Partnering with the right influencers and affiliates is just the first step of building an epic outreach strategy. The awesome earned media and results that make marketers jump for joy is a result of fostering relationships and making sure that marketing partners have the information and assets to create the best posts possible. Here are 5 assets to make sure you as a marketer are providing your affiliate partners with so that your campaigns shine brighter than ever this season. Black Friday Creativity Consumers are expecting the greatest deals of the year on black Friday so make sure you bring it. Add an element of creativity to make your deals look more enticing and standout from your competitors. Since half of consumers also purchase items for themselves on black Friday, find a way to bundle items or create deals that consist of  2 for 1’s so that the buyer can get a free gif that they are buying for a friend or family member. Add an element of charity and donate an amount of money to a cause for items purchased on Black Friday Challenge your affiliate partners to see who can drive the most sales on Black Friday and reward them. A sense of competition just means your affiliates take more ownership in your brand and have something of a lot of value pushing them to promote your brand heavily. Once all of your creative ideas are mapped out, make sure that you share these with your affiliate partners through newsletters, media kits and private communities. Round Ups of Top Gifts Think about the top items that consumers will be seeking out to gift this year. Consider who your consumers want to buy gifts for and who would be the perfect receiver of a gift from your brand. Think deeply about the chain and research that happens when consumers are searching for and buying gifts for people they care about. It’s a step further than you have to take your other buyer and influencer personas. But is important because more people than not Google for “gift giving ideas” so you will have new buyers and new eyeballs on your website. Make it easy for gift givers to find your products by rounding up the top items that you think would make great gifts and send them to your affiliates and influencers. In the spirit of the holidays and gift giving, consider sending the items as a surprise to your marketing partners for an extra level of potential earned media. Experience Reviews Experience Reviews (take on product review but stresses authenticity and integrating a brand or product into influencer’s life) Make sure that all of your influencers and affiliates receive the product you’re hoping to push the hardest for holiday season. In order to score posts that are full of creativity and authenticity simply ask your marketing partners to use this product or service in their everyday lives and creatively post how they incorporate it. Here are a few examples:
  • A fashion brand may send all their affiliates their new winter sweater and ask them to wear it doing something they would normally do and tag your brand. Gather up all these posts to show how versatile your product is.
  • Since the holiday season is a gold mine for food brands, a brand may mail their influencers the newest or best product that they’re pushing during Q4. They would then ask influencers to create new recipes and content around said product.
Exclusive Assets Think about how good it feels when you are the one with inside information or product knowledge that other people don’t have. Capitalize on this fact with your marketing partnerships and consider ways that you can make your affiliates feel part of your brand and in the “inside circle.”
  • Provide your affiliates with product samples before product is launched
  • Provide them with exclusive brand information
  • Create a newsletter just for marketing partners that has deals and information no one else has access to
  • Give your influencers a special discount they can extend to their own audience
Share Data Points and Feedback Not all data needs to be super secret. Give your affiliates feedback and let them know the numbers they’re bringing in and how much you appreciate their work. Strong relationships with your marketing partners means strong results; it really is that simple. Sharing the performance of each affiliate with other affiliates creates a fun competition and incentivizes them harder to keep sharing your brand. Often top performers receive prizes and the fun factor leads to more brand mentions and engagement which or course leads  to better results for the brands. To stay up to date on all things pertaining to affiliate marketing trends, data and tips for this season this free ebook is a favorite asset of many marketers.