I'm a merchant with an excellect niche for affiliates. I'm just not that great at signing them up. Once they sign up I give very good support but it does take a lot of my time. My site has been up 5 years but I have only been working the affiliate program one year and I have about 75 affiliates. I have been approached by an affiliate manager, with a good reputation and he says he loves my niche and can sign up about 90 of his prequalified affiliates the first week. These are 90 real affiliates that have a proven track record. My question is. What do you think is a reasonable fee for this affiliate manager to charge per month to take over the program. Take into conideration that I bill $75 an hour for my work as a PI and I'm spending at least 15 hours a month on my affiliate support. It's probably a lot more if I calculated.
I would think realistic if it was me. I would only pay the person per hour ...which means 15-20 hours of work per month- if that is how much time you spend doing it yourself. Do not take on unnecessary expenses at this time untill he has proven himself. Make sure he signs a contract outlining his duties and responsibilities.
The best advantage is that the Affiliate Manager can connect you with affiliates that are producing results for their other clients..
I agree. It may be a good idea if you are looking for someone to spend more time working with clients who will bring you the leads you are needing.
As an affiliate manager who also freelances I charge an setup fee and a monthly minimum. I get paid a percentage against what the program produces or the monthly minimum whichever is greater. The merchant gets a 30 day out with a one year price agreement. Generally, if I am not able to produce it will be apparent in 90 days. I have spoken to merchants who have worked with AM's that brought 1000-1500 affiliates onboard but never got above the monthly minimum. A network like CJ charges $5k to recruit 100 top affiliates, there is no guarantee that they will get all 100 but will go after them. A lot depends on the program. One thing a AM can do for you is help to get your program positioned as affiliates will search for programs before joining. Are you ranked under your top terms +affiliate program?
You might also consider joining a network as they usually will get you some exposure for a month or so after signing up. If you get one good affiliate out of it it'll be worth the $500 or so Shareasale charges.