How to Create Affiliate Groups in WooCommerce
Creating affiliate groups is one of the best ways to optimise and efficiently manage your WooCommerce affiliate program.
By using the Coupon Affiliates plugin, you can categorise your affiliates into different groups, enabling custom settings, personalised rewards, and targeted incentives, all of which enhance your program’s performance.
This guide will help you understand the benefits of affiliate groups, how to create them, and how to make the most of them to boost your affiliate marketing strategy.
Why Use Affiliate Groups?
Affiliate groups provide a powerful way to segment your affiliates, enabling you to manage them effectively and optimise performance.
Key benefits include:
- Custom Commission Rates: Assign different commission rates based on an affiliate’s performance or specific group status.
- Targeted Rewards: Offer group-specific bonuses and payouts to encourage affiliates to reach certain targets.
- Enhanced Efficiency: Manage entire groups with shared settings, saving time on individual customisation.
- Targeted Communication: Send tailored messages or promotional content to specific groups, creating a more personalised experience for your affiliates.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Affiliate Groups
Step 1: Navigate to Affiliate Groups in the Dashboard
To begin, go to the Coupon Affiliates menu within your WooCommerce admin dashboard and click on “Groups”. This section allows you to view existing groups, create new ones, and edit group settings.
Step 2: Add a New Group
Click “Add New” to create an affiliate group. Assign a display name that clearly defines the group. Names such as “VIP”, “High Performers” or “Content Creators” work well for easy identification.
Step 3: Customise Group Settings
Once a group is created, you can customise it with various settings that suit the needs of the affiliates in that group. These include:
- Commission Rates: Assign specific commission rates for each group.
- Payout Methods: Tailor payout methods to each group. VIP affiliates might get access to a faster payout cycle, while new affiliates could have a more standardised method.
- Performance Bonuses: Add specific bonuses for reaching particular sales milestones or achieving specific goals. For example, offer a bonus for generating 100 sales in a month.
- Dashboard Features: Customise the affiliate dashboard to display group-specific features and resources. For example, give the “Content Creators” group exclusive creative materials.
- Coupon Templates: Automatically assign certain coupon templates to different groups when they register. Affiliates in niche markets can receive coupons customised for their audience.
Step 4: Assign Affiliates to Groups
Affiliates can be assigned to groups in 2 different ways:
1. Manually
Go to an affiliate’s profile under the WordPress admin and select their appropriate group in the “Affiliate Groups” section.
2. During Registration
Assign default groups for newly registered affiliates under the Registrations settings tab.
You can either assign a default group for all new affiliates, or create “multiple template coupons” which lets you assign different groups to different types of registrations.
This streamlines group categorisation from the moment they join.
Features You Can Customise by Group
Coupon Affiliates provides the flexibility to adjust several features for each group.
Here are all the features you can customise:
Commission Rates
Set custom commission settings for each individual group.
These will take priority over the global commission rate settings, however if you set per-coupon or per-product commission rates too, those will take priority instead. You can leave this empty to use the default rates for the individual affiliate.
These can be set in the edit group page, or in the plugin settings page in the “Commission” tab under “Per User Role Commission”.
Payout Methods
Payout methods can be limited to only be available for certain user roles or affiliate groups.
You can choose which payout methods are available for a specific affiliate group by editing that group:
Or in the plugin settings page, when editing a payout method, you can choose all the groups/roles that are able to access that payout method.
If none are selected it will not be limited to any, any is available for all roles.
Bonuses and Rewards
It is possible to limit certain bonuses and rewards to only be available for specific affiliate groups or user roles.
When editing a group you will see a list of all the available bonuses and rewards for that group, with a link to edit them. If the reward has been assigned specifically to that group it will show a star icon next to it too.
When editing a specific bonus, there is an option to assign that bonus to a specific group or user role.
Reward: Auto-assign to new role or group
With the bonuses and rewards feature, it is possible for one of the rewards to be set to: Assign to a new user role or affiliate group
This makes it possible to automatically upgrade an affiliate to a higher tier or different group, once they reach a certain milestone.
Creatives
You can also limit creatives to only be available for specific affiliate groups or user roles.
When editing a specific creative, simply select the roles and groups that you would like to have access to this creative on their dashboard. If none are selected, then it will be available to all affiliate users.
Custom Dashboard Tabs
In the plugin settings page, with the section that allows you to create your own custom dashboard tabs, there is the option to also limit the visibility of this tab to certain user roles or affiliate groups.
Best Practices for Using Affiliate Groups
1. High Performers or VIP Groups
Create a group for high-performing affiliates with increased commission rates, better payout options, and exclusive bonuses. This makes them feel valued and encourages them to keep bringing high-quality traffic and sales.
2. Segment New Affiliates
Assign new affiliates to a dedicated group with beginner-friendly commission rates and training resources. This group can help guide them as they start, with lower initial targets and access to tutorials that assist them in learning the process.
3. Industry-Specific Groups
If your affiliate network spans multiple niches like tech, lifestyle, or fitness, create niche-specific groups. Custom coupon templates, commission rates, and promotional assets can be tailored for each group’s audience, enhancing their marketing capabilities.
4. Influencer and Content Creator Groups
If you work with influencers, creating a group specifically for them allows for targeted features, such as unique promotional materials and tailored payout preferences. This helps them effectively promote your brand in their content.
How Affiliate Groups Will Improve Your Affiliate Program
Better Motivation with Targeted Rewards: By offering group-specific incentives, affiliates are encouraged to improve their performance. You could, for instance, incentivise affiliates to move from the “New Affiliates” group to the “High Performers” group by offering better commissions or bonuses.
Simplified Scaling: As your affiliate program grows, managing affiliates individually becomes cumbersome. Affiliate groups let you scale efficiently while maintaining a high level of personalisation. Group-based settings reduce manual work and increase consistency.
Custom Communication and Promotions: Groups allow for more strategic communication. Send targeted messages, campaign updates, or seasonal promotions directly relevant to a specific group. For example, you could offer tailored promotional assets to “Content Creators” during a product launch, helping them promote effectively.
Conclusion
Creating affiliate groups in WooCommerce with the Coupon Affiliates plugin provides structure and scalability to your affiliate program. By segmenting affiliates based on their performance, niche, or type, you can reward them more effectively, manage your program with ease, and boost engagement.
Take advantage of group-specific features, such as custom commission rates, tailored dashboards, and specialised incentives, to enhance affiliate satisfaction and program efficiency.
Implement affiliate groups today and watch your WooCommerce affiliate program thrive!
Interested in trying Coupon Affiliates? Check out the free version or get the premium version (with a 7-day free trial).
Elliot Sowersby is a WordPress developer from Yorkshire, United Kingdom. He is the founder and lead developer of Coupon Affiliates and RelyWP.
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