Virality Boost is the original influencer content syndication network, helping brands to increase visibility, spark interest, inspire action, and drive purchases at scale. They focus on crafting syndication strategies that cover the entire customer journey and aim to break barriers in influencer marketing that traditionally haven’t worked for advertisers. Their approach is researched for maximum viral impact and cross-platform actions, leveraging the natural customer journey to deliver incremental performance.

Q: Can you give us a high-level overview of Virality Boost?  

A: Virality Boost is a transparent influencer content syndication network, specializing in large-scale influencer campaigns. We deliver campaigns that impact the bottom line and help brands achieve larger business objectives with quality, category-relevant influencers and advanced social strategies that leverage social media algorithms to increase visibility and impact.

Q: What are the top ways you promote brands?  

A: We run 25, 50, to 100 or more influencers in a single campaign within a specific time window to drive virality — demand and awareness for the brand across two platforms, depending on brand — Facebook, X, Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok.

Q: What is the total reach of your audience?  

A: Over 30 million.

Q: Can you share some insights about your audience and demographics?  

A: They span 23 categories: both male and female influencers in lifestyle, web3, auto luxury, fashion, sports, travel, auto lifestyle, family, personal finances, kids under 10, kids over 10, and more!

Q: Which verticals perform the best with Virality Boost?  

A: It depends on the brand, but generally wellness, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, unique offerings and products, sports, watch TV, and more.

Q: Can you tell us about a successful campaign you ran in the last six months?  

A: SenseofSelf.Life – we’ll have a case study ready in a couple of weeks. See a sneak peek below.

Q: What’s something unique about Virality Boost?  

A: Each campaign is spearheaded by our influencer captains. These captains are experienced influencers themselves, representing various niches within the influencer community. We diligently test our strategies, placing a strong emphasis on achieving measurable results. 

Q: Any industry trends or insights to share with brands?  

A: In today’s rapidly shifting digital landscape, where third-party cookies are being phased out, brands must prioritize and refine their attribution strategies to make well-informed budgeting decisions. Google is enhancing its AI-driven ads and testing Google’s Circle on Android, all to master social media imagery. Amazon is not lagging behind, with its decisive move towards influencer collaborations and image search features. Meanwhile, Meta’s robust pixel technology continues to set a high benchmark.

For businesses focused on driving growth and seizing market share, understanding the customer’s journey across diverse channels and platforms, particularly social media, is critical. Brands must focus tirelessly on stimulating demand, elevating awareness, and nurturing purchase intent. Clear attribution allows companies to allocate their resources effectively, ensuring each touchpoint resonates with their audience and contributes to a coherent brand narrative that fosters business growth.

In short, investing in full funnel campaigns and solid attribution models is not just about adapting to the new cookie-less era — it’s a fundamental approach to sustainably capturing consumer interest and propelling your brand forward in a competitive marketplace.

TUNE customers who would like to work with Virality Boost can request an introduction directly via TUNE Network.

Questions? Click here to chat with one of our experts.

Paylode is a leading customer perks platform helping companies launch and manage perks programs without the burden and expense of building one in-house. Paylode is like having an entire partnerships team in your corner. They vet and pre-negotiate thousands of perks offers from top consumer brands, and provide easy, no-code tools to save companies massive amounts of time and overhead. Perks programs increase conversion rates, retention, engagement, and satisfaction, while also unlocking a new stream of revenue for your company. Read on to find out more about this TUNE Network Partner and how their perks platform could benefit your brand.

Q: Can you give us a high-level overview of your company?  

A: Paylode is a powerful perks platform driving customer action and retention. It’s the fastest way for companies to launch, manage, and monetize a customer perks program that rewards customers who engage.

Q: What are the top ways you promote brands?  

A: Brands are invited to apply to our marketplace and if accepted, they join 1,000+ other household names and local businesses. We then work with our clients to promote right-fit perks that are exactly what their audience wants and needs. Brands can be featured in our persistent perks centers, as well as in client-specific marketing campaigns.

Q: What is the total reach of Paylode’s audience?  

A: Our clients have a total of over 23 million users in the United States and Canada (with some of our audience in Australia, South Africa, Indonesia, and Portugal). Interestingly, nine out of 10 perk redemptions are from customers who start and end their journey within the Paylode perks center, indicating that perks customers are not coupon hunters but rather shoppers and browsers.

Q: Can you share some insights about your audience and demographics?  

A: We work with a wide range of companies, but the ones that get the most value from the system are the ones who have a lot of customers and want to give them reasons to take action — whether that’s to complete a purchase, sign up, or any other action that’s valuable to your company.

Q: Which verticals perform the best with Paylode?  

A: We focus on verticals such as insurance, residential real estate, travel & hospitality, fintech, utilities, membership apps, and e-commerce. Each of these niches come with their own audience and nuances of reaching them.

Food, travel, and home furnishings offers do well with Paylode perks customers. Users browse and search from hundreds of offers and select what’s right for them. We also match offers to campaigns, to gift customers the best deal on the web in exchange for their engagement.

Q: Can you tell us about a successful campaign you’ve run in the last six months?  

A: There’s no campaign too big or too small — there are infinite ways to use perks. One hospitality brand created a perks page specifically for pickleball tournament goers, adding another way to thank audience goers with a creative bundle of deals specifically for the pickleball fans.

We’re working on an upcoming movie launch with a themed perk center for the main character’s biggest fans. Collectibles, merchandise, and movie ticket deals all promote the movie.

And though it seems small, the most impactful way we help companies is by helping their customers save, both on things they need every day and in that current moment.

For example, our residential real estate clients create move-in bundles for new tenants that can help them save hundreds on moving costs like truck rentals and cleaners, making it a little easier to settle into a new place. Our insurance clients provide auto supply deals and discounts that help their policyholders save, showing them gratitude even when it’s not renewal time.

Q: What’s something unique about Paylode?  

A: “Every single company right now is figuring out how to retain their customers while driving down costs, especially in this economic environment,” said Leo Polovets, Founding Partner at Susa Ventures. “Paylode’s approach to perks programs not only addresses the rising challenges of customer acquisition costs but also provides a seamless solution for businesses to drive deeper engagement and unlock additional revenue streams.” 

Q: Any industry trends or insights to share with brands?  

A: We live in an incentive-driven economy. Customers expect rewards and personalization in 2024. Working with Paylode means taking your customer engagement program to the next level in terms of both. Paylode is building a product based on the core value of delivering measurable impact to companies for a fraction of the cost it would take to do it in-house.

Q: Why should brands want to work with your company?  

A: The magic is where we link together brands and customers at scale, and we’re adding new and better no-code features every day to enable any marketer to run a perks campaign. We have a team of 15 industry veterans and engineers building the platform, many with a decade or more experience in the partnerships, affiliate marketing, and rewards industry.

TUNE customers who are interested in working with Paylode can request an introduction directly in the platform via TUNE Network. Questions? Click here to chat with one of our experts.

DontPayFull is a technology company operating a global coupon website, providing online shoppers with coupons and discount offers for over 30,000 stores and brands. In addition to its website, DontPayFull offers two complementary products: Amazon Discount Finder, a tool that allows consumers to find coupons and discount offers directly from the Amazon website; and DontPayFull Automatic Coupons, a browser extension that automatically finds and applies coupon codes at checkout. Read on to discover more about this TUNE Network Partner and how they could benefit your business.

Q: Can you give us a high-level overview of DontPayFull?  

A: For more than 12 years, DontPayFull has been one of the leading online platforms in the coupons industry space, a beacon for smart shoppers seeking to optimize their online purchases. We provide an extensive range of coupons, discount codes, and promotional offers spanning a multitude of retailers worldwide. Our primary goal is to enhance the online shopping experience for consumers, enabling them to secure the very best deals and manage their budgets efficiently. To this end, we’ve crafted a user-friendly interface and offer dedicated customer service, ensuring a seamless, rewarding experience for all savvy shoppers looking to further stretch their dollars.

Q: What are the top ways you promote brands?  

A: At DontPayFull, we truly believe in the power of collaboration and the potential it has to unlock unimaginable possibilities. We have positioned ourselves as a bridge connecting millions of shoppers with thousands of brands worldwide, facilitating a vibrant marketplace that is characterized by mutual benefits and growth.

Our story revolves around creating value for both consumers and brands. For consumers, we offer an opportunity to save more with exclusive coupons, while for brands, we provide an expansive platform that heightens visibility and boosts engagement.

We deploy a variety of strategic methods to achieve this. At the forefront, we harness the power of exclusive coupons, shared across entire carefully selected store categories, capturing a wide audience rather than only targeting those looking for specific brands. Organic traffic monetization is a significant part of our strategy, where our constant search engine optimization efforts attract a large audience seeking deals and coupons, and direct this traffic towards the brands we promote.

We nurture a committed team that’s focused on performance. Our team members invest their time and passion to augment the growth of the brands we work with, by carefully crafting experiments, analyzing data and continuously optimizing the storefronts. Their efforts ensure that every brand we promote gets the best possible exposure and reach.

Last but not least, we also capitalize on content marketing via our compelling blog section, generating high engagement and conversion rates by featuring appealing offers during peak events as per our defined shopping calendar.

Q: What is the total reach of your audience?  

A: At the moment, the total reach of our audience is 20 million unique visitors last year, 366,000 social media subscribers, and 480,000 email subscribers. On average, we have over 1.2 million unique users and more than 1.5 million sessions every month, with significantly increased traffic during the months of November and December. This exposes our more than 15,000 partners to 100% organic traffic.

Our year-on-year steady growth and strong organic reach stand proof of the trust and loyalty of our audience, which is a key factor to our continued success.

Q: Which verticals perform the best with DontPayFull?  

A: In alphabetic order, our most visited and best performing categories are: Accessories, Beauty, Business & Services, Clothing, Electronics, Health, and Home & Garden.

Q: Can you tell us about a successful campaign you ran in the last six months?  

A: We can certainly share some insights about one of our most successful campaigns in the last six months. It’s quite a noteworthy one, because it is in the financial industry category, a sector that isn’t typically a top performer for a coupon aggregator website like ours. We’ve partnered with a financial institution on their financial education offering, and we’ve managed to generate an impressive sales growth of over 350% during the period by strategically placing the brand’s most appealing offers inside our specially tailored categories and optimizing their storefront sections to coincide with the peak shopping season. We shifted the extra need for material resources of our audience towards a more financial conscious mentality during the yearly spending spree. This approach allowed us to connect the right brand with the right audience at the right time. As a result, we saw a significant uptick in engagement and conversion rates of financial education products, reaffirming our beliefs in the power of optimized strategic content marketing, enabling them to collect more than $450,000 in revenue in January 2024 alone.

We believe this success can mainly be attributed to our team’s ability to understand, adapt and innovate. They have demonstrated a remarkable ability to swiftly identify the trend, adjust our system to it and comprehend industries that are not typically considered mainstream in the coupon aggregation domain.

This campaign has been a learning experience for us. We are excited about this growth, and we are looking forward to leveraging these learnings to launch even more successful campaigns in the future.

Q: What’s something unique about DontPayFull?  

A: One aspect of DontPayFull we consider unique in this landscape is our emphasis on win-win partnerships. We constantly and consistently prioritize the needs and feedback of our main stakeholders — the platform users and our partners. By attentively listening to their requirements via our dedicated customer service channels, we are able to curate innovative solutions that meet their needs. At our core, we are a technology company, driven by a mission to save our users time and money. This sets us apart as not only a platform for securing the best online deals but also a progressive tech entity that uses innovative strategies for the benefits of our users and partners. 

Q: Any industry trends or insights to share with brands?  

A: A key insight in the current landscape is that consumers are becoming increasingly savvy and selective in their online shopping behaviors. They don’t merely seek discounts, but also value a seamless end-to-end user experience with a significant trend around exclusivity. Consumers are showing an increased preference for unique, exclusive deals, and coupons tailored to their shopping habits. Brands seeking a competitive edge should consider this shift in consumer behavior when developing discount strategies. It’s clear that deals and coupons that feel exclusive to the consumer are influential in shaping their purchasing decisions. As a platform, our goal is to stay ahead of these trends and use our insights to serve our users better and provide an effective platform for our partners.

TUNE customers who are interested in working with DontPayFull can request an introduction by navigating to the TUNE Network section of the platform. Questions? Click here to chat with one of our experts.

This isn’t your parents’ influencer marketing.

Say goodbye to flat fees and sponsored posts. Today’s top influencers are low-risk, results-driven partners who work closely with brands to promote the products and services that resonate with their highly engaged audiences.

Adding influencers to your affiliate marketing program can increase revenue and prove affiliate ROI — if you know what you’re doing. The Influencer-Affiliate Blueprint is your guide to making it happen.

Download the Influencer-Affiliate Blueprint

Knowing influencers and creators are a partner group unlike any other, TUNE teamed up with powerhouse growth agency Zeroto1 to develop an instructional e-book that doesn’t pull any punches. In it, you’ll read up on how influencer marketing really works, why and how it’s different from traditional affiliate marketing, and the steps you can follow to recruit and empower influencers in your program.

You’ll also learn from real-life use cases, including Zeroto1’s insanely successful launch and subsequent growth of the Instacart Tastemakers affiliate program. (Yes, they’re behind that Tastemakers, with TUNE technology driving the program.)

We don’t sugarcoat the tough stuff — like the fact that you’ll need to give up some control to get quality creative content. Or that no matter how hot your product is or how high your commissions are, some influencers just won’t want to work with your brand. What we do is provide you with insightful, actionable information to put you on the path to successful influencer-affiliate partnerships.

What Is Influencer-Affiliate Marketing?

There was a time when the term “influencer marketing” meant shelling out big bucks for celebrity sponsored posts; focusing on brand awareness and virality versus measurable conversions and KPIs; buying followers instead of engaging with them.

Not anymore.

Instead, today’s creators and influencers run the gamut from social media stars to niche role models. They have built up highly-engaged communities and loyal followings, with a deep understanding of what resonates and what feels inauthentic. They count on their audience for a living, so when they promote a product or a service, they’re confident it’s a fit.

This is why creators and influencers are embracing the performance-based model that is the foundation of affiliate marketing, resulting in a hybrid model: influencer-affiliate.

Why Are Brands Embracing Influencer-Affiliate?

As more influencers are making the change to a performance basis, more brands are embracing influencers.

Here’s why.

Most traditional publishers — in other words, your favorite websites and platforms — thrive on advertisers and networks. Their bottom line is tied to impressions, engagement, and clicks. This has led to many of them prioritizing these metrics over user experience.

As a result, across the digital ecosystem, the perception of engagement has become more important than actual engagement and quality user experiences. You can see it for yourself by searching on your laptop or smartphone for a topic you’re interested in. Increasingly, all that gets you is a confusing jumble of results, ads, and AI-generated answers to questions you haven’t asked, or links that lead to broken interfaces and frustrating interactions.

Brands, consequently, are moving away from platforms with shallow engagement and vanity metrics, following their target audience. People want authenticity and trustworthiness, communities where they feel engaged and accepted.

Influencer-affiliates are a bridge to these communities. They help brands build connections to them without the corporate side — the advertising ick — of marketing getting in the way.

Get Started with the Influencer-Affiliate Blueprint

Over the next few months, we’ll be exploring key chapters from the Influencer-Affiliate Blueprint here on the TUNE Blog. Check back often so you don’t miss out.

While we’ve barely scratched the surface of influencer-affiliate programs, you don’t have to wait for the rest of the blog series to come out. Download the full e-book now to discover:

• the four steps to success in influencer-affiliate marketing
• what makes influencers and creators different from traditional affiliates
• how to find and engage the right influencers for your brand
• the technology and teams you’ll need to get started
• real examples and use cases from everyday brands

The most successful influencers connect with their audiences through authenticity, honesty, and winning personalities. We hope to do the same.

Enjoy!

Download the Influencer-Affiliate Blueprint

I have a confession to make: Prior to the pandemic, I always dreaded trade shows.

When you’ve been in the affiliate marketing and partnerships space for as long as I have, you’ve most likely attended more trade shows than you can remember. You may recall the slow procession of conservative business professionals dressed in two-button blazers, tucked shirts, armed with tote bags full of tchotchkes and collateral from every single booth on the exhibition floor. A person would be seated at the table with either a big cheesy smile, or an incredibly bored look on their face. They didn’t quite understand the nature of their company’s business and couldn’t answer any questions. Instead, they gave you the business card of an absent VP or Director who might be able to assist you if you sent an email to the address listed in small print.  

On the positive side, I was always thrilled to spend time with my longtime peers and colleagues across the industry. I also enjoyed meeting new people and making positive connections. There were some moments requiring me to have unpleasant conversations with partners who didn’t exactly play fair, but those were relatively small in number and usually settled with an apology, handshake, and a check to make things right.  

Fast forward to Affiliate Summit Las Vegas, when shows cautiously resumed in November 2021. I didn’t care if the venues or crowds were smaller, nor did I mind all of the extra safety mask requirements and social distancing protocols. I was just so incredibly grateful to see familiar names and faces of everyone who survived the horrible ordeal we’d all gone through. 

I’ve enjoyed every show I’ve attended since that time. I’m still riding the wave of excitement following TUNE’s attendance at Affiliate Summit East 2023, which was also followed by the announcement of the brand new TUNE Network, which you can read about on our website. I also dig the fresh energy and style of the “new” business professionals, complete with tattoos, colored hair, and rad piercing jewelry.

Now more than ever, I see the increasing value and continuous need for trade shows. If you still need convincing, though, here are my top reasons why you should attend affiliate and partnerships trade shows. 

1). Catch Up on New Trends and Technology 

Trade shows provide SaaS developers and marketing experts with an open forum to unveil new products and solutions, helping big chain retailers and scrappy startups alike expand their knowledge and partner relations through a combination of innovative technology and affiliate marketing strategies. These new developments may include the use of ChatGPT and other tools powered by artificial intelligence.

Some publications are expecting the market value of the affiliate marketing platform industry to reach $36.9 billion dollars by the year 2030. If those projections are true, now is the is the time best time to take advantage of networking events and collaborative spaces requiring time and hands-on learning activities beyond a time-restricted video conference call.  

2). In-Person Meetings Improve Communication

In this modern age of mobile phones and remote workplaces, opportunities to physically meet prospective clients and partners aren’t always available. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet have transformed coffeehouses and apartments into virtual offices. With a strong Wi-Fi connection, built-in device camera, digital background, and a reliable pair of noise-cancelling headphones, any place can be transformed into “the office.”

While these tools are convenient for managing routine daily tasks, the necessary follow-up can be a bit of a challenge due to environmental distractions, unplanned emergencies, or home equipment malfunctions. Nothing is worse than losing internet connection or having a frozen screen during a platform pitch or product demonstration with a big prospect. Instead of apologies and proposals to reschedule the call, meeting in person can get us to the finish line a little bit faster. 

It’s also worth mentioning the frequency of the common occurrence of regular contacts leaving companies or changing job roles. You may you see an announcement on LinkedIn, but most of the time, seeing them at an industry event with new company and team solves the mystery of why your last six emails went unanswered.  

3). The Old-School Practices Still Work 

Technology and innovation underscore the affiliate marketing industry without question, but people still pull the levers and push the button. Scheduling apps, QR code scanners, and text messages may save time with calendar organization and meeting requests, but none of those work without the name and contact information for the person(s) involved in the decision-making process. That’s why physical business cards, notepads, and ink pens remain the quintessential tools of the trade. They are an absolute must-have at every Meet Market table and exhibit booth, and it is considered a rookie move by industry veterans for anyone to show up at a networking event without them.  

Why, you ask?  

• People lose, forget, or replace their phones. 
• Batteries die at the most inopportune moments. 
• No immediate access to a charger or wall outlet. 
• Business cards, paper, and pens ensure the accuracy of notes and those involved in the conversation.  
• Post-show action items, including CRM pipeline and sales cycles, can be tracked and closed with more efficiency.  

4). Party Like an Affiliate Rockstar 

Affiliate social events are legendary. Industry veterans and bright-eyed newbies love to attend award shows, exclusive parties, and the Affiliate Ball, which always features celebrity music artists and entertainers. Executive leaders, agency partners, affiliate managers, and publishers patiently wait in long lines outside of clubs filled to maximum occupancy. Many understand the crucial timing of arriving early enough to beat the crowd, but also staying late enough to be invited to the afterparties for a last chance to hang out with key stakeholders and decision-makers. Go big or go home, right? 

Just remember, people do business with those they like. Attending first-class, invitation-only events like TUNE’s rooftop lounge happy hour, which was co-hosted with entertainment media publishing giant Penske Media Corporation (Rolling Stone Magazine, Billboard, and Variety) and our trusted agency partner Klay Media, can certainly make an impression.   

5). Stay Top-of-Mind with Decision-Makers 

By the end of the second day, the shows begin to resemble a ghost town. If you spent your time wisely and took advantage of every opportunity to remain top-of-mind with peers, colleagues, and decision-makers, congratulations! The hard part is over, and the journey home begins.

In my opinion, it is always good practice to allow at least 72 hours after the show closes before sending follow-up emails. Some people may still be traveling or need extra time to organize their notes before continuing the conversation regarding next steps. It may be a good idea to use the time to update your own CRM data and pipeline with expected closing opportunities. With proper organization and detailed planning, you can get those deals over the finish line, although there may be some unavoidable delays. 

I hope you’ll consider these benefits and tips. If so, perhaps I’ll see you at the next affiliate trade show! 

Sheridan Marketing & Consulting is a boutique partner agency helping brands grow through active affiliate management and facilitating relationships with an eclectic group of top-notch publishers. Read along as owner and founder Devin Sheridan shares the details about his new company.

Q: Can you give us a high-level overview of Sheridan Marketing & Consulting?  

A: After 10 years in the affiliate and partner marketing space I recently decided to launch my own agency. My goal with Sheridan Marketing & Consulting is to continue doing what I do best — connecting advertisers and publishers and fostering meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships. We match our approach to our clients, pride ourselves on white glove service and building long-term, lasting relationships. 

Q: What are the top ways you promote brands?  

A: We believe that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to brand promotion. We pride ourselves on tailoring our promotional methods to complement a brand’s existing marketing channels, ensuring incremental growth. We work with highly curated partners across the marketing spectrum including programmatic display, rewarded traffic, email marketing, curated content creation, card linking, affinity marketing, CTV, retargeting/on-page abandonment, and more. 

Q: What is the total reach of your audience?  

A: While the specific number can vary depending on the project, our extensive network of publishers and partners allows us to tap into an audience of millions across various platforms and verticals. 

Q: Which verticals perform the best with your company?  

A: While we love working with clients across many verticals, we have the most experience in lifestyle products and apps, health and wellness, insurance, and B2B.

Q: Can you tell us about a successful campaign you’ve run in the last six months?  

A: We are a new agency — just launched in August — but already we have helped drive over 5,000 sign-ups for a large membership organization’s rewards program and helped a health food brand drive over 2,000 sign ups for their recipe newsletter. 

Q: What’s something unique about Sheridan Marketing & Consulting?  

A: What truly sets Sheridan Marketing & Consulting apart is our dedication to fostering authentic, meaningful partnerships. Our goal is to cultivate relationships that are both profitable and sustainable, ensuring long-term success for both advertisers and publishers. 

Q: Any industry trends or insights to share with brands?  

A: One noticeable trend is the diversification of affiliate marketing channels. Gone are the days when affiliate marketing solely revolved around blogs and coupon sites. More and more brands are expanding their affiliate strategies to include partnerships with content creators, CTV/OTT, podcasts, and on-page optimization partners. This diversification allows brands to reach audiences in more organic and authentic ways, leading to increased trust and stronger customer relationships.

TUNE customers can request an introduction to Sheridan Marketing & Consulting directly in the TUNE platform.

Reviewed, part of the USA TODAY Network, is a team of product experts (geeks, in truth) who put in the hard work of testing products so you don’t have to. We are pleased to welcome them into the TUNE Network. Keep reading to learn more about this popular publisher.

Q: Can you give us a high-level overview of Reviewed?  

A: We help people find the best stuff and love the stuff they already have. As for our requirements, we require 8,000-10,000 monthly searches for the brand’s keywords and editorial approval on all new partnerships. In conjunction with this, we also don’t cover B2B solutions, finance, CBD, gambling, crypto, sex toys, and health science-related brands. 

Q: What are the top ways you promote brands?  

A: Deals, consumer ed pieces, gift guides, listicles, featured articles, and paid and social boosting. 

Q: What is the total reach of your audience?  

A: 145 million monthly uniques. 

Q: Which verticals perform the best with Reviewed?  

A: Home, lifestyle, tech, sleep, and appliances.

Q: Can you tell us about a successful campaign you’ve run in the last six months?  

A: For a shoe brand in 2022: $12,000 in revenue, and after expanding their SOV (share of voice) in 2023, this resulted in $56,000 in revenue. 

Q: What’s something unique about Reviewed?  

A: Reviewed is an unbiased review site, not incentivized by financial incentives. 

Q: Any industry trends or insights to share with brands?  

A: Luxury jewelry brands are performing extremely well, and we are currently one of the leading publishers in the space for accessibility with a growth of 100% compared to last year. We defined accessibility as any products that would aid someone with a disability.

TUNE customers who are interested in working with Reviewed can request an introduction directly in the TUNE platform.

Questions? Click here to chat with one of our experts.

Every year, it seems like a new kind of influencer is having a moment. Celebrities, bloggers, micro-influencers, Twitch streamers, TikTok stars; they’ve all had their time in the spotlight. Is this year any different? With the fallout from COVID-19 forcing the global economy into greater uncertainty, digital communities have an important role to play as individuals look for answers, inspiration, and support.  

Trying to navigate the economic impact of the last two years will be a challenge for many businesses in the months ahead. Brands that are looking for the right mix of insight and empathy to reach consumers in these uncertain times may want to explore partnering with influencer communities. Here’s how to get started, from the basics of who influencers are to the best ways to meet and work with them.      

What is an influencer community? 

Influencers are members of self-selected social groups who have the trust and respect of their peers — their communities. They come from all walks of life, and build their followings through shared passions and authentic connections. They are not celebrities — at least, not in the traditional sense. Often, they’re not even professional marketers.  

Instead, these influencers are brand fans, knowledgeable product users, and role models within niche communities across social media. Most importantly, influencers with dedicated communities are powerful advocates for the brands and products they love.  

Scott Ginsberg, vice president of client development at BrandCycle, an influencer affiliate network, explains:  

For influencer communities, authenticity is paramount. It is the social capital that builds and maintains the bond these influencers have with their followers, and it can’t be faked. This is especially important in the era of COVID-19 and social distancing. Since 2020, more people than ever before have turned to the digital ecosystem for their everyday needs, searching for authentic connections to replace the human contact they miss. 

Brands may find these influencers to be a windfall in the current economy, but there’s a caveat — companies have to be willing to put in the work to drive organic growth, too. Above all, brands must allow these influencers to stay true to themselves and their followers.  

Where influencer communities shine 

What verticals and product categories are influencer communities good for? 

It sounds like a cop out, but almost all of them. Any direct-to-consumer brand that has an online presence and an engaged customer base should be able to find influencers with communities that fit their marketing needs.  

Take financial services company Topstep, for example. Topstep provides an online platform for training and trading in the forex and futures markets. They target a very specific audience in a very narrow field. So, Topstep turned to the futures and forex trading education community. There, the company enlisted the help of educators to introduce new traders to the Topstep platform.  

The world is full of diverse, passionate people who advocate on behalf of brands for free every day. For marketers, it’s solely a question of finding them.  

What are the platforms that these influencers use? 

Again, almost all of them. Instagram and Facebook remain the top platforms of choice for influencers, but TikTok is quickly catching up. Yet different communities use different channels. It really depends on where your customers are.  

• Instagram 
• Facebook 
• TikTok 
• Twitch 
• YouTube 
• Snapchat 
• Twitter 
• Reddit 
• Pinterest 

What marketing goals can influencer communities help to achieve? 

Today’s consumers don’t want to be sold to; they want to be engaged with.  

Influencers excel at engagement. They build organic relationships with their followers by replying to comments, participating in discussions, and sharing user-generated-content — interactions outside of the sales funnel. When the conversation turns to a brand or a product, consumers feel less like they’re being sold to, and more like they’re getting a recommendation from a friend. 

• Sales 
• Lead generation 
• Cross-sells 

Working with Influencer Communities

It can be easy to forget that behind all the images and posts, influencers are just regular people. Influencer marketing is often a part-time job or a side gig for them; they may be juggling multiple jobs and projects at any given time. Understanding their struggles and motivations, especially in these unprecedented times, will help you work more effectively with them.  

Some of the most common hurdles for influencers:  

1. Getting started and building scale 
2. Finding enough time to create quality content and manage administrative tasks 
3. Maintaining work/life balance and splitting focus between engaging with their communities and being with their families 
4. Communicating their unique value proposition to brands, and avoiding being lumped into a generic “promotional category”  

Tips for marketers working with influencers: 

1. Allow freedom of expression in influencer promotions and user-generated content (UGC) 
2. Be open to creative payment models (such as free product in lieu of commission) 
3. Consider shorter pay windows or higher commission rates to help minimize the upfront risks for new partners 
4. Communicate often — too much communication is always preferable to too little 
5. Use an unbiased tracking platform to track conversions when possible, and use promo codes (clickless tracking) for everything else 
6. Scale your program by using a network, such as BrandCycle or CLOUTA 

Influencers and Partner Marketing 

Will more brands embrace influencers this year? How will the economy change how businesses and influencers engage with their audiences? Only time will tell.

When you’re ready to get started, download our Influencer-Affiliate Blueprint: Building High-ROI Creator Communities. Created in partnership with growth agency ZeroTo1, this e-book covers everything brands need to know to successfully add influencers to their affiliate program, increase revenue, and prove affiliate ROI.

This article was originally published on PerformanceIn.com in April 2020 and has been updated with new information and insights.  

June’s featured partner Perform^[cb] is a leader in the outcome-based marketing industry. Their mission to “Think Bigger” and a streak of exponential organic growth allowed the company to make several strategic acquisitions over the years. Today, they provide marketers and publishers with the unique solutions their businesses need to succeed. Read on to find out how they could help your brand grow today and into the future!  

Q: Can you give us a high-level overview of Perform^[cb]?  

A: Founded in 2002, Perform^[cb] is a 7X winner of best in class in the outcome-based marketing industry, offering a comprehensive range of services through our Outcome Engine and affiliate program management. Enabled by proprietary, patented technology that seamlessly integrates with TUNE, Perform^[cb] allows marketers to optimize customer acquisition and maximize return on ad spend (ROAS) by only paying for tangible, high-quality customer outcomes. 

We work with brands such as Walmart, LendingTree, FanDuel, Robinhood, Capital One Shopping, and Hungryroot to grow their customer base and lifetime value at scale.

Q: What are the top ways you promote brands?  

A: Our extensive ad inventory gives marketers access to major and emerging digital channels, such as mobile, search, contextual, display, and pay-per-call (just to name a few), ensuring broad customer reach across the entire buyer journey. We provide brands with flexible payment models tailored to their specific objectives, including CPA, CPL, CPI, CPE, and CPC. 

Q: What is the total reach of your audience?  

A: We work with a diverse range of clients, spanning small businesses, mid-sized companies, and enterprise brands across various industries and niches. With our versatile solutions, we cater to the unique growth needs of each brand, whether it’s providing strategic support for individual campaigns or full-funnel affiliate program management. 

Q: Which verticals perform the best with Perform^[cb]?  

A: Our team has extensive experience scaling and optimizing campaigns across a diverse set of key verticals, including but not limited to:

• Downloads and Security Software 
• Entertainment, Streaming, and Lifestyle 
• Finance and Fintech 
• Beauty, Health, and Wellness 
• Electronics and Gaming 
• Apparel and Accessories 
• Subscription Services 
• Grocery and Alcohol Delivery 

Q: Can you tell us about a successful campaign you’ve run in the last six months?  

A: A popular finance marketer seeking to acquire qualified consumers through valuable, long-term partnerships turned to Perform^[cb]‘s Outcome Engine team for assistance. We established a strong foundation with the fintech marketer, emphasizing compliance transparency, open communication, data-driven feedback, and strategic optimizations. Through collaborative A/B testing of landing pages, product bundles, pricing, payouts, and sub-ID tracking, we leveraged insights to optimize performance across top channels. Our recruitment of high-quality partners and streamlined creative reviews by our in-house compliance team further expedited the campaign launch process.  

The campaign surpassed its consumer enrollment goal, achieving a remarkable 74% increase in enrollments during the first quarter. The success continued, with an impressive 355% increase in revenue and a 274% increase in enrollments year-over-year. 

Check out the full case study here!

Q: What’s something unique about Perform^[cb]?  

A: Our commitment to delivering impressive ROI, developing cutting-edge technology, and fostering a vibrant culture sets us apart. One of our standout features is our Outcome Engine, a world-leading full-funnel digital customer generation tool kit. Powered by our patented customer acquisition platform (CAP), the Outcome Engine revolutionizes growth by integrating AI technology, expert services, and a curated partner marketplace.  

Our CAP secures all campaigns with 24/7 compliance and the anti-fraud software, PerformSHIELD. This powerful tool proactively and continuously protects brands from suspicious activity, providing them with peace of mind and maintaining their brand integrity. 

Q: Any industry trends or insights to share with brands?  

A: The future of outcome-based marketing is likely to be shaped by several key factors. Technological advancements and data analytics will be pivotal. The ability to gather and analyze vast amounts of data empowers marketers to make informed decisions, optimize campaigns, and deliver personalized experiences to targeted audiences. The impact of AI and machine learning technologies is already profound as we’re seeing within our own platform capabilities, facilitating efficient targeting, automation, and performance optimization. 

We have also witnessed a rise in influencer partnerships, emphasis on transparency and compliance, focus on personalization and segmentation, and diversification of programs with niche partners. These trends provide valuable insights for brands seeking to optimize their strategies and succeed in a dynamic marketplace. 

At Perform^[cb], we remain committed to ongoing investment in research and development, staying ahead of industry trends, and adapting strategies to meet our clients’ evolving needs.

TUNE customers who would like to work with Perform^[cb] can request an introduction directly through the TUNE platform by navigating to the Media Partners tab.

Questions? Click here to chat with one of our experts.

In addition to being a valuable source of high-quality media partners, TUNE Connect is also a fantastic resource for clients seeking top agency recommendations and managed services. On that note, we are pleased to welcome our newest agency partner, ZeroTo1 to TUNE’s partner ecosystem. With brands such as Instacart, ClickUp, and Lime Crime on their roster, we’re excited to have them on board!

Q: Can you give us a high-level overview of ZeroTo1?  

A: ZeroTo1 is a full-service growth, creative, and influencer agency for high-growth technology and ecommerce brands. We grow brands by building community, best-in-class UGC ad creative, and performance-based marketing tactics.

We work with brands like Instacart.com, Huel.com, Cometeer.com, Basecamp.com, Melin.com, HelloLanding.com, Therabody.com, GelBlaster.com, ClickUp.com, LimeCrime.com and more.

Q: What are the top ways you promote brands?  

A: We partner with top-tier brands to build influencer (creator) affiliate communities that support acquisition, creative, and lifecycle efforts. We also launch and manage profitable affiliate marketing programs through our strong relationships with top publishers and platforms, and create high-quality UGC and video ads for Meta and TikTok. 

Q: What is the total reach of your audience?  

A: ZeroTo1 helps leading brands target, reach and engage millions of consumers through direct partner channels and social media platforms, including Meta, TikTok, and more. Our agency develops marketing partnerships among the Fortune 500, providing access to premium partner channels, strategic integrations, personalized offers, and prescriptive targeting. 

Q: Which verticals perform the best with ZeroTo1?  

A: Top verticals:

• Health & Wellness
• Tech, Apps, and Consumer Services
• Food & Beverage
• Outdoor and Sports
• Electronic & Games
• Apparel & Accessories
• B2B & B2C Marketplaces

Q: Can you tell us about a successful campaign you’ve run in the last six months?  

A: ZeroTo1 and Instacart developed a set of creator-specific tools and workflows (with the help of TUNE) that allow recipe publishers and content creators, “influencer (creator) affiliates,” to make their recipes instantly shoppable from their chosen platforms.

• For influencer (creator) affiliates: they’re given tools and affiliate links to help monetize the recipe and list-focused content they’re already creating. Plus, they join a branded community of top recipe publishers, bloggers, and dieticians — sharing tips, tricks, and trends within their industry.  
• For Instacart: they’re amassing an army of recipe influencers (creators) that help generate in-app purchases, as well as a distribution network that can be incentivized and directed towards broader strategic brand goals.
• For Instacart partners: they’re able to deploy pragmatic budgets through the community, as well. Co-marketed recipe challenges, recipe syndication, and more!  

Key result/highlight from the “Influencer (Creator) Affiliate” Tastemakers Program:  

• ZeroTo1 created an agile, scalable, and highly profitable program within six months.

Q: What’s something unique about ZeroTo1?  

A: The co-founders of ZeroTo1 served on the founding team at Shipt. Both were instrumental in building out their performance marketing departments and overseeing the overall influencer and affiliate go-to-market strategies. Shipt was acquired by Target, paving the way for the inception of ZeroTo1. Today, ZeroTo1 partners with emerging lifestyle e-commerce and technology brands seeking to grow fast and grow profitably. Our competitive advantage is that we have experience working on the brand side from idea to exit in just four years, so we understand the difficulties and challenges of scaling while dealing with agencies. We pride ourselves on delivering performance results rather than just the deliverables and being long-term growth partners for our clients every step of the way. 

Q: Any industry trends or insights to share with brands?  

A: Category leaders like Instacart, Walmart, Amazon, Apple, and Disney+, among others, have recognized the immense potential in cultivating their own branded influencer-affiliate communities. With the increasing cost of paid channels, the value of investments in community-driven initiatives that foster organic growth, customer retention, and loyalty has been amplified, leading to profitable growth.

Unlike the traditional affiliate marketing programs that were primarily transactional, these branded community programs are deeply rooted in the strength of the community and the content they create for a brand. The value propositions within influencer (creator) affiliate programs have evolved from just offering commissions. They now include exclusive benefits such as access to special events and resources, opportunities for broader partnerships, and various other incentives.

We’re witnessing a trend toward diversification in affiliate programs. More brands are broadening their affiliate programs to encompass various influencers (creators) while building a branded community. This includes micro and macro influencers, content publishers, bloggers, and even the brands’ own customers. As we move forward, this trend is set to become the norm, further revolutionizing the affiliate marketing landscape and making ZeroTo1 uniquely positioned to help brands launch these programs effectively.

TUNE customers who would like to work with ZeroTo1 can connect with them directly in the TUNE platform. Simply navigate to the Agency Partners section of TUNE, select ZeroTo1, and click the “Request Connection” button.

Questions? Click here to chat with one of our experts.

Tappa is a mobile technology company that strives to give each user in their network the optimal online experience, from start to finish. They have worked with key partners like Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspurs, Liverpool FC, and more to curate a unique digital experience for their fan base. They also have exclusive partnerships with top content, review, and blog sites. Keep reading to learn more! 

Q: Can you give us a high-level overview of Tappa?  

A: Tappa is a human-first mobile technology company empowering individuals to express and experience more while engaging with the brands they love. 

Q: What are the top ways you promote brands?  

A: Tappa promotes brands in various ways across multiple channels, however, our main promotional method is through our owned and operated keyboard products. Tappa has partnered with some of the largest organizations globally to develop custom keyboard technologies for their fan base and followers to download and use on their mobile devices. This allows brands to promote their products to a unique user base in places they have never been able to reach before.  

Additionally, Tappa has an exclusive network of third-party publisher partnerships to promote brand offers and can customize every brand campaign depending on what that brand is looking for. These channels include content publishers, browser apps, homepages, start pages, browser add-ons, and blog/review/deal sites. 

Q: What is the total reach of your audience?  

A: Tappa’s total reach surpasses 500+ million users. 

Q: Which verticals perform the best with Tappa?  

A: Tappa’s top performing verticals are e-commerce/retail, travel, electronics, and fashion. We have a “testing” mentality so even if your brand does not fall into our current top verticals, we are open to testing most brand offers. 

Q: Can you tell us about a successful campaign you’ve run in the last six months?  

A: We currently run an extremely successful campaign for Etsy. The great part about Etsy is their vast product category which allows Tappa’s user base to find products they are looking for daily. 

Q: What’s something unique about Tappa?  

A: Tappa has access to users where no one else does — in the keyboard environment! The keyboard is the most used application on every mobile device, being opened approximately 80 times per day on average. This allows brands to reach consumers anywhere on their mobile device with Tappa’s in-keyboard browser technology. 

Q: Any industry trends or insights to share with brands?  

A: Here are a few: 

• In 2022, 72% of all retail website traffic came from mobile devices.  
• In 2022, 62% of orders from retail websites came from mobile devices.  
• As of 2023, $511.8 billion in retail e-commerce sales came from mobile devices. 

Customers who would like to work with Tappa can request an introduction directly through the TUNE’s partner ecosystem. Questions? Email us at partnerships@tune.com

There are many moving parts involved in the development and launch of a new affiliate marketing program. Mapping out performance metrics and recruiting the right media partners are key components, but the biggest challenge most clients face lies within their ability (or lack thereof) to set their programs up for end-to-end success before they go to market. The professional service offerings of a robust partner platform such as TUNE can be a step in the right direction, but other vital resources should also be taken into consideration. 

Having a dedicated in-house affiliate management team is best, but not always possible, particularly for small clients with limited financial or human resources. Larger brands usually lean into hiring agencies with a specialized focus in affiliate strategy and managed services, including partner recruitment. Both options make sense regardless of business size and budgets, but the most critical asset to any program is the affiliate manager. 

What Is an Affiliate Manager? 

Interchangeable terminology can be confusing in the affiliate space, especially when we talk about traditional affiliate marketing versus non-traditional partner marketing. (That’s an article for another time.) There are key differences between them, despite any surface similarities.  

The same is true for job roles and responsibilities. A business development manager, account manager, or even a partnership manager each have unique skill sets. While some may revolve around affiliate programs in a general sense, they do not all have the same training or expertise to manage actual affiliates. 

An affiliate manager is responsible for the end-to-end management of an affiliate program, product offers, and audience channels after the initial launch by the brand. They are at the front of the line in performance-based marketing plans. Regardless of the partner platform, there is no true plug-and-play or autopilot setting to replace the necessary human involvement of an affiliate manager. (Algorithms measure data, but someone has to know which levers to pull, right?)  

Here are five essential areas where an affiliate manager can make a difference to any program. 

Coaching and Strategy 

Affiliate managers are the best coaches when it comes to navigating the competitive landscape, setting payouts, and implementing program optimization. They’re often responsible for negotiating terms, approving offer details, and maximizing audience targets. Exceptional affiliate managers have a keen eye for evaluating performance reports and possible tracking discrepancies, in which case they put on their referee cap and make the tough calls to pull the plug. If you have questions about positioning your offer with publishers and target audience, an affiliate manager should be at the top of the list. 

Partner Recruitment 

As we’ve shared many times before, partner recruitment is ongoing. When it comes to adding partners and managing expectations, affiliate managers have the responsibility of identifying traffic channels and audiences in alignment with brand messaging and budgets. They also understand the importance of user engagement and its effect on revenue potential. Affiliate managers with a broad knowledge of affiliate marketing partner types and payment models make it easier for brands to add the right partners at the top of a program launch. They work hard to find and maintain the balance between both parties. 

Campaign Creatives and Content Approval 

We’ve all heard the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Banner creatives and landing pages are like a department store window display. They should attract, engage, and motivate a customer’s response and subsequent action. Affiliates are the new “storefront,” and with so many businesses transitioning online, brand awareness depends on strong recognition and resonance. 

In the old days, brands relied heavily on design and communications agencies to produce compelling images and ad copy. Affiliate managers were responsible for approving the final creative assets and pitching the final ad campaigns to the publishers. Those with a background in art, photography, or psychology understood the high potential for publisher rejection due to poor visual representation or failing to connect with the interests of their intended audience. 

Today, social media influencers and digital content creators control the narrative and messaging through the production of trending user-generated-content (UGC), intentionally crafted to appeal to audiences within their public and personal social communities. 

But where does that leave affiliate managers? Well, someone has to recruit these modern-day media superstars. 

Optimization 

Let’s say an affiliate program has been up and running for a couple of months. The payout is comparable to similar offers in the market, but click-through rates and conversions are stalling. This is usually the result of fluctuations in backend ad spend, user flow, or poor partner performance. Optimizing the offer to identify the problem can be simple, and a savvy affiliate manager is the best resource for guidance. They may recommend adjusting the payout based on spend versus conversion rate. If any changes need to be made, they will have an idea of what is a sensible adjustment without exceeding the brand’s budget. 

The affiliate manager may also suggest A/B testing with multiple creatives and landing pages without changing the payout. Some images and language resonate stronger than others. Small tweaks to headlines and ad copy can make a huge difference, particularly when the call to action is made clear to the audience.  

If the first two methods don’t move the needle in the right direction, then the issue may be poor partner performance. Affiliate managers should monitor partner performance on a routine basis. They should pay close attention to any sudden spikes or drops in traffic, which may indicate publisher fraud. It is their responsibility to remove any questionable traffic sources as quickly as possible. 

Performance Evaluation 

The ultimate goal of any affiliate program is building a loyal customer base, making sales, and generating long-term revenue. The ability to accomplish those objectives depends on the technical, financial, and human resources underneath the hood of their affiliate engine. While technology and automated solutions make the car run faster, affiliate managers will always have a place behind the wheel. 

Affiliate Managers for the Win

Affiliate managers are well worth investing in for the weight they can pull in your program. These benefits are only the tip of the iceberg. Are there other pros or cons to having an affiliate manager? Let me know in the comments below! 

No affiliate manager to help run your partner program? No worries.

Download our 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting an Affiliate Program e-book and learn the biggest no-no’s to steer clear of — and how to fix things if you do trip up on the path to success.