“AI is changing the game! Affiliate marketing is becoming easier than folding laundry.”
We have been hearing such rallying cries over the past year. There is certainly some truth in that, but they don't paint the whole picture.
Yes, artificial intelligence can streamline and optimize workflows, but this critically depends on how you use it and what you give it to.
In other words, success depends on the quality of your data and how you leverage AI tools.
Now, what does that look like?
Rakuten Advertising's reporting API was recently integrated into affiliate.ai's services. That's why we spoke to both companies to learn more about how marketers can get the most out of AI and avoid confusion.
Check your data!
Ensuring your data is clean and fully integrated is essential to making informed decisions and driving growth. Importing poor and unmanageable data produces poor and unmanageable results.
It's like hearing about a great new burger recipe and cooking it in the microwave using ingredients from the food bin.The quality of your data and how it is processed is essential to getting the most out of AI
rob berisford, Founder of Affiliate.ai said: Too many affiliate network integrations have substandard data. This is because you are not tracking it yet on the server side or passing all transaction data to the network.
“All the AI in the world won’t help you analyze your data if you can’t trust the data in your network.”
Incomplete or inaccurate data impairs your ability to trust analytics and make effective decisions. It is of utmost importance to ensure that all transaction data is tracked and properly integrated. This means going beyond basic tracking and incorporating comprehensive server-side data collection. Only then can you rely on data to provide accurate insights to drive your affiliate marketing efforts.
It will also be useful for future software development. Maytal Marksman, Vice President of Products at Rakuten Advertising, commented: Its value goes beyond dynamic commissioning. When integrated optimally, your affiliate program is set up for future success. As technology and platforms evolve and more features become available, you'll be in a better position to test and adopt new features. ”
Okay, so what's next?
Once the data is cleaned and integrated, the proverbial “easy, easy” process comes into play.
Rather than scrolling through pages of data and manually building reports, AI tools allow you to “talk” to your data.
Markman said one of the benefits of integrating AI is the ability to ask “real business questions” to a natural language interface and simply watch as the combination of AI and automation creates reports. He explains that simply by having a staff member, they can reduce a large amount of human resources from their operations. It's the “download and pivot” type of work we're used to.
To illustrate one of the many potential uses of this natural language interface, she gives the following example. Platforms with AI and automation capabilities allow you to capture and read reports containing these attributes. Alternatively, you can have the AI further synthesize the report output and return a list of publishers. Perhaps you could also use some qualified data. It's almost as if you have an assistant who will do all the reporting for you and display it properly. “
What is this worth? You can spend more time on the human and dare I say fun task of managing your affiliate program.
Berrisford commented: “We've seen our agency partners make incremental efficiencies by outsourcing their Monday morning reports to affiliate.ai. Spend less time reporting and more time growing your clients' affiliate programs.”
verdict
Clean data and AI tools are essential for modern affiliate marketing. By prioritizing data quality and harnessing the power of AI, marketers can unlock new levels of efficiency and insight.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, those who adopt these practices will be well-equipped to succeed and drive sustained success with their affiliate programs. Now is the time to securely integrate your data and explore the transformative potential of AI in your marketing efforts.
