| | SEPTEMBER 20239Consultants ReviewSuch an integration establishes influencers as new-age publishers and unlocks newer ways of monetis-ing their reach and receiving pay-ments. Moreover, through various support tools and performance data, affiliate networks also help influenc-ers gain insights into the reception of branded content amongst target audience, enabling them to generate better content over time. Brands, on the other hand, get ac-cess to native content created by top social media influencers on a larger scale through affiliate networks. There is also the ripple effect ­ the hallmark of any engaging social media content ­ to consider. Native brand integrations in influencer con-tent can create organic conversations that can have a cascading impact through word-of-mouth, thus creat-ing a strong resonance for the brand and/or product amongst the target audience. A strong enough influenc-er affiliate marketing campaign can also go viral and be picked-up by tra-ditional and new-age media houses as a case study, further adding to the impact of the brand campaign. Affiliate networks can also help brands measure the performance of their influencer affiliate campaigns to identify what kind of content works well with which consumer demographic. This allows them to pursue more relevant influencer partnerships in the future. Through multiple measurement and verifica-tion tools, affiliate networks also ensure that only authentic traf-fic is reported, thus raising the trust and credibility in the digital marketing domain.The Road AheadIt's a fast paced digital world we're living in, and consumers love ex-perimenting with new ways of con-suming content. More than that, they trust the influencers that they follow to recommend products & services that are relevant to them. Social media has become the new word-of-mouth channel. Marketers should therefore look beyond paid online ad space or content to influ-encer affiliate marketing in order to pull-in and retain today's millen-nial consumers. After all, content is still the king, but it should also ignite conversations that interest today's millennials ­ through the channels that they most frequently engage with. Affiliate networks can also help brands measure the performance of their influencer affiliate campaigns to identify what kind of content works well with which consumer demographic
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