As an affiliate manager I am hearing every day about an affiliate program closing or letting go an affiliate manager. These are hard times and they may get harder before they get better. As I hear these stories and have some of it happening to me as well, I've asked myself if this is the end of an era...
...or is it a time for new opportunities and new thinking?
Affiliate marketing has become a prominent source of sales generation for merchants so I really do doubt it is now circling the drain. What I do think is this is now a time for affiliates and affiliate managers to reinvent themselves. To not say, "This is the way we have always run affiliate programs" and look for alternatives, anything new and innovative.
For affiliate managers you need to get in the face of your affiliate manager and let them know affiliate marketing is not an advertising expense, but more like finding a nation full of great salesmen that work on commission, not salary. You need to let them know that in these tough economic times customers are looking for discounts and their store could be the source of that discount. Use the economic crisis in your advertising if you can.
For affiliates you need to diversify. If you are promoting one merchant or just a handful, see what other merchants are out there with similar products. Sign up, try them out and be ready to switch your links in the case any of your merchant programs come to a sudden end. Try some new sites or completely different products as well.
Everyone in this business needs to fight to prevent the new sales tax laws. For years this has been a pretty work alone business. It's time now for affiliates in each state to get together and be prepared for any tax legislation that may come up. You want to be able to show your state officials you are more than one person out there. Supporting a national organization may help as well.
...or is it a time for new opportunities and new thinking?
Affiliate marketing has become a prominent source of sales generation for merchants so I really do doubt it is now circling the drain. What I do think is this is now a time for affiliates and affiliate managers to reinvent themselves. To not say, "This is the way we have always run affiliate programs" and look for alternatives, anything new and innovative.
For affiliate managers you need to get in the face of your affiliate manager and let them know affiliate marketing is not an advertising expense, but more like finding a nation full of great salesmen that work on commission, not salary. You need to let them know that in these tough economic times customers are looking for discounts and their store could be the source of that discount. Use the economic crisis in your advertising if you can.
For affiliates you need to diversify. If you are promoting one merchant or just a handful, see what other merchants are out there with similar products. Sign up, try them out and be ready to switch your links in the case any of your merchant programs come to a sudden end. Try some new sites or completely different products as well.
Everyone in this business needs to fight to prevent the new sales tax laws. For years this has been a pretty work alone business. It's time now for affiliates in each state to get together and be prepared for any tax legislation that may come up. You want to be able to show your state officials you are more than one person out there. Supporting a national organization may help as well.