Affiliate marketing: commissions, partners and reliable tracking
Learn how to choose partners, set commissions, check sales and manage payments.
24 min read · Updated Read guide: Affiliate marketing: commissions, partners and reliable trackingMARKETING & CREATIVE
Affiliate Marketing
Build an affiliate program you can track and manage.
An affiliate program pays a partner for an agreed result, such as an approved sale or enquiry. We help brands plan the program, find partners and manage content, tracking and commissions. Publishers and creators can hire us for their own affiliate work.
WHEN THIS HELPS
A clearer way to run a partner program.
For brands starting or improving a partner program, and publishers or creators who need help with affiliate content and operations.
Set clear terms
Define who can join, what earns a commission and when payment is due.
Find relevant partners
Research creators and publishers whose audiences fit your product.
Keep records clear
Separate tracked sales, approved commissions and completed payments.
Support honest promotion
Give partners accurate product information and clear disclosure rules.
Run the program beyond recruitment
Partner suitability, tracking quality and commission checks matter throughout the program.
Recruit
Identify suitable partner candidates.
Approve
Agree terms, claims and disclosure.
Track
Check links, events and traffic quality.
Reconcile
Validate transactions and commissions.
Review
Assess partners, costs and corrections.
Controls throughout the work
- Published terms and appropriate disclosure.
- Traffic-quality and refund/commission checks.
Use reviews to improve the program
Update partner criteria, materials and operating rules.
An example structure for the work. The agreed scope defines the actual stages, deliverables and responsibilities.
YOUR DELIVERABLES
What you may receive.
Deliverables and formats depend on the agreed scope.
- A program plan with partner criteria, costs and commission rules.
- Partner research, onboarding instructions, product information and campaign content.
- The agreed tracking setup, integrations and reporting requirements.
- A plan for partner support, traffic checks, commission checks and program reviews.
Ways to work with us: Affiliate program launches; Ongoing program management; Program reviews or publisher projects.
COMMON USE CASES
Ways this can fit your work.
Prepare a new partner program
Define partner criteria, commission rules, onboarding, content and tracking before recruitment begins.
Improve program operations
Review tracking, returns, commission checks, partner communication and traffic quality in an existing program.
Plan a publisher project
Help a publisher or creator organise affiliate content, paid-relationship disclosures and program reporting.
HOW IT WORKS
From first discussion to handover.
- 01
Check the offer and costs
We review the product, margins, partner roles and actions that should earn commission.
- 02
Set up the program
We agree the terms, tracking, sale checks, payment process and platform requirements.
- 03
Recruit and support partners
We research suitable partners and help accepted partners get started with approved information.
- 04
Review sales and payments
We check records and exceptions, report results and recommend changes to the program.
INPUTS & ACCESS
What we need from your team.
Tell us whether you are a brand, publisher or creator, and whether the program is new or already running. Useful inputs include product information, margins, returns rules, partner terms and platform records. We agree who approves partners, content and payments, and which account access is needed.
Agency fees are separate from media, creator, research, software and usage costs unless the proposal says otherwise. Please do not send passwords or sensitive records through the public enquiry form.
Project fit and scope boundaries
A good fit
- Brands launching affiliate, referral or ambassador programs.
- Existing programs that need better operations or terms.
- Publishers and creators with a separate content or income-planning project.
What we do not offer
- Guaranteed affiliate income or acceptance by specific partners.
- Hidden paid recommendations, invented product use or misleading comparisons.
- Rejecting commissions without a valid reason under the agreed terms.
WHAT WE CAN DO
What your project can include.
The proposal confirms which services are included, the delivery dates and the cost. Open a section to see the detail.
01Program planning and setupSet the commission rules, platform and steps needed to launch.
- Affiliate program strategy and launch planning
- Commission structures and incentive design
- Referral and ambassador program setup
- Partner terms and onboarding coordination
- Platform selection support and program configuration
02Partner recruitmentFind creators and publishers who are a good match for your offer.
- Affiliate and publisher discovery
- Partner recruitment and relationship management
- Influencer affiliate programs
- Creator commission partnerships
- AI-assisted partner research and onboarding workflows
03Content and promotionGive partners useful, factual content and disclose paid relationships. Do not invent product experience.
- Product reviews and comparison content
- Tutorials, buying guides, and affiliate videos
- Partner creative and promotional materials
- Affiliate campaign advertising
- Affiliate conversion reviews and experimentation
04Tracking, commissions and reportingTrack sales, check commissions and keep payment records organized.
- Tracking and attribution configuration
- Partner dashboards and platform integrations
- Commission reconciliation and payout administration
- Program reporting and partner performance reviews
- AI-assisted reporting and operational automation
05Publishing and program qualityReview traffic, claims and disclosures to protect program quality.
- Affiliate publishing and content-monetization planning
- Traffic-quality monitoring
- Affiliate fraud detection and investigation support
- Disclosure and brand-compliance monitoring
- Partner communication and program improvement
RELATED CAPABILITIES
When the project needs another skill.
You can engage this service alone. These capabilities may help when the work crosses into another area.
RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES
Important boundaries for this work.
Tracked sales still need checks against program terms, returns, cancellations and suspected fraud. Paid relationships need appropriate disclosure. We do not invent product experience or promise a number of partners, sales or commissions.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions you may have.
Do you work with brands and publishers?
Yes. Brands can hire us to set up or manage a program. Publishers and creators can hire us for content, tracking and affiliate-income planning. These are separate services.
Can you improve an existing affiliate program?
Yes. We can review partners, commissions, content, tracking and day-to-day work, then agree which changes to make first.
Can you help choose an affiliate platform?
Yes. We check tracking, costs, integrations, markets and payment needs before recommending a suitable platform or setup.
Does every tracked sale earn an immediate payment?
No. The program terms define eligible sales, checks, returns, approval dates and payment schedules. Reports should show which commissions are tracked, approved and paid.
Can you guarantee revenue or partner sign-ups?
No. Results depend on your offer, customers, partners and the buying process. We agree the work and reports without promising sales or partner participation.
READ MORE
A closer look at the work.
DISCUSS A PROJECT
Discuss a project Tell us what you’re working on.
We can discuss your project and explain how we can help.