The Middlemen You Didn’t Know You Needed: Understanding Affiliate Aggregators - Part 2
How to Optimize These Affiliates Like a Pro: Making Subnetworks Actually Work for Your Brand
Okay, so last week we pulled back the curtain on subnetworks or affiliate aggregator, those invisible middlemen sitting between publishers and merchants making everyone’s life easier (well, mostly). In case you missed that issue, I highly recommend going back and reading it first. Go ahead, we’ll wait.
Yay, you’re back. So now you know who the top players are, what they are, why they matter, and how to spot them lurking in your program dashboard.
This week, let’s get tactical. Because here’s the thing… Just having your brand on Skimlinks or Sovrn isn’t enough. You need to actually OPTIMIZE your aggregator strategy if you want to see real results.
And trust us, there’s a LOT you can do to go beyond the set it and forget it situation most brands use when it comes to Skimlinks.
Skimlinks and Sovrn work hard for publishers with all of the back end tech magic they provide. And in exchange they receive 25% of the cut of all commissions they drive. Using round numbers here (because we’re all majored in comms not math…) if your brand pays out $100 in CPA, Skimlinks gets $25 and the publication nets the other $75.
So let’s ensure you’re using all the top tips and tricks to make those subnetworks work hard for your brand. Starting with…
Let’s be honest. Most brands have aggregators in their program because someone told them they should. Maybe it was a publicist (hi 👋) or maybe it was an editor at a publication.
But then what happens?
You turn it on, forget about it, and wonder why you’re not seeing placements or sales. Or the inverse many brands don’t realize is actually a huge problem, you see a ton of traffic and sales but have no clue where it’s actually coming from.
Here’s why: Aggregators aren’t a “set it and forget it” situation.
They’re a subnetwork that needs active oversight, optimization, and in some cases, strategic thinking. So if you’ve been treating aggregators like that gym membership you swear you’ll use “eventually,” it’s time to change that.
