Over the years affiliate marketing has shaken off the shady connotations added to its name and has emerged as one of the biggest and most sophisticated digital marketing platforms globally. A lot of this exponential growth is owed to the performance-based nature of affiliate marketing. For easy understanding, affiliate marketing works on the principle where person A refers someone to an online product and if the other person buys the product based on that recommendation, person A receives a commission, the more the connections, the more the traffic, and the more the revenue.

In the digital arena that we inhabit now, Artificial Intelligence is on the rise. AI, which mimics human cognition, has become a part of our internet habits. IT giants, app developers and software engineers are researching into the ever-expanding possibilities and uses of AI. It already is an important player across the digital landscape, providing cost-effective optimization and management of key processes. Needless to say, it has also touched the platform of affiliate marketing.

AI Easing Pain of Affiliate Managers
As the term affiliate suggests, this marketing platform thrives on establishing relationships with publishers, who connect to the customers and keeping tabs on it. Since client networks are huge in size, managing them is very difficult. To ease this, managers can use AI chatbots which would be helpful in answering the questions of publishers. They will provide the managers with time-saving alternatives, almost acting like their assistants. This concept can also be used by publishers and advertisers to create a better relationship with the visitor.

In a way, through AI, affiliate marketers are creating trust amongst their network. The experience provided by the marketers is highly personalized. This quashes the thought of risk in the mind of the visitor. Secondly, publishers who choose to employ this technology on their pages, add more weight to the publishers’ recommendation as they provide the visitors with a human touch, something that still influences buying habits.

Another way in which AI can ease the pains of affiliate managers is by helping them analyze their datasheets. These sheets are important for performance charts and trend prediction. Automating the process of compiling and analyzing these sheets will be both cost and time effective.

AI based Fraud Detection System and Analysis Tools
Machine Learning solutions can be used to fight against frauds. AI can quickly identify and segregate instances of fraud by analyzing data sheets and, impression and conversion rates.

These AI-based anomaly detection systems are sensitive to pattern changes and will easily track new fraudulent activities from the quantity and distribution of the data. AI can also be used to create more organic traffic by searches. AI-powered searches are proven to be more beneficial as they amalgamate the users’ history, preferences and the top content available in the search field to produce a cohesive result. Search platforms powered by AI can help in audience targeting through SEO and ad optimization. As AI helps in the behavioural analysis of visitors and it will help managers and publishers by providing quicker insights on the kind of traffic they target. As for the visitors, AI powered search will lead them towards newer links which are better suited for their needs. Furthermore, advertisers can use retargeting tools to analyse their conversion rates.

Optimized Conversion Rates and Elimination of Human Error
Evolution of publishers and their habits through AI will also affect affiliate marketing. AI learns from feedback and simplifies the publishing process. AI powered searches will find the best content and the readers who would consume it. Publishers can make use of content analysis to check for plagiarism as well as how their content is faring. Unique tools like integration with adwords, can also help reduce the input the publisher’s production cost while monetizing their content.

AI will also optimize the conversion rates as well as make the tracking process much more comprehensive. Publishers can use dynamic mail subject lines and page layout that best suit their visitors. With tools like ad server, publishers can even rotate banners to best meet the needs of the customer.The live tracking of purchases adds a dash of trust in the retailer-consumer relationship and tools like lost orders will be beneficial for cash back services.

However, there is a censure that the incorporation of AI in affiliate marketing will jut out managers, leaving them jobless. With all the hopes and speculations about AI’s growth in affiliate marketing, the jobs of managers are not at any threat. Instead, managers would be benefit the most. Since affiliate marketing is fast-paced, through Machine Learning and automation, managers would be able to rid themselves of time-consuming tasks. The managers would be able to spend more time employing their creative and managerial skills towards creating strategies that suit them best. As AI can only do what it’s taught, it can only accomplish things the manager wants it to. AI will be helpful in cutting down the risk of human error and misinterpretation while making processes quicker and less laborious.

“The rise of Machine Learning in the digital marketing landscape is at a steady pace and one can expect AI to become a huge part of the industry by 2020.” At present, an example on how seamless and effective their incorporation in our world can be of voice-enabled searching. With more and more target specific extension and research of this technology, the world of digital marketing will evolve into something much more targeted and risk-free.