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TRAFFIC
“ Naturally , the immediacy and ease of engagement with shortform video like that found on TikTok can be useful in building your audience , but as it grows , long-form will closely tie in ”
engagement as an affiliate is by directly engaging . While creating and sharing content is key , engagement should be considered an equal partner to those efforts . Engagement is the easiest way to build a rapport . And while you won ’ t necessarily be able to engage with every member of your audience as you grow , the fact that you are making the effort and providing a personal extension of your content to the human side will not go unnoticed .
BUILD REACH WITH VIDEO
Video content is not only significantly more engaging than other media types , it is also largely prioritised in feeds across a variety of channels . Over the past few years , the spotlight has shifted from written content to graphics and now to video , both in short and long formats .
Naturally , the immediacy and ease of engagement with short-form video like that found on TikTok can be useful in building your audience , but as it grows , long-form will closely tie in to the value that you create for the audience that follows you along . That is why a key to the overall content strategy you implement needs to be thinking holistically . Everything needs to be intertwined in order to serve outsiders , new visitors and loyal patrons . Video clips and subscriber content are an excellent way to appeal to all three demographics .
KEEP PROMOTIONAL CONTENT SUBTLE
If your expectation is that flooding your fans ’ feeds and inboxes with promotional content will yield better results – a sort of ‘ quantity over quality ’ approach – you ’ ll be left sorely disappointed and will soon find both your audience size and engagement rates plummet . Promotional content certainly has a time and place , but when it comes to affiliates , it is surely not in short supply .
Think first about how your promotional content can tie in to the value-adding content you are creating , then build out from there . The promotions themselves should meld seamlessly with whatever thesis initially attracts the audience you are trying to engage . You might be surprised to find that in doing so , you build loyalty and trust and see your conversions increase without a need to dramatically increase your acquisition costs – but that is not to say there will not be acquisition costs .
BE WILLING TO SPEND
As the level of noise across media channels has increased , so too has the necessity to pay your way into the conversation . Of course I am not suggesting that organic content has no hope ; it does and it can be your greatest asset . But a willingness to invest in your growth by promoting the content that you feel will resonate best with your target audience can help accelerate the process . As your audience grows , so too should your understanding of its members . Take the time to analyse your audience ’ s tastes and preferences , and invest in promoting the content that most appeals to them and similar prospects .
If it were easy to find success as an affiliate , everyone would be doing it . The process of creating valuable content as well as cultivating and nurturing a growing audience takes time and attention . But if your goal is to build your affiliate business , these are steps that you need to consider at every turn . It will not be long before you see the fruits of these labours .
COREY PADVEEN is a partner at t2 Marketing International and the author of Marketing to Millennials for Dummies . He is also a contributing author to Digital Marketing All-in-One for Dummies .
40 • ISSUE 89 • Q1 2022