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Turnabout: What do affiliate managers want?

When was the last time you heard anyone ask what online affiliate MANAGERS (not affiliates) want? 

There's so much focus on answering the question, 'What do affiliates really want and need?' that we've seemingly forgotten the marketers themselves.

Jeff Molander Effectiveness and budget planning relating to affiliate programs are important elements to understand for sure... and we'll soon be privy to details from R.O. EYE and E-consultancy's upcoming Affiliate Marketing Merchants and Agencies Report 2008. 

Yet it also makes sense to consider an aspect of affiliate marketing programs from a human resources perspective. In particular, what do affiliate managers feel that they need and are not getting?

I'm taking a short, informal survey of affiliate managers across the globe and appreciate your consideration. 

Tell the world WHAT YOU WANT! (and I'll publish the results in a few days)

As an affiliate manager, do you want...

  1. Better recognition and respect internally among your superiors?
  2. Better tools to do your job?
  3. More autonomy -- to be allowed by the boss to "get creative" occasionally, try something new?
  4. More budget to foster creativity?
  5. Better understanding from leaders in my company of affiliate marketing as an affordable customer acquisition tool?
  6. A team environment: less competition and more collaboration with search, email and other channels?
  7. A better compensation structure?
  8. A place where I can go to learn from respected experts first, party second?
  9. A trusted, "go-to" resource on performance-based marketing of all flavors that's up-to-date?
  10. Less whiners and negativity in our business -- more doers, risk-takers and brotherhood?

How badly do we, as affiliate managers, need each of these things? Maybe we need some more than others. 

Jeff Molander is the CEO of Molander & Associates and is a regular guest blogger at E-consultancy. The views of the author do not necessarily reflect those held by the publisher.



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Comments (2)
Posted 09:03 14 Jul 2008 by Jeff Molander
Filed under: Affiliate Marketing

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Reader Comments

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1. It would be nice to have a bit more transparency and gatherings with merchants to find out what affiliate incentives work for others in your sector, tips on how to inspire more creative affiliates, that kind of thing.


A4U is meant to have a merchant only area, but I've experienced great difficulties trying to actually get into this area, but think it would be very useful to air things in that kind of environment.
Posted 13:30 14 Jul 2008 by Kim
2. Hi, Kim...
Indeed that's been a very successful approach for Shop.org (the U.S.-based, not-for-profit trade association -- Web division of National Retail Federation).

You may be interested to know that I've been hosting a monthly, virtual "Expert Network" of sorts that was born out of an affiliate-marketing focused group of peers. We've keept it "marketer only" with participation from service and vendors coming in the form of useful tips and educational content.

I've been working with Allan Dick of Vintage Tub & Bath for a few years now on it. We volunteer to run it (we don't get paid) and it's underwritten by GoToWebinar.

We've made it our goal to become the leading resource for ACTIONABLE recommendations that can be immediatelyapplied to participants' business. The monthly gathering, dubbed Paying for Performance is focused on just that -- helping you get the most bang for your performance marketing buck. We arrange for experts ranging from marketers like you to trusted vendors. They solve problems. The group's problems. The concept is short on sales pitches and long on tips to help you make money and grow your businesses. All e-commerce questions are fair game. Big problems or small questions – we love 'em all! Affiliate, email, analytics, Web 2.0, paid and natural search, site optimization, competitive research, merchandising – you name the problem and we will find the expert!

Our next gathering will be on Wednesday, July 23, 2008, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT. That's rather late in UK/EU/EEU, unfortunately :(

If you would like to be invited in please let me know. Again, it's a "marketer only" event.
Posted 17:13 14 Jul 2008 by Jeff Molander
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