Your affiliate program is already up and running and email list many affiliates are promoting your products on your behalf. Now, how do you know if it's a success? How do you know what works and what doesn't? How can you decide if you should modify your designs, offer different (or additional) support, or seek out new affiliates in a different market niche? When it comes to tracking and measuring your program's performance, metrics are key; but it is even more important to bring these individual pieces together for a comprehensive assessment that will give you a holistic “big picture”. In this article, we've distilled the proven standards for tracking and measuring your program, along with some savvy tips, into a guide to help you optimize your affiliate program and reach new heights! Why is data so important? First and foremost, affiliate commissions are entirely based on the traffic and sales your affiliates generate – and they must be tracked for affiliates to email list get paid properly. It's also difficult to determine if your marketing, communications, creative, financial and other efforts are a net positive without measuring performance. You don't want to spend tons of time and energy on a specific campaign just to break even! People are your power by nature, affiliate programs depend on other people to operate; this means that the success of your program depends on the individual success of your affiliates – and one of the best things you can do to maximize their impact is to focus your efforts on them. Getting a good assessment of their performance, the email list effectiveness of their promotional style, messaging and marketing materials, and their overall effect on your target audience is crucial to maintaining the health of your program. Remember: there are many affiliate programs out there, and your affiliates will want to see that you're committed to their (and your) success, or they may go to a competitor. Staying engaged and above all else is a double win: your affiliates feel valued and supported, and you're well-informed to make actionable decisions and any necessary changes that will help your program thrive