What Brands Look for in an Affiliate

The first step in any affiliate marketing campaign is for a Creator to get noticed and hired by a brand. But what are brands looking for beyond subscriber and follower numbers?

It can be helpful to think of the early stages of searching for a brand to work with as a job interview. You need to present certain qualities that show a brand they can trust you to advocate for their product or service. Getting to know the brand through research can certainly help you hone in on unique traits they are looking for, but for now, let’s focus on 5 core traits that are important to the majority of brands and will land you a gig. 

1. Marketing IQ

You don’t need a college degree in marketing but you should be able to show that you understand how to sell a product or service. If you have already participated in affiliate marketing campaigns, brands will look at your posts to determine what kind of marketing strategy you might be using for those campaigns. Brands will want to see that you know how to differentiate messaging based on what type of product or service you are representing and how you position the brand for your followers.

2. Social Media Savvy

Success rates in campaigns can vary from platform to platform. Affiliate marketing relies on solid word-of-mouth principles and brands will pay close attention to your social media presence on different platforms to see how you engage with your audience. They will be looking for a Creator who knows how to navigate social media channels fluidly and understands how to grow and maintain an audience. Brands take notice of Creators who use various types of content like tutorials, how-to’s, product reviews, or any posts that highlight products or services. If you can show you are a consistent and established presence in social media, brands will take notice.

3. Authentic Enthusiasm

Authenticity is crucial for any brand. They are trusting you to be a spokesperson for their product or service and want your marketing efforts to feel real. They are also looking for passion and enthusiasm when someone is talking about the brand’s offerings. Brands are more likely to trust you as an affiliate marketer if they can see a genuine approach that builds excitement among your followers.

4. Professionalism

Brands want to work with professionals. They want to see that you treat your personal brand like a business and that you have standards. This is important because they are trusting you as a representative, acting and speaking on their behalf. They want to be assured you will represent their standards and ideals, and ensure potential customers will have a positive experience.

5. Communication Skills

Part of presenting a professional image will depend on how you communicate with brands. Ask questions and offer feedback and insights at every stage of the campaign. If problems come up, have a positive attitude and offer solutions instead of negativity. Being a good communicator and a good listener is a great way to build trust with a brand and paves the way for work on future affiliate marketing campaigns.

Captiv8’s Creator Dashboard allows you to build a profile that makes you discoverable to brands. You can highlight interests, skills, or details about your background that will help brands get to know you as a Creator. The more information you provide, the easier it will be for brands to see you as a desirable candidate for their affiliate marketing campaigns.

About Captiv8

Captiv8 is the premier creator marketing platform that harnesses the power of AI to connect creators to their favorite brands and allows you to take ownership of your career. With a diverse suite of tools, the creator dashboard helps you construct a unique profile based on your social media background, interests, and past affiliate marketing experience to help you get discovered. Using the creator dashboard’s intuitive workflow, you can join campaigns, manage offers and deadlines, track payments, and streamline the brand approval process. Through the dashboard’s audience insights, you get all the metrics and data necessary to elevate your personal brand and maximize your earning potential.