{"id":450,"date":"2016-12-21T17:58:52","date_gmt":"2016-12-21T17:58:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web_staging_fern.staging.cartstack.com\/blog\/?p=450"},"modified":"2020-10-14T13:03:25","modified_gmt":"2020-10-14T13:03:25","slug":"guest-post-why-you-cant-afford-to-ignore-affiliate-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cartstack.com\/blog\/guest-post-why-you-cant-afford-to-ignore-affiliate-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Can&#8217;t Afford to Ignore Affiliate Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-section m_1784421014395004226gmail-section--body\">\n<div class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-section-content\">\n<div class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-section-inner m_1784421014395004226gmail-sectionLayout--insetColumn\">\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\"><em>Please enjoy this informative guest entry from our friends at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.refersion.com\/\">Refersion<\/a>, and make sure to check out their services to further bolster your online marketing efforts!<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">Affiliate marketing has, or at least <em class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--em m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--p-em\">should, <\/em>become a cornerstone of any solid business plan. The benefits are numerous and the results are real.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">We\u2019ve compiled a list of the top three reasons why your business should consider affiliate marketing\u200a\u2014\u200aand how you can create your own affiliate program.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--h4\">1. Pay When You Get The Results You\u2019re Looking&nbsp;For<\/h5>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">The beauty of having an affiliate program is that everything is performance-based. Instead of spending money on ads that may not yield any sort of valuable ROI, you only have to pay out commissions for actual sales. Affiliate marketing by its very nature is an extremely cost-effective option.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--h4\"><strong class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--strong m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--h4-strong\">2. Expand Your Brand\u2019s&nbsp;Reach<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">Affiliate programs have the potential to introduce your brand to countless people that may have never otherwise discovered it. By partnering up with the right influencers, your brand can gain exposure and you may even find a market for your product in a new target audience that you previously overlooked or didn\u2019t even consider.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--h4\">3. Time Management<\/h5>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">Social media marketing can be a timely investment and involve a lot energy on your part. Having a solid affiliate program makes your life easier\u200a\u2014\u200asomeone else is increasing your brand\u2019s visibility and building its social media footprint. You\u2019ll be able to focus your time and effort on additional ways to build up the business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">Sounds good, huh? But how exactly can a business build out a strong affiliate program? Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--h4\"><strong class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--strong m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--h4-strong\">Step 1: Reach Out To The Right&nbsp;People<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">Start following the right influencers online and build a rapport with them. Research their audiences and understand what <em class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--em m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--p-em\">their<\/em> brands are all about. Are their niches relevant to yours? Would it make sense for them to promote your brand? How large of an audience do they have? When it comes time to approach them, be personal and be sure to reference their work. Influencers are more apt to respond to people that are familiar with what they do and who they are.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">You can also easily advertise your brand and matchup with potential affiliates in the <a class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--anchor m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/support.refersion.com\/knowledgebase\/articles\/750828-what-is-the-refersion-marketplace\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?hl=en&amp;q=https:\/\/support.refersion.com\/knowledgebase\/articles\/750828-what-is-the-refersion-marketplace&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1482428291519000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHCdTKiM8BLfstcc3VO04Y0zVg0QA\"><strong class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--strong m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--p-strong\"><span class=\"il\">Refersion<\/span> Marketplace<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--h4\">Step 2: Find The Perfect&nbsp;Platform<\/h5>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">As you start to find more and more affiliates and your program begins to scale, things may start to become a little\u2026overwhelming. Managing your network of affiliates can be confusing. Paying commissions, figuring out which of your affiliates drive the most sales, creating coupon codes\u200a \u2014\u200a it\u2019s a lot to keep up with.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">Sooner or later you\u2019ll want to find a reliable, easy-to-understand affiliate management system. A platform like <a class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--anchor m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.refersion.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?hl=en&amp;q=https:\/\/www.refersion.com\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1482428291519000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGb0WOUhv-vpwQ38WVc5MbCpm_pRw\"><strong class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--strong m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--p-strong\"><span class=\"il\">Refersion<\/span><\/strong><\/a> is able to connect directly to your online shop and will let you manage your affiliates and sales activity in real-time. Adding affiliates, tracking sales, and making payments are simplified and seamless.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--h4\">Step 3: Optimization And Retention<\/h5>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">Once you\u2019ve chosen a platform to manage and grow your affiliate program, you\u2019re well on your way to optimizing your network. By easily being able to view sales activity, finding out who your most valuable affiliates are is a cinch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">With this knowledge at your fingertips, you should consider implementing a loyalty program for the affiliates that drive the most revenue. Offering your best performers special incentives is great way to make sure they don\u2019t seek out a competitor\u2019s program. The more sales an affiliate makes, the higher the commission should be. This will incentive them to stay with you and avoid your rivals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-section m_1784421014395004226gmail-section--body\">\n<div class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-section-divider\">\n<hr class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-section-divider\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-section-content\">\n<div class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-section-inner m_1784421014395004226gmail-sectionLayout--insetColumn\">\n<p class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf m_1784421014395004226gmail-graf--p\">Hungry for more affiliate marketing and management advice? Head over to <a class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--anchor m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/refersion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?hl=en&amp;q=https:\/\/medium.com\/refersion&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1482428291519000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGThAWrcKQIXd6GGWaMkz1icktefQ\"><strong class=\"m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--strong m_1784421014395004226gmail-markup--p-strong\">Coffee Time With <span class=\"il\">Refersion<\/span><\/strong><\/a> for all the tips and tricks you you need to know!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An explanation of the importance of affiliate marketing with an emphasis on how it can benefit your business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1751,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[14,17,21],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why You Can&#039;t Afford to Ignore Affiliate Marketing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Affiliate marketing has, or at least should, become a cornerstone of any solid business plan. 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