If you go listen to my dear diary episode from a few months ago {episode 243} -- it will make more sense -- but I've been a bit confused on how I wanted this podcast to fit it. I was wanting it to fit in perfectly versus just allowing it to be what it wanted to be, or allowing it to be fun. I'm super focused on making sure this podcast is of value to you, but I was overanalyzing and self-judging a bit too much if I'm being honest. I didn't feel the name fit for what I was evolving into. I felt it was too broad, but maybe that's what it needs to be over here. I didn't want to put too much on my plate with the Pop-Up podcast being tested out. Inspired by an episode and blog post by Jess Lively called Things I'm Afraid to Tell You ..I think I'll also be doing one of my own soon -- all the things I've been afraid to tell you, which might be a bit cathartic for me and will maybe put this whole show back into flow for me...who knows...coming soon. But today I want to talk about Affiliate launches since I'm right in the middle of one with Selena Soo for her Impacting Millions and I've had some pretty successful ones over the past year with Todd Herman. I partnered with Todd Herman's program twice last year and become his affiliate partner of the year for selling the most overall -- I had 109 students enroll through me over the last year which was AMAZING -- yes financially, but also because I believe so much in Todd's work and know how much it will support these students, AND I know I can help support them even more alongside his work than if they just did his program without me! But more of that later. I want to take you...behind the scenes. Selena's program is IN launch right now her doors to Impacting Millions close on Thursday, March 30th -- so it's a bit crazy for me to talk about this now, but it felt right. I may even have another episode where I can do the full debrief if you're interested. Affiliate launching behind the scenes So first -- what is an affiliate launch --- this just means that I'm partnering with someone else to promote their program/offer -- and in return for that promotion I sometimes get a percentage of that sale. Think of it like a referral based system. Part 1 I don't treat it like an affiliate launch. I treat these launches as if they are my own launches. They're not a side or afterthought. I am ALL IN. It was our HIGHEST PRIORITY. We do weekly stand up calls on my team to discuss tasks and priorities and for the past 6 weeks -- THIS has been the focus. our team knows that this is the highest priority focus right now, and has been for the past 6 weeks -- between the free challenge, the podcast, and the launch -- it's been at the top of everyone's list. Part 2 Continuing the Conversation from free content to paid offer I planned for MONTHS in advance to make sure our content focus leading into the launch was all about publicity and the benefits, my own experiences, planning the guest interview with Selena, etc. I mean heck, we started an entire PODCAST, a FB community, and free challenge focused around this topic. So, for the past 6 weeks, I've been making sure it was the center of our conversation with our audience and within our own team. Part 3 The Trust I've Built I've worked hard to build trust with my audience, I'm consistent {except when I'm not -- like on this podcast lately}, honest, deliver tons of value for free, and so on...so I do not take these affiliate launches lightly. It takes a LOT for me to decide if I'm going to promote someone else's work. I have some standards/rules around who I promote and who I don't … that rhymed :) Here are some of my rules: I won't promote anyone's work that I haven't personally experienced. I have to believe their work will not only work for me, but for the people in my audience -- thinking of my audience vs just my own results. I have to know their work well enough to be able to help any students that enroll through me with the program/results. I have to trust and love them as a person. I have to know they're super supportive of their students. I have to know their work will compliment my work -- especially if I'm adding a bonus experience. I also have to take a really hard look at my promotional calendar for the year -- I'm doing this about a year in advance now {I'm sure it will shift a bit as I evolve and create my own new offers} so there's only so much room to promote other people's offers if I also want to make sure I'm not exhausting my list with launches. Part 4 My Support I always offer really supportive bonuses. Because with an affiliate launch, I'm offering this other person's product/offer to MY list -- so I'm assuming that my list may have a desire to work with me as well and this is a great way for me to provide that extra level of support, and work with some new clients in a different capacity. The only way to work with my right now is a retreat that I'm going to be hosting in the summer -- which is limited to 12 peeps -- that's not a lot! So with an audience MUCH bigger than 12 -- it's an awesome way for some peeps who have been ready to work with me to get that opportunity while also working through a program, like Selena's Impacting Millions that is going to get them insane results on it's own. When I affiliate for something -- I'm always thinking about how I can help them get even BETTER results than they could with just the program itself. So, #1 -- I have to believe in the program and the results it gets on it's own. But then #2 -- my affiliate bonuses are there purposefully to accelerate or compliment the results they'll be getting through the main offer. This allows the students to surpass the mentor! And I love it! Part 5 Getting Personal. This is what I call the unrequired work. It looks really great and easy from the outside to have had some of the most successful affiliate launches in the business over the past year...but there's a lot of work going into it behind the scenes. BECAUSE I CARE. I want the RIGHT people to enroll in the right program for them, so I take a lot of time during these launches to reach out to people individually and answer questions, give them feedback, and just help them through the decision making process. During Todd hermans first launch I sent out over 300 individual emails to people that had signed up for the free video series through me -- now I do that same thing with every affiliate launch -- I don't always make it through the entire list of peeps who opted in -- but I sure do try! It does take a lot of time -- but it's worth it for me because the right students enroll and the ones who aren't a fit are able to have me help them figure that out HONESTLY. I love promoting good people who are doing great work in the world right now. So while, yes I do make an affiliate commission sometimes when selling an offer -- I really love and believe in these people and the work they're sharing and will continue to take the time and energy to help and support them in anyway that I can. So this was a nice sneak peek behind the scenes this week -- Selena's Impacting Millions program closes on Thursday -- March 30th and we'd BOTH love to support you inside! You can go to adriennedorison.com/IM to join through me and get all my bonuses -- cause I'd love to support you! And...what's next… This weekend I'm headed to NYC -- I had plans to meet with Todd on Monday for our quarterly day long group intensives -- so I decided to bring tyler along and make a weekend out of it. We're going to my friend Chris Winfield's event on Saturday -- Chris is a master at productivity and also has a background in publicity, and Selena is his guest speaker that day too, so it should be a great day with a ton of new takeaways and friends! I also organized my first dinner party for a group of friends and other influencers, people that I've known and really want to connect with in person finally - i am SO excited, we have an incredible group of people, many of which have been on this podcast! I'll try to remember to take a pic and post it on FB + instagram -- I'm the worst at remembering to do this. Selena's Impacting Millions program closes on Thursday -- March 30th and we'd BOTH love to support you inside!
