Review: Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants

Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants
by Frank Fiore and Shawn Collins
Que, 2001
344 pages, Trade Paperback
ISBN 0-7897-2525-8

If you're looking for an inexpensive guide to developing an affiliate program to promote your online products, then Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants is a good choice. In this comprehensive book the authors discuss the pay-for-performance model and explain the benefits of the affiliate model. In Part II they explain the nuts and bolts of developing a program -- designing the program, developing creatives, making decisions about commissions and payment policies, and promoting the program.

The authors explain how to recognize the four major types of affiliates -- the super affiliate, up-and-comers, onesies, and untouchables -- and how to acquire and nurture the super affiliate. The book includes a helpful sample affiliate agreement written in plain English (that's an accomplishment!). The chapter on "Tracking Your Affiliate Program" discusses the types of things that can be tracked and the choices in selecting a third-party solution provider, though the author's recommendations are pretty general here.

Part III discusses what's involved after you've got your program off the ground to communicate with, support, and motive your affiliate team. The book concludes with several appendices, including an affiliate marketing master plan, a list of affiliate directories, and a brief glossary of terms used in this field.

While this book may not explain every step in detail -- the programs and products that use affiliate programs vary a great deal -- you'll find it full of helpful advice on what to do and what to avoid. A great addition to the literature in this mushrooming field!

You may purchase Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants at a discount from Amazon.com through these links:
US: http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789725258/ref=nosim/wilsoninternetse
UK: http://amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789725258/732
DE: http://amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789725258/wilsonweb
FR: http://amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789725258/wilsoninternet
JP: http://amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789725258/