So you've finally done it! You started your own affiliate program 
and you have thousands of affiliates promoting your product 
without putting a dime of advertising up-front. No? You're not 
alone!

Everyday, I'm asked the same question: "Why is my affiliate 
program failing?"

What most people don't know is that over 95% of affiliate programs 
aren't living up to their expectations. Why? Simply because your 
affiliates need to be motivated!
 

Here are some things you can do to increase your affiliate sales:

* Offer your affiliates a second-tier to recruit new affiliates. 
Many successful affiliate programs offer 10% of the revenue 
generated by someone you refer to the program. This is known as a 
"two-tier" program.

* Pay your affiliates at least once a month. Payment frequency can 
certainly make or break the success of your affiliate program.

* Offer in-depth statistic reporting. Be sure you provide 
click-thru's and real-time reporting. Graphing capabilities are 
also a plus.

* Offer a higher commission. Many programs offer a commission of 
around 5-10%. This is fine, but if possible, offer a higher 
commission of about 20-30%. This can give you an edge over your 
competitors.

* List your affiliate program in affiliate program directories. 
There are many out there, check out: Click Here

* Find your competitor's affiliates and offer them a higher 
commission than they are currently earning with your competitor. 
This can be very rewarding for your affiliate program. 

* Keep a clean rep and pay your affiliates on time. Again, this 
can make your break your program.

* Offer bonuses to top affiliates. This will encourage your 
affiliates to go that extra mile to promote your program.

* Provide as many linking options as possible. Be sure to offer 
several banners, buttons and links of all sorts to your 
affiliates. You can never have too many!

* If you have a pay-per-sale/lead program, be sure to update the 
stats as often as you can (at least once a week).

* Create a discussion board just for your affiliates where they 
can discuss issues relative to your program.
 
 

Remember, your affiliate program is only as successful as your 
affiliates! Help them help you!

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About the author:

Chris Howard is the owner of SponsorDirectory.com 
 http://www.sponsordirectory.com , a popular directory of 
affiliate programs. He provides consulting to compaines interested 
in affiliate marketing. You can email him at: 
chris@sponsordirectory.com