I’ve been working on my affiliate program for a while now, and one thing I realized is that a lot of us tend to chase after the “big” influencers, TikTok creators, Instagram accounts, YouTubers, etc. Nothing wrong with that, but I recently noticed some of my most consistent sales actually come from people you’d never expect.
For example, one of my top affiliates isn’t a flashy influencer at all. He’s just a suburban dad who writes about his DIY projects on his blog. Nothing fancy, no production value, just honest reviews. And guess what? He pulls in around 50 sales a month for me.
That’s when it clicked: there’s a ton of value in written affiliates like bloggers, niche forum moderators, or even Reddit reviewers. People still rely on Google and communities to research before buying, so if you can find affiliates who rank well or have authority in those spaces, it’s worth creating a specific program just for them.
But here’s the kicker, it’s not just about who your affiliates are, it’s about how you treat them. I recently switched to automated/mass-payouts for affiliates (using UpPromote, but I know Simple Affiliate, Refersion, etc. offer this too), and the difference has been huge. Affiliates are happier, more motivated, and I’ve even noticed an uptick in referral traffic since making the change.
So my takeaways:
- Don’t overlook “hidden gem” affiliates who write authentic reviews.
- Set up dedicated programs for different groups if possible.
- Make payouts smooth and consistent, it builds trust and keeps affiliates motivated.
Curious to hear from you all, do you have bloggers, reviewers, or community mods in your affiliate mix? And how do you handle payouts: flexible, scheduled, or one-size-fits-all?