PartnerCentric convened its Affiliate Advisory Board in mid-September to discuss how much time and effort affiliates put into planning and strategizing for the holiday season. Our affiliate advisers gave us plenty of insight into their approach to the holiday buying season, including the kinds of communications that peak their interest.

It's about making every season count

The members of the Board who spoke at the meeting were all super affiliates who agreed that they don't do anything special to prepare for the holiday season because they are always trying to deliver products and services in a consistent, customer-friendly way.

"I try to give my customers the same quality they expect of my site every day of the year," said Anne Fognano of CleverMoms. "With the exception of the Holiday Hunt, where customers search for hidden prizes through the site, I keep my focus on deals and coupon sales."

Colin McDougall of VEOReport.com agrees. "I try to make my business grow each and every day," McDougall said. "My business model is to help people. If I'm not doing that, I'm doing the wrong thing."

Savings: The universal language

So, if holiday deals and promotions don't tend to sway super affiliates, what does?

Saving customers money is always a common goal among successful affiliates, our affiliate advisers agreed. This is not exclusive to the holiday season, although our advisers have spotted a few new trends this year, including the idea of "Buy Now, Pay Later." It's something Fognano has incorporated into her site.

"I hate it," Fognano says, "but it's something that I know a lot of people want. Lots of stores are doing it this year. Free shipping is also gig this year for stores like Toys 'R' Us. What makes people shop online is that it's easier and cheaper, so that's what I try to get people to realize."

McDougall said he tries to find special coupon offers that will entice customers to buy products. He also looks for unique items that would be good presents for those hard-to-buy-for loved ones.

'Tis the season to be inundated

This time of year, our affiliate advisers say their e-mail inboxes become clogged with hundreds of offers from merchants and affiliate programs each and every day. For the most part, these special bundles are destined never to be opened.

"When I open my Inbox in the morning, I have about 300 messages waiting for me," McDougall said. "Most is what I call merchant spam. I've become quite numb to these. To get my attention, put something captivating in the subject line. I've probably missed a lot of good offers this way but I don't have time."

Of the messages he receives, McDougall said he responds to two to five percent at most. The rest are ignored. However, a phone call communicating the same message gets his attention - and he responds to phone messages of this nature 95 percent of the time.

Folks who e-mail Fognano fare somewhat better. She says responds to 50 percent of the e-mail offers she receives, even if only to tell the merchant or program manager that the message has missed its mark. So, what does grab her attention?

"People who send everything that I need - the text link and photos of the products - can get placed on my site the same day," Fognano said. "But I don't have time to go to LinkShare and grab links for a campaign that I know isn't going to convert. That's a waste of my time."

About the PartnerCentric Affiliate Advisory Board
The PartnerCentric Affiliate Advisory Board convenes regularly to discuss topics of interest to the affiliate marketing industry as a whole, and to PartnerCentric clients and affiliates in particular. This month's meeting took place at 9 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006. If you have questions or comments regarding PartnerCentric's Affiliate Advisory Board, please direct them to the Board's Chairman, Mike Ouellette at mouellette@partnercentric.com.