Your affiliate program needs more publishers. Whether you’re just getting into the affiliate program game or you’re increasing the number of affiliates in your roster this year, it’s true – you do need publishers for your program. And not just any publishers. You need to find the ones who will best fit your brand, its message and style, its objectives, and goals.

There’s a lot that goes into finding the right content creators and influencers, and then bringing them into your affiliate program. Web publishers are online, just about everywhere. Social media pages, YouTube channels, e-commerce sites – creators and influencers have successfully partnered with brands and companies across virtually every industry to promote products and deals to their audiences. When looking for the right affiliate publishers for your program, you might consider a few key things, like:

– Your industry or niche – Where does your business or brand fall among the many industries, niches, and micro-niches that are out there? Are you promoting one product, or are you adding a new product line? How will each new publisher fit as a representative within your industry or niche community?

– Your target demographic – There are customers, and then there are ideal customers. Ideal customers are the ones who love what a brand or business does, identify with its mission, and have a loyalty to their favorites. These are the customers who will likely come back again and again, not to mention recommend you to people they know. A target demographic may be broken down by age, location, or many other specifics. Does each new affiliate publisher represent or appeal to your target demographic?   

– The publisher’s presence – and popularity – If you want to reach more people on a certain platform, make sure that the affiliate publishers you’re working with have a good presence on that platform. From the influencers with massive followings to the micro-influencers with a much smaller number of followers, there is an affiliate publisher for every preference.  

– The publisher’s personal brand – Since the affiliate publisher will act as the face or voice of your brand or company to their own audience, you will want to make sure that they reflect the image you’re going for. Check out the way the publisher presents themselves to their audience, the type of things they post about, and the other types of products or services they promote.

For marketers, the popularity of these online personalities has been a tremendous opportunity. Many publishers spend years growing loyal, often very engaged, audiences. These audiences – the people who view their posts, videos, and reviews regularly – can often relate to the publisher in some way and connect with their ideals or values on some level. They also admire and trust their opinions and recommendations. In short, the publisher’s opinion is important to each audience member. Being able to hear about a brand or product from the trusted voice of the publisher allows the audience to connect with brands and companies in a way that feels personal and organic. This sort of connection can spark interest, drive traffic, and increase sales in a very real way.  

Being able to connect with exactly the sort of publisher you’re looking for is now easier than it’s ever been. At Publisher Finders, we’ve created a tool that makes it simple to find the publishers you are looking for, and more easily reach out to them. See our affordable subscription rates or sign up now for a free 14-day trial and start finding the best publishers and influencers you need for your affiliate program.