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

channels-affiliate