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Affiliate Marketing : Affiliate Bonuses

Posted June 4, 2008 , By webmann

Offering someone a bonus as a reward for a job well done is a great way to show gratitude and can also serve as an excellent motivator. A great way to apply this concept is to an affiliate program and there are many different ways in which to do so.

The first thing that may come to mind is offering a cash prize for a high amount of sales, but try to think outside the box and think of a few “little” things that have personal value.

For example, send a card to an affiliate when they make their first sale. Sending out cards and handwritten notes is almost a lost art form in today’s world of emails and ecards. Affiliates won’t expect to receive anything in the postal mail. They will be flattered that you took the time out to recognize their efforts and more than likely it will also motivate them to sell more items.

Adding a standard bonus level to an affiliate program is another way to motivate affiliates. This helps to provide them a regular goal to strive for. For instance, if the normal rate for affiliate referrals is 40% commission, offer to raise that to 50% once an affiliate sells a certain dollar amount or number of products in a given month.

Another idea is to send gift cards to top-earning affiliates. Ask ahead of time what their favorite restaurant or store is and purchase a card they will enjoy or simply surprise them by sending a gift card of choice. Certificates of achievement in a frame are also a great gift that you can send in the mail or increase their recognition by recognizing them as a top affiliate in an affiliate newsletter or special email.

For those wanting to offer these bonuses but don’t have a large budget, try finding someone who can give a discount on their services or barter exchange with someone to help you reach your goal.

By offering these bonuses and incentives, you are letting affiliates know they are appreciated. This will help increase their loyalty. When given the choice of promoting one of your products or a similar product offered by a competitor, the extra mile you took to acknowledge them just might make a difference.

This may also cause your affiliates will keep trying to break their own sales records. They may enjoy the bonuses so much, they will keep working harder and harder to earn them.

Related posts:

  1. Affiliate Contest Ideas
  2. Benefits of Hiring an Affiliate Manager
  3. Creating Back End Offers On Affiliate Sales
  4. Do You Have Super Affiliates?
  5. Affiliate Marketing: Tips For Affiliates’ Success

Topics: affiliate programs, affiliate marketing |

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