Some vendors think that if you just create a really good product, then you’ll have all sorts of super affiliates lining up around the block to promote it.
But here’s the thing…
The super affiliates aren’t running around the web looking for things to promote. That’s because vendors usually approach them with their offers. And if you want to get super affiliates on your team, then you need to do the same thing.
How do you do that? By following these tips…
Develop Relationships First
Sure, you can send out cold affiliate recruitment emails… but you’re going to get a pretty lukewarm response.
You’ll do much better if you develop relationships with prospective partners first. At the very least, these folks ought to recognize your name when your email lands in their inbox.
Here are a few ways to do that:
- Promote your prospective partner’s product first. If you put money in their pocket, you can bet they’ll recognize your name.
- Help the person in some other way. For example, if the person requests assistance or feedback – such as help installing a WordPress plugin – you can offer your services for free.
- Engage the person on social media. This includes joining their discussions, sharing their content, and talking to them through private message.
- Join the discussions on the marketer’s blog. Be sure your contributions are thoughtful.
- Meet and engage them offline at workshops and expos. But don’t approach them about a joint venture, because that is what everyone is doing. Instead, connect with them over a mutual interest, such as a hobby. This will make you much memorable once the event is over.
Next…
Send Out An Invitation
Once you’ve developed relationships with your prospective partners, then sit down and brainstorm all the perks you can offer them to join your affiliate program. Then write an email invitation that showcases these top perks.
Here’s an invitation example:
Subject: Commission opportunity – I wanted you to be the first to know…
Hi [Name],
It’s [your name] from [your site]. I’m writing to you today to let you know about an upcoming affiliate opportunity that would be a great fit for your audience, and a nice boost to your income with [$x] commissions per sale.
The product is called [name of product], and [describe briefly what it does]. I think your audience will really love this, because [give good reason why].
Here, you can check it out for yourself at [review copy link].
We’re launching on [date], and I’d like to invite you to the inner circle of launch partners who’ll earn a special commission of [amount]. Our initial tests are showing the sales letter is converting at [percentage], so this is going to be a very profitable launch for you!
In addition to [amount] commissions on the frontend, you’ll also get these perks:
[Insert bulleted list of other perks, such as backend commissions, personalized landing pages, instant commissions, special bonuses for the partner’s customers, etc.]
I’d really like to see you onboard for this launch, because [give good reason – be specific about how the partner and his/her audience will benefit from this].
All you have to do to get started is log into your affiliate account here [link] using the username and temporary password I’ve set up for you: [user name and password].
Once in, you’ll get all the emails, banners, social media posts and other materials you need to start promoting.
Hope to see you onboard! Please let me know if you have any questions.
[sign off]
P.S. Remember, this launches on [date]. However, you can start sending pre-launch materials as soon as [date] – so you’ll want to add this to your publishing calendar!
Remember, emails like the one above work MUCH better when you’ve already developed a relationship with your prospective partner.