At Cherrington Media, we firmly believe that conducting thorough competitor research is a crucial part of developing a successful affiliate marketing strategy and standing out in this highly competitive industry.
As the founder of this affiliate marketing agency that has worked with some of the world’s largest brands…
I have developed a systematic process for researching competitors that provides valuable insights into gaps in the market, emerging trends, and optimization opportunities.
Analyzing What Competitors Are Doing
One of the first steps I take when working with a new client at Cherrington Media is comprehensively analyzing what their competitors are doing.
This involves examining factors like the types of offers and verticals they are promoting, their website setup and funnel strategy, the affiliate networks and traffic sources they utilize, their commission rates and earnings claims, and more.
By benchmarking against competitors in this granular way, I can gain an intimate understanding of the standards and best practices for the client’s particular niche.
It also often reveals areas where competitors are falling short or missing key opportunities that my agency can capitalize on when developing our client’s affiliate program.
Adam Cherrington: Uncovering Why Certain Affiliate Strategies Work
Equally as important as examining what top affiliates in my client’s space are doing is understanding why their strategies work and how they are driving results.
For example, if a competitor has a high conversion rate from a particular traffic source, I dig deeper to uncover why.
Is it because they developed a specialized funnel and landing page to target that traffic? Are they promoting a particularly compelling offer?
Getting to the heart of why certain affiliate tactics work for competitors has been hugely beneficial for allowing me to replicate their successes for clients of Cherrington Media.
Gauging Relevant Emerging Affiliate Marketing Trends At Cherrington Media
Monitoring emerging trends across the affiliate marketing sphere can unlock massive opportunities to get ahead of the competition.
As such, competitor research plays a pivotal role in staying on the pulse of the latest trends specific to my client’s monetization vertical.
For example, if I discover multiple major players within a client’s space aggressively adopting new video ad formats across affiliate traffic sources, it signals to me that it may be a profitable strategy to pursue to remain competitive.
Getting in early on trends before they reach scale can be a key differentiator in standing out from other affiliate marketers.
Informing Our Overall Client Strategy
While the above competitor research tactics are invaluable on their own, the insights they reveal become even more powerful when synthesized to inform an overarching strategy.
Every competitor analysis I conduct feeds into shaping core elements of my client’s affiliate program, such as:
- Which affiliate networks to focus on
- Our website setup and lead gen flow
- The types of offers and verticals to prioritize
- Emerging traffic sources and ad formats to leverage
- Creative opportunities that competitors are missing
By meticulously researching competitors across all these key areas and more, I can develop differentiated and highly optimized affiliate marketing strategies perfectly tailored to each client’s unique business needs.
The result is affiliate campaigns that drive exceptional ROI by expanding into untapped channels and acquiring customers our competitors simply cannot reach.
Ongoing Competitor Tracking At Cherrington Media
While the initial competitor research process lays the strategic foundation, consistently tracking competitors long-term provides invaluable intel to continually refine our approach.
I monitor adjustments competitors make across everything from website copy to commission structures in order to identify new openings for Cherrington Media to capture market share.
I also leverage automated tracking tools to notify me of any major changes competitors implement, such as adopting new offers, launching refreshed creatives, shifting their traffic mix, and more.
This not only keeps my finger on the pulse of the market, but rapidly flags optimization opportunities to test out for my own clients’ campaigns.
By comprehensive yet agile competitor intelligence gathering into the core of Cherrington Media’s processes, I’m able to keep our clients’ affiliate efforts steps ahead of the competition.
These proven competitor research tactics have been fundamental for cementing my agency’s leading position within the affiliate marketing sphere while driving results for some of the world’s top brands.
And remember – if you’re looking for an affiliate marketing partner to maximize your earnings through competitor intelligence, get in touch today at Cherrington Media.
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