According to eMarketer, retail “foot traffic continues to slump. One study found foot traffic in US retail stores fell 7.5% in November and December 2017, continuing the longer-term trend toward ecommerce and away from traditional retail.”¹  How can savvy marketers execute strategies to boost foot traffic and in-store sales?  One answer is by leveraging one of most valuable channels that has driven e-commerce sales for the last two decades – affiliate marketing.

Using digital to drive in-store sales isn’t easy and any POS integration discussion is often the kiss of death for digital marketers who want to drive in-store sales.

One of things RevTrax has come to realize over the years is that if you can provide solutions that are truly a no-lift execution for the retailer’s digital team, it’s much easier to launch successful marketing campaigns.  It seems obvious, but it’s easier said than done.

To that point, we developed a solution for digital marketers to utilize existing affiliate programs (ex. Rakuten) to drive in-store sales, on a cost per sale model, with no POS integration.   

This solution leverages a receipt upload experience (give it a try here)  that is branded for the advertiser and works via mobile web, unlike many rebate apps.

For the first time, RevTrax is enabling advertisers (this also includes manufacturers) to launch in-store offers via their existing affiliate network in under two weeks with no up-front cost or commitment.   This solution can handle SKU-level data (ex. exclude gift cards).  The solution can also leverage audience information to identify new versus existing customers and respond accordingly (we love showing incrementality!). 

The beauty of all of this is that everyone involved – RevTrax, the network, and the publisher – all get paid on a cost per sale model as part of an existing affiliate program.

So how does it work? 

1. The publisher pulls a network affiliate link and publishes the link.
2. The consumer clicks on the link and sees an offer experience (can be hosted by RevTrax or advertiser).
3. The consumer activates the offer and shops in store without presenting anything to cashier.
4. The consumer snaps a picture of her receipt.
5. RevTrax matches the redemption data against all the other info on the network affiliate link (ex: publisher ID, member ID, etc.) and uploads a transaction file to network.
6. RevTrax fulfills the consumer offer (branded for advertiser).
7. The network bills the advertiser and pays publishers via standard process.

Additionally, we know that “offers” can mean many things to many people.  Here are some great consumer offer ideas that we’ve seen from our clients:

• Rebate:  Get a $ or % amount back (ex. Spend $50 and get a $10 virtual Visa Card or PayPal)
• Gift Card:  Get a $ gift card (ex. Spend $50 and get a $10 gift card)
• Coupon:  Get a $ coupon (ex. Spend $50 and get a $10 coupon)
• Donation:  Simply donate a $ or % to an important cause (ex. Spend $50 and we will donate $10 to the Red Cross)

With so many options, there’s a fit for every brand – from the heaviest discounter to high-end luxury market.

There’s no better time than now to discuss how you can leverage affiliate marketing to drive in-store sales for the holiday season. 

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Seth Sarelson is the COO & Co-founder of RevTrax