For affiliates working within networks, or for affiliates who are considering joining a network, one of the most important elements to consider is the quality of the relationship that you are able to build with your affiliate manager or managers. An affiliate manager can sometimes make or break an affiliate program, so you want to know that your affiliate manager is going to be working hard for you and be in your corner throughout the length of the relationship. With that in mind, here are the top 5 questions to ask your affiliate manager, before you enter into a relationship with them.

What are their Current Relationships Like?

If possible, find out who is currently working with those affiliate managers and ask them questions. It doesn’t take long in this business for an affiliate manager to build a reputation, be it good or bad, so a little investigation should give you an idea of the person you’re going to be dealing with.

With so many affiliate programs and affiliate managers to choose from, it just doesn’t make sense to work with anyone but the best, and most trustworthy. An affiliate manager who is going to take the time to get to know you personally has a greater chance of aiding in your success than one who will just sign you up and ignore you.

What are their Relationships with Operators Like?

Having an affiliate manager who has great relationships with operators gives you a strong starting point. An affiliate manager should be able to reach out on your behalf to an operator and negotiate special deals, when applicable. If the operator already has trust in an affiliate manager, they’re going to know that those affiliates that they choose to bring to the negotiating table are going to be trustworthy, and so you’ll be more likely to be able to reap the benefits of the affiliate manager’s relationships.

No matter what business you are in, it’s always great to have someone on your side, and this is especially true in the world of affiliate marketing. Seek out affiliate managers who have done the work to form relationships that can work for you.

Will they Listen to You?

As an affiliate, you are on the front lines of a given business, and you see what is succeeding and failing on a daily basis. If you are sending a ton of traffic to an operator, but there are no conversions, you may have some ideas on how the operator could improve what they are doing on their end. You may have a suggestion on a promotion, an adjustment to the landing page, or a specific kind of creative you might want to use.

One of the questions to ask your affiliate manager is how they are going to support you in these matters. An affiliate manager should always be on your side, and should take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that you’re getting what you need from operators. The fact that they’re willing to go to bat for you speaks volumes about their level of commitment. They might not be able to make it happen for you every single time, but the fact that they will make the effort means that when it comes to crunch time, they will be there for you and on your side.

Are they Available?

Issues arise on what can sometimes be a daily basis, and when they do, you need an answer right away. So, you need for your affiliate manager to be available when you need the question answered. Of course, they are not working 24 hours a day, but when you have something important to discuss, you need to be able to communicate with your affiliate manager.

Good affiliate manager are available through a number of different channels, be it the phone, email or any number of instant messaging systems. If you can’t get an answer back from an affiliate manager within 24 hours, it may be time to start looking elsewhere.

Will They Go the Extra Mile?

There are some affiliate managers in the business who are willing to take whatever extra steps are necessary to ensure your success as an affiliate. Affiliates who are new to the business that can rely on an affiliate manager who is willing to show them the ropes, give them ideas on improving their website and sharing insights into performance analytics, will benefit immensely from this kind of relationship.

Affiliates who have been around for a while also benefit from close relationships with hard-working affiliate managers. Affiliates who know they have someone in their corner is a big part of what makes it a lot easier to get the job done, at the end of the day. Start with these questions to ask your affiliate manager and find out if they’re going to be the one you want to be working with.To learn more and find out about the benefits of becoming an affiliate in the Income Access network, click here.