2024 Holiday Guide: 10 Affiliate Marketing Tips for Q4

From the affiliate experts at New Engen, we bring you 10 best practices that every brand should champion as part of their affiliate marketing strategy for Q4.

1. Review your Q4 performance from 2023 (if you haven’t already, do it now).

Evaluate key metrics from 2023 and how they performed against your affiliate marketing goals. Then, audit your 2023 media plan to identify the best and worst performers (and any that landed in between). Finally, analyze past partners to determine those worth testing into and those worth expanding upon this Q4.

2. Secure placements early - and negotiate quarterly deals.

Here's a pro tip: be specific. Avoid costly upsells by coming to publishers prepared with historical evidence from last year’s strategy and pricing structure. And, if possible, align on a quarterly plan and lock it in early (ideally before October, so the clock is ticking). Instead of taking an a la carte approach, securing a quarterly deal can allow you to secure lower costs with publishers.

3. Engage and excite new affiliates.

It's the season of giving, after all. Embrace the holiday spirit by attracting new affiliates with samples and higher CPAs.

And don't forget to set your new partners up for success by providing them with all of the information they need to see results in Q4. Regularly communicate through direct email, newsletters, or other channels to keep affiliates updated on key moments, strategic guidance, and engagement opportunities.

4. Offer holiday bonuses.

Budget permitting, offer bonus payments to activate prospects and incentivize existing partners to drive further results.

5. Keep your creative mix up to date.

Use high quality imagery that highlights specific sales and promotes gifting. Champion an Approved Messaging approach by providing authorized copy and talking points for key moments and sales throughout the 2024 holiday season.

6. Go beyond Cyber Week.

Not only are there other “holidays” for shopping throughout Q4, but we know that during Cyber Week, share of voice is a hard game to win. Be sure to review performance, marketing calendars and the competitive space to identify high-opportunity dates (and capitalize on elevated media and exposure).

Jump to our list of key Q4 shopping dates at the bottom of the page.

7. Increase communication with publishers.

Increase your communication and touchpoints with publishers to expand your reach - but be mindful partners are receiving an influx of messaging this time of year, and your communication should be clear and succinct.

Here's another pro tip: utilize all of the tools in your arsenal. Highlighting, underlining, and bolding content in your messages is an easy way to convey the key things publishers need to know.

8. Create a backup plan if performance isn’t stacking up against your goals.

Don't panic if you don't meet your Black Friday goals. Cyber Monday is a relatively new holiday, but when it comes to e-commerce, it’s the star of the show. Most brands will save their best online promotions, inventory, and brand exposure efforts for this one day. Make sure it Cyber Monday a priority in your coverage plan and pull out all the stops to assure strong performance.

And, even if Cyber Monday is a bust, not all hope is lost. No matter how or why performance falls short during Cyber Week, there are always levers you can pull to drive additional performance before the holiday shopping season ends. And there are shoppers who will still be in the market and looking to cross items off their gift list.

Ideally, you'll have a preemptive backup plan in place. But if you don't, keep an eye out for discounted placements and publishers willing to negotiate rates. In the aftermath of Cyber Monday madness, affiliate teams can often find an opening to pivot their strategy toward new performance goals.

Finally, If performance falls short during Cyber Week despite placements and coverage, be sure to leverage those notes in your negotiations for further exposure and makegoods.

9. Create a post-holiday plan before December.

Before offices close and Santa scoots down the chimney, make sure your January plan is ironed out and ready to go for your advertisers. January is a key moment for both end-of-season sales and a shift to the “New Year, New Me” change in consumer behavior. Brands in the health and wellness space are especially well-positioned to hit the ground running on January 1st.

And even if your brand isn't active in January, be prepared for an influx of returns that can seriously affect net revenue and sales figures.

10. Conduct post-holiday outreach in the new year.

After a marathon of media planning, negotiating, budget management, endless communications and all of the other pieces that go into a successful Q4, it is always appreciated to connect with your publishers in the new year. Use this time to provide feedback on performance, share holiday insights, and to plan for the new year ahead.