WHAT DOES AN AFFILIATE MARKETING MANAGER DO?

Published: Nov 13, 2024 - The Affiliate Marketing Manager oversees affiliate and rewards programs to optimize ROI, develop strategies for customer acquisition and sales growth, and manage team and partner relations. New campaign initiatives and creative strategies are crafted to enhance program effectiveness and meet sales targets. Compliance, timely payments, and performance analytics are meticulously managed to ensure program integrity and profitability.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Affiliate Marketing Manager

1. Affiliate Marketing Manager Duties

  • Affiliate Recruitment: Recruit and activate new affiliate partners
  • Affiliate Management: Manage and optimize existing affiliate partners
  • Revenue Growth Strategy: Structure and incentivize affiliate revenue growth for best ROI
  • Campaign Optimization: Manage campaign optimization, creative design & performance reporting
  • Technical Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot platform pixels, UTM tags, and tracking
  • Revenue Management: Manage channel revenue and profitability
  • Performance Forecasting: Forecast and review daily, weekly, and monthly performance
  • Budget Management: Report on performance and manage budgets to meet business goals
  • Commission Validation: Manage monthly validations on affiliate commissions
  • Communication: Brief affiliates and send regular communications on promotions, product launches, etc.
  • Relationship Building: Build and maintain relationships with CB-owned affiliates for sustained growth
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with product and data teams for affiliate marketing and measurement
  • Compliance: Collaborate with legal teams to ensure program compliance
  • Creative Collaboration: Partner with creative teams to produce affiliate creative and copy
  • Industry Insight: Share knowledge on industry trends, competitor activity, innovations, and opportunities

2. Affiliate Marketing Manager Details

  • Program Leadership: Lead the affiliate and partner marketing program growth, strategy, and planning processes
  • Partner Relationship Management: Manage new and existing partner relationships through email, calls, or regular meetings
  • Affiliate Account Ownership: Own affiliate accounts and partner marketing-related tools, monitor program issues, performance, and opportunities
  • Payout Program Design: Design, build, and implement tiered affiliate payout programs, onboard new affiliates, and implement new promotions
  • Asset Management: Implement, maintain, and update affiliate assets (display ads and text links)
  • Affiliate Acquisition: Research, identify, and perform outreach in new affiliate acquisition
  • Marketing Strategy: Assist in research and recommendations for blogs, white papers, display advertising, and marketing programs
  • Program Terms Management: Create and update affiliate program terms of service
  • Budget Management: Manage monthly budgets, optimizing for revenue and efficiency goals
  • Performance Reporting: Maintain, update, and present performance reports, communicate key findings and areas of improvement
  • Campaign Tracking: Track campaign performance against key performance indicators, including order conversions, impressions, clicks, and CTR
  • Data Insights: Extract actionable insights from data for optimizing and scaling an existing affiliate program
  • Calendar Management: Maintain affiliate placement and exclusive offers calendar
  • Negotiation: Negotiate placements, commissions, and exclusives with partners

3. Affiliate Marketing Manager Responsibilities

  • Payment Management: Ensure payments to affiliates and other partners are on time and accurate
  • Order Reconciliation: Process and oversee order reconciliation/cancellations and action inquiries
  • Partnership Development: Work closely with the Director of Marketing and VP of Marketing to identify and cultivate new marketing partnerships
  • Brand Engagement: Engage with blogs and forums to keep conversation relevant and beneficial to brand identity
  • Expansion Strategy: Create a focused expansion strategy and execution plan, including partner recruitment and growth initiatives
  • Campaign Management: Work with stakeholders to ensure successful completion of campaigns
  • Industry Research: Continually research industry changes and developments, informing stakeholders of trends and recommending improvements
  • Opportunity Analysis: Analyze new opportunities, help develop strategy, and execute campaigns across digital marketing channels
  • Client Understanding: Maintain a good understanding of each client’s business, marketing objectives, and goals
  • Opportunity Identification: Proactively identify opportunities and generate ideas to help clients achieve objectives and goals
  • Relationship Building: Build strong relationships with affiliates, clients, and networks through high-standard reports and communication
  • External Partnership Management: Work alongside external partners to provide a seamless affiliate marketing experience
  • Support Materials: Support marketing and new business development teams with case studies, blog posts, and pitch materials

4. Affiliate Marketing Manager Job Summary

  • Strategy Ownership: Own the affiliate marketing strategy for the business to generate demand and acquire new customers
  • Affiliate Coordination: Coordinate and communicate with the affiliate network, ensuring affiliates are informed of seasonal launches, promotions, and campaigns
  • Budget Management: Manage the budget for the affiliate program in the UK, IE, and other global markets
  • Performance Strategy: Deliver data-driven performance strategy for the acquisition of B2C (and potentially B2B) audiences
  • Collaboration: Collaborate with internal teams to improve landing pages and overall marketing campaigns through the affiliate network
  • Optimization: Fulfill day-to-day optimizations, including A/B Tests, bid management, budgets, and spend reconciliation
  • Growth Opportunity Identification: Proactively identify and capitalize on growth opportunities by building new affiliate partnerships or optimizing existing ones
  • Creative Briefing: Write creative briefs and manage the process to ensure affiliates and partners have necessary assets on time
  • Campaign Optimization: Optimize and deliver affiliate campaigns to meet business objectives, both financially and strategically
  • Effectiveness Monitoring: Own and monitor campaign and channel effectiveness, regularly testing, evaluating, and optimizing campaigns
  • Vendor Management: Meet with vendors and partners regularly to ensure performance targets are met
  • KPI Measurement: Measure and share results on KPIs across the funnel
  • Sales Collaboration: Work with sales teams to drive upcoming campaigns and gather feedback on program performance
  • Digital Campaign Management: Manage large budgets and campaigns across digital channels to drive ROI and efficient CAC

5. Affiliate Marketing Manager Accountabilities

  • Program Management: Oversee the day-to-day management of affiliate and rewards programs to ensure maximum ROI is achieved
  • Affiliate Recruitment: Recruit and train new affiliates to maximize the quality and quantity of referral traffic
  • Reward Strategy: Develop reward incentives for consumers
  • Campaign Development: Initiate new campaign ideas, including incentivization and bonuses for the program
  • Sales Strategy: Develop affiliate marketing strategies that deliver specified sales volumes
  • Creative Management: Manage creative review and development
  • Performance Analysis: Analyze program and campaign activity to identify opportunities for improvement
  • Compliance Assurance: Ensure proper compliance with affiliate program rules and guidelines
  • Reporting: Deliver program performance reports to advertisers and senior management
  • Payment Management: Ensure that commissions and invoices are paid in a timely and accurate manner
  • Strategy Alignment: Develop and implement the affiliate marketing strategy, aligned with the company's overall objectives
  • Customer Acquisition: Drive new customer acquisition through affiliate channels, maintaining agreed CPA targets
  • Network Growth: Diversify and grow the affiliate network through ongoing new business development activities
  • Account Management: Proactively manage and optimize top-tier partner accounts, recording all relationship management activities
  • Team Leadership: Manage the Affiliate Marketing Executive, providing guidance and supporting development across the channel