The Data Behind Single and Multi-Publisher Customer Journeys

(and how to maximize your publisher relationships)





What’s in this report?

When it comes to the buyer’s journey, an affiliate makes all the difference. In fact, we know that advertisers with affiliate partners will get, on average, 88% more revenue per shopper.

In this report we took a closer look at the publishers themselves.

  • How do they affect the buyer’s journey?
  • How do single-publisher and multi-publisher journeys compare?

We leveraged CJ Affiliate’s Affiliate Customer Journey data to help us tell the story.





Paul Tibbitt,
​President, CJ Affiliate

A Study of Affiliate Customer Journeys

As marketers, we’re all too familiar with the “funnel”. As affiliate marketers we understand that being present in the customer journey allows brands to acquire new users, gain competitive advantage, and retain existing customers.

The affiliate channel offers endless opportunities to connect with and persuade consumers to choose your brand, and recent findings from Google prove that being present in the shopping journey is a critical factor.

Google applied behavioral science to the consumer shopping journey and revealed the “messy middle”— the space between awareness and purchase where shoppers move fluidly between two mental modes: exploration and evaluation, as they learn more about their options.

During this “messy middle” phase, when a customer saw just the name and logo of their second-favorite brand, it caused 25% of them to purchase from their second-favorite brand instead of their favorite brand. Google found that up to 87% of consumers will switch to a competitor’s brand at the sight of a single strong ad. There’s power in just showing up, says Google.

A diverse program allows you to address the complexity of individual customer journeys in a holistic way. Working with many publisher models provides greater opportunities to connect with shoppers and showcase your brand. This not only allows you to retain or win customers, but when there are multiple publishers present in a customer journey, there’s the added benefit of higher AOVs — up to 30% higher.

Across the CJ Affiliate network, we see that the first interaction between a publisher and a customer happens (on average) eight days before the customer purchases. Affiliate publishers are a mainstay of the “messy middle” exploration and evaluation phase — and are an effective way to ensure your brand is present during that critical time.

This report explores the results of our Affiliate Customer Journey study and incorporates insider tips from top publishers to help you partner in ways that ensure your brand is present where it counts.

While the funnel has evolved quite a bit over the years, one thing is for sure, if you aren’t there to help meet consumers’ rapidly changing needs — another brand will be. Add to this fact that the affiliate channel delivers 88% more revenue per shopper compared to other channels, that makes this performance basedchannel a cost-effective and low-risk way for marketers to leverage themessy middle. Read on to find out how.

Regards,

Paul Tibbitt – President, CJ Affiliate


Key Findings


There’s no question that single-publisher journeys offer unique reach. But these findings tell us that investing in all publishers, and not only last click, can deliver incremental returns. We spoke directly with publishers to get tips on how best to build and nurture relationships to grow unique reach and invest beyond the last click for greater incremental returns. Read on to learn how to get those returns with practical strategies for your program.



Affiliate Customer Journey Methodology

To see how publisher placement in the buyer’s journey impacts business outcomes, we leveraged CJ Affiliate’s Affiliate Customer Journey solution which collects data from across the entire CJ Affiliate network. Here’s how we set it up.

For commissionable events, we selected an observation window of 45 days. This allowed us to see how publisher interactions affect key performance indicators (KPIs), regardless of the program term referral period. The data collected (from May 2019-August 2020) consists of:


The purpose of this study is to shed light on how publishers influence behavioron the buyer’s journey.

Finding 1

83% of affiliate customer journeys involve only one publisher

What does this mean?

  • For the majority of affiliate customer journeys, there’s only one publisher. This means that publishers usually don’t compete for a conversion.
  • Publishers attract loyal and diverse audiences by serving customer needs. They give consumers information and confidence about their purchasing decisions.
  • Using a variety of publisher types means a variety of consumer needs are being met. The best way for advertisers to reach new and unique audiences is to recruit and diversify. This leads to sustainable growth.

How do I apply this?

  • Don’t shy away from leveraging many publishers across many models. A more diverse program will provide greater unique reach.
  • Recruitment is not a one-off thing. Long term, sustainable growth needs ongoing recruitment.
  • Avoid “one size fits all” compensation models. Situational Commissioning rewards publishers for their unique strengths. Structure offers so they can maximize engagement with consumers and convert them.
  • Omni-channel marketing is incomplete without affiliate. Its impressive incrementality yields 88% more revenue per shopper compared to other channels.


How to Work With Publishers in 2021

Emily Jackson, VP, eCommerce, Forbes

  1. 1.Do your homework before you reach out to publishers
      1. i.If you can’t find coverage of similar products and/or categories, it’s likely the publisher will not have many opportunities for coverage of your product yet.
      2. ii.If you do find similar content, let us know why our editors should consider your product/brand. Do you match prices, do you have hundreds of positive reviews, do you have great customer service or is your shipping really fast? Our goal is to give the consumer the best purchasing experience possible when we choose retailer destinations and this information helps us sift through requests easily.
  2. 2.Think holistically about what a successful partnership means to you
      1. i.When you do reach out, think about and communicate what success looks like to you. Is it the opportunity to get your products in front of editors, to tell us about your deals, to reach new customers, or simply get more coverage alongside competitors? These goals will help us recommend the best way to partner with us.
  3. 3.Understand that all content performs differently
      1. i.When we create Forbes Vetted content, we’re focused on getting consumers the best product recommendations possible, wherever they are in the funnel. That means reaching people early in their consideration phase as well as when they are ready to purchase. Because of this, not every piece of content is going to perform the same using a last click attribution model.

Example Strategies to Increase Unique Reach:

  • Work with search publishers. It’s cost effective, and you reach more consumers. Have affiliate search publishers target long-tail search terms. One example is trademark plus bidding. This is where a trademark term + another search term (like free shipping) goes into a search engine. This is a complementary approach to direct search efforts. Plus, it frees up internal teams to focus on key branded terms. This performance-based, risk-free model creates scale for competitive advantage.
  • Seek placements in publisher newsletters. Supercharge your email efforts by using an affiliate partner to keep your brand top-of mind. Again, having more touchpoints improves conversion rates with target consumers. That supporting “voice” helps them make the decision to buy your product. What’s the best time to get featured in a publisher’s newsletter? Right after a brand-delivered email campaign.
  • Leverage third party validation. New customers sometimes need a boost when they’re on the fence. Recommendations, reviews, and testimonials make all the difference. Partner with content publishers and influencers that instill confidence in purchasing from you.
  • Partner with publishers who offer geo-targeting. Some consumers prefer in-store or curbside pickup experiences. Work with publishers who can geo-target consumers online with in-store offers. This diverse, adaptable approach ensures success no matter the region or shopping preference.

3 strategies for creating stronger publisher and advertiser relationships

Leilani Han, Director Business Development & Partnerships, Wirecutter

  1. 1.Provide context around your KPIs
    ​It’s helpful to know an advertiser’s KPIs for their affiliate program and/or a particular campaign, but we have found the greatest success with partners who are willing to shed more insight around what is driving these goals and how it fits into the big picture of their organization. Publishers should also be prepared to share how their own efficiency metrics are driving their commission rate minimums and how this helps tap into the value they deliver to advertisers. We have found these open discussions lead to more collaborative and equitable partnerships.
  2. 2.Look beyond topline revenue growth/ROAS
    ​It goes without saying that in performance marketing, revenue and ROAS are primary KPIs. However, they shouldn’t be the only inputs considered when evaluating commission rates for your publishers. Perhaps the publisher who only drives a 5:1 ROAS also has the ability to drive consideration of your brand for the first time over their favorite ecommerce retailer and drives a strong new to file rate compared to your 25:1 publisher. Success takes many forms and takes different levers to convert at various parts of the consideration funnel.
  3. 3.Provide the necessary resources for success.
    ​Some examples of this include: providing robust product feeds; deep linking capabilities; product level reporting with SKU and product name; sharing promotional plans and markdown sheets in advance, etc. These may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s surprising how much inconsistency there is among advertisers with what is available and what is not, and how often these items have to be requested after an advertiser has already launched their program. Publishers should also be clear in communicating what resources they need and why, and how it will help them optimize the advertiser’s program more effectively.

Finding 2

17% of affiliate customer journeys involve more than one publisher, resulting in higher average order values, regardless of the publisher type or publisher position in the path-to-purchase.

What does this mean?

  • All publisher models play a role in both assisting and closing conversions.
  • Affiliate journeys are as complex and infinite as the shoppers behind them. Multi-publisher journeys are more valuable journeys where publishers are complementary, not competitive.
  • Multi-publisher journeys should be encouraged and rewarded. Consumers are more confident with differentiated third-party validation, which means higher value purchases. While most affiliate customer journeys are single publisher, multi-publisher journeys show higher AOVs.


How do I apply this?

  • Base compensation on the frequency with which publishers touch multipublisher journeys. Complex compensation terms can hinder results, so make them easy to understand.
  • Make recruitment an ongoing priority. Recruiting diverse publishers with unique audiences enables you to reach long-term results.
  • Use customer journey data to see which publishers are reaching consumers before conversion. Invest in media exposure or content with those publishers.
  • Invest in diversified exposure across all varieties of promotional models. Every type of publisher model helps to both assist and convert consumers.
  • (This includes loyalty, deal, content, influencers, search, etc). Increase the number of affiliate touch-points in the journey, and your AOV increases.

Example Strategies to Increase AOV:

Partner with a diverse group of content publishers and influencers. From product discovery to conversion, authenticity is everything. Authenticity translates to an increase in consumer confidence. That’s why content, reviews, and prime brand placement are so important in the journey. Provide your partners with a flat media spend in exchange for these assets.

Optimize with or add loyalty partners to your program. Loyalty partners help shoppers with product and brand exploration and discovery. That means increased reach, exposure, and conversions for your brand. Offer increased cash back and prime placement opportunities for more exposure on their site.

Leverage search publishers who specialize in trademark plus (TM+) strategies. TM+ partners provide a competitive edge. Consumers in the discovery or research phase see your brand in search results. Along with direct search, this is a cost-effective way to expand your search footprint.

3 quick wins for advertisers working with content publishers

Jessica Seib, Director of Affiliates, BuzzFeed


  1. 1.Be open to solutions that work well for both yours and the publisher’s business.
  2. 2.Understand that not all publishers are built equally — and content strategies and performance will vary between each as such.
  3. 3.Research publishers for coverage from your competitors. If a publisher is or isn’t covering similar brands, it’s likely your brand may experience similar coverage and/or performance.

Takeaways

Create Moments

Affiliate journeys are as complex as the shoppers behind them and all publisher models play an important role in these customer journeys. The ideal position for an advertiser is to be present in as many as possible. Focus on creating optimal moments because there is no optimal journey.

Single or Multiple?

Both reach unique customers and offer strong scale and reach. Multi-publisher journeys are equally important and lead to even more valuable outcomes. Recruit Diversity that prioritizes and invests in multi-touch publisher journeys introduces brands to new audiences. By providing third-party validation, these publishers convert potential buyers into customers.

In Summary

Considering the channel’s ability to drive 88% more revenue per shopper compared to other channels, ongoing publisher recruitment, activation, and diversification are all essential for long-term and sustained growth. A strategy that encourages both single and multi-publisher journeys is critical for brands to gain competitive advantage and improve the bottom line.

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Dare to think big. Expect bigger results.

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About CJ Affiliate

Since day one, we’ve focused on creating innovative tech that meets client needs. Founded in Santa Barbara, California in 1998, CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction), continues to lead as the largest, most trusted name in global performance marketing, specializing in affiliate marketing technology and services.

We are the platform of choice for driving profitable growth for over 3,800 global brands around the world across in all verticals including retail, travel, finance, and network & home services. Our technology powers a partnership ecosystem where over 167K publishers and brands engage billions of consumers worldwide.

As part of Publicis Groupe, aligned with Publicis Media, we leverage unparalleled data, technology, and strategic expertise to bring a truly customer-centric approach to performance marketing. Our people dare to think big and drive even bigger results.

CJ is our platform of choice for two reasons: First, the CJ platform is user-friendly and reliable, allowing us to identify top performing brands and grow our advertiser base. Second, the talent within the CJ team — staff are quick to suggest new routes to growth and consistently responsive. CJ has been keen to embrace new ideas and we look forward to working together in the years to come.”

Barefruit.com



The thing that I love about CJ is not just the scale — we’ve gotten a lot of new customer acquisitions from the channel — but the high quality of those customers. We’ve loved every customer we’ve gotten from CJ thus far.”

Home Services Sector Client


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