How to write an effective affiliation plan?

What is a good affiliate marketing offer?

Before we dive headlong into how to write a good plan, let's review the main definitions of the subject.

Defining the right plan

As a reminder, affiliate marketing is a way of monetizing content (text or video), by inserting a link pointing to a product on a merchant's site. For each sale generated by this link, the merchant pays a portion of the purchase price to the publisher (in other words, the content creator, on a website or social network). Affiliate offers consist specifically in sharing interesting product offers found on the web. Internet users need to find their way around and feel they're getting a good deal on their purchase.

Benefits for the publisher (content creator) and his audience

The publisher's objectives when publishing good deals are many and varied:

• Monetize your content with a high conversion rate via affiliate links (Internet users are more likely to buy an affiliate product when it's a good deal).
• Gain visibility, thanks to a limited-time and/or limited-quantity offer (because it's "hot" content)
• Build audience loyalty through regular publication of special offers
• Improving natural referencing

These goals can be achieved by working on the right plans on a regular basis. It may take several months before you see the effects.

From the audience's point of view, bon plans are an opportunity to obtain products (or services) at a reduced cost. For example, certain products that would normally be unaffordable because of their price are no longer so when they're on special offer. Finally, some of them allow you to discover a product that you wouldn't have known about otherwise.

How can I find good deals (with or without an affiliate program)?

Now that we've defined the concept of bon plan, here's how to find the ideal offer for your audience. The aim is not to offer just any good deal that can be a source of income. No, it has to meet certain criteria:

• Be relevant to your audience's interests (don't offer deals on high-tech items if your content is related to fashion, with a few exceptions).
• The discount must be substantial to interest your audience. Depending on the product category, the rate can vary. For example, for a video game, 25% to 30% off is relevant. On the other hand, an Apple product at -5% may also be relevant.
• The product (or service) must be popular enough to attract a large audience, unless your theme is related to a niche market.

By respecting these three criteria, you can be sure of sharing good deals that will interest your audience, and generate substantial affiliate income.

Find offers... And try to negotiate with affiliate platforms

The first way to find a good deal is to look directly at the advertisers! All you have to do is visit merchant sites related to your theme, then check every day to see if there's a promotion worth highlighting. To be even more effective, you can create a list of favorites on your browser. To optimize your income, make sure that the merchants featured have an affiliate program. However, you can also publish a good deal from a non-affiliated merchant: your audience will appreciate taking advantage of an offer, whether or not they're on your list of advertisers. That's what builds trust in you as a publisher.

If your audience is receptive to your good deals, you can then move on to the next stage: negotiating offers directly with advertisers, or with affiliate platforms (such as Awin, Kwanko, Affilae...). There are two advantages to this: you save time by not having to search for offers online, and you get unique offers for your audience, whose trust and interest in your content will only be strengthened. Finally, as a publisher, you'll be in a strong position to negotiate remuneration in line with the popularity of your content (especially if sales follow).

How do you write persuasive content?

To ensure that your coupon is considered reliable not only by your audience, but also by new Internet users, you need to learn how to structure it and highlight reassuring elements (often used in e-commerce). The following elements are essential to your plan:

• Dealer name
• One or more photos of the product or service
• Delivery charges
• The offer price, as well as the original price
• Publication date
• The affiliate link (make sure you mention that it's an affiliate and that you earn a commission)
• Content in which you explain why it's a good plan: give a clear opinion of the product, in all honesty, to reinforce your credibility as a publisher.

You can add reviews of the merchant's sales, but also the merchant's various strengths (for example: free delivery from €25, free returns within 14 days...). Last but not least, the title of your deal should make the surfer want to click, without being too "teasing". A headline like "Amazon offers a €200 discount on the MacBook Air M2" is relevant, whereas "Amazon shatters the price of this super-powered MacBook" may create disappointment (and reduce your credibility).

How do I integrate affiliate links into a coupon?

Integrating an affiliate link into your bargain article is essential! As a publisher, integrating your affiliate links helps optimize related revenues through increased sales. The most effective solution is to place a CTA (Call To Action) button according to your content:

• For a written article presenting the product or service, the CTA can be placed directly in the content, above the waterline if possible. You can also add another CTA at the end of the article.
• For a site specializing in good deals, the CTA should always be displayed in the same place: generally at the top right-hand corner of the page. The aim is to provide a reference point for web users.

If the content you're creating isn't on a website (you're a publisher on a social network, for example), then inserting a shortened affiliate link is the best solution (as proposed by Affilizz). Once again, remember to mention that the link is linked to an affiliate program, and that part of the sale amount is paid to you.

How do I promote an affiliate link with a good deal?

Now that you've written your plan, you'll need to distribute it to your audience, and perhaps even beyond. As a publisher, you can use all the communication levers at your disposal: website, social networks (X, formerly Twitter, is pretty effective for good deals visibility), mobile application, influencers, Discord, newsletter... Give your coupon maximum visibility, and benefit from the snowball effect of your community's shares.

What data needs to be analyzed to measure the effectiveness of an affiliate marketing plan?

When a good plan lasts over time, it can be interesting to analyze its performance. Here are a few indicators to consider:

• The number of clicks on your affiliate links
• Transformation rate (number of sales / number of clicks): this information is available on the program's affiliation platform.
• Cost per click: calculate how much you earn for each affiliate click
• The number of times the coupon is displayed, which you can compare with the number of clicks and sales (data available from Google Analytics, for example).
• Affiliate sales

With this data, you'll be able to improve your copywriting until you reach the perfect model for your audience. Before you know it, you'll be seeing an increase in sales and publisher revenues. With Affilizz, you benefit from an all-in-one solution: these indicators accompany you on a daily basis, enabling you to manage your affiliation effectively.