Question: Why aren?t my affiliates promoting my affiliate
program? And, how do I get more to sign up?

Dear Affiliate Manager:

I can tell you in a heartbeat whether or not your affiliate
program is attracting loyal, motivated affiliates. It?s easy.
Just put yourself in your affiliate?s shoes. If you?re not
creating loyalty in your affiliates, they?re going to look for
a better program to promote, and you?ll be left in the dust.

Now that I?ve got your attention, let?s go through some key
components of making your affiliate program attractive to
affiliates, so they don?t start shopping around.

1. Reputations are on the Line.
Of course, number one is quality. Do you have quality products
and customer service? An affiliate?s reputation is on the line
every time we consider promoting a product or service. If your
products are junk or you?re making our referrals upset in any
way ? we?ll drop you faster than something *really* hot.

2. Lay the Money on the Table.
It?s not just about the percentage commission. That won?t
motivate and make loyal affiliates, but, it is a start. Are you
talking 5%? Then, unless you offer millions of products at great
prices and have a solid reputation, you?re not going to be
getting a whole lot of affiliates.

3. Who?s getting credit?
Show your affiliates that you value them by setting long
cookies and they?ll keep sending you traffic. How long are your
cookies? The longer the better.

4. Closing the Deal.
If your affiliates are sending you traffic, I hope you have a
newsletter (or ecourse) on that sales page for two reasons. 1.
It means you?re smart and know how internet marketing works,
and 2. It means that the affiliates get more than one chance to
close the deal, because you?re going to be following up with the
lead and closing the sale for us. This shows us that you take
your business seriously ? a very important indicator.

5. Like Frosting on the Cake.
Assuming all things are equal, if your program is two-tier or
residual, you?ll have affiliates lined up to promote you.

6. Are you even trying?
There is nothing more frustrating than joining an affiliate
program that you?re really excited about, logging in and seeing
? nothing but a couple of links. No content, no ebooks, no
videos. Zip. This is especially disappointing if you know the
author or owner is sending out a weekly newsletter. Share your
articles with your affiliates, allow them to be rebranded, and
I guarantee you?ll get loyalty.

7. That?s just Rude.
Almost more insulting than not providing any content is
providing ?leaky? articles. Yes, I have seen affiliate programs
that so ?generously? provide articles for their affiliates. But,
the articles had plugs for their other programs in the body of
the article. Now, I?m not naming names, but I do feel that?s
pretty cheap to be stealing from your own affiliates.

Those are just a few ways to tell if your affiliate program
stinks.

I hope you read and reread this advice. Treat your affiliates
like partners and they?ll plaster your link all over the web.
You?ll have affiliates lined up to promote every new product
you offer, and they?ll sing your praises every chance they get.


About The Author: Nicole Dean is on a mission to find a few
good affiliate programs. She?s found a handful of programs that
don?t stink. Check them out at
http://www.freeaffiliatearticles.com/free-affiliate-programs.htm
and be sure to grab some Free Affiliate Articles while you're
there.