Whether you've been recruiting for awhile, just starting out or plan to do so in the future, there are several mistakes that you need to be aware of if you want to run a successful affiliate program.



Here are a few:

:::: You're not running your affiliate program like a business.

So many online business owners, when asked, "Why do you want/have an affiliate program", answer with, "Because I thought I should have one" or "Someone told me I needed one".

The truth is, most business owners that have an affiliate program, treat it like a "widget" or an "add-on". Just something that they thought would make their business "complete".

But, for those that "get it", they realize that their affiliate program should be a stand-alone tool or "product" within their business.

Think about it for a moment. Doesn't that make sense?

You would not try to "sell" a product by having a link at the bottom of one of your web sites that led to a page with a couple bullet points and an order button, would you?

Well, that's exactly how the majority of the affiliate programs out there are "sold".

The potential affiliate clicks on the "affiliate" link and is taken to a page that states the commission percentage followed by a submission form. That's it!

If you are going to run a successful affiliate program and you want to set yourself apart from the masses, this is definitely something that you should put some thought into.

The "sales copy" for your affiliate program should be informative, yet alluring. You don't want to give the the "kitchen sink" at this point, but it should explain the benefits of becoming your affiliate and make them WANT to "come inside" for all the details.

Which brings us to....

:::: You explain every nut, bolt and detail of your affiliate program

Unless you're running a single product affiliate program, in which case, your actual product sales copy will do "most of the talking" for you, you're going to need to "sell" your affiliate program to potential affiliates, as stated above.

Giving your prospective affiliates an idea of what your affiliate program includes and how it can help them is good.

But, too much information can hurt you in a couple ways.

First, if it's too long, there is a chance that you could lose the readers interest or simply overwhelm them with information.

Which would result in them closing the page and not signing up at all.

Then, there is the chance of you providing too much information for your competitor's eyes to see. You don't have to have a poker face when writing the copy for your affiliate program, but you definitely want to hold your cards close to the vest.

If you've done your job, THEY should be enticed to join YOUR affiliate program, which could turn into a joint venture opportunity for you down the road.

:::: You become the affiliate gate keeper

While in some instances it's necessary to restrict who joins you're affiliate program, for the most part, you want it to be an open program.

But keep in mind, that if you're too strict, you may end up rejecting an affiliate that could end up making a lot of sales for you in the long run.

On the other side of the coin, if your too lax, you'll probably end up with a bunch of dead-beats.

An easy way to remedy this, is to screen your affiliates AFTER they join. Offering only those affiliates that are worthy, additional benefits and higher commissions.

This should be done on a one-to-one basis so you won't alienate yourself from any of the other affiliates.

:::: You don't "personalize" your email invitations

If you're going to send out personal invitations to potential affiliates, especially high-profile affiliates, be absolutely certain that you are personalizing the message.

Beyond personalizing an autoresponder message with the affiliates name, which is also important, if you want to grab the attention of a potential super affiliate, you'll also have to include some information about THEM and their sites or accomplishments.

Don't be afraid to stroke their ego a bit. If they're successful, they've earned and deserve it!

There are a whole slew of other mistakes that you can make, depending on your niche, but being aware of these will surely keep you on the top of your game.