To the B2B startup using Firstpromoter, Cello, Tolt, Reditus...

Setting up an affiliate with these tools is just 10% of the work.

Even, if some of you understood this, the vast majority place affiliates at the bottom of your ecosystem.

Low interactions, tons of automations to communication with them, unfriendly rewards...

No worries...you are not alone.

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First off, the inspiration board is fantastic! It's full of great ideas for affiliates.

However, I have to be honest: it feels a bit too pushy in terms of promoting your brand.

It comes across more like a directive from an employer rather than a collaborative effort.

This approach might not resonate well with all your affiliates, as it doesn't feel like a win-win scenario—more like a gain for your brand with a lot of effort on their part.

I know that's not your intention, but that's how it might be perceived by about 90% of your affiliates.

My agency talks to them on a weekly basis, so we have a good sense of their sentiments.

Here are a few recommendations to improve the approach:

1/ Subtle Invitations to Contribute:

- Create a Slack community or a private channel specifically for affiliates and creators. So they can network, promote themselves, see a job board...etc

- Organize a competition where you promote the top affiliate's social posts, giving them greater visibility and awareness for their services through your audience.

- Here's an article about how to do it: https://www.bond-agency.io/examples/insane-affiliate-marketing-hold-up-on-linkedin-by-clay

2/ Enhanced Gamification and really good rewards:

- Invite top affiliates to a virtual program using a tool like Koos.io, creating an exclusive club of affiliates who invest in your growth through virtual equity.

- Improve the gamification aspect for affiliates. For example, Fathom Video does a great job with points, music, and cool pop-up notifications. When I log in to my dashboard, it tells me, "Eva joined using your referral link, here's 20 credits..."

I am sure it's not going to be the priority of your product team but this makes the experience more engaging and rewarding. I referred 10 people this week to Fathom Video and it's community product! So imagine what yours could be.

My point is, you have an amazing fan base, but these adjustments could easily triple your engagement and help protect your company from affiliates losing interest in promoting your product.

This feedback is meant constructively and I have plenty more to offer through our agency, and I hope it doesn't come across the wrong way.

Best regards,

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