How to Start an Affiliate Marketing Programme in 3 Steps
How to Start an Affiliate Marketing Programme in 3 Simple Steps
Many businesses looking to diversify their paid marketing mix beyond Google Ads and Facebook Ads often overlook affiliate marketing. However, over the past few years, the affiliate landscape has evolved significantly by moving beyond traditional cashback and voucher code sites to include influencer partnerships, paid PR, and content-driven affiliates.
With its low-risk, performance-based model, affiliate marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to scale. If you’re considering launching your own affiliate marketing programme, this guide will walk you through three essential steps to set up a sustainable and scalable channel.
Step 1: Choose Your Affiliate Platform or SaaS Provider🔎
A strong affiliate programme starts with selecting the right platform to manage tracking, payments, and partner relationships. There are two main options:
- Affiliate networks (e.g., CJ, AWIN) – Ideal for businesses that prefer a plug-and-play solution with access to an existing network of affiliates.
- SaaS platforms (e.g., Impact, Partnerize) – Better suited for data-driven businesses that want more control over tracking, reporting, and partner management.
Here are some key factors to consider when choosing an affiliate platform:
- Cost & Fees – Calculate the effective percentage kickback (monthly fee divided by expected affiliate payments) to understand the true cost.
- In-House vs. Agency Support – Decide whether to manage the programme internally or work with an affiliate marketing agency like Growth HQ for expertise and execution.
- Tech & Integration Capabilities – Ensure your platform aligns with your website or app infrastructure for seamless tracking and reporting.
💡Pro Tip: If you’re a fast-moving, data-driven business, a SaaS provider offers more advanced reporting and flexibility at a lower long-term cost than traditional networks.
Step 2: Define KPIs, Commission Structures & Testing Budgets💸
Affiliate marketing success is driven by data and performance metrics. Before launching, define clear KPIs and a commission strategy that aligns with your growth goals.
Key Metrics to Track:
- North Star KPI – Typically, this is new user acquisition or sales growth.
- Sustainability Targets – Define CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) or ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) to ensure long-term profitability.
- Commission Structure – Choose between:
- Flat CPA (fixed payment per conversion)
- Revenue Share (percentage of basket value)
- Tiered Commission (higher rates for top-performing affiliates)
💡Pro Tip: Many content creators and influencer affiliates now expect an upfront payment alongside CPA-based commissions. A minimum test budget of ~£2.5k per month is recommended for scaling content-driven affiliates.
Step 3: Find & Onboard High-Quality Affiliate Partners🤝
Once you have your platform and KPIs in place, the next step is to identify and onboard partners that align with your brand’s target audience.
How to Find the Right Affiliates for Your Business:
- Understand Your Audience – Analyse your customer demographics, behavior, and online touchpoints.
- Communicate Your USPs – Make it easy for partners to promote your brand by clearly outlining your product benefits and target audience pain points.
Test a Mix of Affiliate Types – Consider a full-funnel approach with:
- Top-of-funnel: Influencers, YouTube sponsorships, paid PR
- Mid-funnel: Niche blogs, content-driven affiliates
- Bottom-of-funnel: Review sites, comparison platforms, cashback sites
💡Pro Tip: Be open to testing multiple verticals. Start small (1-3 partners per vertical) and analyse results over 8-12 weeks before scaling investment.
The Key to Success: Patience & Long-Term Strategy🎯
Affiliate marketing isn’t an overnight growth hack—it’s a long-term, scalable acquisition channel. Unlike Google Ads or Facebook Ads, which provide instant campaign data, affiliate partnerships require:
- 2-3 months per vertical to identify, onboard, and activate partners
- Continuous A/B testing to optimize commission structures and partner selection
- Ongoing relationship-building to maintain high-performance partnerships
However, once scaled, the affiliate channel can drive up to 30% of business growth—often at a lower cost per acquisition than other paid marketing channels.
Ready to Launch Your Affiliate Marketing Programme?🚀
If you’re a startup or scale-up looking to build an effective affiliate marketing strategy, Growth HQ can help. We specialise in launching, scaling, and optimising affiliate marketing programmes for growth-focused brands. Get in touch with us today to explore how we can drive sustainable, data-driven growth for your brand, simply fill out our contact form to get started!
