---
title: Affiliate Fundamentals — RGM Training
url: https://realgrowthmatters.com/training/affiliate-marketing/affiliate-fundamentals/
updated: 2026-06-10
source_html: https://realgrowthmatters.com/training/affiliate-marketing/affiliate-fundamentals/
---

[Home](../../../index.html) › [Training](../../index.html) › [Affiliate Marketing](../index.html) › Affiliate Fundamentals

RGM° · Training

# Affiliate Fundamentals

Performance-only acquisition. Vs influencer, payment models, partner types, networks, strategy.

### What you will learn

1. [Why affiliate is performance-only](#why)
2. [Affiliate vs influencer](#vs)
3. [Payment models](#models)
4. [Partner types](#partners)
5. [Networks](#platforms)
6. [Strategy](#strategy)
7. [Advanced](#advanced)
8. [Mistakes](#mistakes)
9. [Checklist](#checklist)

## Why affiliate

Affiliate marketing pays only for performance — conversions or qualified actions. Lower-risk acquisition channel than upfront media buying. Done strategically, drives 5–20% of ecommerce revenue with predictable economics.

## vs influencer

- Affiliate: performance-paid; broader partner network.
- Influencer: brand + content; relationship-driven.
- Overlap (creators on affiliate networks).
- Different management approaches.

## Payment models

- CPA (cost per acquisition).
- CPS (cost per sale; revenue share).
- CPL (cost per lead).
- Hybrid (flat + commission).
- Tiered commissions.
- Bonus structures.

## Partner types

- **Content / blog affiliates:** Reviews, comparisons.
- **Coupon / deal sites:** RetailMeNot, Honey, Slickdeals.
- **Cashback sites:** Rakuten, TopCashback.
- **Loyalty / rewards:** Capital One Shopping, Ibotta.
- **Influencers / creators:** On affiliate networks.
- **Sub-affiliates:** Partners' networks.
- **Mass media:** NYT Wirecutter, etc.

## Networks

- **Impact:** Mid-to-enterprise.
- **Awin:** Global; broad.
- **CJ (Commission Junction):** Established.
- **Rakuten Advertising:** Tier-1 brands.
- **ShareASale:** SMB friendly.
- **Refersion:** Shopify-native.
- **Partnerize:** Enterprise.
- **Direct programs:** In-house management.

## Strategy

- Define partner mix.
- Commission tiers per partner type.
- Brand safety standards.
- Fraud detection.
- Partner recruitment ongoing.
- Performance measurement.
- Long-term relationship investment.

## Advanced

- Annual affiliate strategy review.
- Tiered partner relationships.
- Top-partner co-marketing.
- Custom landing pages per partner.
- Fraud detection automated.
- Cohort LTV by affiliate source.
- Cross-channel attribution adjusted.
- Annual program ROI assessment.
- Partner-led product feedback.
- Industry award nominations.

## Mistakes

- Affiliate program set and forget.
- Single commission rate; partner mix not differentiated.
- Fraud not monitored.
- Brand safety not enforced.
- Cohort LTV by source not tracked.
- Cross-channel attribution naive.
- Top partners not invested in.
- Annual review skipped.
- Coupon affiliate over-reliance erodes margin.
- Sub-affiliate fraud uncaught.

## Checklist

- Annual affiliate strategy
- Tiered partner relationships
- Commission tiers
- Brand safety standards
- Fraud detection
- Cohort LTV tracking
- Cross-channel attribution adjusted
- Top-partner co-marketing
- Annual ROI assessment
- Compliance discipline (FTC, etc.)

## Sources and further reading

- Impact, Awin, CJ documentation
- Rakuten Advertising research
- Affiliate Summit conferences
- PMA (Performance Marketing Association)
- iAB affiliate guidelines
- RGM Performance Marketing series
- RGM Influencer Marketing series
- Common Thread Collective affiliate playbooks
- Awin annual reports
- Wirecutter / Engadget affiliate examples
- Marketing Brew affiliate coverage
- Andrew Faris affiliate writing

---

Part of the [Affiliate Marketing](../index.html) series.