Every marketer wants to know where to place the next best dollar. That’s where EMR Power Rankings come in, providing a snapshot of how channels stack up against one another. But the rankings only matter if they’re anchored in strategy. Before scanning the list, it’s worth stepping back to ask:
- What is the role of media? What shifts in consumer behavior are we aiming to drive, and how can media support?
- What is the role of each channel or platform in delivering that vision? How can we lean on the nuances of the channel and consumer usage to maximize impact?
With those questions in mind, the rankings become more than numbers on a page. They become a lens for smarter investment, helping teams connect channel-level investment to a broader strategy designed to influence business goals.
The Role of Affiliate During Holiday
With affiliate marketing, don’t just chase conversions; reshape consumer behavior. Pull shoppers up from last-click impulse into consideration and brand discovery, so you’re in their carts and their heads before the deal frenzy peaks.
During the most competitive weeks of the year, use value to build brand loyalty, rewarding patience and repeat engagement so shoppers stick around. In short: own the consideration set early, then reinforce it through the season to turn peak-season chaos into predictable demand.
Affiliate marketing is now a full-funnel growth engine. A diversified partner mix—content and editorial, influencers, loyalty and cash back, coupon and deal sites—creates surround sound presence that captures attention, nurtures intent, and converts when it counts.
Cast a wide net to put the year’s most compelling offers in front of highly motivated shoppers wherever they browse, using incentives as a value exchange that secures preference and repeat action. The result: affiliates create, accelerate, and lock in demand through the holidays.
Maximizing Impact with Affiliate Channels
Affiliate marketing is a full-funnel holiday growth engine: affiliate content publishers and affiliate influencers shape discovery and consideration, while affiliate loyalty publishers throttle conversion with targeted cash back and premium exposure.
Orchestrated from pre-peak through post-peak, this system creates demand early, paces it through Cyber Week, and locks it in without blanket discounting.
Affiliate Content Publishers
Affiliate content publishers now shape the holiday consideration set, not just the last click. Through editorial authority and search reach, they drive early brand discovery with credible formats—gift guides, “best-of” roundups, and problem/solution explainers—that put our offers on the shortlist before peak weeks. They frame value beyond price, using narratives like “best for X,” “upgrade picks,” and “what to buy now vs later” to steer motivated shoppers toward our brand while intent is still forming.
As the season accelerates, publishers translate intent into action with real-time deal coverage, reviews, and comparisons that de-risk choices, and exclusive offers that create urgency without racing to the bottom. Integrations with loyalty and cash back partners reward patience and repeat engagement, reinforcing preference through the noise. The net effect: content publishers don’t just capture demand; they manufacture it early, amplify it during peak, and sustain it through post-peak re-engagement.
Affiliate Influencers
Affiliate influencers have become a core growth lever in the holiday funnel, converting attention into action through authentic voices that audiences trust. Their content—styling tips, unboxings, “shop with me,” and curated lists—turns social proof into incremental sales, moving shoppers from discovery to checkout without detours. By meeting motivated consumers where they already spend time, influencers expand reach, compress consideration cycles, and unlock demand that traditional placements can’t touch.
Winning the moment requires smart timing and orchestration. Ramp investment before Cyber Week to seed more organic posts, prime discovery, and build momentum creators can echo during peak; sharp spend jumps during the week itself can lift volume, but often face cost pressure and diminishing returns from content that’s already been paid for. A uniform strategy across influencer networks keeps execution tight: standardized briefs, clear brand guardrails, and a flexible link toolbox—deep links, curated storefronts, exclusive codes, and category or giftguide links—so creators can match format to audience and move quickly. Make it easy to promote and easy to buy, then measure success beyond last click to capture true incremental impact.
Affiliate Loyalty Publishers
Affiliate loyalty publishers are the conversion engine of holiday performance: they turn motivated shoppers into buyers at scale. Strategic increases in cash back operate as a demand throttle—paired with the right offer architecture and premium exposure, they unlock high volume and step-change gains without resorting to blanket discounting. The play is simple: match elevated rewards to the moments that matter, and you’ll convert intent, retain share, and pace demand through peak.
Diversify your loyalty breakout beyond the top names to include midtail and niche partners, then distribute increased cash back across the portfolio to expand reach, mitigate auction-driven inflation, and surface offers to distinct member bases. Orchestrate rewards and exposure by window (prepeak warmup, Cyber Week surge, post-peak reengagement) so you’re meeting members with the most compelling value when their wallets are open. The result: loyalty partners driving incremental volume while reinforcing brand preference throughout the holidays.
Crush Your Affiliate Marketing Strategy This Holiday
With this affiliate marketing handbook as your guide, it’s time to crush your media strategy this season. Want additional support from our integrated media experts? Contact our team or learn more about our media capabilities.
