: Establish a clear payout schedule, such as monthly or bi-monthly, and communicate it to your affiliates. Consider a buffer period (e.g., 30-60 days) to account for refunds and chargebacks.
• Test the Affiliate Links: Before launching your campaign, test the affiliate links to ensure they are tracking correctly. This step prevents potential issues with missed commissions or tracking errors.
• Customize Communication: Use personalized templates and automation to maintain consistent and clear communication with your affiliates, enhancing their experience and loyalty.

FAQs

1. How do I set up an affiliate campaign?
   • To set up an affiliate campaign, navigate to the Affiliate Manager in the Marketing section. Click ‘Add New,’ select your funnel or sales page, choose the products to promote, and configure the commission settings.
2. Can I offer different commission rates for different products?
   • Yes, you can set specific commission rates for each product within a campaign. This allows you to reward affiliates differently based on the product’s value or sales strategy.
3. How do affiliates get paid?
   • Affiliates are paid through your chosen payment processor. You will export a CSV file of approved payouts from the affiliate manager and upload it to your payment processor to complete the transactions.
4. Can I track affiliate performance in real-time?
   • Yes, the affiliate management system provides real-time tracking and reporting of affiliate activities, including clicks, conversions, and sales. This helps you monitor performance and optimize your campaigns effectively.
5. How do I enable automatic payments with PayPal?
   Connect your business and affiliates' PayPal accounts in the payout settings of the affiliate manager. Follow the integration wizard and ensure PayPal API credentials are correctly set in your CRM for seamless individual or bulk payouts.
6. What happens if an affiliate’s link does not track correctly?
   • It’s important to test affiliate links before launching your campaign. If tracking issues occur, check the setup of your funnel, order form, and integration settings. Ensure cookies are enabled and the affiliate’s link is correctly configured.