Step-by-Step Guide to Start and Manage an In-house Affiliate Program

Starting and managing an in-house affiliate program can be a lucrative and effective way to promote your products or services. By partnering with affiliates who promote your products on their own websites or social media channels, you can reach a wider audience and increase your sales.

In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide to starting and managing an in-house affiliate program. We will cover the following topics:

1. How to build an affiliate program
2. Affiliate offers
3. Marketing tools for affiliates
4. Payment methods
5. Affiliates prospecting
6. Managing the affiliate program

1. How to build an affiliate program

The first step in starting an in-house affiliate program is to build the program itself. There are several options for building an affiliate program, including using affiliate software or building the program from scratch.

Here are ten software options that you might consider for building an in-house affiliate program:

• Post Affiliate Pro: This is a powerful affiliate tracking and management platform that offers features like customizable referral links, real-time tracking, and integrations with popular e-commerce platforms. This software is easy to use and offers a range of features, including real-time tracking, customizable reports, and a variety of payment options.
• iDevAffiliate: With iDevAffiliate, you can easily create your own affiliate program and integrate it with popular e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, WIX, Weebly, and over 150 other products.
• Omnistar Affiliate Software: This is a comprehensive affiliate software solution that includes features like real-time tracking, custom reporting, and customizable banners and links.
• Tapfiliate: This is a cloud-based affiliate tracking and management platform that offers features like automatic commission tracking, customizable affiliate portals, and integration with a variety of payment gateways.
• PartnerStack: This is a powerful affiliate management platform that offers features like customizable referral tracking, automated commission payouts, and integrations with popular e-commerce platforms.
• Affiliatly: This is a simple and easy-to-use affiliate tracking and management platform that offers features like customizable referral links, real-time tracking, and integrations with popular e-commerce platforms.
• Affiliates Pro: This is a powerful affiliate tracking and management platform that offers features like customizable referral links, real-time tracking, and integration with popular e-commerce platforms.
• ReferralCandy: This is a customer referral software that can be used to set up and manage an affiliate program. It offers features like customizable referral widgets, automated commission tracking, and integrations with popular e-commerce platforms.
• AffiliateWP: This is an affiliate management solution that allows you to turn your WordPress site into an affiliate program. Key features include affiliate coupon tracking, payout management, and real-time campaign monitoring and reporting.
• LeadDyno: This is a cloud-based affiliate tracking and management platform that offers features like customizable referral links, real-time tracking, and integrations with popular e-commerce platforms.
• Affiliate Royale: This is a WordPress plugin that can be used to set up and manage an affiliate program. It offers features like customizable referral links, real-time tracking, and integration with popular e-commerce platforms.
• Affiliates Manager: This is a WordPress plugin that can be used to set up and manage an affiliate program. It offers features like customizable referral links, real-time tracking, and integration with popular e-commerce platforms.

When setting up the affiliate program, it is important to consider the following factors:

• Commission structure: Decide on the type of commission structure you will offer affiliates. Options include cost-per-action (CPA), revenue sharing (rev-share), and multiple tiers.
• Marketing materials: Create marketing materials such as banners, emails, and text links for affiliates to use in promoting your products.
• Affiliate agreement: Develop an affiliate agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of the program, including the commission structure and any rules or restrictions.

2. Affiliate Offers

Once the affiliate program is set up, it is time to create affiliate offers. These offers should be attractive to affiliates and provide them with an incentive to promote your products.

Some options for affiliate offers include:

• CPA: With a CPA offer, affiliates are paid a set amount for each sale or lead they generate. This can be a good option for affiliates who are looking for a predictable income.
• Rev-share: With a rev-share offer, affiliates earn a percentage of the revenue generated from their promotions. This can be a good option for affiliates who are looking for a long-term income stream.
• Multiple tiers: With a multiple-tier offer, affiliates can earn a commission not only for their own sales but also for the sales of affiliates they recruit. This can be a good option for affiliates who are looking to build a team and earn passive income.

3. Marketing Tools for Affiliates

To help affiliates promote your products effectively, it is important to provide them with a range of marketing tools. These tools can include banners, emails, text links, and social media graphics.

It is also important to have a clear marketing policy and to ensure that affiliates comply with this policy. This may include requiring affiliates to include certain disclaimers in their promotions or to adhere to specific guidelines for how they promote your products.

4. Payment Methods

When it comes to paying affiliates, it is important to offer a range of payment options. Some popular options include PayPal, bank transfer, and check.

It is also important to consider payout limits, as well as any fees associated with different payment methods. For example, you may choose to have a minimum payout limit of $50 and charge a fee for PayPal payments.

5. Affiliates Prospecting

Once the affiliate program is set up and running, it is important to continually recruit new affiliates to join. There are several ways to prospect for affiliates, including:

• Affiliate directories: There are many online directories that list affiliates who are looking for new partnerships. These directories can be a good place to find affiliates who are interested in promoting products in your industry.
• Affiliate networks: Affiliate networks bring together affiliates and advertisers, making it easier to find affiliates who are interested in promoting your products. Some popular affiliate networks include Commission Junction and ClickBank.
• Referrals: Ask current affiliates if they know of anyone who might be interested in joining the program. This can be a good way to find affiliates who are already familiar with your products and have a proven track record of success.
• Affiliate program advertising: If your program has a product that sells and commissions are generous you might consider advertising as a great investment. Doing some PPC on popular advertising platforms like Adsense, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, or Twitter,  could bring you a lot of new affiliates inside the program.
• Hunt competitors’ affiliates: This is one of the easiest and cheapest prospecting methods, which we believe is “gold”. Check some of your competitors’ programs, and see what banners they are using inside their affiliate programs. Search for those images on Google and find all the websites displaying those banners. All those are active affiliates who are already promoting a product like yours, in the same niche. Contact the site owners and send them an invitation to your affiliate program.

Once you have identified potential affiliates, it is important to have an approval process in place. This process should involve reviewing the affiliate’s website or social media channels to ensure that they meet your criteria for joining the program.

6. Managing the Affiliate Program

Once the affiliate program is up and running, it is important to manage it effectively to ensure its success. This includes monitoring affiliate activity, handling any frauds or issues that may arise, and suspending or banning affiliates as necessary.

To monitor affiliate activity, it is important to use tracking software to track sales and clicks. This can help identify any issues or problems with the program and allow you to take corrective action.

If fraud or other issues arise, it is important to have clear guidelines in place for handling these situations. This may include suspending or banning affiliates who violate the terms of the program or working with affiliates to resolve any issues.

Overall, starting and managing an in-house affiliate program can be a great way to promote your products and increase sales. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can set up a successful program and partner with affiliates who can help drive traffic and sales to your business.