Affiliates are people too ..

If you’ve been an affiliate for a while or are an affiliate on any of the major networks, you can start to feel like you have username or account number stamped in your forehead because that’s all your affiliate manager ever actually considers you.

Sound familiar?

This is a reason why some affiliates prefer to work with smaller programs only. It’s not the answer to the best ROI (return on investment) you can get from your traffic but over the long-term this can be a way to help you stay sane and connected with real people.

Smaller affiliate programs are usually run by the main marketing people for the team and (assuming they know anything about affiliate marketing) this gives them the opportunity to get to know the affiliate a little better and build a bit more of a relationship.

If you manage to find a program like this, stick with it!

You’ll find that having that personal contact with the affiliate manager is gold when there’s something you need sorted out that’s specific to your website or business. Although it’s not always possible, nothing beats meeting and affiliate manager face-to-face. They then understand where you’re coming from and potential conflicts (where you both lose out because something wasn’t dealt with well) are reduced or even avoided completely.

I haven’t heard of any form of affiliate marketing meetings going on in New Zealand but if anyone else has let me know.