Affiliate marketing is a performance-based model where you pay partners (affiliates) a commission for driving sales or leads to your business.
How Affiliate Marketing Works
- Affiliates promote your products using tracked links
- Customers click and purchase
- Sale is attributed to the affiliate
- You pay agreed commission
Types of Affiliates
View Affiliate Types
Content Sites: Blogs, review sites, niche publications
Coupon/Deal Sites: Voucher aggregators and deal platforms
Comparison Sites: Product comparison engines
Influencers: Social media personalities with tracked links
Email Publishers: Newsletter operators
Loyalty/Cashback: Sites offering rewards to shoppers
Commission Models
- Percentage of sale (5-30% typical)
- Fixed amount per sale
- Cost per lead
- Hybrid (base + percentage)
Affiliate Networks
Networks like Awin, CJ Affiliate, and Rakuten connect brands with affiliates and handle tracking, reporting, and payments.
Considerations
Affiliate can be low risk (pay on results) but requires management to ensure brand safety and prevent coupon abuse at checkout.