The Most Active and Friendliest
Affiliate Marketing Community Online!

“AdsEmpire”/  Direct Affiliate

How do you generate affiliates for your program ?

how other affiliate marketers of SaaS products generate affiliates for their programs

That sentence makes no sense. You are asking how affiliates generate affiliates. They don't! Owners of products recruit affiliates for their affiliate programs.

As for how product owners recruit affiliates, that will take about 20,000 words minimum to properly explain. However, a simple answer is recruitment is a career path for professional recruiters and most companies opt for creating departments including affiliate management departments led by a team leader with a team of affiliates. Many of the companies come to forums like this as part of their recruitment efforts. We have 1,000 companies registered in our resources area that are here for that specific purpose. Affiliate recruitment is much like recruiting professional sales people. It is a constant effort, has a high turn over rate, and end results are usually 10% of those hired produce 90% of the money earned.
 
There are lots of 2nd tier programs for affiliates to recruit new affiliates for a program.
I am curious to know how other affiliate marketers of SaaS products generate affiliates for their programs ? I
I know of none in particular in the "SaaS' segment specifically to suggest but there probably are some.

The way I have seen it offered: Is that the referring affiliate would receive 10% of the affiliate's NET CPA he would refer.
Simple terms: your referred affiliate makes $1000 in sales; his CPA is $100; your second tier referral income is $10

Is it worth the effort? If you harpoon a whale affiliate it is ... Other than that ... Beer money
 
Hi TJ, these points are well-taken: "We have 1,000 companies registered in our resources area that are here for that specific purpose. Affiliate recruitment is much like recruiting professional sales people."

And it makes sense that you will need to kiss many frogs during the process. But where, specifically, are owners supposed to find these people? How can we proactively recruit prospective affiliates? These questions seem incredibly difficult to get answers to!

I don't mind, for instance, sorting through a list of 1000 potential affiliates to find the 10-20 who might be good connections. But identifying names/contact info for even a handful has been a bear. Are we doing this wrong?
 
Affiliate marketing for SaaS companies is pretty much the same as business development. You are looking for highly skilled partners and affiliate commission is one way to compensate them. There are so many blogs these days that promise newbie affiliates that all they need to do is to create a blog with WordPress, forgetting to mention that they also need to know how to promo / sell. As a result, there is a lack of good professional affiliates in many niches. This is why 2-5% of all affiliates will do your 90% affiliate sales. I manage tech brands' affiliate programs and sometimes, it is pure PR where I pitch editorials. So the bottom line, simply submitting a program to a network/directory is not enough. You're doing it right by searching opportunities manually and connecting with them, offering competitive compensation. Keep in mind that a sponsored post is always a better alternative for affiliate marketers (where they do not need to worry about promoting a post, which is zero ROI for the brand).. so a combination of both a flat rate + affiliate rate is somewhat a good offer.
 
One of the best ways to recruit affiliates \\"::"//
is to run ads. There are so many places
online to run targeted ads for affiliates.
I've found gold runing ads for affiiates.

As TJ mentioned, most affiliates do nothing!
So you much recruit a large number

if you are looking to earn big!

humanshurthumans.jpg
 
where, specifically, are owners supposed to find these people?

They are EVERYWHERE! Marketing forums, social media groups, conferences, etc.

These questions seem incredibly difficult to get answers to!

No, you just think you are not getting the answers. Members here are always being approached through threads and posts by registered vendors. You have to go where the affiliates are. Forums, social media groups, and conferences.

How can we proactively recruit prospective affiliates?

Locate them, strike up conversations with them, help them earn! Among the top reasons that affiliates decide to give an affiliate network offer or an affiliate program offer a commitment is the affiliate manager makes the effort to reach out and help a promising affiliate make some money. I see this daily here in the community. We have seen the big networks especially make these efforts by posting responses to affiliate questions and needs. Additionally, posting case studies and guides, providing contests, having organized masterminds, etc., etc. The affiliate managers and program managers know that the first step is engaging the affiliates, helping the affiliates, and keeping the conversations going.

I have a very looooong background in business and most of it required attracting talent of various sorts to proliferate my businesses. It's just one of the embedded sections of a business person's daily efforts. Business people are always looking for talented people they can add to their company ranks, in all departments. It is a skill you MUST develop!

When I started business university in the 70's, the first day, the first class, the first thing from the professor was:
"Without developing relationships, you will go nowhere but down."
The second thing said was:
"TRAIN, MOTIVATE, DELEGATE, AND INSPECT". Then she stated; "This is the job!"

Everything revolves around communicating, lots of communication. Look at what we are doing here, right now, with you and me. We are exchanging thoughts and I am providing you with that which can lead you to where you need to be. Find the affiliates and do that for them! TEACH THEM HOW TO EARN WITH YOUR AFFILIATE PROGRAM!

Take a look at the case studies here. Loads of them come from top affiliate networks and top affiliate program directors. Look at the conversational engagements in threads by the vendors. They help us so we can help them. This is the match by intent.
 
Last edited:
Oh this is fantastic, TJ (and others). Thank you!

It seems like the next steps for me should be: a) register as a vendor; b) read/learn from case studies; c) reach out to folks to suss out interest. d) potentially (if/as needed) run ads to locate more people. Then train, motivate, delegate, inspect, rinse and repeat.
 
It's a long and complicated journey that has to be conducted on many channels ... forums, social networks, trade fairs, congresses, all together
 
Its confusing : did you mean affiliate sales or how vendors generate affiliates to promote their products ?
 
MI
Back