How to Maximize Your Affiliate Marketing for Black Friday

Friday the Black! Monday Cyberspace! with all of the intermission shopping. Having a robust affiliate network is advantageous for merchants, regardless of their niche. How come? Because nobody knows what to buy as gifts.

Not knowing what to buy as gifts is a widespread issue that goes beyond anecdotal evidence. View the following Google Trends chart for the query "gift ideas":

As soon as November comes around, people start wondering what to buy their friends and family. And this is why affiliate marketing is poised to win.

People want gift recommendations

The 2017 Facebook Holiday Guide give us a couple insights into how people search during this time. First, 49% of surveyed shoppers say Facebook influencers their shopping. Meaning, they get gift ideas from their peers. Second, 62% do most of their holiday shopping in December. More specifically, 1 in 4 make their purchases between December 11th to December 20th. Meaning, there is plenty of time to influence their gift decisions.

So let’s apply those two take-aways to affiliate marketing. We already know that affiliate marketing is a trusted channel for shopping. Getting recommendations and endorsements from influencers is nearly as trusted as getting them from family. Maybe even more so.

And since customers are searching now, it is the perfect time to get in front of your audience. Here are a few ways to boost your affiliate marketing during the shopping season:

Incentivize your network. Bump up the commission or provide a holiday bonus to your partners for the rest of the year. As your conversion rates are expected to be higher, the extra spend should be well-offset by the sales you will make with added visibility. If there’s any time to offer up a monetary incentive to juice sales, now is it.

Create holiday packages. During this time, people are looking for deals and themed gifts. If possible, bundle your products or services for a limited-time holiday offer. That way, it’s easier for your affiliates to promote, and looks more attractive to the shopper.

Make material with a theme. Is there a compelling reason why your good or service is the ideal present? To spread the word about that, write a blog article or a string of social media updates. You may also give your affiliates this content to share; they will appreciate not having to create original stuff during this hectic period.

Optimize for mobile. More and more, customers are shopping on their phones. In fact, Adobe estimates that for the first time this year, mobile visits to retail sites will exceed desktop visits, 54% to 45%. Is your site optimized for this? Are your affiliates’ sites? Time is running out to make sure you can provide a smooth mobile experience for virtual window shoppers.

Never let up on the gas. 46% of consumers continue to make purchases in January in order to take advantage of sales, according to a Facebook survey. To take advantage of the longer shopping season, think about launching an instant "New Year Discount" offer after your holiday promotion.

We cannot overstate how crucial it is to have open lines of communication with your affiliate partners. You'll get better results if you can answer queries and encourage them during this hectic and stressful season. Enjoy your holidays! Cheers to a successful sale!