How BombBomb drives 41% of net new partner revenue through affiliates

BombBomb is a video messaging platform that allows sales teams to build client and referral partner relationships with a human touch. BombBomb allows teams to create and share video messaging through email communications, allowing for a personalized touch in each message. Whether it’s moments of celebration or instances where guidance and clarity are needed, BombBomb enables a memorable human-to-human video experience within the sales process, which can optimize results from first contact to closed deal.

Creating authentic connections is nothing new to Partnerships Manager Todd Burleson, who had a natural knack for a human connection long before he began his career in the industry. With a background in hospitality, he took the time to make patrons at the restaurant he worked at feel extra welcome. “I would go before every dinner service and look up every single person who was coming in. I had a book with notes, where I would remember, like, regulars were going to Hawaii,” Burleson says. “So when they came in I could be like, ‘Oh hey, Johnson family! how was Hawaii?’” It was through a role in sales that he made it into the partnerships world at BombBomb, and as he puts it, “Creating relationships and pushing a business forward… It was a natural fit.”

A need for custom, engaging email communications

BombBomb had previously worked with another partnership management platform, and when it sunsetted, the team was eager to try something new. A main sticking point with the previous platform had been email. As Burleson put it, the emails were, “Very boring. Our customers aren't that way, they aren't boring. Being able to customize emails was huge.” With no ability to insert video messages or even customize emails to a desirable point, Burleson was on the hunt for a platform that would allow him to personalize his communications the way he knew he wanted to. He needed a partner ecosystem platform that could meet the needs of the business, while allowing him to integrate video seamlessly. 

He didn’t have to look for long. “PartnerStack was far and away the best platform I looked at, especially for ease of use for the partner experience and partner manager experience,” Burleson says. Getting set up on the platform set things off on the right foot from the start. “The way that PartnerStack continues to grow and listen to needs… Going all the way back to onboarding, I’ve just had such a great experience,” he says. “Whenever I need something to work a certain way, it just gets done.”

Using video messaging to engage and support affiliates

With the program set up, Burleson set to work creating a customized email flow. Check out the video below — it’s what BombBomb sends to affiliates when they’ve reached 10 clicks on their links.

‍

“That warm fuzzy feeling is way better than if I just said, hey, you hit 10 clicks. Great job,” Burleson explains. Automated trigger emails are a well-known feature on PartnerStack, but adding in video allows Burleson to add those warm feelings that make the affiliate feel more genuinely recognized and appreciated.

Beyond recognition, these customized emails open up a communication channel for further support. In the video, Burleson welcomes them to reach out if they need any further resources to help them hit their next milestones — and they do. He receives regular video replies to his automated emails, wherein affiliates ask questions, show appreciation, and even keep him in the loop of their personal lives. 

Tools to support affiliate success

Automated emails with custom video capability are the cornerstone of BombBomb’s unique communication with their affiliates, but Burleson also recognizes other PartnerStack tools as playing a part in the success of the program.

When offering support to affiliates, Burleson knows the resources component is an invaluable hub for information. He regularly drives affiliates to the resources component to enable their learning. “It’s so immensely beneficial to our partners,” Burleson says of the feature. He notes that keeping this feature top of mind for affiliates is a key part of his continued enablement strategy. 

Check out Todd's resources video, which walks affiliates through the resources hub and invites feedback on what else they'd like to see included.

The results of customized communication

BombBomb is proof that a human touch can drastically improve engagement, retention, and revenue. While the idea of customization gets a bad name in the interest of scaling, any seasoned partnership program knows that often, the lion’s share of revenue comes from a select few high performers, and going the extra mile to build a real connection with them can have a noticeable impact on their perception of the program, which can snowball into a positive revenue trend. 

That trend? BombBomb has seen affiliate-driven revenue account for 41% of net-new partner revenue in 2022.

While the numbers are convincing, what's also noticeable is the qualitative effect of that human touch. Javed Khan, an affiliate in BombBomb's program, speaks to how personalized video messages made him feel "amazing," making interactions with the BombBomb team warm, memorable, and positive.

‍

It's clear that the positive effect here goes beyond 41% of net-new partner revenue.

Automated email triggers are a set it and forget it solution, but that doesn’t mean they’re impersonal. BombBomb is proving that with the right customization capabilities, you can communicate with your affiliates in a way that speaks to your company’s overall mission and style. Even more importantly, you can still grow while maintaining a genuine human connection — a connection that also serves your business goals, too.