5 Ways to Trust a New Affiliate Network

Building trust with an affiliate network is extremely important.  You should never do business with a network that you know nothing about, and there are plenty of ways to scout out new networks before moving all of your traffic over.  Here are five simple steps you can take to start building trust with a new network.

1.  Look them up on LinkedIn.

Take the time to do just a little due diligence by looking up your affiliate manager and network owner on social networking sites like LinkedIn.  A quick Google search for their names couldn’t hurt either.  Searches and inquiries on WickedFire, WarriorForum, and other forums can give you some great information as well.  Look to see what others have said about doing business with them.  If you can’t find anything on them, ask them why this is the case.

2.  Have a phone conversation.

Call the phone number on the affiliate network’s website and actually speak with your affiliate manager.  First, you find out that they are a real person that can communicate and also that they are someone that you can get in touch with easily.  Fraud focused businesses do not usually make themselves available through local telephone numbers.

3.  Read the terms

Terms and conditions that are comprehensive, detailed, and appear to be written with the help of legal council indicate that a network is serious about doing business and has the resources to keep all of their legal and financial ducks in a row.  Take a thorough look through the terms and conditions and hunt for discrepancies or terms that seem unfair.

4.  Do a test run.

If possible, only move a portion of your traffic to the new affiliate network.  Let your affiliate manager know that you are doing a test run to make sure everything runs smoothly and that you get paid.  Then wait until you get your first check in the mail.

5.  Get a referral.

Nothing builds trust like a referral from someone who has done business with that network before.  Were they paid on time?  Was their bad scrubbing?  Did their commissions increase over time?  Was their account manager helpful?  These are all great questions to ask.

Building new relationships with other networks is extremely important for growing your business. These relationships are what ensure real longevity and profitability for any affiliate business.

So many affiliates lose out from networks promising to pay them but never following through. If you are ever uncomfortable with the amount of money a network owes you, switch your traffic back to someone you trust until the payments are made. It is up to you to realize these risks and manage them effectively.

Author

A digital marketer by background, Peter is the former CEO of TUNE, the enterprise platform for partner marketing. In 2018, he sold TUNE’s mobile measurement product to Branch, unifying measurement and user experience. He led TUNE’s efforts to bring better management technology and automation to marketing partnerships, across affiliates, influencers, networks, and business development relationships. Follow @peterhamilton