Navigating Network Transitions: A Publisher's Perspective

In the early 2000s, when we initially ventured into the domain of affiliate marketing in Santa Barbara, CJ and Rakuten Advertising (previously known as Linkshare) dominated the US market. Rakuten Network, one of the oldest affiliate networks, has maintained its prominence. Since then, we've seen niche networks carve out significant spaces for themselves through targeted strategies. Take Shareasale, for instance, which has experienced impressive growth by focusing on small and medium-sized programs. Many of these programs began their journeys on the Shareasale network, gradually migrating to Tier 1 networks like CJ and Rakuten as they expanded. Similarly, Avantlink has become a pivotal player by primarily catering to outdoor and sports category-specific programs – a highly effective strategy indeed!

The industry has also been a witness to a variety of acquisitions, such as the agency-turned-affiliate network, Pepperjam, which was acquired by Partnerize. Moreover, during this period, the Impact affiliate network was founded in Santa Barbara by industry veterans from CJ. With several robust competitors in play, the industry has been driven towards innovation, pushing networks to devise advanced tools for both advertisers and publishers.

With the multitude of networks in existence, it's common to see advertisers switching their alliances. The reasons for these shifts can vary widely, and each has its pros and cons. However, our focus here is on the ripple effect such changes have on the publisher's side.

As soon as our merchant activation team is notified of a merchant transitioning from one network to another, they promptly inform the account team about the new point-of-contact at the new network. If our account team had prior communication with the network representative, they must update our internal records, shift their interaction to the new contact, and arrange a meeting to apprise them of the account history. Our reporting team assists in this process by assembling all necessary documents to facilitate the transition.

Simultaneously, our merchant activation team updates the backend program links. Our coupon optimization team also ensures that all coupon redirection links are revised to prevent any link errors for that program. Post-transition, our campaign optimization team vigilantly monitors incoming sales numbers from the new network. It's crucial to understand that conversion rates may vary between networks. For instance, if a drop in the conversion rate is noticed - say from 12% with the previous network to 8% with the new network - our campaign analytics team alerts the account team. This anomaly is then raised with the new network representative for identification and resolution of any underlying issues.

As a publisher, we maintain professional relationships with a majority of networks. Yet, we have our preferences, including certain network representatives who we work closely with and regard as friends. Therefore, when they lose a program to another network, it does evoke a sense of disappointment – a sentiment we occasionally share with the in-house program manager.

In conclusion, network transitions are a common occurrence in this industry. In fact, our merchant activation team sends us daily updates on such changes. We also observe similar patterns on the agency side, which we'll delve into in a future article. Additionally, we'll explore the pros and cons of network transitions more comprehensively.

So, are you satisfied with your current network or pondering a switch? Whatever your position, remember that as a publisher, we share your journey.