Affiliate Program Outsourcing Options

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Q: I currently outsource my affiliate program to one of the affiliate networks, and I want to evaluate how well other affiliate networks might do with the program. Is it common to give my numbers and a list of my top affiliates to these other companies to evaluate?

A: It’s pretty typical, when you get a confidentiality agreement in place, to provide as much information as possible, so they have benchmarks to work from to project what they might be able to do for you.

Also, it is helpful to let them know your top ten or twenty affiliates. You’re not telling them a big secret here, because they are likely already working with all of these sites. By knowing which affiliates are in your program, they can determine how much incremental business you might get from other affiliates they work with in other affiliate programs.

There are some cases when affiliates choose to be exclusive with a single network, but for the most part, affiliates work across multiple affiliate networks.

If you have concerns about the network leveraging the list of affiliates, just give them the URL without the contact information

One thing I would like to point out is that you are not locked into just having the affiliate networks to manage your affiliate program.

There are lots of companies out there called OPMs or Outsourced Program Management companies that can manage every aspect of your affiliate program for you.

You can stick with your current affiliate network and turn over the management to one of the OPM firms. This opens up a lot more options for pricing and services.

If you go to the Affiliate Buyer’s Guide, there is an Outsourced Program Manager section with a list of vendors.