This document outlines a framework for building a successful affiliate marketing culture based on 5 C's: Curation, Conversation, Collection (of data), Collaboration, and Closing. It discusses why each of these components is important and provides tips for effectively implementing them. Specifically, it emphasizes the importance of curating high-quality affiliate relationships, having ongoing conversations to build trust, sharing data collaboratively to optimize performance, and customizing the closing experience for each affiliate. The overall message is that mass accepting affiliates is less effective than developing strong, hand-curated relationships through implementing these 5 C's.

1. Building a Culture of Success in Your
Affiliate Channel
BRANDON MYERS – AFFILIATE TINDER

2. Who the heck is this guy?
•Bachelors Degree in Rhetorical Theory
•Builder of 3 Affiliate Channels at Drivresed.com, Aceable.com, and Billfixers.com
•SEO/Affiliate Brand Consultant for Dailydot.com
•Owner of Lazybets.com and Affiliatetinder.com
@AFFILIATETINDER

3. Agenda
1) Why Should You Invest in Affiliate Marketing relationships?
2) 5 C’s of Affiliate Culture
◦ Curation
◦ Conversation
◦ Collection (Data)
◦ Collaboration
◦ Closing
3) Closeout/Q&A

4. Why Should You Invest in Affiliate
Marketing Relationships?
Affiliate Marketing harnesses some of the
strongest elements of psychology.
Brand voice is enhanced and also different
when using third parties, but you can control
some of it.
Affiliate Marketers are the equivalent of the
modern day sales force, especially for B2C
products.
When optimized, there is no other system in
the world like it. Everyone wins.

5. 5 C’s of a Good Affiliate Marketing
Culture
Curation
Conversation
Collection (Data)
Collaboration
Closing

6. Curation
Curation is defined as “assembling, managing and presenting some type of collection”
and is a vital part of the affiliate marketing process. We know it better as recruiting.
No matter how big your network is, you should always be refilling your pipeline with
fresh publishers.
Effectively Curating Requires:
• Recruiting Cadence
• Lead Generation
• Sales Outreach
• Negotiation

7. Conversation
The goal of Conversation in Affiliate Marketing is the act of having dialogue, hopefully in person,
with an existing partner in an effort to make the relationship stronger.
Conversation should be had on a regular basis. It’s key to building the trust and effectiveness in
the relationship.
Effectively Having Conversations Requires:
• Listening
• Asking questions
• Elaborating on common ground
• Taking notes

8. Collection (Data)
Collection of data is a vital point in a successful affiliate channel. Unlike Adwords or Facebook, there is no
control over the datasets that our affiliates use unless they voluntarily share them.
We are often blind to the effectiveness of 3rd party properties. Advertisers typically miss ½ of the
conversion funnel.
Data shares give us 100% of the picture but have to be earned. They require a good relationship and you
must be working for the good of the affiliate.
Effectively Sharing Data Requires:
• Effective tracking system
• Trust
• Ethics
• Transparency
• Optimization that justifies the request

9. Collaboration
Collaboration is the most rewarding step in affiliate marketing. Once you’ve recruited,
built rapport, and shared data with your prospect, it’s time to start optimizing your
funnel as a team.
Collaboration is making changes based on stimuli seen on both sides of the funnel. This
could be as simple as a graphic change or as complex as a unique landing page.
Effectively Collaborating Requires:
• Honesty around results
• Shared exuberance to test and get better
• Trust

10. Closing
Closing is a step that is often missed in the affiliate culture of success. As an advertiser, we
control 100% of how the user interacts with our purchase page. Once the click is passed to us, it
is our job to do the best we can to close the lead.
Every affiliate publisher deserves their own unique purchase page for optimal results. If you’ve
done the first 4 C’s, it’s likely that you’ll know what the publisher needs to convert because you’re
engaged with them consistently. One site doesn’t fit all and we waste money every day we don’t
think like this.
Effectively Closing Requires:
• Knowing your Customer
• Knowing your Affiliate
• Constant Testing
• Technical requirements

11. Conclusions
The 5 C’s aren’t very present in modern affiliate marketing, instead we worry about fraud.
• The ease of the network space has given way to mass acceptance models for advertisers. The fraud
prevention industry has also risen to all time highs. This is evident of the lack of seriousness most
advertisers put into recruiting new publishers of quality.
• Mass accepting costs us more money than harboring new relationships. We’re spending more time
preventing fraud and kicking people off networks than improving our techniques and drawing valuable
insight from hand curated partners.
• Fewer affiliates and better relationships is the answer (think Jerry Macquire).

12. Questions?