I'm a busy affiliate manager.

 

And I'm sure you are, too.

 

I'm always finding ways to optimize my time so I can maximize relationships and increase revenue.

 

That's why, outside of our affiliate platform, I also use a slew of other —mostly free! — software tools to integrate, manage, and track the success of our affiliate program.

 

And I want to share them with you today!

1. AirTable.com/Monday.com

If you're a client of ours you know I'm obsessed with AirTable.

AirTable can store information in a spreadsheet that's visually appealing and easy-to-use. It's also powerful enough to act as a CRM database for project planning and tracking inventory.

I use it to track new product launches, contact information for affiliates, and SOPs. Think of it as Google Sheets on steroids.

Both tools are free, but with a monthly fee you can receive more features and functionality. 

If you're into being CAN-SPAM and GDPR compliant (and you should be!) you need Optizmo in your arsenal.

 

Optizmo is the leading email compliance solution for advertisers, publishers, networks, and performance agencies.

 

I recommend using them for email suppression, email campaign management, data management, and risk mitigation services relative to email compliance.

 

We require all third party advertisers to download our Optizmo file. This ensures that anyone who has opt-ed out of our email advertising doesn't continue to receive it.

 

Basic accounts start at $100 per month. Pricing is based on the size or your suppression file(s). The $100 per month fee covers up to 100,000 records. After that, the monthly rate increases by $1 per 1,000 records.

 

Lashback is badass. It's an all-in-one compliance monitoring, brand protection, and competitive intelligence tool.

 

Lashback holds my affiliates accountable and discourages bad email practices. I'm able to see every dedicated, sponsorship, and text ad that's sent and can immediately identify spammy partners or partners that are not following our T&Cs.

 

They have four different product solutions (ComplianceMonitor, BrandAlert, ListMonitor, and Partner Intelligence). You can buy them separately or together. Pricing varies depending on the number of different solutions you need.

 

WhereGoes enables you to easily track the URL path of affiliates.

 

This will help you figure out the platform the product is on and the affiliate associated with the promotion. If you find an affiliate promoting a competitor's product, you can find the platform they are on and their ID.

 

I also use this to check for malicious redirects and to troubleshoot pixel tracking.

 

Bonus - it's free!

 

This free Neil Patel A/B statistical significance calculator has become my best friend.

 

I use it to track changes in offer copy or landing page format to see if they've beaten our control.

 

All you do is enter your visitor and conversion numbers and the calculator will tell you if a variation increased your sales, and by how much.

 

Then, I'm able to go back and tell affiliate partners that our offer is converting X% better after a split test!

 

When sending out emails to prospective affiliates, you are lucky if you get a 10% response rate. Follow up messages are key to successful recruitment campaigns.

 

When you don’t get a response, Boomerang will remind you to revisit that message and hit them up again.

 

Download the Chrome extension for Gmail our Outlook plugin now. 

 

Product launches and/or contests can be fun but can also be super stressful. Especially when you're trying to personalize messages for 50+ partners.

 

This is why I love using Mail Merge.

 

With Yet Another Mail Merge (YAMM) for GMail or Outlook's Mail Merge, you can send individualized emails. You can include different file attachments, schedule emails for sending later, and CC and BBC colleagues. But, most importantly, you can track opens, clicks, and bounced messages (whoo hoo!).

 

No more blanketed emails to partners!

The GMail extension is free and so is Outlook's Mail Merge (however you can purchase a more robust tool for more money). 

 

Beyond email marketing I use Voluum to track advertising campaigns on sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others.

 

You can analyze your data for patterns and other insights and get actionable advice to improve your next campaign.

 

Track your affiliate purchases and their origins. Find out who is having the biggest impact on your sales and capitalize on it!

 

You can get Voluum for as low as $588/year.

 

This tool allows you to record screen share videos, quickly make them live online and share the link public or privately.

 

I use the Loom free version for quick videos for affiliate and client FAQs. After your first 25 videos you'll have to pay for the Pro plan which is a whopping $8/month.

 

One of the worst things about my job is trying to nail down a time to meet with affiliates and clients. Especially if they're located halfway around the world.

 

Avoid the back and forth of trying to schedule a meeting by sharing your availability with Calendly. Connect your work and personal calendar and then decide when you want to take calls.

 

Calendly then shows only available spots and makes it easy for partners to schedule time on your calendar, which automatically shows up and notifies you.

 

This is another free product, but $8 a month will get you more functions.

 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of tools. These are just the ones that have worked best for me. 

 

What’s your favorite third party tool? Are there any important ones I’ve missed? 

 

We’d love to hear from you - email hello@affiliate-moguls.com!