Affiliate program newsletters, opinions please.
 

I’d like to know how you guys feel about receiving newsletters from affiliate programs you’re signed up to.

I think it’s a great way for programs to keep affiliates up to date with all the new promotional material or new sites being added to the program. I’ve started promoting sponsors that I forgot about after receiving their newsletter, it’s a great little reminder and marketing tool imo. If you don’t send them out, is there a reason for it?

Do you think timing is a key factor in having your newsletter read? Are you most likely to skip one that comes in on Monday because you have a weekend of emails to sort through? What day do find is best to receive news from sponsors?

What are your thoughts?

I normally only read newsletters that have links for me in them. If they are generic links maybe someday I will get around to putting them up. If they include my account number I'll out them up within minutes...

If the letter says we have new links in our webmaster section, unless I have at least been making bank with that sponsor I probably won't go get them.

I think the trick with newsletters is to make sure you send them only when you really have something to offer the webmaster. Never send the ones that are merely veiled attempts at reminding us that the program still exists. I don't like newsletters that say, "...just checking in with you. Let us know if there's anything we can do."

I like having the links to new HFSs and HFGs sent to me, but as Surfn said, if my affiliate code isn't in them, I probably won't get to them. Letting us know when you've released new content or have added a new site are good newsletter topics.

As far as timing goes, it hards to say. It's true that Monday mornings do dump a lot of emails on us, so maybe mid-week would be better.

Overall, as long as I don't get an email everytime someone breaks wind, I don't get annoyed. Just keep them brief. I tend to only skim newsletters, so don't be any more garrulous than necessary.

I don't mind the affiliate codes being on them, but odds are - especially with HFS's - I'll be going to the admin to grab the codes & titles & descriptions as you can't possibly know how everyone wants their HFS listed in the newsletter (thus the many, many options in the promo area of sites like yours)

Paysites - sure - makes it easier for me to just slap the link onto my todo list, but I don't mind visiting the admin & checking my stats :)

As far as how often....as often as you have something meaningful to announce to your affiliates.

I *love* getting email from sponsors telling me they have new content available, be it downloadable or hosted. Having my affiliate code in the links is nice, but like GG I'm probably going to go to the admin anyway.

Originally our plan was to have a weekly newsletter, but we decided to use the approach Useless Warrior suggests after wading through many mailings from other programs that were full of news we couldn't use.

The schedule we use now is to send out a mailing whenever we know something that our affiliates don't know. Maybe new sites, new galleries, promo materials, tour options, or whatever else might have changed or been added. We may include something else in the newsletter, but unless we have a "they don't know about this," we don't send one out.

Regarding including pre-coded links in the newsletter, we don't do that because we really thought that most link list owners would want to use our admin tool to get a nice importable list with all the information in any order they wanted it.

We're open to the idea of including pre-coded urls, and with our new hosted galleries we could certainly do that, but on our hosted free sites it's hard to figure out how to put the rest of the information in the newsletter in a format that would work for everyone.


Simon

They are good to send if only to remind the webmaster that they are signed up with the program.

When something is new like new promotional material is made available I like getting them but if a sponsor starts sending me them for other reasons then I add them to the junk mail list.

That does bring up a good point - you should be adding enough new promo stuff & content & whatnot to at the very least email your affiliates once a month - PE Cash send out a month end newsletter with how much you made & what's new to promote - that's the very least any program can do.

The newsletter I use to look forward to getting was the EP letter. Each time it had new links and no bullshit. For a long time it was almost weekly. I say use to because they stopped sending to me. I think it's because they are working on getting all their content 2257 compliant.



Or maybe I'm on John or Nate's shiitlist. lol

Thanks for all you're input, just want to make sure I’m on the right track! I know when it comes to newsletters from various boards it acts as a reminder to take a look at what's been going on at that that board.

I’m surprised at how many affiliate programs and message boards don’t send out newsletters. I know I can always use a little reminder!