[GTM glossary](/glossary.txt) Affiliate marketing

Marketing

# Affiliate marketing

In short

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based channel in which outside partners promote your product and earn a commission for each agreed result, such as a sale, a trial, or a qualified lead. Partners get a unique link or code so you can track what they send.

In B2B, affiliates are often reviewers, newsletter authors, consultants, and communities that already advise your buyers. Sales cycles are longer, so payouts are usually tied to a closed deal or a qualified lead rather than a click.

## How an affiliate program works

* **Partner joins:** An affiliate signs up and agrees to the program terms.
* **Tracking:** They receive a unique link or code that attributes visitors to them.
* **Conversion:** A visitor becomes a trial, lead, or customer within a set tracking window.
* **Payout:** The partner earns the commission, either a flat fee or a percentage of revenue.

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## Choosing a commission model

### Flat fee per qualified lead

Simple to explain, but you need a firm definition of qualified so partners do not send low-quality volume.

### Percentage of first-year revenue

Aligns the partner with deals that stick. Say a partner earns 10 percent of the first year of a contract worth 12,000. The payout is 1,200, paid only if the customer pays.

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## Getting started

Begin with a small group of partners whose audiences match your ICP. Give them clear messaging, approved claims, and a simple report on what they sent. Review quality, not only count, before you scale.

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## Common mistakes

* **Paying for volume:** Rewarding clicks or unqualified leads invites low-intent traffic.
* **Weak tracking:** Without clear attribution rules, disputes over credit appear fast.
* **No brand guidelines:** Partners may overpromise unless you state what they can claim.
* **Ignoring fit:** A big audience of the wrong buyers produces little pipeline.

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## Affiliate marketing FAQs

**What is affiliate marketing?**

Affiliate marketing is a channel where partners promote your product and earn a commission when their referrals complete an agreed action, such as buying or becoming a qualified lead. You pay for outcomes, tracked through unique links or codes.

**Does affiliate marketing work for B2B?**

It can, especially with partners who already advise your buyers, such as reviewers, consultants, and newsletter writers. Longer sales cycles mean commissions should be tied to qualified leads or closed deals, with a tracking window to match.

**How is affiliate marketing different from referral marketing?**

Referral marketing usually relies on existing customers or contacts recommending you informally, often with a small reward. Affiliate marketing is a structured program with outside partners, tracking links, and commission terms.

**How do you track affiliate marketing results?**

Give each partner a unique link or code, record which one led to each lead or deal, and set a tracking window. Then connect that source to CRM opportunities so payouts follow qualified pipeline, not clicks.

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## More related phrases

* [Referral marketing](/glossary/referral-marketing.txt)
* [Nofollow link](/glossary/nofollow-link.txt)
* [Attribution](/glossary/attribution.txt)

## Similar phrases

* [B2B influencer marketing](/glossary/b2b-influencer-marketing.txt)  
B2B influencer marketing works with trusted industry voices, such as practitioners and creators, to reach buyers through their credibility and audience.
* [B2B marketing attribution](/glossary/b2b-marketing-attribution.txt)  
B2B marketing attribution assigns credit for pipeline and revenue to the marketing touchpoints that influenced a buying group over a long sales cycle.
* [Content marketing](/glossary/content-marketing.txt)  
Content marketing is the practice of creating and sharing useful content, such as articles, guides, and videos, to attract, educate, and convert a defined audience.
* [B2B lead generation](/glossary/b2b-lead-generation.txt)  
B2B lead generation is the process of finding and attracting businesses and buyers who may need your product, and turning them into prospects your sales team can work.
* [Performance marketing](/glossary/performance-marketing.txt)  
Performance marketing is a results-based approach where you pay for measurable actions such as clicks, leads, or sales, and optimize campaigns continuously against those outcomes.