Channels: Affiliate

Guides affiliate marketing strategy for AI/SaaS products. Affiliate marketing uses a CPS (Cost Per Sale) model—pay only when sales occur. ROI typically 5:1 to 10:1; CAC 40%–50% lower than paid ads.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Initial Assessment

Check for product marketing context first: If .claude/product-marketing-context.md or .cursor/product-marketing-context.md exists, read it for product, audience, and positioning.

Identify:

• Product type: SaaS, AI tool, subscription

• Commission model: Pay-per-sale, pay-per-lead, pay-per-click

• Target affiliates: Content creators, publishers, coupon sites

Commission Models

Model Use Typical Rate

Pay-per-sale Most common; pay on conversion 10%–20%

Pay-per-lead Lead gen (signup, form fill) $5–50/lead

Pay-per-click Rare; risk of abuse $0.01–10.50/click

For SaaS: Prefer pay-per-sale or pay-per-lead. Recurring commissions for subscriptions.

Key Terms

Term Definition

Cookie duration Attribution window (typically 30–90 days)

Recurring commission Ongoing % from subscription renewals

Sub-affiliate Affiliates who recruit other affiliates

Attribution Linking sale to correct affiliate

Promotion Channels

• Content creators: Bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, social influencers

• Publishers: Media, niche sites, email newsletters

• Coupon/cashback: Price-sensitive users

• Communities: Facebook Groups, Discord, Reddit, forums

• Existing customers: Word-of-mouth via referral rewards

Setup Options

Approach Use

Self-build Typeform, Google Forms; quick, low budget

Third-party Rewardful, Tolt, Tapfiliate (recommended for AI/SaaS)

Best Practices

• rel=sponsored: Tag affiliate links per Google guidelines

• Transparent disclosure: Disclose affiliate relationships

• Recruit authentic affiliates: Align with brand; avoid low-quality networks

• Diversify partners: Multiple affiliates reduce risk

• SEO for affiliate content: Affiliate content drives organic traffic

Output Format

• Commission model recommendation

• Channel strategy

• Recruitment approach

• Tool selection

• Checklist for launch

Related Skills

• pages-affiliate-program: Landing page for affiliate signup

• channels-influencer: Often paired; influencers can be affiliates

• channels-referral: User-driven referral vs. affiliate-driven

• channels-directories: Directory submission complements affiliate; both drive backlinks and traffic

• channels-community-forum: Communities (Discord, Reddit, forums) as affiliate recruitment channel