Why Nontraditional Affiliate Partners Are The Future of Outcome-Based Marketing

Is your brand finding that your growth in the affiliate channel has plateaued? Are only a small number of partners driving the majority of your revenue? Oftentimes, brands assume the largest and most well-known publishers in the space are the only drivers of revenue. However, narrowly focusing on these traditional affiliates, such as content, coupon, and loyalty, can have the potential to hold your brand back from reaching new customers and greater levels of brand awareness. It’s essential that your brand’s affiliate strategy is continually adapting – nontraditional partnerships are the future of outcome-based marketing. 

Throw Out The Rule Book

If a traditional affiliate program is working for your brand, you may have the attitude of, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This is an understandable mindset, but not one you should have if you want to reach new heights and exceed your program’s goals. 

51% of marketers are not fully confident in their current marketing mix. By diversifying your affiliate media mix, you gain the knowledge of what is driving consumers to convert while simultaneously “spreading the wealth” of your ROAS throughout the entire funnel. There are a plethora of new opportunities for growth by testing nontraditional partners, so why not explore?

What are Nontraditional Partnerships?

Let’s break down some examples of top-performing nontraditional partners and the potential they could deliver for your brand:

• Mass Media – Notable online and offline publications and media companies that produce quality content and deliver it to their highly engaged, well-established audiences.
  • Learn how Perform^[cb] partnered with multiple mass media publishes, such as Vogue, Buzzfeed, Rolling Stone, and CNN to help this fashion accessories brand secure over 250 content placements and see a 404% increase in revenue. 
• Search – Bid on branded, trademark plus terms, or non-branded keywords to drive traffic to your website, which can block competitors/unauthorized bidders and generate exposure.
• Email – Create highly customized emails that appear to come from your brand, while reaching influential audiences by leveraging their historical data.
• Card-Linking – Provide customers with targeted offers based on their purchasing history.
  • See how Perform^[cb] tested with Figg, a leading card-linking partner, to help Vitaurhority drive new transaction growth and see a 256% increase in new customer revenue. 
• Retargeting – Show ads to people who’ve visited your website or used your mobile app.
• Influencers/Microinfluencers – Authentically promote your brand to their highly-engaged, large audiences, building brand awareness to loyal consumers in your niche.
  • 59% of brands use influencers as affiliates, and 88% of consumers have been inspired to buy something by an influencer.
  • Learn how Perform^[cb] helped KURU Footwear see a 794% increase in revenue in one year by recruiting micro-influencers in their specific niche.

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 

Now that you know what they are, where do you begin? Well, be prepared to test – a lot. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Your brand will miss out on pools of potential customers if you are not regularly testing with new publishers and channels. Onboarding nontraditional partners into your program may require a strategic approach, especially if they have never worked on a CPA basis. Take the time to research new partners and make sure they are a good match for your brand. Do they share a similar voice, audience, and values? How will you benefit each other? The key to growth is developing a diversified affiliate portfolio and being willing to test new, unconventional partners, while also maintaining scale with your current partnerships. 

Keep in mind that not every partner is going to blow your mind and exceed your expectations. But, guess what? If a partnership isn’t working, you are not bound to it for eternity. Figuring out what works best for your brand and creating sustainable and successful partnerships takes time. Working with a trusted agency with years of experience, relationships, and top publishers in every vertical is a fast pass to success in the outcome-based marketing world. Learn how your brand can leverage our established partner marketplace.

Stop Planning and Start Doing

There is so much more potential in the affiliate marketing world than most marketers give it credit for. Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to try new partnerships. Take advantage of the endless opportunities by testing the not-so-traditional affiliates to reach new audiences, access additional revenue streams, and crush your marketing KPIs. Reach out to Perform^[cb]’s team of affiliate management experts to access high-quality partners in every vertical and channel today.

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