Set Up and Launch Your Affiliate Program: Download the Checklist

Set Up and Launch Your Affiliate Program: Download the Checklist

Aya Hesham

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To accompany our guide on how to set up and launch an influencer affiliate program, we created this checklist to make the process easier. Simply follow the instructions in our guide and start ticking off these boxes with your team!

When you’re done, we would love to see your results and hear any feedback you have about our guide.

Step-By-Step Checklist for Setting Up Your Affiliate Program

Alignment of Goals and Expectations

Best done in an open discussion with your team.

  • Establish clear goals & expectations
  • Set the budget for building, maintaining, and running the program
  • Agree on timelines for launch, reaching out to influencers, making the first campaigns live, and expected month-to-month growth of the program

Research

  • Identify your target audience
  • Explore their search behaviors
  • Find relevant keywords
  • Find the ideal influencer types for your niche

Analyze

  • Choose the right affiliate partners based on their:
    • active social media channel
    • audience size and engagement
    • brand alignment
  • Create an outreach strategy for influencers and affiliates
  • Create a marketing strategy to promote your affiliate program

Build & Launch

  • Decide on affiliate commission structures and incentives
  • Choose and set up your affiliate management software
  • Outline an onboarding process
  • Design a compelling landing page for the affiliate program
  • Create marketing materials and establish brand guidelines
  • Conduct outreach and negotiate with potential affiliates
  • Onboard affiliates into your system

Program Management and Payment

  • Manage affiliate commissions and ensure timely payments
  • Maintain regular communication with affiliates
  • Provide ongoing support with fresh marketing materials and campaign ideas

This checklist contains the core action items to build a successful influencer affiliate program. The exact strategy and design are company-specific, so you should add your own action items after discussing with your team.

Download the checklist here!

Aya Hesham

Aya Hesham is the CEO of Vivian Agency and an expert in affiliate and influencer marketing, with a track record of building and scaling high-performing partnership programs for global brands. A regular contributor to the Vivian Agency blog, she also shares her knowledge on marketing podcasts such as The Affiliate Marketing Show, B2B Marketers on a Mission, and My Weekly Marketing, and hosts webinars with leading industry partners including UpPromote and Impact.

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