Affiliate Marketing Skill

Affiliate Program Design

Commission Models

Commission Rate Benchmarks

Cookie Duration

Program Setup

Platform Options

Program Page Essentials

1. Headline: Clear value prop for affiliates
2. Commission structure: Transparent rates and terms
3. Cookie duration: How long referrals are tracked
4. Payment terms: When and how affiliates get paid (Net 30/60)
5. Promotional assets: What you provide (banners, copy, links)
6. Success stories: Earnings examples from existing affiliates
7. FAQ: Common questions answered
8. Application form: Simple signup process

Terms of Service

• Commission rates and payment schedule
• Cookie duration and attribution model
• Prohibited promotion methods (spam, brand bidding, misleading claims)
• Minimum payout threshold ($50-$100)
• Program modification rights
• Termination conditions
• Trademark usage guidelines
• FTC disclosure requirements

Recruiting Affiliates

Affiliate Tiers

Recruitment Strategies

1. Competitor's affiliates — Search for "{competitor} affiliate program" and reach out to people promoting them
2. Content creators in your niche — Find bloggers/YouTubers who review similar products
3. Your own customers — Invite happy customers to earn by referring
4. Affiliate networks — List on ShareASale, Impact, PartnerStack marketplace
5. Outreach campaigns — Direct email/DM to relevant creators

Outreach Template

Subject: Partner opportunity: Earn {X}% promoting {Product}

Hi {Name},

I noticed your {content piece/channel/blog} about {topic} — great work on {specific compliment}.

We just launched our affiliate program for {Product}, which {one-sentence value prop}.
I think it'd be a great fit for your audience because {specific reason}.

Here's what we offer affiliates:
- {X}% recurring commission
- {Y}-day cookie window
- Dedicated affiliate support
- Custom landing pages and promo assets

Our top affiliates earn ${X,XXX}/month. Want me to send you details?

{Your name}

Optimization

Key Metrics

Affiliate Activation

Day 0: Welcome email + quick start guide
Day 3: "Your first promotion" email with templates
Day 7: Check-in email — "Need help getting started?"
Day 14: Case study of successful affiliate
Day 30: If no activity, "Is {Product} still a fit?" email

Providing Promotional Assets

Compliance & Legal

FTC Disclosure Requirements

Required disclosures:
- Blog: "This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission..."
- Social: "#ad" or "#affiliate" clearly visible
- Video: Verbal disclosure + on-screen text
- Email: "This email contains affiliate links"

Prohibited Activities

• Spam (email, social, forum)
• Brand bidding (PPC ads on your brand name)
• Cookie stuffing or forced clicks
• Misleading claims about the product
• Trademark violations
• Coupon/deal sites without permission

Output Format

# Affiliate Program Strategy: {Product}

## Program Design

| Element | Details |
|---------|---------|
| Commission model | {model} |
| Commission rate | {rate} |
| Cookie duration | {days} |
| Payment terms | {Net 30/60} |
| Min. payout | ${amount} |
| Platform | {platform} |

## Target Affiliates

| Tier | Profile | Recruitment Strategy | Est. Count |
|------|---------|---------------------|-----------|

## Launch Plan

### Week 1-2: Setup
{Tasks}

### Week 3-4: Soft Launch
{Tasks}

### Month 2-3: Recruitment
{Tasks}

### Month 4+: Optimization
{Tasks}

## Promotional Assets Needed
{List of assets to create}

## Budget
| Item | Monthly Cost |
|------|-------------|

## Success Metrics
| Metric | Month 3 Target | Month 6 Target |

Important Notes

• Affiliate programs take 3-6 months to gain traction. Be patient.
• 80% of affiliate revenue typically comes from 20% of affiliates. Invest in your top performers.
• Always pay affiliates on time. Late payments destroy relationships and your program's reputation.
• Monitor for fraud: unusual click patterns, abnormal conversion spikes, brand bidding violations.
• Affiliates promote what converts. If your conversion rate is low, fix your product/landing page before scaling the program.
• Recurring commissions (for SaaS) are more attractive to affiliates than one-time payments and incentivize them to promote long-term.