| name | affiliate-marketing |
| description | Build high-converting SaaS affiliate programs with 20-40% commissions, KOL/KOC partnerships, and fraud prevention. Covers platform selection (PartnerStack, FirstPromoter, Rewardful), commission structures (recurring vs one-time, tiered), influencer outreach strategies, FTC/GDPR compliance, risk management, and case studies (Dropbox 3900%, PayPal 100M users). Use for designing affiliate programs, recruiting partners, optimizing conversion rates, preventing fraud, or scaling referral revenue. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
Affiliate Marketing
Build and scale SaaS affiliate programs that drive 20-50% of customer acquisition at 30-50% lower CAC.
Quick Start
- Define Program → Choose commission model matching business stage
- Select Platform → Pick tool based on scale and integration needs
- Recruit Partners → Identify KOL/KOC aligned with ICP
- Prevent Fraud → Implement multi-layer protection
- Scale & Optimize → Track KPIs, iterate on performance
Commission Models
| Model | Best For | Rate | Cookie |
|---|
| Recurring | SaaS subscriptions | 20-30% | 90 days |
| One-time | High-ticket products | $50-200 | 60 days |
| Tiered | Scaling programs | 20→40% | 90 days |
| Hybrid | Top affiliates | Base + % | 120 days |
Platform Quick Reference
| Platform | Best For | Price | Setup |
|---|
| FirstPromoter | Early-stage SaaS | $49/mo | 1 hour |
| Rewardful | Stripe-first | $29/mo | 30 min |
| PartnerStack | Enterprise | $500+/mo | 1 week |
| Impact.com | Large scale | Custom | 2 weeks |
Key Metrics
- Conversion Rate: Target 3-5%
- EPC (Earnings/Click): $5-50 for SaaS
- CAC via Affiliate: 30-50% lower than paid
- Affiliate Retention: Target >70%
- Program ROI: 3:1 to 5:1 typical
References
Strategy & Design
Partner Recruitment
Operations
Decision Tree
GOAL → STRATEGY
├─ Launch Program → FirstPromoter + 25% recurring + 10-20 affiliates
├─ Scale Revenue → Tiered commissions + content creators + KOC focus
├─ Enterprise → PartnerStack + agency partners + hybrid compensation
├─ Reduce Fraud → 90-day holds + vetting + clawback policies
└─ Optimize ROI → Track EPC + CLV attribution + retention bonuses
Quick Wins
- Two-sided rewards - Both referrer AND referee get incentives (68% higher participation)
- 90-day cookie - Industry standard for B2B SaaS sales cycles
- Recurring commission - Aligns affiliate motivation with customer retention
- Commission holds - 60-90 days matching refund window prevents fraud
- Tier advancement - 20%→30%→40% based on performance
Report Output
Activate: assets-organizing skill for report file paths
Affiliate reports go to assets/reports/performance/{date}-affiliate-program.md
Anti-Patterns
| Issue | Fix |
|---|
| Low participation | Increase commission to 25-30% |
| High fraud rate | Implement 90-day hold + vetting |
| Inactive affiliates | Monthly check-ins + content support |
| Brand bidding | Explicit TOS prohibition + monitoring |
| Poor conversion | Provide better landing pages + training |
