Well known are the effects an incentive can have on an affiliate to start promoting, drive more sales, drive different sales and to make us favour the specific merchant over others!

Incentives can vary through out merchants in the UK, and I’d thought I’d mention some incentives both good and bad.

First, the Good

AffiliateFuture’s Barbados competition this year and the past 3 years has been one of the best incentives/competitions for UK affiliates that has ever been around (as far as im aware). The chance to win a trip to Barbados is such as great prize and thus I entered it, even set up a small travel site and I know many others did. The great thing with this incentive is that there were many ways to win, not just from delivering the most sales etc! I was lucky enough to win a place on the trip which I cannot wait for! There will be no need for tanning products when im away there i tell you that!

As you may have seen a few posts earlier I posted about All Up and On, and there little competition asking to review items on there site and which you would have for the prices of £50, £100 and £200! Now this is pretty innovative as it interests everyone! I blogged about it and won the stainless steel drinks party tub! Shall be great in the summer (if only I could fit it in my bag to barbados!) This is a cracking incentive and hope to see more of these!

Now, the bad

I’m not really going to name names (much) as I feel its a tad unfair to pick certain merchants out, but the merchants who don’t do any incentives always disheartens me! especially if I send them a fair amount of sales.  I know you will be rewarded in commission but an added incentive can really mean people send many many times more. A quick example a mobile phone merchant put me on tiers, from base rate of £35 for a particular offer, up to £50 when I hit 70 sales, I did 72 that month in comparison to the month before where I got about 20! massive incentive!

On the other hand Ive started to push sales for a gambling merchant on AF, at £60 a pop commission it isn’t too bad, and they have an incentive! great I hear you shout, well unfortunately in my eyes its a poor incentive. For 50 sales a month I get a bonus of …. £70 ! So for sending 50 players I only get the equivalent of  1.167 extra person’s signing up! Now I thought gambling merchants were nice and generous seeing as they make so much ! obviously not!

Anyway, whats key if your a merchant is …. have an incentive to win something or tiers to increase commission ! Us affiliates LOVE them !

P.s UK networks, take some tips from AffiliateFuture on incentives and competitions