On this week’s Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann welcomes David Pickard, the CEO of Phonexa UK. They discuss how to embrace the whole affiliate partnership economy, lead generation, and how Phonexa is helping clients and affiliates get more value from the marketing campaigns that they are running.
Phonexa is an enterprise grade tracking platform for performance and partner marketing, specifically. The suite is responsible for delivering true end-to-end tracking and attribution for the consumer lead and call lifecycle.
Lee-Ann points out that we are going through a bit of a revolution in terms of affiliate marketing, where traditional affiliates are not the only kinds of partners that we are bringing into our programs…
Listen in here for all of the insights:
Lead generation and the issue of reputation
Lee-Ann asks David a common question that affiliate managers often get asked, which is the topic of lead generation. Why has it been given such a bad rep under the affiliate umbrella?
David comments, “The battle that a lot of us are trying to have, often, is kind of an education process, right? I guess the tool that we have that helps us is data. That’s my methodology. You’ll probably hear me say a lot in this conversation: ‘Let the numbers do the talking’. If you are trying to attach personal feelings and emotions to things, you’ve got to be prepared to be wrong at some point. Because the numbers are going to catch up with you and tell you to do something different.
So, in terms of, why it’s got a bad rep – whether you want to call it misrepresentation and that kind of thing – I suppose a lot of people think of affiliates as the get rich, quick kind of people. They just want to dangle the carrot and incentivise people to go down funnels that ultimately don’t necessarily end in the consumer behaviour that you want or the positive outcomes that you’re looking for.
But ultimately, like I said earlier, if you’re truly attributing things based on numbers and statistics and performance, those behaviours should be able to be kicked out of the industry.”
Advice for the Affiliate Program Manager to step out of the traditional affiliate funnel
What is the best advice for the affiliate program manager to do in order to build their momentum and to stay alert to fraud when they look to embrace the whole affiliate partnership economy? David advises to “start at the start”.
He further explains, “I guess it sounds obvious. But look at what the problem is, which is typically acquisition is not transparent. Attribution is complex and difficult and not all sources along the funnel generate the same quality. Performance differs.
You have to have a good idea of what success would look like for you prior to launch. And most importantly, and I say this from experience, be ready to be wrong. So have an idea of on paper, this is what I think would be a good outcome. But also when it differs from that, and the numbers are telling you that the performance is a bit different, you know, swallow your pride a little bit and say, cool, now where do we go?”
Always Be Learning
Lee-Ann points out that when she speaks to and trains affiliate managers from multiple companies, from agencies, from networks, from brands, they often give up too quickly. They are likely to try something because somebody else tells them, “hey, this is what you should try.”
David agrees, “It does boil down to that thing that you mentioned earlier, that they’ve heard that someone else tried it and so I think I’m going to give it a go. That’s not good enough. You know, just hearing that someone else tried it and so you’re going to try it, too – is not enough. The first point I said there was have an idea of what success looks like for you, first. And that has to be based on your internal requirements, not just what someone else has done and they’ve had positive effects because you will never understand someone else’s campaign as well as them.
Listen to find out more about how to embrace the whole affiliate partnership economy:
- The importance of automation for reporting.
- The future of affiliate marketing and the practices to put in place to make the right decisions.
Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:
[8:30] The important part lead generation plays in your affiliate program.
[13:00] Why the cookie-cutter approach to affiliate management doesn’t work.
[28:00] The one piece of advice for affiliate managers about operating their programs more efficiently and engaging with non-traditional forms of affiliate partnerships.
Are You Ready for AMLeaders?
Join us at our essential AMLeaders training event, designed for Affiliate Managers aiming to elevate their skills. Access profound industry insights, and cultivate vital connections that pave the way for success at AMLeaders.
Taking place in London on October 23 from 1pm–6pm. Registration is now open. Tickets are limited.
Seize the opportunity to revolutionise your affiliate program. PI LIVE Europe delegates can save £50 on their booking – grab your ticket here.
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