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Can a merchant deal with more than one affiliate network?

Yes you can. However you will need to do some work on your own back end stats to double check orders to be sure you are not double paying by paying 2 different affiliates for the same sale or lead.
 
Linda Buquet said:
Yes you can. However you will need to do some work on your own back end stats to double check orders to be sure you are not double paying by paying 2 different affiliates for the same sale or lead.
Very true... that does happen. I have managed a couple affiliate programs that had programs on CJ & Shareasale and one program that has an Inhouse and was on CJ.

Another thing you have to watch out for is paying the same affiliate a commission on both networks. This would happen if you signed on with another network after using the first one for a while. Some affiliates will change links to the network of their preference and forget a few links. Or a visitor might not buy right away and return to the affiliates site and re-click the buy link (with the new network now).

Hope all that made sense :)
 
Perhaps tell the affiliate network, which networks you are already working with. This will allow the network to know which of their affiliates should not be promoting your offers. This will help prevent the same lead being claimed by 2 different networks. Talk to the networks, I am sure they would rather help you find the leads you dont already have, as they will not be happy either if they are readvertising to leads that another network is advertising to.

Shelly
 
There are lots of reasons so sign with a second network. Just make sure they are going to add something. What is different about them? You may not be able to get them to agree targets but you should agree realistic expectations.
 
There can be a double tracking issue which is a bit of a pain, but there is the advantage that some very good affiliates will only work with certain networks or won't work with inhouse progarms etc.

I certainly think it's a legit way to expand your affiliate base, but it jst takes a little more management.
 
"Can a merchant deal with more than one affiliate network? "

Have to agree with most everyone here, it all boils down to time and whether or not you have the resources to manage multiple networks.

We have merchants who manage their program across different platforms and we do our best to support them as much as possible. We often provide batch reports to the merchant to speed up approval times for affiliate transactions and request our tracking code is set up on a unique sales or registration confirmation page. This way merchants don't have to worry about duplicate sales or duplicate affiliate payments.

At some point though, a merchant does have to draw the line as to how many networks he or she should work with.
 
i've been told by several networks that a thing i'm doign wrong is using too many networks. we only had a couple at this time too ... i've tried hydramedia (they basically said exclusivity or forget getting much pentration), now trying traffic venue (no comment yet (but they blew the exclusive horn too) and Vayan launches today.

i'm stumped as too what i need to do to get a network to push our offer to it's pubs ... we convert strong ... have a competitive payout ... we are building a strong brand as we are in Sak's Fifth Ave ... i'm stumped.

any suggestions for which network can go far in the womens category? specifically beauty?
 
Hi Gman,

I've had numerous conversations with merchants asking the very same thing. Whenever a new brand enters the marketplace, it takes time to build awareness, regardless of the marketing channel. Affiliates are just like consumers. Just because your conversions are good and your payouts are competitive or better than your competitors doesn't guarantee success in your affiliate channel. Marketing your product outside of your affiliate program is an important aspect in building credibility in the marketplace. It convinces affiliates that you are committed to your business, that you are investing in growth and will be around for the long term.

Affiliate marketing also takes time and a lot of hard work. Typically you don't see results until 6 months down the line and that's IF you're investing in media dollars to promote your brand, IF you've got a dedicated Affiliate Manager who knows where to go and who to talk to and most importantly, there's a demand in the marketplace for your product. If your vertical is highly competitive and cluttered, chances are it will take even longer for your affiliate program to grow.

If recognize the value of your affiliate channel, you need to find an affiliate network that will be just as committed to its success as you are. Finding a network to 'push' your offer to their publishers isn't the answer. Find a network that will recommend ways to improve your offer and support you in building relationships with high performing affiliates is.
 
well, we certainly are commited to building the brand ... that's probably the most important thing. being in prestigious retail stores as well as being recommended by derms and spas is a step in the right direction i think.

i think i need some outsider looking in opinions.
 
Gman - the 3 "networks" that you listed are new to me. I believe you are talking about advertising networks, not pure affiliate networks like SR and others.

Maybe Susan wants to jump in and explain the difference.

Cheers,
Peter
 
I am asked this question all the time. I can see how confusing it must be for merchants especially since many ad networks represent themselves as affiliate networks in their branding.

In my humble opinion here are my definitions of each:

An adnetwork basically aggregates advertising by pushing out to their network of properties (or publishers). Many use centralized adserver technology to faciliate the process. Many large publishers use adnetworks to sell off unused inventory. Often merchants are unaware of where their ads are being placed and rely on the technology to tell them how the overall campaign is working.

An affiliate network is composed of a group of merchants and a group of affiliates. Merchants join the network and affiliates join the network in order to advertise the merchant products in exchange of a commission from the merchant. Affiliate networks don't push out advertising but rather promote merchant programs with the goal of allowing affiliates to join based on their own business objectives and needs. Merchants usually can see what affiliates are applying into their program and have more control over who promotes their offers.

A pure-play affiliate program falls into the latter definition and is more of a long-term strategic approach to building relationships with key traffic generators online. AdNetworks may provide a quick hit (if you've chosen the right provider who has the publisher network that meets your market demographic) but Affiliate Networks while slower to start, returns higher results over the long term.

;-)

Cheers, Susan
 
MI
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