5 steps to move to impact.com: migrating partnerships platforms made easy 

Much like moving to a new home, brands migrating to a new platform face certain challenges. However, implementing an excellent game plan helps make the process less stressful and provides the tools to prepare for unexpected hurdles. 

For partnerships success, brands need a management platform that values customizability and adjusts to the needs of each partnership. As partnerships evolve and partners play more significant roles in creating authentic links with customers, brands that stick to outdated strategies/software stagnate. Choosing a platform such as impact.com offers the following benefits: 

• Access a rich partner universe
• Create contracts and pay partners automatically 
• Prove incrementality with modern, reliable affiliate tracking methods
• Automate workflows to ensure partners stay informed, productive and on-brand 
• Protect against fraud and traffic abnormalities
• Optimize partnerships to drive growth and efficiency

Migrating platforms can feel overwhelming. But just like hiring a skilled moving company, impact.com will speed up the process and avoid potential headaches. Deciding to switch to the right platform is the first step to upgrading partnerships. From there, following these key migration steps will make the process more straightforward than ever. 

3 migration fears debunked—lost time, revenue, and partners

Platform migration misconceptions tie brands to outdated software, which stifles partnership growth. Facing common fears is the first hurdle brands must overcome to pave the way to an easier migration path. 

1. “Migration is a time-consuming process.”

Management platforms, like impact.com, have automated migration tools to help streamline the transition. For instance, the Import Partner tool transfers existing partners to the platform by automatically creating a new account. Each partner receives a welcome email with an activation link to setup a password. They’re also invited to review and accept the template terms as part of registrations. 

Additionally, experienced support staff will guide you through the entire process. Gaining collective understanding from information on the Help Center or taking a free platform fundamentals course can help remove obstacles and get all parties on the same page for a painless migration. 

2. “There is a possibility of short-term revenue loss.”

Working with the onboarding team to implement a migration game plan helps avoid revenue loss resulting from disruptions and delays in workflow and functionality. While a well-thought-out plan might not prevent unexpected surprises, it will arm you and your partners with the tools and resources to minimize any risk/challenges.

Plus, devising a thorough communication plan ensures you secure revenue-generating partners with the transition. 

3. “Valuable partners might be lost.” 

Formalizing a clear communication strategy is critical to migration success. Ease concerns by conveying compelling messages that detail each step of the process. Highlight that the grass is greener by explaining how partners benefit from better tools, features, and services.

Luckily, platform migration isn’t a new occurrence for partners. Many may have experience with the process and are equipped with the skill to adapt to change. Plus, the likelihood of big partners already working with other brands on platforms like impact.com is high, making the transition even more seamless. 

Migrate to impact.com in five easy steps

With forward-thinking migration experts on your side, moving platforms becomes a chance to grow—instead of a looming challenge for your future self. 

For brands shifting to impact.com, migrations usually take 4-6 weeks from start to finish. The onboarding team helps you each step of the way and ensures your data and revenue-earning partners move as well. With a reliable transition plan in place—sit back, relax, and enjoy a seamless migration to impact.com

Step 1:  Identify partners with existing impact.com accounts

Export a CSV file with every partner’s information from your existing platform. The impact.com team will compare it against the database to identify partners with [and without] impact.com accounts. 

Step 2: Create a communication plan

The onboarding team will help strategize a detailed partner outreach plan that aligns with your desired launch date. With proven experience assisting brands to transition, the team offers guidance on following best practices and identifying communication pitfalls to avoid.  

Step 3: Contact partners to sign-up

Next, partners receive the first email about the migration, explaining the timeline and detailing the steps to sign-up to impact.com. The follow-up email includes the sign-up link prompting partners to kickstart their transition. Top-earning partners receive extra support to ensure they move over seamlessly. 

Step 4: Regular updates on migration status

The onboarding team keeps you (and your partners) in the loop with frequent updates and follow-ups to ensure you launch on time. They also provide support and will answer any pressing questions/concerns that may arise. 

Step 5: Complete the big move

Once you’re on impact.com’s platform, the team will help you integrate our robust tracking and reporting tools into your daily workflows. Note: not all partners always move along with you, but a successful migration means all revenue-generating partners have transitioned. 

Clear incentives, planning, and communication at each process step ensure all key partners will be up and running on impact.com. 

TUI gives impact.com’s migration process a thumbs up

The team at TUI, one of the world’s leading tourism groups, needed a new approach to managing partnerships. They also wanted a partnerships management platform that drove long-term growth without affecting the revenue stream and customer experience—that’s where impact.com entered the picture. 

The impact.com onboarding team helped TUI (and its partnerships agency Neo Media World) achieve the following: 

1. Seamless partner transition. The team automated communication which was previously a time-consuming manual task. Emails with custom sign-up links helped add partners to their respective contracts. Additionally, impact.com tracking technology increased channel efficiency by identifying inactive and top-performing partners.
2. Better insights with reporting. The impact.com team helped build a TUI Performance Report that allowed the flexibility to analyze data by day, partner, category, and SharedID. Adding SharedID tracking parameters to standard reports allowed TUI to assess how promotional placement impacted performance and attribute partners correctly. 
3. Improve commissioning. The impact.com platform introduced the TUI team to Dynamic Payouts. With more advanced capabilities, TUI could reward partners based on value, implement bonus strategies during peak periods and offer more control over commissioning. 

Positive results backed up the move immediately:

TUI’s partners also benefited from tapping into impact.com’s tools and features. Director of Weather2Travel.com, Colin Carter, recounts his experience. 

As well as TUI, the luxury bedding and loungewear brand Cozy Earth spelled out why their team moved to impact.com’s platform:

Getting started with your platform migration

With impact.com as the perfect partnerships management platform, brands can power partnerships by finding the answers to questions like: 

• Who are the top-performing and inactive partners? 
• Which partners drive incremental sales?
• What commission strategy can optimize partner performance? 
• Are partners being accurately attributed for sales? 

With the platform’s support, data, and management tools, you can carefully calibrate partner recruitment, onboarding, contracts, reporting, and more. Moving doesn’t just have to be about the potential headaches and roadblocks. A big move at the right time can help you get where you want to be. 

Reach out to grow@impact.com today to see our partnership platform in action! 

Check out these impact.com resources to learn more about migration to impact.com:

• Essential partnerships platform launch kit [worksheet]
• How to setup a finance schedule for your brand [worksheet]
• 4 must-have email templates for effective partner recruitment [worksheet]
• Jumpstart your partnerships program [Free PXA course]
• impact.com product training – Fundamentals [Free PXA course]