--- title: "What is Affiliate Marketing?" id: "1234" type: "docs" slug: "marketing" published_at: "2026-08-19T10:29:20+00:00" modified_at: "2026-08-26T02:24:00+00:00" url: "https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing" markdown_url: "https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing.md" excerpt: "1. What is affiliate marketing? Affiliate marketing is a “pay-for-performance” promotion model. A brand partners with promoters (also called affiliates or partners) who recommend the product/service to potential users. Once a referred user completes a specified action (e.g., signup, order,..." taxonomy_doc_category: - "Getting Started" --- ![Image](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lQLPJyGF1y8mfltQULD6hr47Eio3cwlDF3jyDucB_80_80-1.png) ## Getting Started 4 - [How to Launch Your Affiliate Program on PartnerShare](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/ipe) - [How to Create a Referral Program](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/createprogram) - [What Is Referral Marketing / “Old-Bring-New” Program](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/rmp) - [What is Affiliate Marketing?](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing) ![合作伙伴管理 - PartnerShare](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lQLPKHuo_8Hse9tQULBcxdOVHL3PdwlDF3jyDucC_80_80.png) ## Campaign Operations 5 - [Checking Partner Withdrawal Status](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/operations/withdrawal-2) - [Withdrawal Methods Supported for Partners](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/operations/wm) - [Affiliate Management](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/operations/promoter) - [Product Management](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/operations/product-management) - [Campaign Management](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/operations/campaign) ![支付与交易 - ParterShare](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lQLPJwyP0mL5vltQULAn8_2d-Nx0hglDF3jyZ0QA_80_80.png) ## Payments&Transactions 2 - [Auto-Payout](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/payments/autopayout) - [Commission Settlement](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/payments/settlement) ![技术集成 - PartnerShare](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lQLPJwDplrTBzltQULCNPWCeBswcaAlDF3jyZ0QB_80_80.png) ## Account Management 2 - [Business Certification Prompts](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/account/bcp) - [Team Management](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/account/team) ![技术集成 - PartnerShare](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lQLPJwDplrTBzltQULCNPWCeBswcaAlDF3jyZ0QB_80_80.png) ## Technical Integration 5 - [Embedding PartnerShare into Your Product](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/technical/embedding) - [Conversion Event Postback](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/technical/event) - [Click-Tracking SDK Integration](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/technical/sdk2) - [API Authentication & Signature Mechanism](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/technical/api) - [PartnerShare Product-Authorized Login Integration Guide](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/technical/guide) ![常见问题 - PartnerShare](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lQLPJwbpuanIXltQULBfzi8WsAsVUQlDF3jyDucA_80_80.png) ## Frequently Asked Questions 2 - [Withdrawal FAQ](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/faqen/faq) - [Legacy Help Center Entrance](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/faqen/legacyhelp) ![快速入门 - PartnerShare](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lQLPJyGF1y8mfltQULD6hr47Eio3cwlDF3jyDucB_80_80.png) ## Changelog 2 - [Changelog – 2026.03.05](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/changelog/changelog-2026-03-05) - [Changelog – 2026.05.15](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/changelog/changelog-2026-05-15) View Categories ## **1. What is affiliate marketing?** Affiliate marketing is a “pay-for-performance” promotion model. A brand partners with promoters (also called affiliates or partners) who recommend the product/service to potential users. Once a referred user completes a specified action (e.g., signup, order, payment), the brand pays the promoter a corresponding commission. Under this model, promoters earn income through genuine recommendations, while the brand only pays for promotion that actually produces results. ## **2. What roles exist in affiliate marketing?** A complete affiliate marketing system typically includes these roles: 1. **Brand owner:** Provides the product/service, sets promotion rules and commission rates, and handles settlement. 2. **Promoter:** Promotes through content, channels, or personal networks. 3. **User:** The target user who is referred and ultimately uses or buys the product. 4. **Affiliate system:** The technical platform (e.g., PartnerShare) that records promotion activity, attributes conversions, and settles commissions. ## **3. How does affiliate marketing work?** General flow: 1. The brand creates an affiliate marketing program and sets commission rules. 2. Promoters join the affiliate program and get a dedicated referral link or code. 3. Promoters share the link through content, communities, or other channels. 4. Users visit via the referral link and complete a specified action. 5. The system records the source and calculates commission. 6. The brand settles commission with the promoter. The entire process is tracked and settled by PartnerShare, keeping promotion data clear and traceable. [View the affiliate campaign creation guide](https://www.partnershare.net/help/start-guides/add-affiliate-marketing) ## **4. What scenarios is affiliate marketing suited for?** Affiliate marketing is broadly applicable to: 1. Long-term promotion of SaaS products and subscription services. 2. Channel partner or agent referrals. 3. Community operations and private-domain user referrals. 4. Content creators, bloggers, and self-media promotion. For companies looking to scale acquisition while controlling cost, affiliate marketing is a sustainable growth channel. ## **5. What are the core advantages of affiliate marketing?** Compared with traditional ad spend, affiliate marketing offers: 1. **Pay for performance:** Only pay commission for real conversions. 2. **Controllable cost:** Avoid wasted spend on ineffective impressions. 3. **Channel flexibility:** Work with many types of promoters at once. 4. **Long-term returns:** Suited to building lasting promotion relationships. ## **6. How does affiliate marketing differ from a referral program?** The underlying logic is similar, but usage differs: - **Affiliate marketing:** Leans toward scaled, multi-promoter, multi-channel collaboration. - **Referral program:** Typically existing users referring new users, with a shorter relationship chain. ## **7. How do I run affiliate marketing through PartnerShare?** With PartnerShare, brands can quickly stand up an affiliate system, including: - Promoter management and permission control. - Referral link and source tracking. - Automatic commission calculation and settlement. - Withdrawal and commission management. The system supports embedding affiliate capabilities directly into your own product, reducing manual operations and improving overall efficiency. [Click to see how to create an affiliate marketing campaign] Updated on 26/08/2026 ###### Share This Article : - ![Image](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/wp-content/plugins/betterdocs/assets/images/social/share-icon.svg?v=4.3.4) - [https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing) - [https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing) - [https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing) - [https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/marketing) [What Is Referral Marketing / “Old-Bring-New” Program](https://help-new-pro.partnershare.net/en/help/started/rmp)