10 questions affiliates aren't asking their account managers
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10 QUESTIONS AFFILIATES AREN'T ASKING THEIR ACCOUNT MANAGERS
Awin's client strategist, Matt Swan, tells A4u about how publisher s should be making better use of their account manager and the wealth of knowledge they possess.
Account managers are able to offer publisher s a great deal of support. From identifying the advertisers that are a good fit for their site, to providing them with information on the latest products and deals. Publishers should use these relationships to their advantage in order to make the most of the opportunities they are presented with. This post looks at 10 things that publisher s should be asking their account managers.
What are the best converting products?
All publisher s like to work with advertisers that convert. Account managers will be able to access information from their advertisers which outline the best sellers. The better a product converts, the more money a publisher can make. This is useful information when deciding what products to push. The conversion rate of a product can make all the difference in terms of the commission you can make. This can also help publisher s decide on the positioning of products within their site – with the top converters getting increased exposure across the site.
How does seasonality affect the products that you are pushing?
Certain advertisers may be affected more by seasonality than others. For example, sales for florists will naturally peak for occasions such as Valentine’s Day or Mothers Day. Other effects of seasonality may be less obvious but an account manager should be able to give you additional insight. By understanding the seasonality, publisher s are able to adapt to changes that will affect their promotion of a particular advertiser.
What are the KPIs of the advertiser?
It is important to understand what the advertiser is trying to achieve. Advertiser’s sit on a wealth of data and are able to gain insight into the type of publisher partners that are delivering valuable customers to the business. By understanding the aims and objectives of the advertiser, publisher s can work to ensure they are targeting the relevant audience to drive profitable sales. If a publisher is able to demonstrate the ability to generate the desired customers, they will be in a better position to negotiate improved commission rates.
What additional promotion is being run on/offline?
By understanding the additional marketing efforts of an advertiser, publisher s can benefit from increased awareness of the brand. For example, searches for products are likely to be increased when there is a period of advertising for them. Publishers are able to capitalise on the increased awareness and the uplift in consumer demand on the back of additional promotions.
Do they have a promotional calendar?
This ties in with the point above. By understanding the busiest periods of promotional activity, publisher s are able to capitalise on peak sales periods. This is something that could be quite obvious e.g. chocolate/flower/gift advertisers having promotions geared around Valentine’s Day. For a gambling campaign this could be a calendar of the big sporting events that publisher s are able to take advantage of.
Is there a focus on a particular product/range?
There may be periods where advertisers place a greater emphasis around particular products. This could be products where there are high margins or high stock levels for example. By understanding the focus of the advertiser, publisher s can again use this knowledge to their advantage when negotiating increased commission rates or bonuses. Pushing these particular products/ranges could be mutually beneficial to both parties.
What is the de-duplication policy?
As part of the ethical advertiser charter, advertisers are asked to be transparent with their de-duplication policy. If you are in any doubt it is worth checking with your account manager to see what this policy is. This will make it clear why some transactions may be attributed to another channel.
Are they doing anything around mobile?
With m-commerce continuing to grow, there are plenty of opportunities for publisher s through mobile. At Awin we are currently seeing around 8% of all traffic and around 6% of sales coming through mobile devices. It is important for publisher s to understand which advertisers are currently embracing mobile and who has publisher tracking in place on their optimised mobile sites. Publishers that are quick to embrace this technology will be able to take advantage of the opportunities that arise.
What could we be doing to get increased commission rates?
All publisher s would like to get paid more for their efforts. It is worth having a conversation about how you could be rewarded with a higher commission rate. It could be a case of offering an advertiser a more prominent spot on your site or by giving them additional exposure within a newsletter. As mentioned in a previous point, advertisers have access to a vast amount of data. If you are able to demonstrate you are delivering profitable customers, this could help secure an increased rate.
What other advertisers would be worth promoting?
There are a wide range of advertisers across the various publisher networks. There may be some that you have missed. It is worth speaking to account managers to see if there are any similar advertisers that you should be promoting. The account manager will be able to give you information on how well they are converting and what the typical EPC is across the campaign to help you decide if it is someone that is worth promoting.
Account managers can be an invaluable source of knowledge. It is definitely worth asking them the questions that could really help you to earn more commission.