Some of the most successful partnerships I've had as an affiliate are with brands that I organically and authentically use myself. I'm excited about the product because I truly love and use it in my own life, and that shows through in my content. Examples of this are the dishes and cookware I use on a daily basis, the clothing I wear, and the products I use to decorate my home. To build a mutually beneficial relationship, I suggest leading with what your audience and you can do for them in the most authentic, natural, and honest way possible. I never share products that I don't truly love and tha'ts how I've built trust with brands and also my audience.
Partnering with Stay22 has been an absolute win for me as a travel blogger. Their interactive accommodation maps fit seamlessly into my content, making it super easy for my readers to find hotels or Airbnbs near the spots I feature. Deep links to specific hotels have been a game-changer, driving even better conversions because they take my audience straight to what they're after-no extra clicks, no fuss. And let's talk about their POP AI feature-it's seriously next level! It saves so much time by automating personalized recommendations, which means less work for me and more value for my readers. My advice? Go for affiliate programs that make sense for your niche and actually solve problems for your audience. And don't be afraid to chat with your affiliate partners-they might have tools (like POP AI!) to help you crush it.
After referring steady traffic and customers via organic SEO for over a year, I decided to reach out to Hims & Hers' marketing team to see if there were opportunities to work more closely together and expand our partnership. To my delight, the team was very hungry to double down. Transitioning from a somewhat anonymous affiliate relationship on Impact to having bi-weekly check ins yielded higher payouts, expansion into new product categories, sponsored content and display placements, and the launching of a paid media arbitrage strategy that ultimately 20x'd the volume of customer referrals in less than 6 months. Ultimately it pays to hug your best partners with both hands and proactively reach out. Most affiliates don't, so it will make you stand out amongst the crowd.