When the user wants to plan, implement, or optimize affiliate marketing strategy. Also use when the user mentions "affiliate marketing," "affiliate program strategy," "CPS model," "affiliate recruitment," "commission structure," "affiliate partners," "affiliate network," "affiliate tracking," "affiliate commission," or "partner marketing." For affiliate page, use affiliate-page-generator.
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.
Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for product, audience, and positioning.
Identify:
| 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.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Cookie duration | Attribution window (typically 30–90 days) |
| Recurring commission | Ongoing % from subscription renewals |
| Sub-affiliate | Affiliates who recruit other affiliates |
| Performance bonus | Extra reward when affiliate hits sales targets |
| Attribution | Linking sale to correct affiliate |
Product and website examples are illustrative only. No affiliation, partnership, or endorsement implied.
| Approach | Use |
|---|---|
| Self-build | Forms (e.g. Google Forms); quick, low budget |
| Third-party | Affiliate tracking platforms (e.g. Rewardful, Tapfiliate) for AI/SaaS |
Submit program to affiliate program directories after launch for discoverability.
Expect a small fraction of partners to drive most sales—quality over vanity metrics.
| Risk | Prevention |
|---|---|
| Affiliate fraud | Fake clicks, self-referrals, fake conversions. Use platform fraud tools; vet affiliates; avoid auto-approve. |
| Brand bidding | Affiliates bid on your brand terms in Google Ads; you pay commission for traffic you already own. Prohibit in terms; monitor paid search; use brand monitoring tools. See paid-ads-strategy for paid ads context. |
| Program terms | Cookie length, performance bonus, sub-affiliate rules, payment threshold—set clearly in terms before launch. |