Post on 28-May-2020
DON’T WASTE YOURINVESTMENT.
GROW YOUR AFFILIATE PROGRAM.
THIS CAN HELP.
SHAREASALEWELCOME KIT
for new program managers
CONGRATULATIONS & WELCOME!
MEET THE TEAM!
THE HELP CENTER• SubmitHelpTicketsDirectlytotheSupportTeam• ViewCommonQuestionsintheKnowledgebase• CheckouttheLibraryofDownloadableTutorials
initial contactSALES TEAM
day-to-day helpSUPPORT TEAM
strategy & best practicesCLIENT SERVICES TEAM
24 HOURS A DAY / 7 DAYS A WEEK / 365 DAYS A YEAR
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK.
1 - COMPLETE THE KICKOFF CHECKLIST.
2 - ASK QUESTIONS! NEED HELP DURING THIS PROCESS? ASK US.
3 - REVIEW ONGOING, DAILY MANAGEMENT TASKS.
4 - RECRUITMENT! SEE OUR TIPS ON RECRUITING AFFILIATES.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK.
MERCHANT CHECKLISTYourAffiliateProgramisLIVE!NowWhat?GreatQuestion--TheMerchantDevelopmentTeamatShareASaleputtogetherahandyChecklistoutliningthemostimportanttaskstocompleteinthefirstfourweeksoflaunchingtheprogram,aswellasafewongoingtasksfordowntheroad.
THE TASK AT HAND WHERE IS IT LOCATED? PAGE COMPLETED?
SetUpAuto-Deposit MyAccountTab>SetupAuto-Deposit PG.5 oReviewProgramAgreement MyAccountTab>EditSettings PG.6 oAddPPCRules(ifapplicable) MyAccountTab>PPCBiddingRules PG.6 oPopulateSearchKeywords MyAccountTab>EditSettings PG.7 oCreateStrongProgramBio MyAccountTab>EditSettings PG.8 oCreateActionableReplyEmails MyAccountTab>EditSettings PG.9 oUploadBanners MyCreativesTab>AddCreatives PG.11 oAddaVarietyofTextLinks MyCreativesTab>AddCreatives PG.11 oLoadCoupons/Deals MyCreativesTab>PostCoupon/Deal PG.11 oCreateWidget MyCreativesTab>Widget PG.11 oUploadVideo MyCreativesTab>Video PG.11 oBuildProductDatafeed MyCreativesTab>ProductDatafeed PG.13 oCreateNewsletterTemplate MyAffiliatesTab>SendNewsletter PG.15 oCreateAffiliateTags MyAffiliatesTab>AffiliateList PG.17 oCreateApprovalRules MyAccountTab>EditSettings PG.17 oMapouta12MonthPromoCalendar OutsidetheInterface PG.18 oBeginActiveRecruitment ---- PG.19 ONGOING
DaytoDayManagement ---- PG.20 ONGOING
UP FIRST: AUTO-DEPOSIT
READY, SET, GO!
WEEK 3
WEEKLY TIME LINEIt’simportanttofinishthechecklistinatimelymanner,howeveritdoesnothavetobedoneinoneday.MostMerchantschoosetospreadthechecklistoutoverafourweekperiod.Thefinaltasksaremoreofanongoingprocesstobedonethroughoutthelifeoftheprogram.Belowisourrecommendedfourweekschedule.
WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 4 ONGOING
Set Up Auto-DepositReview Program Agreement
Add PPC RulesPopulate Search Keywords
Create Actionable Reply EmailsAdd a Variety of Text Links
Load Coupon/DealsUpload Banners
Create Strong Program Bio
Create Newsletter TemplateUpload Video
Build Product DatafeedCreate Widget
Map out a 12 Month Promo CalendarCreate Affiliate Tags
Create Approval Rules
Begin Active RecruitmentDay to Day Management
AFFILIATES AUTO-DEPOSIT!
QIfyouraccountgoeslowduringatimewhenyouarenotintheofficesuchasaweekendorholiday,youwon’thavetoworryaboutgoingoffline.
ON VACATION?
MerchantssetuponAutoDepositreceiveauniqueiconthatappearsduringanAffiliateSearchfornewMerchantprograms.
SPECIAL ICON!
W IfaMerchantprogramgoesoffline,Affiliate’ssitesarefilledwithdeadlinks–whichcouldforcethemtoreplacethoselinkswithotherprogramsifthesituationisnotrectifiedquickly.
NO DEAD LINKS.
DID WE MENTION...
COMPLETE!
AUTO-DEPOSITMyAccountTab>SetupAuto-Deposit
Popular Discussion Points
IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!AutoDepositisanessentialkeytorecruitmentandsuccessfulprogrammanagement.Thistoolhelpstoensuretheaccountwillal-waysbefunded.ThisisveryimportanttoAffiliatesbecauseifanaccountgoesofflineorrunsoutoffunds,theAffiliatelinksbreak.
Setup Auto Deposit - No Extra FeeYourinformationwillbesentsecurelythroughAuthorize.net,atrustedproviderofsecurecreditcardtransactions.
PleaseturnmyAuto-DepositON:____
PleaseturnmyAuto-DepositOFF:____
LOWBALANCETRIGGER=$500 Whenmybalancereachesmylowbalancetrigger,pleasedepositthisamount: $300
Fromthefollowingfundingsource:(ShareASale currently accepts MC, Visa and American Express transactions)
P
TIP:Yourbalanceshould,atanytime,coveratotaloffivedaysworthofAffiliatecommissions.
HOW CAN AUTO-DEPOSIT HELP?
FIVE
PROGRAM AGREEMENTMyAccountTab>EditSettings>ProgramAgreement
ThisisyourlegallybindingagreementwithAffiliates.Soanyprogramrestrictionsthatwillbeenforcedwillneedtobeaddedhere.Withoutanagreement,yourprogramtechnicallyandlegallyspeakinghasnorestrictions.HereareafewexamplesofwhatcouldbeincludedinaProgramAgreement:
PROGRAM AGREEMENT = YOUR CONTRACT WITH AFFILIATES
• TrademarkRegulations• EmailMarketingPolicy• FTCDisclosureRequirements• GroundsforTermination
• SocialMediaPolicy• Coupon/DealPolicy• SpecialCommissionRules• PayPerClickBiddingRules
COMPLETE!
PAY PER CLICK BIDDING RULESTherearemanyAffiliateswhospecializeinPPCBidding.IfyoucurrentlyrunanyPPCCampaigns(GoogleAdWords,Yahoo!SearchMarketing,MicrosoftadCenter,etc),itwouldbebeneficialtoputafewrestrictionsinplaceforAffiliates.Theserestric-tionsshouldbeplacedwithinyourShareASaleAccountinTWOseparateplaces(seebelow).Spelloutwhichkeywordsarerestricted,andifthereisabidmaximum.Beasspecificaspossible.
(1)INTHEPROGRAMAGREEMENT(MYACCOUNT>EDITSETTINGS>PROGRAMAGREEMENT)(2)INTHEPPCBIDDINGRULES(MYACCOUNT>PPCBIDDINGRULES)
COUPON & DEAL AFFILIATESInthecurrenteconomicsituation,thenumberofcouponbasedwebsiteshasincreasedasconsumerstendtoshoparoundlookingforthebestdeal.
ThereareseveraldifferenttypesofcouponAffiliates,fromacouponaggregatortoamommydealblog.ThisisyourAffiliateProgram-soitisyourchoicetodecidewithwhomtowork.SomeMerchantschoosetoworkwithallcouponAffiliatesandsomechoosetohandselectorrestrictcertaincouponAffiliates.Whateveryoudecideisbestforyourprogram,besuretoexplainyourpolicywithinyourProgramAgreement.
BelowareafewexamplesofhowaMerchantmaychoosetoworkwithacoupon/dealAffiliate:
Popular Discussion Points
WEEK1
-WORKWITHALLCOUPONAFFILIATES-WORKWITHHAND-SELECTEDCOUPONAFFILIATES-WORKWITHZEROCOUPONAFFILIATES
-RESTRICTTHETYPEOFCOUPONAVAILABLE-REDUCEDCOMMISSIONFORCOUPONAFFILIATES-RESTRICTUSER-SUBMITTEDCOUPONS
...ETC
SIX
SEARCH KEYWORDSMyAccountTab>EditSettings
ALL CHARACTERS:Useall255charactersallottedinyoursearchkeywords.
SINGULAR SPELLING: Savecharactersbyincludingthesingularspellingratherthanpluralspellings.
EXACT MATCHES:Exactmatchesonphrasingwillrankhigherinthesearchresults,justliketheywouldinabrowsersearch.Sousefullphrasesonitemsthataremostrelevantforyourprogram.Forexample,ifyouselltoothpaste,acommonphrasemightbewhiteningtoothpaste.Youcansavecharactersbybreakinguplessrelevantphraseswithacomma(Crest,fluoride,toothpaste).
MISSPELLINGS:Ifyouhavecharactersremaininginyoursearchkeywords,includesomecommonmisspellings.
KEEP IT SIMPLE:Don’toverthinkit!Includethephrasesandkeywordsthatbestrepresentwhatyouareallabout.RememberthatAffiliateshavetheabilitytochoosehowtheywanttosortthelistofsearchresults,sorelevancyisjustoneoptionfortheresultsorder.
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IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!Theprogramsearchkeywordsarelistedonyoureditsettingspage.Thereareafewtipswewouldrecommendwhenfillingoutthesearchkeywordlist:
COMPLETE!
KeywordMatches Stats Details Previews
OrganizationName:
WebAddress:
ProductMatch:
ProgramKeyword:
ProgramBio:
ProductMatches(185)
Example Travel Namewww.exampletravel.comCategory:TravelID: 12345Active On:5/1/2000
[ Join Program ]
10.00%PerSale
Search by Keyword: travel
SEARCH RESULTS
TAKE A LOOK FROM AN AFFILIATE’S POINT OF VIEW:
TheKeywordSearchlooksformatchesinthefollowingcategories:OrganizationName,WebAddress,ProductMatchfromDatafeed,ProgramSearchKeywordsandProgramBio.Agreencheckmarkwillappearnexttoeachsectionthatcontainsamatch.
SEVEN
THANK YOU!
THE PRODUCTS
IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!WhenanAffiliateislookingforanewprogramtojoinwithintheShareASaleAffiliateInterface,theywillbepresentedwithade-scriptionthatyou,theMerchant,hasprovided.Thisisyouropportunitytomakeagreatfirstimpressionaboutwhatyourprogramhastooffer.Don’tbeafraidtobeefupyourProgramBiotoconveyhowwonderfulyourwebsiteandprogramare.
THE COMPANY
THE PROGRAM
MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES
COMPLETE!
PROGRAM BIOMyAccountTab>EditSettings
u INTRODUCTION. Includeabriefparagraphaboutyourcompany/products.Describewhatmakesyouuniqueandcompetitive.
v PROGRAM DETAILS. BulletallthereasonsAffiliatesshouldpartnerwithyou.Someexamplescouldinclude:
• CommissionRate• CookieDuration• Coupons
• PerformanceIncentives• RegularNewsletters• Datafeed
• ConversionRate• AverageOrder• ExtensiveCreativeCatalog
w MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES.Thinkaboutthedifferentaudiencesthatyourproductorservicecanbetargetedto.Byhighlightingthisinformation,youmaysparkanideawithAffiliatesaboutwaystheycouldpromoteyouroffer.Datacouldincludeniche,sitedemographics,seasonality,andmarketingverticals.
x IMAGES.TheProgramBiocanbecreatedinHTML.Takeadvantageofthistocreateadescriptionthathasthesamefeelandbrandingasyoursite.YoucouldincludeafewproductimagestogivepotentialAffiliatesanideaofwhatyousell.
yCONTACT INFORMATION.DonotforgettoincludeyourAffiliatemanager’sname,phone,andemail.YouwanttolettheAffiliatesknowthatyourprogramisactivelymanagedbysomeonethatwillberesponsivetotheirquestionsandinquiries.
WEEK2
TAKE A LOOK FROM AN AFFILIATE’S POINT OF VIEW:
EIGHT
EACH MERCHANT ACCOUNT HAS AUTO-REPLY EMAILS
COMPLETE!
AUTO-REPLY EMAILSMyAccountTab>EditSettings
IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!Theauto-approvalemail(alsocalledthewelcomeletter)istheemailthatanAffiliatereceiveswhenhe/sheisapprovedintoyourprogram,andisoneofthemostimportantpiecesofcommunicationthattheAffiliatewillreceivefromyou.Itistheirfirstintroduc-tiontoyourprogramandagreatopportunitytoprovidetheAffiliatewithtoolstheycanusetogetactiverightaway.
AUTO-APPLY EMAIL THE GOALReceivedbyAffiliatesuponapplicationtoyourprogram.
WHAT TO INCLUDEBriefreviewoftheprogramTimeframeofapprovalprocess(1-day,24-48hrs,etc)Contactinformation
AUTO-DECLINE EMAIL THE GOALReceivedbyAffiliatesuponbeingdeclinedtoyourprogram.
WHAT TO INCLUDENotificationofdeclinedapplicationPotentialreasonsforthedeclineContactinformation
AUTO-APPROVAL EMAIL THE GOALReceivedbyAffiliatesuponapprovaltoyourprogram.
WHAT TO INCLUDELots!Seeexamplenextdoor!
TOGIVEYOURAFFILIATESTHEOPPORTUNITYTOSTATE
THEIRCASE.
TOSETEXPECTATIONSONAPPROVALSTATUS.
TOMOVEYOURAFFILIATESINTOACTION.
3
NINE
UP NEXT: ADD CREATIVES
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS?
AFFILIATE PROMOTIONS
DATAFEED DOWNLOAD - DEALS & COUPONS - BANNERS/LINKS - CONTACT US
DearJane,
THE PROGRAM
MARKETING TOOLS
AUTO-APPROVAL EMAIL EXAMPLE
MORE MARKETING TOOLS
BRIEF OPENING PARAGRAPHAbriefopeningparagraph(afewsentences)welcomingtheAffiliatetotheyourMerchantprogram.u
RE-STATE VALUERe-statevaluestheAffiliatewillreceivefromtheirpartnershipwithyou(commissionrate,cookieduration,bonuses,anyotherAffiliatetoolsyouprovide).v
AFFILIATE MARKETING TOOLSProvidelinkstosomeAffiliatemarketingtoolssuchasbanners,products,couponsortextlinksw
<atarget=”_blank”href=”http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=15231&u=!!USERID!!&m=397&urllink=&afftrack=”><imgsrc=”https://www.shareasale.com/image/ACFA.gif”></a>
BANNERTRACKINGCODE
<atarget=”_blank”href=”http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=76698&u=!!USERID!!&MID=
CURRENTBESTSELLERS
GENERAL MARKETING TOOLSProvideothertoolsAffiliatescouldusetostartmarketingrightaway.Thiscouldincludesomecontentaboutyourproducts,consumerdemographics,websiteconversionrate,seasonality,testimonials,etc.x
CURRENT AFFILIATE PROMOTIONIfapplicable,includecurrentAffiliateincentives,suchasfirstsalebonusorotherperformancemetric.y
CONTACT INFORMATIONListcontactinformation,suchasnameandemail,ofthepersontheAffiliatecangetintouchwithshouldtheyhaveanyquestions.
z
WEEK2
TIP: Youcanusethe
newslettermacrosto
simplifythistask.
p.15
BANNERS
TEXT LINKS
WIDGETS VIDEOS
COUPONS/DEALS
Adynamiccreativethatcancontainbanners,productlinks,deals,couponsand/oranyothercontentthatyouwouldlike.
Previouslyrecordedvideoscanbeuploadedandlinkedtoapageonyourwebsite.
Avisualcreativeimageadvertisementthatlinkstoapageonyourwebsite.
Aphrase,sentence,paragraphoranytextthatlinkstoapageonyourwebsite.Textlinksareessentiallyahyperlink.
Currentconsumerfacingpromotions.
INTERACTIVE CREATIVES
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COMPLETE!
ADD CREATIVESMyCreativesTab>AddBanners/TextLinks
IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!Developacreativeinventorythattargetsyourconsumer.Affiliatescandrivetraffic,butyouaretheexpertonyourconsumer-andwhatappealstothem.GoodcreativescangoalongwayinconvertingAffiliatetraffic.Typesofcreativesareasfollows:
LookingforareliableandinventiveAffiliateNetwork?CheckoutShareASale.com!
FreeShippingonorders$100+-NoCouponCodeRequired!Save15%onallordersthrough12/12-UseCodeSAVE1212
FOREXAMPLE:
FOREXAMPLE:
FOREXAMPLE:
ELEVEN
POPULAR SIZES
120 x 240
88 x 31
392 x 72
160 x 600 468 x 60
120
x 60
0EachAffiliatemayhavedifferentpreferencessurroundingthesizeandtypeofabanneradvertisement.Forexample,someAffiliatesmaybelookingforaskyscraper,whileothersmightwantasmall125x125toputwithinablogpost.It’simportanttoprovideawidevarietyofoptionsforyourAffiliates.
INTERACTIVE CREATIVES
Category Focused. Doyouhavepopularcategoriesonyourwebsite?Createbannersspecificallyaroundthosecategories.
Product Focused. Bestsellingproducts?Developcreativestargetedtowardsthesepar-ticularproducts.
Seasonal & Holiday.Thisisbig!Createholidayorseasonalspecificbanners.HolidayGifts,HalloweenCostumes,BacktoSchoolBooks,Valentine’sDay,etc..
Deep Landing Pages. Takeoutasmany‘clicks’aspossibleforyourconsumer.Targetedban-nersshouldlandondeeplinkingpages.
Traditional Advertisement.Areyourunninganadcampaigncurrently?Usethosetodevelopaconsistentmessageacrosstheweb.
GET CREATIVE
UP NEXT: PRODUCT DATAFEED
AwelldevelopedcreativeinventorywillgoalongwayinconvertingAffiliatetraffic.“ ”
THE 88 X 31 BANNER SHOULD BE YOUR LOGO.Insider’s Tip:
WEEK2
250 x 250
300 x 250
125 x 125
234 x 60120 x 90
...Imagine a giant spreadsheet of your entire product inventory where each row represents a specific product and each column provides product details.
WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
AFFILIATES DATAFEEDS!
HELPFUL TIPS
IT’S FOR EVERYONE!Youdon’tneedahugeinventorytobenefitfromhavingaproductfeed.Adatafeedcanconsistofjustahandfulofproducts.
AUTOMATIC UPDATES:YoucanautomaticallyuploadyourdatafeedviaFTPaccess.Tosetup,submitaHelpTicketincludingthestaticIPaddressfromwhereyouwillbeuploadingthefeed.
KEEP IT UP-TO-DATE:Affiliatescanseethedateofthelastdatafeedupload.Soevenifyourinventorydoesn’tchangefrequently,submitafreshuploadatleastonceamonth.
TOOLS:LotsoftoolsarepoweredbyDatafeedsincludingtheMerchantWidgets,News-letterMacrosandtheAffiliate’sMake-A-Page.
IT’S FREE:ThereisnochargetoutilizetheDatafeedFeatureonShareASale.MerchantscanuploadaDatafeedupto31xpermonth;withnolimitonnumberofproducts.
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COMPLETE!
PRODUCT DATAFEEDMyCreativesTab>Datafeed
IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!ManyAffiliates-Bloggers,ShoppingComparisonSites,NicheStorefrontPages-utilizeaProductDatafeed.ADatafeedallowsAf-filiatestopromotespecificproductsrelevanttotheirwebsite,asopposedtosimplydisplayingabanneradvertisement.AffiliatescansimplysearchyourDatafeedforrelevantproducts,andeasilygrabthetrackinglink.
THIRTEEN
THESE CATEGORIES ARE REQUIREDAT THE VERY LEAST...
THESE CATEGORIES ARE RECOMMENDEDBUT GO ABOVE & BEYOND...
SKUAuniquevalue,specifictooneproduct.
5A5256,45894,oranyuniquevalue...
URL DirectURLtotheproduct. http://www.mystore.com/product5A5256
PRICE Listedpriceoftheproduct. 19.99
CATEGORYProductcategory,useShareASaleCategories.*
13
SUB-CATEGORYProductsub-category,useShareASaleSub-Categories.*
125
MERCHANTID YourShareASaleMerchantID. 25698
DATA TYPE WHAT IS IT? AN EXAMPLE, PLEASE!
*CategoriesandSub-Categoriesarelistedathttp://shareasale.com/m-productmassupload.cfm
NAME NameoftheProduct. SunflowerSummerDress
FULLIMAGE Largeimageoftheproduct.http://www.mystore.com/product5A5256/image-xl
THUMBIMAGE Smallimageoftheproduct.http://www.mystore.com/product5A5256/image-small
DESCRIPTIONInformativedescriptionabouttheproduct.
Brightandcolorfulsummerdressgreatforweekendgetaways...
SEARCHTERMSCommaseparatedlistofproductsearchterms.
Dress,Women’sClothing,Summer,Sun-flowerDress,CasualWear
BESTSELLERSNotifiesAffiliatesthatthisisabestsellingproduct.
Populatethiscellwitha1toindicateabestsellingproduct.
DATA TYPE WHAT IS IT? AN EXAMPLE, PLEASE!
UP NEXT: NEWSLETTER
NEED MORE SPECIFICS?VISITHTTP://SHAREASALE.COM/M-PRODUCTMASSUPLOAD.CFM
WEEK3
SEND IT MONTHLYFormostprograms,monthlywillbeafittingschedule.Ifyourprogramoffersahugeinventorywithlotsofdetailschangingonaregularbasis,itmaybodewellforyourprogramtosendmorefrequentnewsletters.JustkeepinmindthatyoureffortswillhaveadverseeffectsifyoubeginspammingyourAffiliatebase.
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COMPLETE!
u
NEWSLETTERSMyAffiliatesTab>SendNewsletter
IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!UtilizethenewslettertooltomaintainconsistentcommunicationwithyourAffiliates.Thekeyistokeepyournewsletterrelevantandconcise.ThinkofthenewsletterasyourmarketingtoolkitforAffiliates.IncludeinformativedetailsthatwillhelpyourAffiliatestobettersellormarketyourproductorservice.
MAKE IT ACTIONABLE“Actionable”asinusable.IncludeitemsthatAffiliatescanputtouserightaway.UtilizemacrostoincludetheAffiliate’sspecifictrackingcodefortoolsandtopersonalizeyouremail.
INJECT PERSONALITYLetthenewsletterreflectwhoyouandyourcompanyare.Affiliatesreceivehundredsofemails–mightaswellmakeyoursinterestingtoread.
TARGET AFFILIATESUtilizethefilterstosendspecificallytargetedcommunicationtocertaingroupsofAffiliates.Forexample,youcouldsendkeywordliststoyourPPCAffiliates,anactivationnewslettertolowperformerswithsometipsongettingstarted,specialincentivestoyourtopperformers,contenttipstoyourbloggers…yougetthepicture.
TAGS:((Blogger))or((Coupon Site))or((Shopping Comparison))
Commissionsthismonth:morethan_____andlessthan_____Commissionstotal:morethan_____andlessthan_____Hitsthismonth:morethan_____andlessthan_____Hitstotal:morethan_____andlessthan_____
Joinedyourprogrambefore_____after_____AffiliatesfromthefollowingState:____________
AffiliatesfromthefollowingFeaturedPrograms:___________
AVAILABLE FILTERS
FIFTEEN
- INSERT CONTACT INFORMATION HERE -
EXCLUSIVE AFFILIATE BONUS CAMPAIGNS
NEED HELP?CHECK OUT THE VIDEO TUTORIAL
AT SHAREASALE.COM!
UP NEXT: TAGS & APPROVAL RULES
EDUCATIONAL CONTENT
SPECIAL PRODUCT OFFERINGS
DATAFEED DOWNLOAD - DEALS & COUPONS - BANNERS/LINKS - CONTACT US
DearJane,
CURRENT BEST SELLERS
NEWSLETTER EXAMPLE
PROGRAM UPDATES:Besuretocommunicateanychangeswiththeprogramagreement,commissionstructure,cookieduration,programmanagerchangesoranyotheritemthatpertainstotheprogramsetup.
u
BEST SELLERSIncludeafewsampleproductsofwhatisnewandhotinyourinventory.v
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<atarget=”_blank”href=”http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=15231&u=!!USERID!!&m=397&urllink=&afftrack=”><imgsrc=”https://www.shareasale.com/image/ACFA.gif”></a>
BANNERTRACKINGCODE<atarget=”_blank”href=”http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=76698&u=!!USERID!!&MID=397&urllink=&afftrack=
BONUS CAMPAIGNSIncludeanyAffiliatesalesincentiveorbonuscampaignthatisrunning.Thiscanbeagreatopportu-nitytoencourageAffiliatestogeneratesalesorpushaspecificproduct.
x FEATURED PRODUCTSIfyouhaveproductinventory,includecontentaboutyourproductsorbrands.UsethisasanopportunitytoeducateAffiliatesonwhatmakesyourproductsunique.
y EDUCATIONAL CONTENTHighlightanynewcoupons,dealsorcreativesthatarecurrentlyavailable.BesureeachofthesecreativesarelistedwithintheShareASaleInterface.MakeitmoreactionablebyusingmacrostoincludetheAffiliatelink.
SpecialRedBookPrice:$15.00URLtoProduct
BlackBinocularsPrice:$210.00URLtoProduct
H54CalculatorPrice:$199.00URLtoProduct
AUGUST
LookingforareliableandinventiveAffiliateNetwork?CheckoutShareASale.com!
TEXTLINKTRACKINGCODE:
WEEK3
AUTO
APPROVAL
EXAMPLE
IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!AffiliateTagsprovidemerchantswithawaytosegmenttheirAffiliatelist.TagscanbecreatedtoorganizeAffiliatesandgivesMer-chantstheabilitytocreatespecializedandtargetedactivationcampaigns.OnceTagsareassigned,Merchantscanpullreports,sendnewsletters,providespecialcommissionandevenuploadcreativesthatwillbeavailableonlytospecificAffiliateTags.
TAGS & APPROVAL RULESMyAffiliates>AffiliateList&MyAccount>EditSettings
COMPLETE!
AFFILIATE APPROVAL RULES CAN SAVE YOU TIME!Oneofthemosttime-consumingandtime-sensitivetasksofmanaginganAffiliateprogramisreviewingtheapplications.Affiliatesdon’tliketowaitandMerchantswanttomakesureapplicationsarecarefullyreviewed.CustomAffiliateapprovalrulescanhelpcutthatloadsignificantly.YousetupthefilterstoautomaticallyapproveordeclineonlythoseAffiliateswhomeetthecriteriayouselect.
“I want to auto approve US Affiliates with a Full Membership Level and who have a Top-Level Domain that does NOT use coupons or incentives.”
“Auto decline any Affiliate who uses Coupons and is NOT from US or Canada.”
Tip: Approval Rules can be used for more than just auto approving or auto declining. If your program is currently set-up to Auto Approve everyone, you could use Approve Rules to Pend those applications that you know you may want more time to review.
P P PP P
SENDNEWSLETTEROFFERACOUPON/DEALCREATEABANNER
DEVELOPABONUSCAMPAIGNSETASPECIALCOMMISSION
...ALL BY A SPECIFIC TAG!
WHAT FILTERS ARE AVAILABLE?ThereareoverfifteenautoapprovalfiltersavailabletoMerchants,includingAffiliateLocation,SpecificAccountDetails,PromotionalTechniquesandAdultContent.
CONFERENCEMANAGEMENT
PERFORMANCEMANAGEMENT
PROMOTIONALMETHODS
VIOLATIONMANAGEMENT
ASW2013
BlogHer2011
Meetup-Oct2012
TopPerformer‘12
VIPs
TopGainers‘12
MommyBlogger
Coupon/Deal
PPCAffiliate
Strike2-Coupon
Strike1-PPC
Strike1-Twitter
*Applicable for Merchants using ShareASale StoresConnect.
STORESMANAGEMENT*
SampleStore1
SampleStore2
SampleStore3
POPULAR STRATEGIES FOR TAGGING:
AUTO
DECLINE
EXAMPLE
SEVENTEEN
WEEK4PROMO CALENDAR
OutsideoftheInterface
IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!Takeanhourtositdownanddraftoutafulleditorialcalendar.Byhavingamarketingplaninplacefortheyear,youwillbemoreorganizedandreadytoputoutmeaningfulandrichcommunicationtoAffiliates.Createaplanwiththefollowingitems:
Whenthemarketingplanismappedoutfortheyear,managersknowinadvancewhatmaterialstosendto
theirAffiliates.AplancanbetterarmamanagertosparkinterestandactionfromAffiliatepartners.
“ ”
THEMEThemonthlythemeisgoingtobetheoverallmessageoritemthatbringstogetherallmarketingtoolspro-videdforagivenmonth.Lookforeventsthatcouldtieintotheproductlinesuchasmovieandvideogamereleases,sportingevents,productlaunches,productsalesseasonality,fashionshows,popcultureevents,andevenholidays.
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AFFILIATE PROMOTION/BONUSProvideAffiliateswithanincentivethatwillenticethemtogeneratemoresalesfortheprogram.Don’tbeafraidtogetcreativewiththebonusesandofferpromotionsinadditiontothecommoncashforsalesbonus.
MARKETING TOOLSUtilizingthethemeselectedforthemonth,createsomenewcreativeorhighlightcreativesthatcoincidewiththetheme.Thiscouldmeanprovidingastorefrontofrelatedproducts,creatingnewbanners,publishingconsumercouponsoruploadingrelatedtextlinks.
COMPLETE!
January February
Theme SnowDay Dr.Suess
AffiliateCoupon BOGOSleepwear 15%offDr.Suess
BannerRequest 468x60:Winter&300x250:Winter 125x125:Suess&160x600:Suess
ProductLaunch FootieSleepwear Dr.SuessHats
AffiliatePromotion Generate$2,500infootiesleepwear,receivesleepwearforayear
Drive$1,000+inDr.Suessproductsales,getVIPcommissionforallsalesinMarch
Est.Spend $1,000 $2,000
AffiliateNewsletter BOGOCoupon,NewCreative,&Promotion Coupon,Dr.SuessStorefront,andPromotion
QualifiedAffiliates 10 35
FOR EXAMPLE
EIGHTEEN
ACTIVE RECRUITMENTOutsidetheInterface
IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!AffiliateRecruitmentisoneofthemostimportantaspectsthatwillcontributetothegrowthandsuccessofyourAffiliateprogram.Affiliaterecruitmenttakesonvariousforms.SomeAffiliateswillfindyouonShareASalebasedonyourprogramset-up,butit’salsoimportanttosetasidetimededicatedtoplanningandproactivelyreachingouttoprospectiveAffiliates.
FEATURED PLACEMENTS ON SHAREASALEMerchantscantakeoutadspaceontheShareASaleAffiliateinterface.It’sagreatwaytoadvertiseyourpro-gramtoallAffiliatesthatarepartoftheShareASaleNetwork.
COMPLETE!
PUBLISH AFFILIATE PERFORMANCE INCENTIVES Affiliatesarelikeyouronlinesalesforce-sometimestheyneedalittleincentivetogetmotivated!
REACH5SALESINYOURFIRSTMONTH-GETA$100BONUS!{ }
ShareASaleThinkTank-AffiliateSummitEast-AffiliateSummitWestType-A-ParentConference-BlogHerConference-InternetRetailer
INTERNET SEARCHESGooglesomeofyourkeywordsandseekoutAffiliatesthathavebuiltcontentsites,PPCcampaignsorblogsforthem.Whenyoufindasiteyouwanttoworkwith,contactthemdirectlywithapersonalmessage.Letthemknowwhythiswouldbeagoodpartnership--and--
SEND THEM YOUR CO-BRANDED PAGE!
v
w
u
y
ATTEND INDUSTRY EVENTSThereareseveralmeet-upsandindustryeventsyoucouldgetinvolvedwith.FacetofacenetworkingisagreatwaytoboostrecruitmentandbuildsolidrelationshipwithyourAffiliates.
SPONSORED MERCHANT AD!
ADD CO-BRANDED PAGE TO YOUR WEBSITEYourco-brandedpageisapersonalizedlinkprovidedbyShareASalethatincludesyourProgramBioandaformforanAffiliatetojoinyourprogram.
Co-BrandedPage:http://www.ShareASale.com/ShareASale.cfm?merchantID=YOURMERCHANTID
x
NINETEEN
IT’S IMPORTANT - DON’T WASTE YOUR INVESTMENT!Aspreviouslymentioned,AffiliateMarketingisalongtermgrowthchannel.It’srequiresregularandongoingmaintenanceandmanagementjustlikeanyothermarketingcampaign.Affiliatesareapartofyourteamnow,sobesuretoworkontheongoingtaskspresentedbelowtoensureasuccessfulprogram!
MANAGEMENT TASKS
ONGOIN
G
COMPLETE!
DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT
ONGOING RECRUITMENT
CONTINUOUS & TIMELY COMMUNICATION
REPORT GENERATION & ANALYSIS
ProvideAffiliateSupport&AnswerQuestionsReviewAffiliateApplications-ApproveorDeclineDatafeedUpkeep-EnsureAccurateDataCreativeMaintenance-ReviewRelevancyofCreatives
ShareASaleFeaturedProgramsAttendIndustryEventsInternetSearchesforRelevant&PotentialAffiliatesPublishAffiliatePerformanceIncentives
MonthlyNewslettersShareASaleAffiliateAquariumPersonal/CompanyBlogVariousSocialMediaOutletsParticipationinAffiliateForums
TransactionDetailWeeklyProgressAffiliateTimespanBannerPerformanceMonthlyPaymentReviewAffiliateComparisonYearinReview
Trytoremembertokeepthefocusonthe
qual-
ityofAffiliatesratherthanth
equantity.Itcanbe
easytofocusonlyonthenum
berofAffiliatesin
aprogrambuttheeffortshouldbeonfi
nding
qualityaffiliateswhowillhelpgrowaprogram.
ConcentrateresourcesonAffil
iateswhoare
motivatedandwellmatchedtomarketyour
productorservice.
Closing Tip
TWENTY
WHAT IF I WANT TO PAY 10% ON ONE PRODUCT AND 5% ON ANOTHER?ProductcommissionscanbesetuponaSKUlevel.Inordertoaccomplishthis,youwillneedtomakechangestobothyourexistingShareASaletrackingcodeandyourproductdatafeed.IfyouareinterestedinsettingupproductSKUcom-missions,pleaseopenasupportticketandourteamcanwalkyouthroughtherequiredchanges.
WHY AM I GETTING SO MANY COUPON/DEAL AFFILIATE APPLICATIONS?UponactivationintotheShareASaleNetwork,anewprogramannouncementissentoutviaRSSFeedtoallsubscribingAffiliates.Typicallycoupon/dealAffiliateswillapplyformost,ifnotall,oftheseprograms–astheycanpromotenearlyeverytypeofMerchant.Donotbesurprisedifthefirstmonthortwoisanoverloadofcoupon/dealAffiliates–itisverycommon.
WHY AREN’T MY AFFILIATES PUTTING UP MY LINKS?ItcantakealittletimeforyourAffiliatestoaddlinkstotheirwebsite.Affiliateshavetodeterminewhere,whenandhowbesttopromoteyourprogrambasedontheirparticularaudience.RememberAffiliatemarketingisalongtermgrowthchannel.YoucanhelpactivateyourAffiliatesbyprovidingthemwithsolidmarketingtoolsinyourreplyemailsandnews-letters.
WHY AREN’T ALL OF MY AFFILIATES CONVERTING SALES?EachAffiliateprogramisunique,howeverindustry-wideabout30%ofaMerchant’sapprovedAffiliatesshouldbedrivingclicks,andofthat30%,about10-15%shouldbedrivingactualsales.Thisdoesvaryprogramtoprogram-butshouldbeagoaltoworktowards,andthenagoaltobeat!
HOW MUCH SHOULD AN AFFILIATE PROGRAM DRIVE IN SALES?Again,eachAffiliateprogramisunique,butasageneralindustryaverage,Affiliatesalesaccountforabout10%ofoverallonlinesales.Therearecertainlyprogramswhoseemuchmorethanthatamount,itjustdependsonthetypeofprogram,andpre-existingonlinepresence.
CAN I PAY MY AFFILIATES A HIGHER COMMISSION FOR NEW CUSTOMER SALES?Certainly!YoucanutilizetheAdvancedCommissionStructurestocreatea“rule”thatpaysAffiliatesahighercommissionfornewcustomers.Thisisanadvancedfeaturesthatrequiresalittleprogrammingandmodificationtoyourcurrenttrack-ingpixel.Ifyouareinterestedinsettingupthisfeature,pleaseopenasupportticket.
HOW DO I RUN THE SAME TYPE OF REPORT EVERY MONTH?Therearetwowaystocompletethistask–onetechnicalandonelesstechnical.Forthemoretech-savvy,youcansetupyourAPItodeliveraparticularreportataparticulartime(deliverthetransactiondetailreporttomydesktopat12ameverymonth-end).Forthelesstechnical,youcanutilizetheSavedReportsfunction.Youcansaveanyreportbyitselforasatemplateforfuturereports.Thesecanbeaccessedontheparticularreportinquestionorunderthe“hockeypuck”starintheupperleftsideofyouraccount.
I INVITED AFFILIATES INTO MY PROGRAM. CAN I GET THEM APPROVED QUICKER?YoucanbreezeinvitedaffiliatesthroughtheShareASaleNetworkApplicationprocessby“Pre-Approving”themintothenetworkbasedonyourinvitations.ThiscanbecompletedviatheEditSettingsPageunder“AddCustomApprovalRules”.
ADVANCED QUESTIONSCongratulations!You’vemadeitthroughtheMerchantKickoffChecklist.It’slikelyyouhaveafewadditionalquestions-sowe’vegatheredthemostpopularnewMerchantFAQs(notdiscussedpreviously)foryourreference.Afewofthesequestionsreferencecontactingoursupportteam-clickthe“SubmitANewTicket”optionintheHelpCenter(pg.2).