In conjunction with last week's tip, this email will address the three main aspects of creating a successful affiliate program.

Who should my affiliates be?
When selecting people to partner with you, consider their value. Find someone whose influence is going to drive sales. Seek out the gurus and experts in your industry and see if they'd be willing to partner with you. Look for individuals with a market that is either larger, or hits another set of prospects than yours does. Finally, choose affiliates that are excited about, and preferably use, your products and service.

How should my affiliates be paid?
Always pay your affiliates on a commission basis. Like most salesman, if they do nothing... they receive nothing. The harder they work, the more they earn. However, the value of each of your affiliates is going to vary. Consider paying commissions based on a tiered payment structure.

How do I motivate affiliates to act?
Even the best partners need motivation to work with you. Here's the key: make it EASY and LUCRATIVE for them. They're busy. You've got to do as much of the work for them as you can. And, you need to be generous. Remember, it's their influence and list you want, not their work. Make it easy and lucrative for them and your success will soar.

Creating and managing multi-tiered affiliate structures should not be difficult. Find an affiliate management software program that does this for you. Then, sit back and see what your affiliates can do!