How to Use Affiliate Marketing as a Full-Funnel Strategy

Think affiliate marketing is just for the final push to close a sale? It’s time to rethink.

Discover how a strategic affiliate program can build brand awareness, nurture leads, and drive conversions at every stage of your marketing funnel.

In an episode of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, Patricia Marange, Head of Affiliate Marketing & Partnerships across GroupM, discussed how affiliate marketing can be used not just for conversions but as a comprehensive, full-funnel strategy. 

In this article, we’ll explore the key insights on leveraging affiliate marketing at every stage of the funnel. Let’s uncover actionable strategies to help marketers maximize the potential of their affiliate programs.

Rethinking Affiliate Marketing for the Full Funnel

Affiliate marketing has long been viewed as a bottom-funnel tactic—a tool to push consumers toward the final stage of conversion, often through discounts or cashback offers. While affiliate marketing excels at closing sales, limiting its role to that final act is a missed opportunity. Today, affiliate marketing has evolved into a dynamic, full-funnel strategy capable of driving brand awareness, nurturing leads, and accelerating conversions.

Top-of-the-Funnel (TOFU): Building Brand Awareness

The first step in using affiliate marketing as a full-funnel strategy is leveraging its potential to build brand awareness. Affiliates can play an equally valuable role in exposing new audiences to your brand through authentic and native content.

1. Leverage Commerce Content for Visibility
   
   Affiliate partners, including publishers, influencers, and bloggers, create content that naturally integrates products into their narratives. Whether it's a product review, a gift guide, or a listicle, this commerce content serves as an introduction to your brand for readers who may not yet know you. According to Patricia, consumers interact with affiliate links even when they’re simply researching a product online. This early engagement allows brands to get in front of potential customers during the awareness stage.
   
   
2. Collaborate with Influencers
   
   When influencers discuss products they genuinely use and love, it fosters trust with their audience. Patricia emphasizes that giving creators the freedom to share products authentically builds brand credibility. She notes, "Creators... can monetize what they're doing but talking about things that they legitimately like are obsessed with and not just things that they like that they got in a PR box." By collaborating with influencers who align with your brand values, you can drive awareness and create a more meaningful connection with new audiences.

Middle-of-the-Funnel (MOFU): Nurturing Interest

Affiliate marketing's potential extends into the consideration stage, where consumers actively seek information to evaluate their options. Here, affiliates can serve as educators, providing detailed product guides, comparisons, and authentic reviews that help prospects make informed decisions.

1. Use Affiliate Content to Educate
   Brands can leverage affiliate partnerships to create content that dives deep into product features, benefits, and use cases. This level of detail nurtures leads by addressing common questions and concerns, guiding prospects further down the funnel. Patricia notes that no two affiliate programs need to look the same; the mix of partners you choose can directly align with your brand’s specific objectives.
   
   
2. Commerce Content as a Trust Builder
   High-quality publishers like New York Times Wirecutter or niche blogs provide trusted voices in the crowded digital space. These outlets maintain editorial integrity, making their content credible and influential in the consumer decision-making process. Patricia highlights that such publishers monetize through affiliate links without compromising authenticity, driving prospects to consider products more seriously. By collaborating with these trusted sources, brands can nurture interest effectively. 

Bottom-of-the-Funnel (BOFU): Driving Conversions

At the final stage, affiliate marketing returns to its roots—driving conversions. However, today’s approach to bottom-funnel tactics is more nuanced and tailored.

1. Incorporate High-Intent Partners
   
   Affiliate partners like coupon sites, loyalty programs, and cashback platforms can be extremely effective in nudging customers toward conversion, especially those who may be sitting on the fence. Patricia describes affiliate marketing as a "choose your own adventure" channel that can be tailored to specific outcomes. By incorporating high-intent partners at this stage, brands can capture last-minute hesitations and close sales more efficiently.
   
   
2. Customize Affiliate Programs for Maximum Impact
   
   One of the key strengths of affiliate marketing is its flexibility. Brands can customize their affiliate programs to focus on different partner types based on current objectives. If a brand wants to shift away from relying heavily on promotional partners, they can focus more on content creators or commerce-focused sites. As Patricia notes, "There’s no prescriptive way of saying this is what an affiliate program is." By adjusting their approach, brands can align their affiliate strategy with their bottom-funnel goals and optimize for conversions.

Affiliate Marketing as a Full-Funnel Strategy

The affiliate marketing landscape is much more versatile than most brands realize. By leveraging affiliates across the funnel, marketers can build brand awareness, nurture leads, and drive conversions in a cohesive and strategic way.

As Patricia Marange aptly points out, affiliate marketing’s true value lies in its flexibility. Brands that adopt a full-funnel approach will not only enhance their marketing mix but also unlock untapped growth potential. It’s time to rethink affiliate marketing and give it the seat it deserves at the media planning table.

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Connect with Patricia on LinkedIn to stay updated and engage with her expert insights!

Tune into the Revenue Boost Podcast to explore strategies that can drive your business growth. 

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