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What makes a good affiliate manager?

by convert2audi
30 replies
I am an account manager at Convert2Media and I would like to see what most publishers are looking for when joining a network. What do you expect from your account manager? What do you hate the most about account managers?
#affiliate #good #makes #manager
  • Profile picture of the author jeffrey73
    I hate when an affiliate manager tells you they don't know anything about affiliate marketing. How can they help you if they think it works like "gambling"? ( Yes, an Aff. Manager actually said that ). LOL

    Just like anyone else I expect them to help me make $$, not lose it.
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    • Profile picture of the author convert2audi
      Originally Posted by jeffrey73 View Post

      I hate when an affiliate manager tells you they don't know anything about affiliate marketing. How can they help you if they think it works like "gambling"? ( Yes, an Aff. Manager actually said that ). LOL

      Just like anyone else I expect them to help me make $$, not lose it.
      LOL...it's like gambling put $100 on black and hope you hit it..haha
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  • Profile picture of the author Omid
    Originally Posted by convert2audi View Post

    I am an account manager at Convert2Media and I would like to see what most publishers are looking for when joining a network. What do you expect from your account manager? What do you hate the most about account managers?
    Let me be honest with you, most of AM that I work with do not help me making money. As Jeff said most of them are not affiliates, they are just there to answer your simple questions.

    I should say that I do not expect an AM to show me how make money, but I prefer to work with an AM that gives me the best offers when I am asking like "which dating offer works best on Facebook for UK +30 male traffic". Most of them would say "let me check which one has the most traffic from FB and highest EPC". This is not an answer guys. This is just checking the data and re-express it in human language! An affiliate won't answer like that. An affiliate would say like "You can use offer "X" but keep in mind to use black girl images or offer "Y" with aggressive text". This is what an affiliate says.

    Thanks for asking this question since my only problem with AM's is that when I am asking a question I am sure that I know more than them.

    ~ Omid
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  • Profile picture of the author PPC-Coach
    I agree with Omid.

    I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule, but my biggest thing is finding an AM that doesn't broadcast "what's working" method wise to all his other affiliates. If I've got something working well, the last thing I need is an AM with a big mouth telling all his other affiliates exactly what I'm doing THEN taking credit for it as if he thought of it himself. THEN pretending as if I don't know wtf he did to me and denying that he just told my buddy, the exact method, traffic source and offer I was using. Dumb move.

    (btw this was not anyone at C2M so please don't think that, it was another CPA network).
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  • Profile picture of the author mtmjohn
    What makes a good Affiliate Manager? Check out this - Being A Good Affiliate Manager | Make Money Online with Uber
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  • Profile picture of the author COPEAC Steve
    I think the main role of an AM is to act as a catalyst for publishers. Spark creative ideas, convey information when new niches or sources of traffic emerge, and so on. I cannot tell you how many times a simple IM or email has been sent with minimal information, "daily deal sites are booming right now, i would start with our CA offers for this niche, hitting these cities, targeting females 24-48..top converting creatives and copy include major discounts on food, salon treatments, tickets to shows...let me know if you need anything"

    And from there, a publisher takes the information and does what he or she does...

    I am a firm believer that relationships matter in business but when you get to the foundation of what AM's are, they're a tool to make money for the network and the publisher, learning about publishers family, friends, interests is great and maybe you'll decide to use one network VS the other based off a relationship but if you have an AM sparking ideas and helping you grow traffic, diversify niches, does it really matter that he remembers your birthday and knows the name of your dog? Probably not would be my guess.
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    • Profile picture of the author mccauley
      Originally Posted by COPEAC Steve View Post

      I think the main role of an AM is to act as a catalyst for publishers. Spark creative ideas, convey information when new niches or sources of traffic emerge, and so on. I cannot tell you how many times a simple IM or email has been sent with minimal information, "daily deal sites are booming right now, i would start with our CA offers for this niche, hitting these cities, targeting females 24-48..top converting creatives and copy include major discounts on food, salon treatments, tickets to shows...let me know if you need anything"

      And from there, a publisher takes the information and does what he or she does...

      I am a firm believer that relationships matter in business but when you get to the foundation of what AM's are, they're a tool to make money for the network and the publisher, learning about publishers family, friends, interests is great and maybe you'll decide to use one network VS the other based off a relationship but if you have an AM sparking ideas and helping you grow traffic, diversify niches, does it really matter that he remembers your birthday and knows the name of your dog? Probably not would be my guess.
      yep steve, you are one of the good guys. I already experienced it
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      • Profile picture of the author POFBen
        - Helping your pubs think outside the box by providing different angles to attack an audience with. If 9 out of 10 suggestions suck, the 1 that works will see profit and your pubs will love you for it.

        - Listen. Just shut up and listen to what a pub is asking for. If they want a particular offer, don't give them the best performing offer on the network. Give them the offer they're asking for + other related offers to split test.

        - Don't bull****. If you don't know the answer then don't pretend like you do. I've told many people, "I don't know the answer to that but I'd try this _____ because _____" and if your suggestion makes sense, chances are your pub will try it. If it didn't work, no worries, just keep trying.

        - Get to know your pubs. If they're the type that like to shoot the ****, then shoot the ****. If they're the type that's all business, govern yourself accordingly.

        - Read blogs, keep yourself informed about the industry.

        - If it's a big publisher, learn his/her drink. If you see them at a conference, line up, order and deliver their drink before saying Hi. This is a pimp move that they'll appreciate b/c time is important. "Hey ____, the bar's like a 20 mins wait but here's your #whiskeysour, the least I can do to thank you for your business"

        But just generally give, give, and give some more. Go beyond what they're asking and deliver. For example, I'll get a phone call with a simple question that I COULD answer in <1 mins but I choose to poke around and discuss ways to grow business/troubleshoot/new strategy and pubs are pretty responsive to that.

        ... and if all goes to hell, you can always hand out POF shirts at conferences
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    • Profile picture of the author Jit Lim
      Originally Posted by COPEAC Steve View Post

      I think the main role of an AM is to act as a catalyst for publishers. Spark creative ideas, convey information when new niches or sources of traffic emerge, and so on. I cannot tell you how many times a simple IM or email has been sent with minimal information, "daily deal sites are booming right now, i would start with our CA offers for this niche, hitting these cities, targeting females 24-48..top converting creatives and copy include major discounts on food, salon treatments, tickets to shows...let me know if you need anything"

      And from there, a publisher takes the information and does what he or she does...

      I am a firm believer that relationships matter in business but when you get to the foundation of what AM's are, they're a tool to make money for the network and the publisher, learning about publishers family, friends, interests is great and maybe you'll decide to use one network VS the other based off a relationship but if you have an AM sparking ideas and helping you grow traffic, diversify niches, does it really matter that he remembers your birthday and knows the name of your dog? Probably not would be my guess.
      Great post, thanks Steve! I like how you've described this "as a catalyst for publishers" and the importance of relationships between both parties.
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  • Profile picture of the author XYZcontent
    I mainly like when he is friendly, and especially when he responds fast!
    I also appreciate when an affiliate manager gives me tips about good
    offers, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author LeadBoltBrian
    "Window of the network" should be the tagline for an AM

    It really comes down to how a publisher wants to utilize their AM. Some only want their campaigns/offers to be approved and nothing else. Others are brand new to the field and need all the insight they can handle. And some want to rave about the largest waffle they've ever eaten. All of these are OK (within reason, of course).

    And even though AM's won't always be be able to rain down brilliant ideas onto every campaign strategy, they are the best resource in making sure you're taking advantage of all available tools, using the best offers possible, and maximizing your potential with the network.
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    • Profile picture of the author cashmirrors
      The best affiliate managers are the ones who want to become affiliates themselves, and are hungry to learn about the business. If an AM can appreciate how difficult it is to be successful as an affiliate then they are likely to do a good job. It is easy to work with them and get the information you need. On the other hand the ones who are just trying to climb the corporate ladder and have limited experience with affiliate marketing can often overstep their bounds. It is a challenge to work with these AMs who try to do too much.


      Originally Posted by LeadBoltBrian View Post

      "Window of the network" should be the tagline for an AM
      I like it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Domenic Carlson
    Omid has a good point - but if the AM company that the manager works for has his time super stretched across many affiliates, he wont have the time to dedicate to knowing what really works and how to be helpful to his affiliates. Sad but true.
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  • Profile picture of the author tonydyt
    I see a lot of right coments here...i have experience in both I was an affiliate first before I started as an affiliate manager.

    If you know the affiliate game then you know how to deal with affiliates. its all about relationship building and matching the traffic with the right offers.

    I also think an affiliate manager should have the 24/7 mentality like the affiliates do! always ready for support and guidens
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    • Profile picture of the author Rozanne
      This thread is really helpful for me, as I am going to handle our in house affiliate program, so I will bookmark all these suggestion and tips in my mind so our affiliates feel comfortable with me. Honestly, before reading this thread, I don't have an idea about affiliates expectation. First, my job is just about affiliate program promotion, but now situation is pretty different. I would like to say “thank you to all” specially OP for the nice topic.


      I think a good communication between AM & Affiliates is pretty important. The thing which I've been noticed that most of the AM don't know what exactly affiliate marketing is, because lot of companies who runs the affiliate programs usually ignore the importance of professional AM and assign that task to somebody who don't what exactly it is.........In this case, affiliates can teach newish AM about affiliate marketing......I know this is not their job, but knowledge sharing is the key factor. At least, affiliates should to tell their expectation to AM regularly, so whether AM is newbie, he/she can implement their tips quickly. I think to understand each other is the best part in affiliate business.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fernando Veloso
    As long as you do your job properly, most people will be cool with it. Just don't act like some Affiliate Manager morons... like a portuguese dude working for TradeDoubler.

    What a piece of crap that guy turned out to be, especially working for a major brand.. Pfff.

    In this competitive market a moron like that can take more then 70% of affiliates somewhere else...
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  • Profile picture of the author cdroy
    For me a good AM is one who replies to any queries you may have in a timely manner and also divides their time as evenly as possible between Affiliates of all levels.

    Being able to contact them on chat systems like Slype is a plus too.

    Having a good, friendly, professional AM really makes the difference between choosing to stick with a network or not.
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  • Profile picture of the author convert2audi
    Good stuff guys. I will definitely take some of your advise.
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  • Profile picture of the author Martin Bauer
    Well, I do CPA/Affiliate marketing for 5 years and I dealt with hundreds of different affiliate managers.

    Here is my expectations from an affiliate manager;

    - He should know who I am;
    - He should know what do I do (Advertisement type, ppc, banner,etc.);
    - He should know what converts best for me;
    - He should analyze my traffic and account better and help me to maximize my earnings;
    - He should get me new and working offers;
    - He should find a way to get better landing page or creatives if something is wrong with that;
    ...

    List goes on and on. So, I demand a lot of things but if my affiliate manager's success depends on my success. If an AM fulfills my demands, I award him leads/sales/clicks.

    It's called affiliate marketing karma
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    • Profile picture of the author convert2audi
      Originally Posted by Martin Bauer View Post

      Well, I do CPA/Affiliate marketing for 5 years and I dealt with hundreds of different affiliate managers.

      Here is my expectations from an affiliate manager;

      - He should know who I am;
      - He should know what do I do (Advertisement type, ppc, banner,etc.);
      - He should know what converts best for me;
      - He should analyze my traffic and account better and help me to maximize my earnings;
      - He should get me new and working offers;
      - He should find a way to get better landing page or creatives if something is wrong with that;
      ...

      List goes on and on. So, I demand a lot of things but if my affiliate manager's success depends on my success. If an AM fulfills my demands, I award him leads/sales/clicks.

      It's called affiliate marketing karma
      Good post Martin! Who are you working with right now?
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  • Profile picture of the author Matthew NY
    I find that their responses to people new to the scene aren't very helpful. I feel like a lot of them expect that you have hundreds of dollars to sink into media buys. Most of the affiliate managers I have spoken to say "We have been getting a lot of conversions with Media Buys."

    I think that they are saying that because, well, media buys do work. However, if you don't use them correctly, it's a quick way to blow a huge hole in your pocket. They never refer any sort of advice for marketing in the other branches, ie - video, social, article, offline.

    Coming from someone who didn't start too long ago, I think that the best thing they can do is be a coach for the new people that are ambitious to start making money. They have to understand that not everyone makes thousands of dollars in the industry, but they need to start somewhere.

    -Matt P
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    COMMUNICATION!!!!

    Try and give me some notice offers are pulled. Answer my frigging emails.

    Some need to drop the attitude as well. Do not treat your affiliates like pieces of crap desperate to make a few $$'s.

    All in most are good...but a few......
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    How can they help you if they think it works like "gambling"?
    So are all NW owners/manager former Affiliate marketers? Why the switch?
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  • Profile picture of the author Chulbul Pandey
    I think an affiliate manager who pays attention to details and if he or his team come up with something thats working he shouldnt be sharing it to everyone.. just for his team. Secrecy is huge part of success..
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeMorgan
    Thanks doe initiating useful thread .

    The whole idea comes down , as Jeff Said , AMs has to do their best to help affiliates make money .

    So , they are expected to be good at what they are doing . Follow the latest trends about CPA stuff seriously and communicate with their affiliates on time and with useful information .
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  • Profile picture of the author TrafficCrop
    Communication, fast response to queries, knowledge of services/offers, good info regarding niches and fresh traffic sources are all a given.

    Also, Affiliate Managers within a solid company infrastructure are great, can't tell you how many times I have been left waiting by AMs that are trying to liase with their creative department or techs only to send over poor quality landing pages and answers to queries. An AM with an all round knowledge of the ins and outs of their companies setups helps cut out the nonsense and inefficiency. The more feathers in your cap, the faster we can move!
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    • Profile picture of the author convert2audi
      Originally Posted by TrafficCrop View Post

      Communication, fast response to queries, knowledge of services/offers, good info regarding niches and fresh traffic sources are all a given.

      Also, Affiliate Managers within a solid company infrastructure are great, can't tell you how many times I have been left waiting by AMs that are trying to liase with their creative department or techs only to send over poor quality landing pages and answers to queries. An AM with an all round knowledge of the ins and outs of their companies setups helps cut out the nonsense and inefficiency. The more feathers in your cap, the faster we can move!
      very good point!
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  • Profile picture of the author RosettaBerry
    I would say fast response and transparent communication would be a good start!
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