2019 Trends in Affiliate Marketing

While most of the key affiliate players in the space have remained consistent over the past few years, the strategies employed to activate those partners have changed significantly. Affiliate is no longer limited to the historical interpretation of the channel… rather it has evolved into a more nuanced alliance of partnerships.

So far in 2019, we’ve seen a few key marketing trends become more prevalent in top performing affiliate programs:

Activating a Network of Micro-Influencers as Affiliate Partners

• There is ample cross over between affiliate and influencer marketing. While micro-influencers can be impactful to business outcomes, the scale on which they need to be activated can be overwhelming to implement.
• Leverage your affiliate software to onboard micro influencers, incentivize them with sales or referral goals, and foster this environment to facilitate scalability.

Cross-Channel Strategies to Scale Affiliate Growth

• More affiliates are open to putting additional dollars behind running paid social and paid search ads to drive users to their content. Instead of banning these practices, work with affiliates to develop non-compete strategies and improve performance while protecting your costs.

The Power of Review Sites

• Review sites are a key component of the customer journey, especially for high price point products. Although editorial and advertising are generally separate for these sites, send product for consideration and highlight the affiliate program as a tracking resource.

A Rise in Push Notifications Driven by Affiliates

• As push notifications become a more prevalent form of advertising, form strategic partnerships with apps that fit your user and purchase these placements on the revenue share model.