Q: How often do you review the affiliate sites to ensure affiliates are using the correct messaging and logos of the merchant program? I’m currently giving snapshots to clients on a weekly basis, which tries to address ‘my policing’ efforts. By giving these snapshots, clients now seem to want control of the affiliate’s marketing message, which is another obstacle I’m trying to address.
A: I’m interested in your last sentence, ‘clients now seem to want control of the affiliate’s marketing message.’ All I can say is that I’d hope so. They should have been in control of the way they were represented all along.
In your question, you mention ensuring that affiliates are using the correct messaging – that indicated to me that the client already laid down some rules.
My suggestions are that you (1) establish the exact creative that affiliates may use, and (2) permit the affiliates to write the own copy under the condition that they submit it to you for sign-off before going live with it.
As far as how often to review their sites, I’d say it’s imperative to do this constantly. If you think that sounds impossible, perhaps you have too many affiliates in the affiliate program, and it’s time to trim your numbers.
If you have more affiliates than you can sufficiently police, you need more staff to work on the program or less affiliates.