A partner relationship is shaped by small interactions: the first outreach email, the preparation behind a call, the accuracy of an offer and the time it takes to answer a question.
Publisher Andrew Kardon brought that perspective to a guest article for us in November 2012. Drawing on work with coupon sites, pop-culture sites and JoeShopping, he described five affiliate manager habits that made his work harder. He also recognized the managers who invested time in helping partners succeed.
We take the same practical lesson from his critique: preparation and useful support give a partner a better reason to work with your brand.
1. Contacting a publisher without researching the business
Kardon's first frustration was basic: managers reached out without visiting his site. That forced him to spend the conversation explaining information the manager could have found before making contact.
Review the partner's content, audience, categories and existing commercial activity. Look for a specific connection between the brand and the publisher's work. Avoid assuming that a site with a familiar label operates exactly like every other site in that category.
Use the research in the opening message. Explain why the opportunity fits and identify the relevant part of the partner's business. A short, specific observation is more useful than an exaggerated compliment.
If the fit is unclear, ask a focused question. Showing what you already understand makes it easier for the partner to fill in the missing information.
2. Arriving at a call without useful ideas
Kardon described calls that began by asking what the publisher could do to improve the numbers, with no plan from the manager. He also noted that a temporary two-percentage-point commission increase did not necessarily address the reason conversion was weak.
Come prepared with a view of the opportunity and the evidence behind it. Review the partner's recent activity, the products being promoted, landing pages and relevant offers. Identify what you need to learn from the conversation.
Bring a few workable ideas rather than a long list of vague possibilities. For example, an underperforming placement might need a more relevant destination, clearer product information or a different offer. The publisher may have a better explanation, so leave room to learn.
Agree on the next step, its owner and the information needed to evaluate it. A call should leave both sides with a clearer path forward.
3. Sending inaccurate or repetitive information
Wrong dates, broken links, unsuitable creative and missing terms turn a promotional opportunity into extra work. Kardon found those mistakes particularly frustrating when they came from a program he wanted to support.
Create a check before communications go out. Confirm the start and end dates, code, restrictions, destination, tracking and current availability. Test personalized links where they are used. Make it clear which details have been approved for publication.
Review the creative angle as well as the mechanics. Replacing last month's link in an otherwise unchanged email may offer little value if the partner's audience has a different need this month.
Accuracy and relevance work together. Our guide to useful affiliate newsletters explains how to give partners the details they need without making them search for answers.
4. Continuing to push after a partner declines
Follow-up can be helpful when a message was missed or a decision is still open. Repeatedly asking someone to join a program after a clear decline can weaken the relationship.
Record the answer and any reason the partner chooses to share. If the opportunity is not relevant, respect the decision. If timing is the issue, ask whether a later follow-up would be useful and note the agreed timing.
A future message should have a real reason: a materially different product, a changed offer or an opportunity that addresses the earlier concern. Persistence alone is not a strategy.
Managers also need a shared view of outreach. If several people contact the same publisher without knowing the history, the experience can feel repetitive even when each person believes it is a first conversation.
5. Responding too slowly to a time-sensitive opportunity
Kardon emphasized that publishers sometimes need to act quickly when a relevant trend or offer appears. A late answer can mean the opportunity has already passed.
Understand the deadline before promising a response. If you need input from another team, acknowledge the request and explain when you will return with an answer. Do not leave the partner guessing whether the question was received.
Prepare commonly requested information in advance: product details, approved claims, images, links and offer terms. Establish a route for urgent technical or promotional issues, with coverage appropriate to important launches.
Fast communication still needs to be accurate. When a detail is uncertain, say so and resolve it with the right owner rather than providing a confident guess.
Make the relationship easier to operate
Kardon's advice was a request for managers to do the work before and after the conversation: learn the business, bring ideas, check the details and follow through.
Those practices can be built into the program's operating rhythm. Review partner feedback, identify recurring obstacles and make sure the team has the capacity to address them.
If your program needs stronger partner engagement and day-to-day support, talk with our team about affiliate management.
