Implementing automation, even on the digital front, can lead to tensions between cultures. Despite how much data we rely on in this sector, there is always a reluctance to lean on things like AI or machine learning other than a few “stable” areas of the tech stack. But marketers are not taking advantage of affiliate automation until they take a closer look at where it can help in every business area.
Affiliate marketing today can be very daunting – there are many outlets and an almost incalculable amount of data that we can use to slice and dice our audiences. We can test it all in real-time.
The basic routine of running an email campaign or understanding people coming to your website can be extremely complicated.
Automation can help affiliate marketers perform routine day-to-day activities at their simplest level so that real people can be free to spend time in other areas where AI hasn’t reached far yet – such as strategy.
People are good at seeing trends or gathering insight, but they are not good at managing data. That’s where AI can be of use.
Automation helps us streamline and optimize insights that can generate real value. Even more importantly, it will free marketers to concentrate on other matters that will drive their products and businesses forward.
In other words: you’re a busy mom, trying to prepare dinner. Do you prefer to pop something in the oven, knowing you can walk away and return to the finished meal in an hour? Or would you prefer to prepare something that you have to stir on the stovetop, with your full attention continuously? What would you do if you had an hour of your time back?
We all want to save time and invest it in something important instead of doing routine chores.
How does automation play out on the tech stack?
Automation will play a role in any digital marketing technology stack aspect. If anything, the most successful way to get automation into the pile is not to concentrate on a single feature but to take a holistic approach and think about where it can help.
The data layer is where most people initially gravitate, but affiliate marketing automation can play any layer all the way to innovation.
Think about how computers write many financial news stories and sports game recaps. There are already resources like affiliates that put this technology into the affiliate marketing realm.
It won’t be long before the next popular brand tweet is written not by a talented comedian but by an algorithm.
How to get started with AI and affiliate marketing?
AI is the future of affiliate marketing.
A few key areas to consider when adding more automation to the tech stack:
Do it all strategically.
You can’t figure out where to plug automation into your workflow without thinking of a broader plan. Start by looking at where automation can add value and describe what you’re looking for with automation in as clear terms as possible. Is it domain formation, subject line checking, or image selection? Where do you want to free up your resources?
Data is the key to affiliate marketing automation.
You can’t do digital marketing without a huge amount of data. One of the most useful places to add more automation to your workflow is to sort and categorize all the data and identify anomalies, edges, etc.
Automation will also help you find even a small number of customers with your site problems. For instance, if you want to follow up on an abandoned cart campaign, automation will help you isolate which of those customers represent high-value goals.
Flexibility problems
Flexibility should be incorporated into every automated campaign. Affiliate marketing automation doesn’t mean “set it and forget it,” marketers still need to track their ongoing campaigns and make changes and improvements along the way, when breaking news risks that make the messages appear tone-deaf or when things just don’t work.
It is vital to an affiliate marketing campaign’s long-term success to adapt, and automation will help introduce these changes rapidly. But versatility needs to be built to the right from the outset.
Multi-channel methods will capture much of the value.
Another area where automation can help free up time for marketers is the management of various platforms. Leveraging as many platforms as you can in your affiliate marketing automation activities is where campaigns can really demonstrate their efficacy. Coordinating various networks, such as email, SMS, and social channels, can be easily and efficiently achieved by automation.
What are the prospects?
The use of automation software is not without risks. Only a few things to bear in mind:
Overload of data.
The vast amount of data involved in digital marketing can be a bit of a double-edged sword. The beauty of affiliate marketing today is that we can do it on a large scale. The problem is we can do stuff on a large scale. That also makes it harder to get to grips with things that really matter.
Relying on old systems
Like other industries, inertia is a big adversary. Many marketers are simply unaware of the useful automation resources that are available to them and fall back on doing things the way they’ve always done.
You don’t have to use every tool, and you don’t have to bring automation to every part of your tech stack, but you should be aware of what’s out there and know what could bring value to your operations.
Don’t hesitate to take a test.
Marketing automation campaigns in affiliate marketing can rely heavily on content testing to take advantage of what automation offers. Check the frequency of communications, and the intervals between contacts, the various subject lines, the order in which the content is sent – all.
Affiliate Marketing Automation – Conclusion
To sum it up, digital marketers should not be afraid to accept automation completely. A strategic approach incorporating automation tools with clear value opportunities will offer new ideas while managing routine tasks, freeing the workers to do the work that matters.
Automation can help marketers perform routine day-to-day activities at their simplest so that imaginative people can be free to spend time in other areas, such as strategy. People are good at seeing trends and gleaning insight, but they are not good at managing data.
Automation will play a role in any digital marketing technology stack aspect. If anything, the most successful way to get the tech into the stack is not to concentrate on a single feature but to take a holistic approach and think about where it can help. Automation will also help you find even a small number of customers with your site problems. For example, if you want to follow up on an abandoned cart campaign, automation will help you isolate which of those customers can represent high-value goals.
Affiliate marketing automation strategies can rely heavily on content testing to take advantage of what technology offers. Check the frequency of communications, and the intervals between contacts, the various subject lines, the order in which the content is sent – all need to be checked.
Last Updated on August 29, 2021
