An affiliate programme pays other people a share of the sales they send you. It can be an efficient channel, and it can also be a distraction that brings in nothing.
It tends to work when:
- The product already sells to strangers.
- There are people with audiences made up of your buyers: writers, educators, consultants, makers of complementary tools.
- The price or the recurring revenue leaves room for a commission that is worth someone's effort.
- You can give affiliates something easy to talk about.
It tends not to work when:
- The product has not found its buyers yet.
- The price is low and paid once.
- You expect affiliates to appear without being recruited.
Decisions to make
- Commission: how much, and for how long on a subscription
- Tracking window: how long after a click a sale still counts
- Payout: when, how, and after what refund period
- Rules: whether affiliates may bid on your brand name in ads, use discount codes, or refer themselves
- Tooling: your payment provider's built-in feature or a dedicated tool
The work nobody mentions. Most sales come from a handful of affiliates, and you find those by approaching them personally.
If you run a programme, reply with your terms and what share of revenue it brings in.