Setting Up Affiliate Marketing For Ecommerce

Building a strong #partnerships #ecosystem takes a lot of work, testing and iterating - especially with limited time and often resources. So what have I seen working quite well in one of the most incredible partnership ecosystem I've ever worked in? ✨ Clarity on 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: listen to your partners find a way to keep enriching that exchange. Some will value commercial rewards, some will value exposure more. Find what works and create processes that support that and are attached to business outcomes. 👯♀️ Sales x partners collab: joint selling is key to increase the close rate. 📊 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: identify key operational friction points and work with partner ops to address them. Developing sophistication with data/tracking is going to be a must for a long-term ride. 🏔 Setting clear 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: there's no point in overpromising or hiding business goals. Develop a joint plan with your partners and make sure you're clear on which segment of the market they can add value to customers + resource accordingly. 🤝 Partnerships between "apparently 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴" 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: I lost count of how many times I've seen service partners operating in a similar TAM ending up shaking hands to cooperate, rather than compete. This might be unique to the Shopify ecosystem (it is a special place, not gonna lie), but I believe with the right framework, mindset and coaching other industries could benefit from this collaboration too. 🚀 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 & 𝗜𝗦𝗩 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀: one can't survive without the other. Developing a strong joint GTM strategy between these two types of partners is essential to keep nurturing both pipelines. 🎉 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: in a world where ROI has to be measured on every activity, you have to find ways to measure the impact on community events too (traditionally harder to evaluate). However, I'm a strong believer that a strong partnership community needs to be supported (be it through event sponsorship, funding, talk participation, event space lending etc) for it to keep thriving. After all, partnerships is all about relationships. And when things get hard, you need to have strong and trusted relationships that can take a tough conversation and define a way forward together. 📈 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: without data, tracking and attribution it's hard to justify recurring investment. Make sure you have clear metrics in mind (and communicate them clearly) + strategies to ensure these are measured from the get go. Iterating in time is totally fine as the business develops. After all, "companies with mature partnership programmes grow revenue nearly 2X faster than others and see up to 28% revenue increase. Partnership channel revenue growth rates for high-maturity companies outpace low-maturity companies by more than double" [Forrester research] - so if you're not investing in partnerships yet, it might be time to understand why and take action to rectify this!

The biggest marketing arbitrage for brands right now? Building a cross-channel creator community. If you're on TikTok Shop, this means launching a DTC creator affiliate community and pushing those affiliates to repurpose their content across all channels. Here's how to do it, even if you're not planning to scale big from the start: Base level - Protect your investment + boost performance: 1. Set up with Superfiliate or Social Snowball if you're a Shopify brand on TikTok Shop. 2. Create a Discord channel for all creators to protect against platform disruptions. 3. Give affiliates unique discount codes or links. 4. Coach them to share TikTok content on IG Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Meta Reels. This multiplies impressions, engagement, and sales without additional product seeding. But that's just the beginning... Advanced - Scaling your cross-channel community: 1. Build monthly influencer lists of 4k+ creators on Instagram and YouTube. 2. Use tools like Saral and Onsocial for sourcing. 3. Filter for followers (2k-100k) and engagement rate (2%+). 4. Use cold email software for outreach at scale. 5. Set up a 3-step email sequence with an auto-reply for interested influencers. 6. Seed product to new influencers. 7. Create an onboarding flow with Klaviyo, including a welcome challenge. 8. Invite active creators to your Discord. 9. Push Instagram and YouTube affiliates to create TikTok Shop content / and vise versa 10. Use your community as a content engine for UGC and partnership ads. This strategy onboards 100+ new opt-ins monthly to your DTC affiliate program with minimal friction. It's the direction we're pushing our clients to increase affiliate performance while protecting against potential platform disruptions. Remember, it's all about maximizing your reach and minimizing risk. Cross-channel is the future.

One of the biggest challenges in any partner program is activating your partners. Signing them is just the beginning. Without proactive engagement, even the most promising partnerships can stall, leaving potential value on the table. Here’s what I’m learning about building a partner activation framework that drives results: 1. Engage partners regularly—don’t let them go quiet. - Schedule non-negotiable monthly check-ins. These should be more than just status updates—use them to review progress, discuss obstacles, and brainstorm solutions. Keeping the dialogue open ensures your partnership stays top-of-mind. -Create a shared success plan that includes clear goals for both parties. Regularly revisiting these goals during check-ins helps keep everyone accountable and aligned. 2. Incentives matter—make it worth their while. -Offer performance-based rewards, like bonuses for meeting sales targets or securing new customers. Make sure these incentives are aligned with what drives your partners’ business goals. -Explore co-selling opportunities. Position your product as a natural extension of their existing offerings, and reward them for bundling or cross-selling it. This turns your solution into a complementary piece of their sales strategy. 3. Train their sales teams—if they don’t know how to sell your product, they won’t. -Provide tailored, ongoing training that teaches partners how to identify opportunities and communicate the value of your solution. Training isn’t a one-time event; offer refresher sessions and new content regularly. -Make resources easily accessible. Equip sales teams with quick-reference guides, pitch decks, and case studies they can use in real time to close deals. Don’t leave your partners’ success to chance. Building an intentional partner activation framework is critical to ensuring your partners’ success—and yours.

Meta analyzed 1M+ ad creatives and here is what made shopping and retail ads stand out. 👉 These two effective strategies: ➟Creative diversification ➟Data-driven refresh cycles The Data ============================ First, shopping and retail ads delivered stand out results because of their diverse set of creatives across formats and messaging. This resulted in a 32% improvement in CPA and a 9% increase in incremental reach. When it came to Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns (ASC) with 20 or more creatives they delivered a 29% reduction in median incremental cost per purchase, compared to those with fewer assets. This included: • Reels • Videos • Static images • Catalog formats More creative variety meant better targeting and improved results from Meta’s AI. Second, refresh timing played a big role. Meta recommends testing refresh cadences to find what resonates because stale creative drives up CPAs and drops engagement. If you didn’t know, advertisers can now receive real-time notifications of creative fatigue via Meta’s Marketing API. This enables smarter refresh planning, not guesswork. What Does This Mean for Ecommerce Brands? ============================ Running ASC with 5 assets and calling it a test is not using the system to its full potential. And launching creative once a quarter means you’re missing out on opportunity. The brands who follow this framework will lower CPAs and grow over time. If your team needs a framework for scaling creative the right way, send me a message.

Affiliate programs are one of the best ways to work with student-athletes to drive ROI—but most brands mess it up. Here’s how to get it right. Too many brands dive into affiliate deals headfirst, prioritizing quick ROI over meaningful relationships. They treat athletes like salespeople instead of partners, and that’s where it all falls apart. Brand affinity HAS to come first. If a student-athlete doesn’t genuinely love your product, there’s no foundation for a successful partnership. Nothing works without authentic enthusiasm. But when an athlete is truly a fan of what you offer, everything changes. They’re excited to share your brand because they believe in it. And as culture drivers on college campuses with tight-knit networks of teammates and peers, student-athletes have unmatched influence. Partnering with them isn’t just about reaching one athlete; it’s about tapping into the pulse of the entire college community The goal should be to discover athletes who are obsessed with your products, then empower them to spread the word. When you skip this step, promotions feel forced, inauthentic, and overly salesy. Audiences pick up on that—and tune it out. So, take your time. Build real trust. Make connection your priority. Affiliate partnerships should be the final step in a great influencer relationship. Not the first. Affiliate marketers, what’s your take—how do you balance building brand affinity with driving ROI?

I’m often asked, “What makes a fair commission structure?” Is there a threshold? Should new and legacy business be treated differently? And how much should you include? Here’s how to strike that balance between recruiter motivation & business profitability: 1: Define clear thresholds → Set realistic, achievable targets that align with market conditions → Thresholds can be motivating, but only if they feel attainable → A fair threshold means your recruiters feel challenged but not defeated 2: Separate legacy from new business → Consider a higher commission on new business to reward growth efforts and lower on legacy clients to support stability → Acknowledging the different effort levels here makes it feel fair on both sides 3: Keep it transparent → The best systems are clear and understandable.  → Set a straightforward formula that both sides can track in real-time, reducing questions and boosting trust 4: Regularly review the structure → Markets change, and so should your commission plan. → Build in annual reviews to keep the structure aligned with business goals and market shifts A fair commission structure rewards effort and quality without sacrificing profitability. It’s a win-win that builds long-term success for both recruiters and directors. If you’re rethinking your commission system, drop a comment or reach out.

Brands, we need to talk about the “try our product for free, post about it, and here’s your affiliate link” approach. For creators, this can feel like a one-sided deal. Testing a product, creating thoughtful content, and sharing it with an audience we’ve worked to build involves effort. When the ask is for a free review in exchange for a commission-only affiliate link, it’s one of the quickest ways to get a “no, thank you.” If you’re genuinely interested in partnering with creators, consider approaching things a little differently: 📌 Instead of diving straight into commission details, start by asking if we’re genuinely interested in the product. Have you seen us use it before? What sets you apart from competitor products we already share? Taking the time to connect and do a little research shows you see us as partners — not just promoters. 📌 Real partnerships go way beyond just free products and affiliate links. Compensating creators shows you truly value the time, effort, and expertise they invest in creating engaging content. Expecting a quick product review with deliverables but without any pay? That’s a full campaign, not just an affiliate opportunity. 📌 Focus on genuine connection — it goes a long way. Offering products without expectations builds a foundation for authentic relationships and can lead to rewarding partnerships. Sometimes, that means hopping on a call to understand how your brand fits into a creator’s content calendar. Bottom line? Be mindful in your initial outreach. The creator-brand relationship should be built on respect and mutual value. Lean into creating partnerships that feel like a win-win for everyone involved. #creators #brandpartnerships #influencermarketing 

Hear me out...what if we started treating our partner programs less like siloed one-way biz-dev functions and more like a community? I've had a few conversations this week about how to keep momentum, how to build differently, and how to engage at scale. My response: build your program like it's a community. Bring the ALL together. Think about it. Your "ecosystem" technically is a community, it's just not CONNECTED like a community. But what would happen if it was? A lot of things will happen (I've seen it work). When you bring ALL of your partners together like a community, whether it's in one general Slack community, a community portal like Circles, or something as simple as a monthly gathering (Nick Salvatoriello ran a great monthly meeting for all partners at Drift). You start to see something of a network effect within your ecosystem. When you pull them all together, like a community, here's what happens: 🔸 They start to learn from each other, what's working, what's not. How to do more within the partnership. We would highlight one partner a month and the work they were doing to show the other partners what great looked like. 🔸 They start to get to know each other and work with each other. Agency partners start talking to your tech partners and begin providing services to those tech partners and now thinking about how those integrations work more holistically to service the customer and drive more usage with the customer versus you just thinking singularly about your product. 🔸 Value rises in what you are building in your program. You're no longer standing there with your hand out, you're standing there inviting them into a community that has the potential to become a serious revenue driver for their business, as you would ideally be teaching them how to do more for the collective customer base. Chances are you're already doing some of the same things a community offers, you're just doing them in random acts of delivery or one-offs. A community offers: 🗳 Tactical training 🗳 A resource hub 🗳 Events 🗳 An opportunity to network and work with others. At a minimum, your program should already be delivering on these things. Go treat your partner program/ecosystem as a community and watch amazing things happen. Be Great. Be Arcadia 🐻

Here’s how smart teams run partnerships in 2025. They don’t chase random partners. They don’t manage intros in spreadsheets. And they definitely don’t guess what’s working. ✅ They build structured systems. ✅ They use tools that actually move pipeline. ✅ They treat partnerships like a core GTM channel,not a side hustle. This cheat sheet breaks down the exact stack modern teams use, so check it out: 1️⃣ Warm Intros Turn networks into revenue streams. → HiFive 🙌 - Auto-scan your network for warm intros. → Cabal - Activate champions to open real opportunities. → Symbio - Map relationships across teams & partners. → Commsor 🦕 - Manage, measure, and grow your partner communities. → The Swarm 🔆 - Turn internal networks into co-selling firepower. 2️⃣ Affiliate Marketing Build scalable, revenue-sharing programs. → impact.com - Enterprise-grade partnership management. → Reditus - Easy affiliate setup for SaaS founders. → Semrush - Built-in tools to power SEO-driven referrals. → PartnerStack - Full-funnel affiliate, reseller, and influencer platform. → Ahrefs - Discover content partners and track performance. 3️⃣ CRM Keep your partner pipeline and deals aligned. → folk - Lightweight CRM for partner and network management. → Attio - Relational database meets CRM, great for dynamic partner lists. → Close - Sales-first CRM with built-in communication tools. → HubSpot - CRM + marketing automation, partner-friendly. → Salesforce - The standard for managing complex GTM workflows. 4️⃣ Automated Outreach Keep partners in the loop, and the pipeline moving. → Reply - Multichannel sales engagement with automation. → Unify - Inbox and lead routing with AI. → Instantly.ai - Cold email engine built for scale. → Salesforge 🔥 - AI-driven outreach with identity rotation. → Smartlead - Automated outbound with warmup and inbox rotation. 5️⃣ Referral Marketing Make it easy for customers and partners to refer leads. → Extole - Enterprise referral platform with reward engines. → Friendbuy - High-converting referral programs made simple. → Viral Loops - Templates for virality + embedded referral mechanics. → Referral Rock - End-to-end referral marketing system. → Referral Factory - No-code referral program builder. 6️⃣ Co-Selling Collaborate with partners to close more, faster. → CoSell - Match your deals with partners' networks. → Keyplay - Uncover shared accounts for warm intros. → WorkSpan - Co-selling orchestration across teams. → PartnerTap - Account mapping and pipeline sharing. → Crossbeam - Find overlap and go-to-market together. ❇️ LinkedIn Experts to Follow → Roman Kirsanov → Eleanor Thompson → Antonio Caridad → Kelly Sarabyn → Asher Mathew → Ashley Hildreth → Vince Menzione → Bryan Williams 🎥 YouTube Channels GTM + partnership strategy in video form. → Alex Hormozi → TK Kader → Philip VanDusen → TEDx Talks → SaaStr → The Futur™ → MEDDICC → The Marketing Blender ___________________ ✅ Save it. ✅ Use it. ✅ Build smarter partnerships in 2025.

Did you know you can use simple Google search operators to uncover new affiliate opportunities? It's an underrated strategy! You can pinpoint listicles or reviews on specific topics and even find sites discussing your competitors without mentioning your brand. 🔍 Example Searches: inurl:review "your product category" -YourBrandName: Find websites with reviews on your product category that haven’t mentioned your brand—great for targeting relevant review sites. intitle:list "competitor name" -YourBrandName: Locate listicles that feature your competitor but not your brand, ideal for identifying potential affiliate partners. inurl:blog intext:"top 10" "your industry" -YourBrandName: Search for blog posts with “Top 10” lists in your industry, excluding those that mention your brand. Perfect for discovering influential bloggers. These search tactics have helped me discover high-quality sites and influencers ripe for affiliate partnerships. 🎯 👉 How do you use search operators for affiliate prospecting? Share your tips below! 👇