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Affiliate Marketing Defined

Affiliate marketing is a type of partnership where businesses team up with individuals or organizations called affiliates, who help promote their products or services. Affiliates earn a commission whenever they drive a sale, sign-up, or other agreed-upon action through their unique referral link.

Affiliates can be influencers, bloggers, YouTubers, or people who run websites or newsletters. Some share product reviews or how-to guides, while others run larger sites that compare deals or recommend products. No matter the format, all affiliates use their audience to promote something, and they earn money when someone buys or signs up through their link.

How to Use it in a Sentence

Affiliate marketing is when people like influencers, bloggers, or websites promote a product and earn money when someone buys or signs up through their link.

Common Affiliate Marketing FAQs

Affiliate marketing is performance-based, meaning affiliates earn money only when someone takes action. Influencer marketing usually involves upfront payments for content, regardless of performance. However, the two strategies often overlap.

Yes. Affiliate links can be shared through blogs, emails, social media posts, YouTube videos, and even push notifications or in-app messages, depending on your strategy and platform.

Common metrics include click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on investment (ROI). Many affiliate programs also track total revenue, average order value, and customer lifetime value from affiliate-driven traffic.

Yes. Affiliates can attract new customers by reaching audiences your brand may not access through traditional channels. Because affiliates often have niche or loyal followings, they can drive high-quality, intent-based traffic.

Affiliate marketing complements your broader strategy by expanding reach through trusted third parties. It helps build brand awareness, drive traffic, and generate conversions, all without upfront advertising costs.