Over the past 7 months or so, the digital marketing industry has taken quite a few hits, and many affiliate marketers are trying to figure out how to rise above the challenges. While the current situation may seem intimidating, having all the facts can help you make better decisions that will maintain the health of your affiliate marketing business during these times of turmoil.
Discover the 3 major events that hugely impacted the industry this year!
The War in Ukraine
War always makes big waves on the global market, as it often brings a stop to previously flourishing import and export relationships between countries, as well as sanctions on the party that initiated this kind of event. Russia’s most significant exports were crude petroleum, refined petroleum, and petroleum gas. Among its more notable clients were Germany, the United Kingdom, China, and the Netherlands.
Given Putin’s stance, many tier 1 countries were quick to hand out sanctions and cut Russia off. This affected oil prices as there was a noticeable drop in demand from this specific source, and the sudden volatility had some market experts and traders withdraw from these assets.
As for the industry, many publishers in the affiliate marketing industry who lived in Ukraine stopped sending traffic due to the dramatic change in their living conditions, and some brokerages had to shut down their operations.
Inflation rears its Ugly Head
Inflation is never an easy subject, but this time around, we felt it on a global scale. In the United States alone, the inflation rate rose to 9.1 percent in June, which was at an astounding high and a first since 1981. The outcome exceeded the market analysts’ expectations of 8.8 percent and shook the market.
Other than creating the usual predicament of rising prices against the sharp drop in the value of money, traders were less likely to enter the global market and open positions. Newcomers were even less likely to participate as inflation further affected the employment market.
With this level of uncertainty regarding the near future, it is quite clear why traffic sources suffered, and as a consequence, some existing clients may have left their accounts with brokers at a standstill.
Changes in Regulation
Regulation is often an uphill battle for brokers and independent digital marketers in the affiliate marketing industry, as it means they have to maneuver between stricter guidelines each time. Though some GEOs remain somewhat lenient, the better the traffic, the harsher the regulatory figures tend to be.
These changes also manifest themselves in Facebook or Google ad accounts getting shut down, and affiliate marketers have a significantly bigger challenge in getting them back on track or opening new ones. In this case, it is more about trial and error than anything else, and they have few options other than going with the flow until they get the hang of it.
What can You do
So, you might be asking yourself what your next move should be. Although you cannot change the course of events as they unfold or turn back time, you can adjust your affiliate marketing campaigns to fit these events and work with them. This means teaching your leads that there are still plenty of opportunities in the financial markets if they know when and where to open their positions.
Perhaps, it may be best to target somewhat experienced traders rather than new ones, but that choice is entirely up to you.
Another option is joining an affiliate marketing network that can find your traffic sources’ best match among the brokerages on their database. This means you will not have to find a company to buy your traffic; given the ongoing situation, this may be the best choice you can make. Advertisers are held to higher standards when they join affiliate networks, and the network will share your interest of not wanting to see them burn through your leads.
Learn more about our industry-leading affiliate network and how we can help you find your next lucrative business opportunity!
