Many affiliate programs have already seen through the downturn of COVID-19 – but now it’s time to look ahead and plan your marketing strategy for 2021.
It’s already been estimated that digital marketers are expecting to have to do more with less budget in the year ahead. Without live events and exhibitions to fall back on for lead generation, the things you used to do for lead generation and affiliate onboarding will need to change. It’s going to require more creativity to keep connecting to new customers and affiliate. You’ll need to seek out more opportunities to keep your brand being “seen and heard”.
Here are 3 tips for planning your marketing strategy in 2021:
1. Focus on Digital
Without a doubt programs and businesses that focus on digital advertising will benefit from new leads. Your marketing plan should include a critical analysis of your business or program and the websites you invest in to gain a wider reach. Make sure your sales pages and sign up pages are optimised to increase lead generation.
Get social. Share engaging photos, offer educational blogs, and create videos to keep your social media presence dynamic and active, these channels are going to be heavily relied on for outreach with the lack of live events. Target your audience with paid advertising wherever you can and invest in quality lead generation or content marketing for outbound lead generation to drive new sales and affiliate sign ups.
2. Consider Multiple Channels for broader visibility
Your customers (and affiliates) are never hanging out in just one place. Make sure your marketing strategy gives you a presence across a wider range of digital portals so that you target an array of leads to your business. Make sure you are working across a number of channels such as digital, email and podcasts to reach your audience consistently. In 2021, set up systems that modernise your inbound marketing and create funnels to push your affiliate or customer journey to enable digital scale.
Make it easy to sign up to your program, create an onboarding process that helps affiliates get what they need at the time of sign up. Make sure your program or offer is advertised across a range of portals that target your customers. Consider content marketing as a lead generation tool (eBooks, Webinars, Insight Reports) and amplify your reach by researching podcasts that can share your content or provide targets advertising opportunities for your business. Show your customers and affiliates personal attention through thoughtful improvements to your site and customer service of affiliate support.
3. Be Consistent. Give Value.
Finding places to share your content is the first place to start. Once you’ve identified sites that can put your message in front of the right audience segment invest in quality content writing and give more value. Now you’ll have to be vigilant about standing out amongst the noise by partnering with media owners who truly understand your business and can position and advise how best to engage the readers they support.
Understand your client and affiliate persona – you’ll want to think about what’s most important to them and then think about how you can provide solutions for their pain points and build engagement to invite them to contact you. How can you translate your service or products into an experience in 2021 is going to make a big difference. Standard advertising is not going to be enough to get you sufficiently noticed. A mix of content, value, loyalty building support and brand awareness is going to be required.
Be prepared and remain positive
You must change the way you think about marketing your business and your affiliate program and you need to be willing to adjust your marketing and business strategy to meet the changing behaviour of online marketing and how to break though the increased noise we’ll be seeing on digital channels to survive and thrive!
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Download our 2021 Digital Media or Podcast Media Decks HERE
If you’d like to work with us to create targeted content, build new leads for your business, or secure better brand awareness for your affiliate program contact us here: [email protected]
