Three Reasons to Recruit Affiliates Now Rather Than Later
Summer is just around the corner and a long, cold winter is finally behind us – so it’s hardly time to start talking about Christmas again, right? This may feel deeply upsetting but, in fact, I’m here to tell you that it’s precisely what you should be talking about right now. Because the businesses that adopt new affiliate strategies now are setting themselves up for a far smoother festive season. Those that wait until Q4? Be ready for the madness. Allow me to explain…
Starting now gives you more time to build deeper relationships
Time is the most precious commodity of all. If you start in Q2, your team has far more time to build meaningful relationships with potential affiliates for the future. This is because Q4 is a busy period for most businesses, and many affiliate marketers are often too busy to consider new partnerships. By contrast, spring is typically a slower period for businesses, which gives you the perfect opportunity to reach new affiliates that have time on their hands. You also have more time to build and nurture these relationships, creating a more engaged and loyal group of affiliates who are truly invested in your programs.
Try not to buy before you try
By recruiting affiliates in Q2, a low risk quarter, you’ll have more time to test each affiliate’s performance, determining whether they’re a good fit for your program. This testing period is crucial – you need affiliates that will drive traffic and sales to your business when it counts. It also allows more time to optimise campaigns and adjust marketing strategies based on these performance metrics. If you wait, you won’t have the window before you now to test performance before the holiday rush begins. As they say, all your eggs will be firmly in one basket.
Less fish, large pond
In Q4, competition for affiliates is fierce – with so many businesses having left it later, it can feel a little bit like Supermarket Sweep. Those businesses are looking to recruit affiliates to promote their holiday products, which means you’ll likely need to pay higher commissions or offer other incentives to attract top affiliates. Conversely, starting now presents an opportunity to increase exposure and reach to potential customers during a time when there may be less competition for advertising and marketing space. This can help to increase brand awareness and generate more leads and sales.
Summary
Overall, recruiting affiliates earlier in the year provides a range of benefits that can help increase reach, improve relationships with affiliates and generate more revenue through affiliate programs.
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