5 Affiliate Marketing Lessons from Million-Dollar Brands

Affiliate marketing seems simple — get people to promote your product, and pay them when they make sales. But it's far from easy if your goal is to scale your program into a major sales channel that reduces your reliance on costly ads and constant discounting.

Over the past few years, our team has written 100+ articles on influencer and affiliate marketing. We've looked closely at many campaigns, talked to successful brands, and even run our own programs. It has helped us know what works well and what doesn't. There are specific strategies that the best affiliate programs use all the time.

In this blog, we're sharing 5 important lessons from all this research and hands-on experience. If you've ever felt frustrated by poor affiliate performance, these lessons are for you.

Lesson #1: Create a dedicated landing page for your affiliate program

Many brands jump into affiliate marketing by reaching out to influencers or putting a small "Join Our Affiliate Program" link in their website footer. This might work for a handful of partnerships, but it's not a strategy that scales well. You end up spending hours manually searching and contacting potential affiliates, often with low response rates.

What if instead of chasing influencers, they came to you? That's where a dedicated landing page for your affiliate program comes in.

A dedicated landing page clearly explains what the affiliate program offers, who it's for, and how it works. On this page, influencers who are interested in working with your brand can find all the information, and apply for your program. It generates inbound interest and saves you a lot of time.

Let's look at some examples of influencer landing pages from popular DTC brands.

Snif's attention-grabbing influencer landing page

For example, Snif's landing page invites people to "join a community of scent lovers" and clearly states what's in it for the affiliates. The page has a clear CTA — "apply today", making it easy for interested influencers to take the next step.

Having clear criteria on the landing page helps both the brand and the influencers. Influencers can quickly see if they're a good fit before applying. This saves time for influencers who don't match what the brand wants. It also saves the brand time by reducing applications from people who aren't right for the program. In the end, this leads to better partnerships because the influencers who do apply are more likely to be a good match for the brand.

For example, Wild's influencer landing page clearly states they're looking for content creators with "a minimum of 1000 followers." It's a great example of how brands can use clear criteria to attract the right partners.

Wild's short & clear influencer landing page

HexClad’s influencer landing page ft. Gordon Ramsay

HexClad's influencer landing page is another great example of how to create an attractive and informative affiliate landing page. It features celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, adding credibility to their brand. They clearly state their commission structure (up to 15%) and target audience (content creators, bloggers, publishers).

Olipop’s influencer landing page

Olipop's influencer landing page is an example of how to attract your ideal influencer by clearly stating what's in it for them. Influencers can quickly see the value of joining the program.

Building an influencer landing page the old way is a real pain. You'd have to design it in one tool, build it in another, set up a form somewhere else, and then manually connect it all to your influencer management system.

Or, you can just use SARAL:

• Create a custom landing page in minutes, no coding is required
• Choose from pre-designed templates
• Add your brand colors, logo, and copy
• Include an application for applying to your influencer program.

Lesson #2: Offer tiered rewards to keep influencers motivated

Flat commission rates are the default for most affiliate programs. But, this approach treats all your affiliates the same, whether they're bringing in 2 sales a month or 200. It doesn't give your top performers any extra incentive to go above and beyond, and it might not be enough to keep them engaged long-term.

That's why you need a tiered reward structure.

A tiered reward structure is a system where affiliates earn higher commission rates if they keep increasing their sales volume.

Obvi's commission-based tier system

For example, Obvi uses a commission-based tier system. They offer a standard rate of 10% commission, but affiliates who sell 20 or more orders get bumped up to a 20% commission.

Tiered rewards are helpful because they:

1. Motivate affiliates to keep promoting your product
2. Rewards top performers and keep them engaged with your brand
3. Encourages long-term commitment to your brand
4. Can boost overall sales and engagement

Abercrombie's challenge-based tier system

Abercrombie has a challenge-based tier system under their influencer program called The Creator Suite. Affiliates complete various tasks or "Challenges" like posting photos, creating videos, or filling out surveys. As influencers complete these challenges, they earn points, unlock higher levels, which offer better rewards or commissions.

Lesson #3: A handful of affiliates are not enough

A few years ago, the founder of 1st Phorm, Any Frisella said in an interview —

“Now, we have our Legionnaire program with over 4,000 social media influencers who represent 1st Phorm. And it’s not because we post pictures of protein powder. It’s because we know how to have in-person conversations online”

The staggering number of influencers on board — 4000 — is a prime example of the "strength in numbers" strategy. Even if only 10-20% of these affiliates are active on any given day, that still means 400-800 people are potentially talking about 1st Phorm on social media daily. It makes sure the brand stays popular in a market full of fitness supplements.

1st Phorm videos have 8.7M views on TikTok alone —

This approach also allows 1st Phorm to tap into diverse sub-communities within the fitness world. Each affiliate brings their unique audience, style, and perspective, allowing the brand to resonate with a wide range of potential customers.

Similarly, Obvi has built a system to seed their products to over 100 influencers per week. This volume-based approach ensures a steady stream of reviews and user-generated content.

These examples show that a handful of affiliates are not enough. You need a large network of affiliates to help you:

Spread out risk

When you have many affiliates, you're not putting all your eggs in one basket. If one affiliate stops promoting your product or doesn't do well, it's not a big deal because you have many others still working for you. This makes your marketing plan more reliable.

Build trust

When potential customers see many different people recommending your product, they're more likely to trust it and buy it.

Learn what works

With many affiliates trying different ways to promote your product, you can learn a lot about what customers like. This information helps you improve your products and how you position them, making your business better overall.

You can use SARAL's influencer discovery tool to find and connect with hundreds or even thousands of potential affiliates quickly. Filter by number of followers, the location, the engagement rate you're looking for, etc. and get a list of influencers fit for you.

Lesson #4: Build long-term relationships with affiliates

Building a relationship with affiliates or influencers means…

• Regular communication
• Asking for and valuing their feedback
• Supporting their growth as content creators
• Encouraging them, publicly or personally

…basically, caring about them as individual creators and not just as someone you've paid to sell your products.

While sales commissions are an important aspect, many influencers find equal or greater value in these more engaging partnerships. They provide a sense of purpose and belonging that goes beyond money.

Obvi's approach to influencer relationships

Ashwin Melwani, the co-founder and CMO of Obvi, shared their approach to influencer relationships in an interview.

"Don’t treat influencers as a source of revenue, treat them as an extension of the brand.Treat them like you would your VIP customers. Keep them updated with upcoming products and launches. Let them be the first to try new products out.If they feel a part of the brand they’ll want to go above and beyond for you and in turn the content they produce for the brand comes across as more genuine to their following. This is where brands will see the greatest returns."

Many brands that don't cultivate ongoing collaborations may find themselves losing out to those that do. Top-tier influencers often prefer stable, long-term partnerships that allow them to plan their content and income more reliably.

How Pura Vida built strong influencer relationships

Pura Vida knew this and invested in building relationships early on. They spend time interacting with their affiliates' posts, complimenting them, and asking how their day has been.

"I can personally say that I’ve met 90% of our influencers in person and have either gotten food with them, been traveling with them, or done something where it’s not just about a photo or a handshake."

~ Griffin Thall, CEO of Pure Vida Bracelets

"Building relationships" might sound unnecessarily personal, but what we're really talking about is developing mutually beneficial, professional collaborations that extend beyond single transactions.

Both parties should be interested in each other's growth. And brands need to take the first step in that direction. They're in a better position to offer support to influencers, who often work independently.

SARAL's Creator Relationship Management system makes it easy to stay on top of your influencer partnerships. You'll never miss a birthday, task, or follow-up again. All your conversations and emails are in one place, so you can quickly see your history with each creator.

Heart & Soil leveraged SARAL and could prevent influencers from jumping ship to competitors

Here's what the Noel, the founder had to share about their approach

I know when these people have weddings, their birthdays, and their kids are graduating. This human element establishes a beautiful trust. If you view these relationships as relationships, that is the key.

Noel tells the story of an athlete who left for a higher-paying offer, only to return two months later. Because he missed the personal touch Heart and Soil offered.

This unique approach has helped Heart and Soil build a loyal, authentic influencer network. It's not just about sales or commissions. It's about creating genuine partnerships that benefit everyone involved

Lesson #5: Offer perks and benefits to build loyalty

Brands have realized that just offering money for sales isn't enough to keep influencers truly excited about their products. If it's only about the cash, the relationship feels too impersonal. Influencers might promote the brand, but they won't really care about it. That's why brands are now offering extra rewards or advantages that aren't just about money.

Type of perks and benefits

Perks and benefits can be of many types, such as:

• Free products
• Early access to new releases
• Exclusive discounts
• Invitations to special events
• Professional & personal growth resources
• Personalized support
• Recognition programs or awards

The best perks are the ones that offer influencers something they can't get from another brand or can't buy with money.

For example, Snif offers these perks —

Being able to chat with the company's founders anytime you want is not something you can just buy. Affiliates also get to join a group of other people who love perfumes. It gives them a sense of belonging and connection that's not easily replicated.

These perks make it harder for influencers to be lured away by competitors who might offer higher commissions. The value they get from being part of a community, having insider access, or growing their own brand becomes just as important as the money they earn.

It transforms what could be a purely transactional relationship into a mutually beneficial collaboration, where both the brand and the influencer grow together. This stability and genuine enthusiasm ultimately result in more consistent, and authentic promotions

Final thoughts

If you're serious about growing your revenue, don't half-ass your affiliate program. It's more cost-effective and often brings better results. Real people promoting your products will always be more trustworthy than faceless ads.

And with the right tools — like SARAL — it's easier than ever to run a successful affiliate program.

With SARAL, you can find affiliates in bulk, automate personalized emails, ship products, track sales, send payments. All without boring manual work. Try it for 7 days for free. Cancel anytime.