Hey hey! o/

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been knee-deep in a big project: migrating my own affiliate program from ThriveCart to Rootabl!

It's something I've been putting off for ages because, I'll be honest, the thought of re-inviting affiliates into a new program, migrating commissions, and potentially losing tracking on historical links made my brain go fuzzy. 🙈

As I've been working through this process, I realised the experience would make a perfect topic for today's email—especially as it's another common question I get asked:

I'll start by saying this: affiliate platform migration is never going to be completely seamless. There are bound to be some hiccoughs along the way and the sooner you accept that, the better. 😅

That said, with the right approach, migrating your affiliate program doesn't have to be overly complicated & messy.

Here's what I've learned through my own process:

1. Communicate clearly with your affiliates. Give them plenty of notice about what's coming up before you move anyone over. Be crystal clear about what they need to do, what will happen to their existing links, and when the switch will happen.
2. Document your current setup. Before you move anything, keep note of your current commission structure, cookie settings, and any special setups for specific affiliates (e.g., custom commissions). If it helps, take screenshots or set up a simple spreadsheet so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.
3. Run both systems in parallel. There should be a crossover period between the tracking platform you have now and your new one. This gives your affiliates time to swap their links over and allows you to catch any tracking issues.
4. Baby steps are okay. If you need to test the waters before moving everyone over at once, that's totally okay. You can start with moving a few select affiliates first to test out your new affiliate platform or use the new tool for one specific offer or promotion to see how it fairs. (I'm currently doing the latter!)
5. Expect (and prepare for) some manual work. No matter how good your new platform is (and I'm loving Rootabl so far!), there will likely be some things you need to handle manually after importing your affiliates. Whether it's transferring commissions or helping affiliates get settled, it's best to make sure you carve more time than you think around the migration.

The main thing I keep reminding myself of is that migrating my affiliate program is a temporary hurdle that will lead to long-term benefits like a better affiliate experience, robust lead tracking, and hopefully more referrals!

Have you ever migrated to a new affiliate platform? Click reply and tell me where you moved from and to. I love hearing about people's techscapades!

Warmly,
Zoe 💛

P.S. Migrating your affiliate program and want to know you're on the right path? Doors to Affiliate Amplify are opening super soon. In there, I'll be able to help you in office hours & you'll get access to the Affiliate Migration Kit I'm working on! If you want to be the first to know when doors open (and get the special early bird price), join the waitlist here!​

This email contains affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission for purchases made—at no extra cost to you!