Are you thinking of providing products to your affiliates? Great! Product reviews can be an important part of an affiliate strategy. To help guide you in the process, AvantLink has outlined a few things to help ensure product review initiatives are a success.
- Develop Affiliate Outreach Plan:
- Identify a list of affiliates that would be a great fit to approach for a review of your product.
- Communicate with each affiliate directly to ensure you’re both on the same page about the process and what to expect.
- Outline Affiliate Expectations: As you begin the conversation with each affiliate, outlining expectations is critical. Below are important questions to outline with each affiliate.
- Do you want the affiliate to keep the product, or do they need to send it back?If sending it back, review the process to ensure they can do so.
- Do you have an expectation about the timing of any product review post? If so, communicate with the affiliate prior to sending the product.
- Do you have a posting requirement? Be sure to communicate your expectations prior to sending.
- Are you expecting a Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), or is the product review simply a branding initiative for your brand?
- Do you expect to have input into how the product is reviewed? If so, be sure to work with the affiliate ahead of time, as most want this to be an authentic review, which includes pros & cons (if any).
- Provide Affiliate Education:
- Remind affiliates to include affiliate links in their reviews.
- Ensure affiliates know how to create links and provide support articles on AvantLink’s Custom Link Builder or Easy Link tools if they have questions. Both allow them to create links to any product on your website.
- Track Your Product Reviews:
- Communicate with the affiliate from start to finish - from the kickoff conversation to confirming they received the product.
- Find a method to keep track of product/gear sent and the dates the products were sent to and received by the affiliate.
- Have the affiliate confirm when they receive the product and follow up if you do not get confirmation of receipt.
- Ask the affiliate to send you posts, stories, or content sharing your product. Check to ensure affiliate tracking is accurate.
Product reviews can be an effective way to educate a new consumer segment about your product. While the benefits can be positive, it is important to remember that a product review’s intended goal is authenticity. Providing affiliates with the trust to create their most honest assessment can be most impactful.
For any additional questions, please reach out to the AvantLink team (am@avantlink.com).