What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Definition

Affiliate marketing is the cooperation between a seller and a website operator. The partnership consists of website operators providing the seller with advertising opportunities such as banners or links to the online store. The goal is to directly address the target group on the affiliate site. If a customer makes target action such as a purchase, the advertiser receives a commission.

The difference to normal advertising is that the payment depends on success. As a website operator, you only get a commission if, for example, a costumer makes a purchase. To control this, you can create affiliate links. The website operator provides the affiliate link with cookies, so that clicks can be tracked.

Advantages of Affiliate Marketing

The partnership has advantages for both sides. The online store operator only pays a commission when a sale is actually made. If the affiliate brings many visitors to the website and thus generates sales, he gets commission.

The more sales the online store makes, the more the affiliate gets and the customer has also found the product he was looking for.

Affiliate Marketing Programs

There are different types of commission, depending on the program.

• Cost-per-click
  • For each click of a user the operator receives a remuneration. Whether the costumer makes a target action, such as a purchase, is irrelevant.
• Cost-per-lead
  • The partner gets commission only if a certain action, like a purchase or a registration to the newsletter, etc. is executed.
• Cost-per-sale
  • Here you only pay, if a user makes a purchase.

Steps to Affiliate Marketing

1. Generate idea and select affiliate program
2. Install affiliate website with suitable plugins
3. Make layout adjustments
4. Create and install content
5. Install affiliate links
6. Perform SEO measures
7. Make optimizations

For Trends in B2B-Marketing for 2021 check out our blogpost 6 B2B-Marketing Trends 2021!