The affiliate network always plays the role of a spacer between the advertiser and affiliates. Advertiser fucks it up? Changes conditions in one second? Cutting traffic? The arbitrator will blame the affiliate. Affs that have been on the market for a long time and know how everything works will delve into the situation and respond adequately. Namely, they will whine louder than anyone and ask for compensation, but they will continue to drive traffic in the same way and will not go public.
But a beginner may be very offended that his 100 bucks are stuck for an indefinite period while the affiliate solves the issue with advertising. An offended newcomer is dangerous because he can make a lot of stench. Spend a day arguing in chats or even write a plaintive article in the media. Because of this, old affs will not leave the affiliate network, but the flow of new ones can significantly decrease. Each conflict is potentially thousands of dollars of lost profits.
Andrey helped me with this post, introduced him to you earlier. He is engaged in affiliate brand marketing and a regular contributor to the most reputable traffic arbitrage media. He has been earning a lot on this topic for a long time. So it’s insider information.
TL;DR: main theses
- The network plays on the side of the affiliate. The network fucks advertises as best as it can so that the affiliate is satisfied. The network does not deceive the affiliate, changing the conditions or the rate without warning and a time gap to stop or correct traffic. If your network does not follow this thesis, the streams of shit on you will be “pleasing to God” and you will close quickly. Hope.
- If you are right and have done everything you could for the aff, and he is blackmailing you, then follow the simple rule: “Do not negotiate with terrorists”. You don’t have to pay money to the aff from your own pocket, as long as he doesn’t go through chat rooms to choke.
- The affiliate network must have a chief marketing officer aka CMO. Or any other man that monitors the reputation of the brand.
How to deal with dissatisfied people
So, let’s say you are a competent affiliate program that has hired a CMO. Or you have an insanely handy CEO who manages to play brand marketing. Or a nephew was imprisoned. It doesn’t matter, there is a person who cares about the reputation of your offspring.
How should this character behave when some aff is insanely dissatisfied, threatens to go public and stuff like that?
First, it is important to be in as many live chats as possible. Not those that are filled with messages like “I will sell cards for FB” and “The best farms for a dollar”. And those where there is real communication. Yes, there are many, but it is desirable to join as many as possible. This is a preventive measure, chats can be safely thrown into the archive and not paid attention. It is necessary so that in case of threats to go public, the CMO can use keywords, for example, the name of the affiliate network, to find exactly where the negative was thrown.
Second, you need to immediately make screenshots. And in general, communicate with the understanding that all correspondence can easily go public. So we turn on politeness, courtesy and explain the situation fundamentally and extensively. For example: “Today at 03:29 ad XXX unilaterally lowered the rate on some partners, including your account. I came to work at 9:00 and already at 9:22 I wrote to you about the changes. We have already requested information on the reasons for lowering the rate, I will try to get this decision reversed. I can offer to create a new account, to which we will give the old rate. However, conversions that hit after 03:29 will be charged at a reduced rate.”
Did it turn out dry and official? Yes. But to go public with a dispute in which there is such an answer from the affiliate – well, it’s sooooo difficult. Usually managers communicate with affs in their own way, as with kents. And rightly so, it promotes comradely relations. But when the situation can potentially hit the reputation, we switch to the mode of official behavior.
Now, if we do a search and see negativity from the web in chats, we upload screenshots. We calmly explain the situation, show that the network is on the aff’s side and the advertiser is banged on as best it can. We enter into a discussion of the situation with the chat participants and broadcast adequacy.
Everything is getting serious
If the situation is more global, many affs have been affected or it is a question of large sums, then there is a risk of a negative article being published in the media. In 95% of cases, such cases happen through the fault of advertising. We play ahead. Even if the aff or affs end up writing nowhere, it won’t be superfluous. The CMO itself addresses the key media about traffic arbitration and launches an article about the conflict between the network and a specific advertiser. It is important here to warn the advertiser that you are preparing an article, perhaps the conflict will resolve itself.
In some cases, the release of such material threatens with non-payment of a large amount of advertising. Then you need to play softer and write the so-called native. For example: “In what cases and why does the affiliate network cut the payout?” And do an analysis on a specific example. Publishing this in major media will cost money. It’s better not to be greedy, your reputation and a thousand bucks are at stake. If the toad presses, we go to a small start-up media and post there for free, such guys need content and they don’t really stand out.
Now, if the aff or affs go to major media with a conflict, the author or editor will definitely contact the network to get a second opinion. We can show our “native” and comment on the facts. The more links, facts, specifics and screenshots, the more convincing. It is very likely that the article will not be published at all. The media don’t like to run into networks or adverts, and only do it when there’s an obvious scam going on. It is important to bombard the author and editor with facts and convince that the release of such material will also hit the reputation of the media. It can be more difficult with the author, he is interested in writing material and getting money. So we ask for the contact of the editor or we find the decision makers themselves and communicate with those who value their reputation and who do not receive money for kilo chars.
Let’s say the article is published. Be sure to include your comment. If it was not requested, we bomb the editorial office so that they take it and add it. Required. Now let’s go to the comments. There are never many of them. It is enough to create 5-7 accounts and throw in the opinion as early as possible that the network is adequate and handsome, and the aff is an asshole. All profit.
Thrown negativity attracts attention. But if you process it correctly, then we get free effective advertising.
What if your network is wrong?
The “guilt” of an affiliate program can be completely different. Cut off 90% of traffic. They forgot to say that the traffic needs to be stopped. Not notified of a change in rate or other conditions.
In the case of a cut of a significant part of the traffic, there must be serious evidence of fraud or violation of the conditions. The network and the adverts have enough data to prove the hoax. If you cannot do this, there is only one way out: pay for traffic and stop the partner. Even if the advert does not pay you for this traffic, the network must make a payment to the aff.
What to do next: transfer this arbitrator to another offer or refuse to cooperate at all – decide as you wish. But without hard evidence of violations, it is not possible to cut off more than 10% of traffic.
If you forgot to tell them to stop traffic in time or notify them about changes in conditions, all the more so, compensation. By the way, it is convenient to monitor rates and disable offers through AlterCPA WatchCat.
Did you get scammed by an advert and he didn’t pay for valid traffic? We pay affs out of our own pocket.
Yes, the affiliate program often flies in for compensation and pays for advertisers’ gimmicks. But that’s what she needs. Affiliate network is first and foremost a guarantor. Therefore, the arbitrageur is not looking for an advertiser himself, he needs a partner who will protect and help. For a commission. Networks who does not understand that their aff is the main treasure and the main asset is doomed to close.
What? Scary? Compensation must be paid. Pay out of your own pocket to affs.
Compensations
Let’s talk more about compensation. This is one of the main risk factors for the affiliate program. There are only two popular reasons why networks close and do not make a profit:
- Could not find traffic, which meant attracting webs.
- Got a large compensation, which means we a cash and ass gap.
The founders got drunk with a bunch of drugs after the success of the partner program and drove off to the fool house or to the next world.
We talked about affs search and will talk more. For now, let’s focus on the second reason. She is terrible, dangerous and scary. Like a bolt from the blue, advertising can roll off into the sunset with money. And affs need to be paid with something. Okay, I won’t thicken the clouds, otherwise you’ll run away to the factory …
Compensation strategy partly depends on the vertical. But most of the moments are identical:
- Remember that an affiliate network is not much different from an insurance agent. And this means that there should always be a financial cushion in case of a scammer. And the replenishment of this pillow should be taken into account in the business model. The commission that you take is not only services for acquaintance with advertising and service with support. It’s also an insurance premium.
- You need to enter into legal contracts with advertisers. This is no guarantee against fraud on their part. But it significantly reduces the risks.
- In gambling there is such a thing as a “test cap”. A certain amount of conversions that the aff pours into the test. This traffic is 100% paid, but everything that is on top can be safely cut off if you are not satisfied with the quality. The only exception is proven fraud. You can and should use this approach in one form or another in any vertical.
- An analyst is needed to prove fraud. On small volumes, his role can be played by a manager who leads affiliates. Large networks hire a separate person who analyzes all traffic in general and for partners in particular. Froders can be caught on very different grounds.
- Clearly explain to the aff before the start of cooperation for what and in what cases it can be denied payment. This message will be a good argument, if a conflict suddenly arises, a fight starts and the case goes public.
- Are you reaching volumes by advertising? Does he like your traffic? Ask for an advance payment. This usually works in a commodity, less often in a crypt. But you can get impudent and ask for special conditions anywhere if you have what the advertiser needs. Working on a deposit is almost a guarantee against a cash gap.
Following all these rules, it will be much more difficult to go broke. But nothing is impossible!