Here’s a common startup scenario: Months have passed and the funding is in. Now it is time to really get to work and disrupt the market. Sales begin to take on increasing importance, and a great set of marketing initiatives go a long way to supporting your sales teams. Allocating funds and budgeting can be tough – as a newer company without historical numbers to rely on, how do you forecast ROAS and measure the results of your marketing initiatives once they begin?
Performance-based marketing offers a low risk way to drive increased exposure and conversions across multiple mediums. That’s because you only pay when your media partners bring you desired outcomes. But type affiliate marketing into a Google search, and things can get overwhelming fast. So, here are a few benefits of an affiliate marketing platform for startups:
Brand Focused
This is important at any stage of business growth, but is particularly important during the startup period. Your customer base is growing fast, and your early adopters are likely loyal to your cause. Keeping your advertising on-brand and your messaging in line with the company vision is crucial at this point. On-brand messaging helps with building your own brand and customer base. These customers can spread the word about your brand. Affiliate networks do not offer the same transparent relationship as a management platform– you need customizable contracts to engage the right kinds of partners to promote your brand.
Cost-effective and Scalable
Networks inhibit growth because you are paying a percentage of every transaction (the more your program grows, the more you end up paying to the network). Management platforms that run on a software as service premise usually incur a flat monthly fee for the technology. So when your business explodes on the scene, you don’t have to pay through the nose for it.
Powerful Customization
Affiliate platforms leverage the latest innovations and technology to allow you to optimize your marketing campaigns and continue driving results.
True Transparency, Big Data, and Real Time Analytics
Would you let Google run your Adwords campaigns? Of course not! With the management platforms there is no conflict of interest – just real time analytics bringing you unbiased data so that you can see the true results of your marketing efforts.
Freedom to Develop Relationships
Over 50% of affiliates find new programs directly through the advertisers website – and only with a management platform do you keep all of the revenue from these affiliates. What’s more, direct relationships require transparent contact information and negotiable terms. That means you need to leverage a platform with the flexibility to meet your specific needs.
Nobody but you should own your affiliate partner relationships. An affiliate management platform puts you in charge of your program, scales with your company, and provides the transparency a startup needs to succeed.
