Preparing Your Program for the Holiday Season
by Leslie Pazan, Senior Marketing Communications Specialist
When preparing for the busy holiday retail season, it is important to review your creative and touchpoints to ensure your program is properly positioned for Q4. Now is a great time to freshen up your current creative inventory and implement new link types. Then, take a look at your Join Programs and Create Links pages to make sure that you have included relevant content on each page. Finally, put together a communications calendar for the upcoming months so that you can keep your Publishers up-to-date on all the great holiday offers. Capitalizing on Q4 sales is absolutely essential for any Affiliate Marketing program, so read on to make sure you make the most out of the 2009 season!
Here are a few things to keep in mind when updating your creative, touchpoints, and communications:
- Freshen up your creative inventory to fit the season and any campaigns that you have planned. It is important to have seasonal creative; for example, banners and text links for Halloween, Thanksgiving and the winter promotions. Publishers want fresh, “call to action” creative that will attract consumers and convert clicks into sales. Consumer promotions, such as coupons, free shipping or complimentary gifts should also have a strong presence in the content of your creative.
- Incorporate new creative types to give your program a boost. If you currently only use banners and text links, consider implementing new creative types such as Merchandiser, Easy Links and Flex Links to diversify your creative inventory and attract new and cutting edge Publishers. Keep in mind that certain high-tier Publishers will only work with Advertisers who offer technologically advanced link types such as Merchandiser.
- Set creative end dates to let your partners know when a promotion is going to expire so they can plan ahead to refresh those links. End dates should also be part of the copy of a text link (and part of the banner creative if possible) to make it clear to consumers when the promotion expires.
- Unassign links that are no longer needed such as Father’s Day or summer banners so that they will be unavailable for use. DO NOT delete any of your outdated creative as this could cause broken links on your Publishers’ sites.
- Keep your Create Links page updated with new banners and program information as your company’s current promotions change. The Create Links page is the first place your partners will go to get the latest program updates, promotions and links. We recommend that you design this page in HTML (rather than text) to increase the visual appeal and create synergy between your LinkShare program and your overall company brand.
- Keep your Join Programs page updated with recruitment-focused content that will attract potential Publishers and entice them to apply for your program. The content should educate Publishers about your company, provide program information (ex. baseline offer structure, return days, contact info, etc), and should also review your company’s policies and guidelines. This page should also be designed in HTML.
- Establish a communications calendar for Q4 with a schedule of newsletters for the major retail holidays (Halloween, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas/Hanukkah, and New Years). We recommend that you send communications out to your Publishers at least once a month; however, during Q4 bi-monthly newsletters are recommended. Remember, you need to differentiate your newsletter from other Advertisers, so make sure your content is eye-catching and relevant, with call-to-action copy and promotion details. HTML formatting is strongly recommended. Finally, make sure to focus on what’s important and always include these key items:
- New Coupons and Offers, and the associated creative that Publishers can use to promote these deals. Provide the linking code for this creative in the newsletter so Publishers can copy and paste the code directly onto their website. Please refer to the Merchant Resource Center: Inside Email Tips - Include Linking Code for exact instructions.
- Program details including AOV, baseline commission structure, and return days.
- Product spotlights that include best sellers, new products, and seasonal or holiday items.
If you do not have the internal resources to implement these suggestions, LinkShare has a Creative Services offering which can assist. Professionally designed creative can help you increase conversion rates and provide your customers with a more engaging shopping experience. Plus, by letting Creative Services manage your creative and communications, you will have more time to focus on other aspects of your program, such as strengthening relationships with your top Publishers. To view examples of recently completed projects, please visit the Creative Services portfolio here. For more information on Creative Services, including pricing options, please contact your Account Manager.
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