The results are out for two of the largest reports in the performance marketing industry: the AffiliateBenchmarks Report and the AffStat Report. LinkConnector is honored to be recognized as a top 10 network in both reports for another consecutive year. Use the findings from these insightful reports to push the needle forward in 2017 with your affiliate program.
AFFILIATE BENCHMARKS
The 9th annual AffiliateBenchmarks Survey has released its 2016 results, in which nearly 1,800 affiliate marketers participated. The AffiliateBenchmarks Report is the largest independent study of the performance marketing industry. The reports help develop and reinforce best practices and strengthen the relationship between affiliates, advertisers and agencies.
This year, the report strongly suggests that our industry is thriving and growing.
Advertisers
- 71% say their affiliate marketing efforts met or exceeded expectations (page 8)
- 80% plan to increase their affiliate marketing budget next year or keep it the same, with 50% increasing budget (page 10)
- 67.5% note that coupon sites are a valuable part of their affiliate programs, with 30% of these finding coupon sites to be the most valuable category type (page 18)
Affiliates
- 62.6% find content most important when promoting a program; 44% find coupons and promotions most important (page 16)
- For those promoting consumer promotions, 39% say percentage off purchase (no minimum) is most effective at driving overall sales; 27.1% note that free shipping is best (page 17)
- 68.2% of affiliates use Facebook to drive traffic; 62.4% use SEO; 51% use Twitter (page 15) See the chart below.
View Complete Advertiser Results
View Complete Affiliate Results
AFFSTAT REPORT
The annual Affiliate Summit AffStat Report has helped shape the affiliate marketing industry for the past 14 years, by delivering a diverse collection of industry benchmarks, critical to growing any affiliate marketing program. This survey packs a punch with statistics ranging from optimal cookie duration, to preferred methods of contact, to affiliate recruitment strategies that work—and those that don’t. Here are a few stats that stood out to us from the 2016 report.
Top 5 Categories Promoted by Affiliates in 2016
SOURCE: AffStat 2016 | pg. 11
41.04% | +2.39% YoY | Computer & Electronics
39.84% | +4.38% YoY | Clothing/Apparel
29.88% | +1.19% YoY | Online Services
29.48% | +2.79% YoY | Accessories
27.89% | +2.79% YoY | Beauty
26.69% | -1.60% YoY | Health & Wellness
Top 5 Methods Used by Affiliates to Drive Traffic in 2016
SOURCE: AffStat 2016 | pg. 8
69.22% | +3.08% YoY | Search Engine Marketing
67.32% | +7.16% YoY | Leveraging Social Networks
64.48% | +7.11% YoY | Blogging
41.47% | +3.62% YoY | Email Marketing
34.28% | +3.08% YoY | Pay Per Click
Percentage of Affiliate Programs that Utilized an Attribution Model for Commission Tracking in 2016
SOURCE: AffStat 2016 | pg. 15
Top 3 Factors Driving Affiliate Program Selections in 2016
SOURCE: AffStat 2016 | pg. 9
18.15% | +0.00% YoY | Product or Service Relevancy
15.97% | +0.56% YoY | Affiliate Program Reputation
11.58% | -7.26% YoY | Affiliate Network or Tracking Platform
