In the last few years, the Affiliate Marketing industry has taken an exciting turn for the better! We are thrilled to welcome our Public Relations (PR) colleagues to one of the steadiest and challenging pieces of digital marketing.
As traditional advertising budgets shrank and brands shifted to a more extensive digital marketing strategy (especially mobile), publishers were also experiencing a shift in ad tracking, causing an immediate decrease in revenues.
The decrease in online advertising revenue made something else happen: the line between editorial and advertising evaporated. Publishers continued to include PR pieces about retail, technology, travel and a myriad of other topics, but there was an addition, namely commerce. Through trackable links, publishers could not only add new revenue streams to their bottom line, but it also added a new step for public relations professionals to take on: affiliate marketing.
There are many commonalities and tactics/strategies shared between affiliate marketing and public relations. Relationship building being the most significant. Building strong PR relationships and pitching ideas to publishers and media is very similar to affiliate outreach and recruiting.
What this means for Affiliate Marketing
- Once always considered a bottom of the funnel play, affiliate marketing is now considered a member of the top and middle of the funnel.
- Affiliate marketers need to continue building their publisher relationships, however, more relationships will be built with content creators and commerce managers.
What this means for Public Relations
- Whether or not there is placement for a client’s products or service will be tied directly into KPIs that include Average Order Value, Conversion Rate and ROAS. The Editor of a publication will work with the Commerce Manager to determine a fit.
- Adding a technology component to the teams’ skills will be crucial. From updating links to determining commissions for various publishers. This is a key area where JEBCommerce can pinch hit!
What this means for advertisers
- Though Editorial and Advertising walls are falling, advertisers are not guaranteed placement in any editorial coverage. Paid placements with a commerce team are a possibility, but if the KPIs aren’t strong enough for a particular vertical, brands won’t get the slot.
- Advertisers will want to work with a team that has deep experience negotiating affiliate commissions, while adjusting to the world of larger publishers taking on affiliate marketing.
This is where JEBCommerce can help. We understand how much work goes into the public relations side of things. Our team also has PR experience! Let us partner with your PR team to ensure that every placement and opportunity, both short and long lead, are optimized in terms of technology, tracking and revenue.
Other areas we can assist:
- Influencer KPI Tracking
- Affluencer Recruiting
- Weekly Reporting
- Activation Campaigns
