So you’ve got some shiny new affiliates who want to promote your stuff. Congratulations! Now what? Do you just send them a link and say “figure it out”? Do you dump them into some automated email sequence and hope for the best? Or do you turn them into affiliate ROCKSTARS who will move heaven and earth to sell your products? If you picked option three, you’re in the right place.
How to Onboard New Affiliates The RIGHT Way (10 Steps That Actually Work)
So you’ve got some shiny new affiliates who want to promote your stuff.
Congratulations!
Now what?
Do you just send them a link and say “figure it out”? Do you dump them into some automated email sequence and hope for the best?
Or do you turn them into affiliate ROCKSTARS who will move heaven and earth to sell your products?
If you picked option three, you’re in the right place.
The Difference Between “Okay” and “AMAZING” Affiliate Onboarding
Here’s the thing most people get wrong about affiliate onboarding:
They think it’s about giving affiliates access to stuff. Links, banners, maybe some copy to swipe.
Wrong.
Great affiliate onboarding is about creating MOMENTUM. It’s about making your new partners feel like they’re part of something bigger. It’s about giving them everything they need to succeed AND the motivation to actually use it.
My Friend Alan’s Wake-Up Call
Quick story…
My friend Alan Thomas came to me recently. I’d referred some people to him as affiliates for his men’s weight loss coaching business.
Alan’s doing well, but he wants to get his message out to more people. Think Mick Jagger and Gene Simmons level impact…
So he said to me:
“Matt, you sent me all these affiliates. Thank you. But how can I get them laser-focused on selling my product?”
I told him I’d share my recipe and then… completely forgot to do it!
So Alan, this post is for you (and anyone else who wants affiliate partners that actually PRODUCE).
Who This Article Is For
This guide is perfect if you:
- Just launched an affiliate program and want to do it RIGHT from day one
- Have affiliates signing up but they’re not promoting (or barely promoting)
- Want to turn average affiliates into commission-generating machines
- Are tired of affiliates who sign up and then disappear into the void
Bottom line: If you want affiliates who are excited, equipped, and ready to sell, keep reading.
What’s Your Starting Point?
Your affiliate onboarding strategy depends on ONE thing:
How many new affiliates are you getting?
If your program is brand new, you’re probably averaging one affiliate per day. At that rate, you can easily hop on the phone and welcome them personally.
But if you have an established program? You might be bringing on 10+ new affiliates daily. That calls for a completely different strategy.
When I ran the affiliate programs for Shutterfly and Adidas, we were getting 300-400 affiliates per day. Especially from November 1st through Christmas. It was absolutely CRAZY.
There was no way I could get on the phone with that many people.
But for most of you? Personal onboarding IS an option. So do it!
Many of the strategies I’m about to share work for both situations. But regardless of where you’re starting from, the key is to “WOW” your new affiliates.
Why You Should Become an Affiliate Yourself
Here’s the secret to understanding what affiliates really want:
Become an affiliate yourself.
I’m a MUCH better affiliate manager now because I’ve walked in those shoes. That’s how I learned that speed and ease of use are absolutely critical.
Always look at things from your affiliates’ perspective. What do THEY want?
When you’ve personally experienced:
- Waiting days for approval
- Struggling to find working affiliate links
- Getting terrible swipe copy that converts nothing
- Having your questions ignored by affiliate managers
You’ll NEVER let your affiliates go through the same frustrations.
The golden rule applies here: Treat your affiliates how you would want to be treated.
All set? Let’s walk through the steps for making your affiliates feel like they’re an important part of your team.
If you are ready to take your business to the next level and start an affiliate program, start with my free report, Your First 100 Affiliates. This report takes nearly two decades of experience, trial and error, and lessons learned about finding top affiliates in nearly every conceivable niche and puts them all into one report. Grab your copy here!
10 Steps For Onboarding Affiliates The RIGHT Way!
1. Be Prepared to Help Them Set Up (White-Glove Treatment)
This should be a no-brainer, but most people screw it up.
Don’t just fire off a link and say “go fill this out.” That ticks me off when affiliate managers do that to me. I’m busy. This isn’t an ego thing – I might not be able to fill out the form right then. I might forget about it. Four days later, I still might not be signed up.
That’s YOUR fault as the affiliate manager, not mine.
Here’s what we do instead:
- WE sign them up
- WE set up their account
- WE get them their links
- WE help them with the tech stuff
Do we have to? Nope! Does it make a huge difference in how they perceive us? You bet!
PRO TIP: Don’t use your main email system (ConvertKit, Infusionsoft, etc.) for affiliate updates. If they unsubscribe from your main list, they’ll also unsubscribe from affiliate updates. Use a tool like GMass instead and email through a spreadsheet.
Now, if you’ve got 300,000 affiliates like we had at Shutterfly and Adidas, you can’t do that in a controlled way.
Bottom line: you need to add them to whatever database you’re using in addition to your regular system.
2) You need to send them a welcome message.
Who doesn’t like a warm, inviting welcome?
The key is making new affiliates FEEL like you’re genuinely glad they’re part of your program.
Skip the corporate-speak approach: “Dear Sir. Thank you for being a part of our affiliate program. We are honored and humbled.”
Really? I could write an entire article critiquing so-called “welcome” emails that affiliate managers send.
Make your welcome message actually FEEL like one. Think about how you’d welcome someone into your home.
3. Equip Them with SUCCESS Tools
I’ve written an entire article on what affiliates need to succeed (and I highly recommend checking that out) but if you don’t read the article, at least know that the #1 tool affiliates need is SWIPE COPY!
They need copy they can use for every part of your promotion. And please… hire a copywriter who can write it objectively. You’re too close to the product to be objective.
Your swipe copy must include:
- Images they might need
- Different versions for different target audiences
- Short 300-word emails AND longer 1,000-word emails
- Blurbs for newsletters
- Clear instructions that swipe copy is a GUIDE ONLY
Teach your affiliates: Don’t just copy and paste. Make it personal. Use the swipe copy as a starting point, not the final destination.
Otherwise, you’ll have 100 affiliates all sending identical emails. That’s a disaster.
4. Build Affiliate Relationships (Know Them Like Family)
Much success in business relies on nurturing relationships. LEARN about your affiliates. Get to know them. Visit their websites and research their promotional methods.
When I think back to my early affiliates, I can still name them. I can still tell you stories about them.
Keep a database with:
- Spouses’ and children’s names
- What sports their kids play
- Where they live
- Their preferred communication style
If you’re talking to an affiliate for the fifth time, you shouldn’t need to be reminded what part of the country they live in or if they’re married. You should KNOW them.
5. Learn How They Like to Communicate
You need to discover their preferred communication method.
I work with affiliates who ONLY use WhatsApp. So I use WhatsApp when communicating with them. Others prefer Skype, Voxer, email, text, phone calls, Facebook DMs, or Instagram DMs.
The easiest way to find out? Just ask them. Do a quick survey.
When you communicate through their preferred channel, you’ll get better responses. And better responses benefit everyone.
6. Make Sure They Understand the Basics
Your affiliates need to know the fundamentals:
Program Rules:
- What they’re allowed to do (and NOT allowed to do)
- Commission structures and any nuances
- Special commission rates (like 50% on core sales, 30% on memberships)
Not sure what commission structure to use? Check out this podcast episode to learn!
Products and Pricing:
- All product details and price ranges
- This helps them market better and reduces questions later
Important Dates:
- When the launch starts
- When promotion should begin (often 10+ days before launch)
- When the warm-up period starts
Commission Details:
- How you pay (monthly, net 30, etc.)
- When you pay (15th of the month, etc.)
- Payment methods
Bonuses and Contests:
- What bonuses are available
- How to contact you (give them at least two ways beyond email)
7. Get on a Strategy Call with Them
One of the best things you can do to get your affiliates to promote early and mail more is to create a personal promotion plan with them.
Meet with them one-on-one BEFORE the promotion and craft a custom plan. We actually call it a COMMITMENT plan. When you invoke the principles of commitment and consistency, people follow through.
Usually, when we get them to commit to a plan, they agree to do at least a few extra emails beyond what they originally planned.
This works best when:
- Your affiliate program is smaller
- You’re only picking up a few affiliates
- You can stretch it to your top 20-30 over time
Can’t do individual calls? Do them once or twice a week in small groups. Everyone who signed up that week gets together for a group promotion planning session.
You can get the EXACT template we use to get affiliates to mail more here.
8. Use a Quick Start Guide to Onboard People
Put together a short document that gets people going FAST.
Keep it to about two pages. If it goes to a third page, that’s fine, but don’t go crazy.
Your quick start guide should answer:
- How do I get my links?
- How do I create custom links?
- How do I find swipe copy?
- How do I find images?
- How do I access my stats?
- How do I log in?
- How do I contact you?
- What are the basic no-nos?
- What’s working for other affiliates?
- What are the mailing plans?
- What’s the commission structure?
When all the need-to-know information is in one spot, affiliates can find what they’re looking for instantly.
Get my #1 affiliate recruiting email (the one I’ve personally used to recruit thousands of affiliates in dozens of niches). Grab your copy here!
9. Help Affiliates Get Their First Sale Quickly
You want an affiliate to make their first sale ASAP.
Obviously, if you’re launching in April and it’s January, you can’t really help them there. But if it’s a regular program, use an incentive to get them on the board.
Example offers:
- “Make your first sale within 10 days and I’ll give you 100% commission”
- “Make three sales in your first month and I’ll give you a $1,000 bonus”
I don’t mind losing money on the first few sales. It gets them going and builds momentum.
You want to give them a low barrier so they can gain momentum. If you have enough affiliates, it actually costs you less money per affiliate, but creates fast-moving action.
10. Make It Clear That You Are There to Help
In today’s impersonal world, there are plenty of opportunities to show you’re someone who “goes the extra mile.”
And it’s not hard to do.
Not only that, it’s the RIGHT thing to do when working with affiliates who can help you succeed.
Here’s how:
- Be available through multiple communication channels
- Reply to emails quickly
- SHOW them you’re there to help through your actions
- Be constantly on the lookout for ways to serve them
- Make it abundantly clear that you are there to serve
Remember: Your affiliates will appreciate being treated like the valued partners they are.
Questions?
Text me anytime at (260) 217-4619.
Or…check out some of my free reports to help you get on the right track:
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