Closers target people who have expressed a strong interest in purchasing a particular product based on their online searches or the type of content they engage with.
- Paid media: Paid media partners tend to attract users with very high intent, as much of their traffic is driven by specific keywords and other advanced targeting. The first group is a combination of comparison sites that build their own landing pages to drive traffic from paid search keywords. The second group consists of paid media partners who work closely with you on a performance basis and drive traffic directly back to your site through paid search, paid social, or traditional digital advertising platforms.
- Strategic partners: Strategic partnerships can take many forms, including simple cross-promotion with non-competitive brands. Or it may require comprehensive technology integration with a competitor, giving you the opportunity to enhance your customer's purchase with add-ons that your competitors don't offer.
- Agents and consultants: Having an agency-specific program is usually the best approach to address the unique needs of this segment. However, many programs use affiliates as a testing ground for agents and consultants, or lack systems and processes to manage affiliates individually.
It’s worth mentioning that B2B still has the opportunity to work with coupon, loyalty, or cashback sites. These sites are further down the funnel and can have a huge impact when used strategically. However, it depends on the product, audience, and conversion events you're tracking. Common discounts we see include “% off” on annual plans, free upgrades to higher plans, and extended free trials. All of these can make a difference for price-conscious companies, startups, and entrepreneurs.
Even if you don't use a comparison site, chances are your competitors do too. If you don't have a strategy in place to reach your audience through social influencers and groups, your competitors may be there as well. What McKinsey calls the “multiplier effect” accelerates growth for those who invest, while leaving those who don't invest behind. While B2B affiliate marketing cannot replace your entire digital channel strategy by itself, it can provide a powerful entry point, complement, or upgrade to expensive and inefficient marketing channels.
All in all, the future of B2B affiliate marketing is looking promising. Technology is evolving and new partners are constantly emerging to fill the gaps in digital channels. Now is the perfect time for B2B organizations to embrace digitalization.
