Getting Started as an Affiliate

Welcome to refVenue! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start earning commissions as an affiliate.

What is an Affiliate?

As an affiliate, you promote merchant products and earn commissions when people make purchases through your unique referral links.

How it Works:

1. Join affiliate programs
2. Get unique referral links
3. Share links with your audience
4. Earn commissions on purchases
5. Receive payouts

Your Role:

• Promote merchant products/services
• Drive traffic and sales
• Build trust with your audience
• Track your performance
• Get paid for results

First Steps Checklist

1. Complete Your Profile

Before joining programs, complete your profile:

Go to Settings:

• Add profile picture
• Write bio/description
• Add website URL
• Link social media profiles
• Set notification preferences

Why it matters:

• Merchants review your profile
• Increases approval chances
• Builds credibility
• Shows you're serious

2. Setup Payout Account

Critical: Setup your payout account immediately.

Steps:

1. Go to Settings → Payout Account
2. Click "Setup Payout Account"
3. Complete Stripe Connect onboarding
4. Verify bank account
5. Submit required information

Why do this first:

• Ready when first sale happens
• Avoids payment delays
• Verification takes time
• Required to get paid

→ Detailed Payout Setup Guide

3. Browse the Marketplace

Find programs that match your audience:

Go to Marketplace:

• Browse all available programs
• Filter by category
• Check commission rates
• Read program details
• Review requirements

Look for:

• Relevant products/services
• Competitive commissions
• Reasonable cookie duration
• Clear program terms
• Good merchant reputation

4. Apply to Programs

Choose programs and apply:

Application Process:

1. Click program card
2. Review all program details
3. Click "Apply to Program"
4. Fill out application form
5. Explain how you'll promote
6. Submit application

What Merchants Look For:

• Relevant audience
• Quality traffic sources
• Professional presence
• Clear promotion strategy
• Alignment with brand

Wait for Approval:

• Typically 1-3 business days
• Email notification sent
• Check My Programs page
• Some instant approvals

5. Get Your Referral Links

Once approved:

Access Links:

1. Go to My Programs
2. Click on approved program
3. View Referral Link & Code
4. Copy your unique link
5. Start sharing

You Get:

• Unique referral link
• Unique referral code
• Coupon codes (if provided)
• Tracking parameters

→ Program Details Guide

6. Start Promoting

Share your links strategically:

Where to Share:

• Your website/blog
• Social media profiles
• Email newsletters
• YouTube videos
• Podcast show notes
• Online communities
• Product reviews

Best Practices:

• Disclose affiliate relationship
• Provide genuine value
• Focus on quality over quantity
• Know your audience
• Test different approaches
• Track what works

7. Monitor Performance

Track your results:

Check Dashboard:

• View click statistics
• Monitor conversions
• Track earnings
• See pending approvals
• Analyze performance

Key Metrics:

• Total Clicks
• Conversion Rate
• Total Earnings
• Pending Earnings
• Average Commission

→ Dashboard Guide

8. Optimize & Scale

Improve your results:

Analyze Data:

• Which programs perform best?
• What content converts?
• Where do clicks come from?
• When do conversions happen?
• What's your approval rate?

Take Action:

• Focus on top performers
• Create more converting content
• Test new promotional methods
• Join similar programs
• Build on what works

Understanding the Flow

Complete Conversion Journey

Step 1: Share Link

• You share referral link
• Link contains your unique code
• Tracks back to you

Step 2: Click Tracked

• Visitor clicks your link
• Cookie set in their browser
• Attribution recorded
• Shows in your dashboard

Step 3: Customer Purchases

• Within cookie window (usually 30-90 days)
• Makes a purchase
• Checkout tracked
• Conversion recorded

Step 4: Conversion Pending

• Shows as "Pending" in earnings
• Merchant notified
• Awaiting review
• Not guaranteed yet

Step 5: Merchant Approves

• Merchant confirms purchase
• Checks for fraud/returns
• Changes to "Approved"
• Payment guaranteed

Step 6: Payout Processed

• Based on merchant schedule
• Included in payout batch
• Sent to your bank account
• Status: "Paid"

Step 7: You Get Paid

• Funds in bank account
• 1-3 business days after payout
• View in Stripe dashboard
• Track in My Earnings

Timeline Example

Day 1:

• Share link on social media
• Follower clicks link
• Cookie set for 30 days

Day 3:

• They return to merchant site
• Make $100 purchase
• Conversion recorded
• You earn $10 commission (10%)

Day 5:

• Merchant approves conversion
• Status: Approved
• Scheduled for payout

Day 30:

• Monthly payout processed
• $10 sent to your bank

Day 32:

• Money in your account
• Status: Paid

Commission Structures

Types of Commissions

Percentage-Based:

• Most common type
• Example: 10% of sale
• $100 sale = $10 commission
• Scales with order value

Fixed Amount:

• Set amount per conversion
• Example: $5 per sale
• Same regardless of order value
• Predictable earnings

Tiered:

• Increases with volume
• Example:
  • 1-10 sales: 10%
  • 11-50 sales: 15%
  • 51+ sales: 20%

Recurring:

• Earn on subscription renewals
• Example: 20% monthly
• Customer subscribes for $50/month
• You earn $10/month ongoing

Cookie Duration

What it is:

• Time window for attribution
• Set by merchant
• Typically 30-90 days

How it works:

• Customer clicks your link: Day 0
• Cookie expires: Day 30/60/90
• Must purchase before expiry
• After expiry: No commission

Example:

• 30-day cookie
• Click: Jan 1
• Purchase: Jan 25 ✅ You earn
• Purchase: Feb 5 ❌ Too late

Tip: Longer cookies = more conversions

Finding Your Niche

Choose Programs Strategically

Match Your Audience:

• What problems do they have?
• What products do they need?
• What's their budget range?
• What do they already buy?

Consider Your Platform:

• Blog: Detailed reviews, comparisons
• YouTube: Video reviews, tutorials
• Instagram: Visual products, lifestyle
• Twitter: Quick recommendations
• Email: Deep dives, exclusives

Program Fit:

• Relevance to your content
• Commission competitiveness
• Product quality
• Merchant reputation
• Support availability

Examples by Niche

Tech Blogger:

• Software programs (20-30% recurring)
• Web hosting (50-100% first month)
• Online courses ($50+ per sale)
• Tech gadgets (5-10%)

Fitness Influencer:

• Supplement programs (15-20%)
• Workout programs (30-50%)
• Fitness equipment (10-15%)
• Meal delivery (20-40%)

Business Content:

• SaaS products (20-40% recurring)
• Business tools (25-35%)
• Online courses (30-50%)
• Consulting services (20-30%)

Content Ideas

Types of Content That Convert

Product Reviews:

• In-depth analysis
• Pros and cons
• Use cases
• Personal experience
• Video walkthroughs

Comparison Posts:

• Product A vs Product B
• Feature comparisons
• Price breakdowns
• Best for different users
• Data tables

Tutorial/How-To:

• Solve specific problems
• Step-by-step guides
• Screenshots/videos
• Include product naturally
• Show results

Roundup Posts:

• "Best X for Y"
• "Top 10 tools for Z"
• Multiple programs
• Different price points
• Various use cases

Case Studies:

• Your own results
• Before/after
• Detailed process
• Specific outcomes
• Real numbers

Resource Pages:

• Tools you use
• Recommended products
• Organized by category
• Regular updates
• Brief descriptions

Promotion Strategies

Effective Methods

Website Integration:

• Create dedicated review pages
• Add to resource pages
• Include in relevant articles
• Footer/sidebar widgets
• Banner placements

Email Marketing:

• Newsletter mentions
• Dedicated product emails
• Signature links
• Welcome sequences
• Segmented campaigns

Social Media:

• Story mentions
• Post recommendations
• Bio links
• Reels/TikToks
• YouTube reviews

Paid Advertising:

• Google Ads (check terms)
• Facebook Ads (check terms)
• YouTube Ads
• Native advertising
• Retargeting

SEO Optimization:

• Target buying keywords
• Create comparison content
• Build topical authority
• Get backlinks
• Optimize for conversions

What NOT to Do

Forbidden Practices:

• ❌ Spam comments/forums
• ❌ Fake reviews
• ❌ Misleading claims
• ❌ Click fraud
• ❌ Cookie stuffing
• ❌ Trademark bidding (unless allowed)
• ❌ Hiding disclosures
• ❌ Email spam

Why:

• Violates program terms
• Can get you banned
• Damages reputation
• May be illegal
• Hurts long-term success

Legal Requirements

FTC Disclosure (US)

Required by Law:

• Disclose affiliate relationships
• Must be clear and conspicuous
• Before affiliate links
• On every piece of content
• Easy to understand

Good Examples:

"This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission
if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you."

"Affiliate Disclosure: As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying
purchases through links in this article."

"Links with * are affiliate links that support this site."

Where to Include:

• Top of blog posts
• Video descriptions
• Social media captions
• Email disclaimers
• Website footer

International Requirements

GDPR (Europe):

• Cookie consent required
• Privacy policy must mention tracking
• User rights disclosure
• Data processing explanation

Other Countries:

• Check local advertising laws
• Consumer protection rules
• Disclosure requirements
• Tax obligations

Setting Goals

First Month Goals

Realistic Targets:

• Join 3-5 relevant programs
• Get 2-3 approved
• Create 5-10 pieces of content
• Generate 100-500 clicks
• Make your first conversion

Focus On:

• Learning the platform
• Understanding your audience
• Testing different approaches
• Building systems
• Creating quality content

3-Month Goals

Scale Up:

• Join 5-10 programs total
• 100+ conversions generated
• $500-1,000 earned
• Consistent content schedule
• Clear top performers identified

Develop:

• Content calendar
• Promotion workflow
• Tracking system
• Optimization process
• Scaling strategy

6-Month Goals

Established Affiliate:

• 10+ active programs
• 500+ monthly clicks
• $2,000-5,000/month earnings
• Predictable income
• Multiple traffic sources

Advanced:

• Automated systems
• Tested and optimized
• Strong relationships
• Diversified programs
• Growing consistently

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not Setting Up Payouts First

Mistake: Wait until first sale Fix: Setup immediately after signup

2. Joining Too Many Programs

Mistake: Apply to everything Fix: Start with 3-5 relevant programs

3. Only Promoting, Not Providing Value

Mistake: Just share links Fix: Create helpful, genuine content

4. Ignoring Program Terms

Mistake: Don't read requirements Fix: Review and follow all terms

5. Not Tracking Performance

Mistake: Promote and forget Fix: Regular performance reviews

6. Giving Up Too Soon

Mistake: Quit after no immediate results Fix: Give it 3-6 months of consistent effort

7. Not Optimizing

Mistake: Keep doing what doesn't work Fix: Analyze data and adjust strategy

8. Violating Disclosure Rules

Mistake: Hidden affiliate relationships Fix: Always clearly disclose

Your Dashboard Overview

Key Sections

Main Dashboard:

• Performance stats (6 cards)
• Active program cards
• Quick actions
• Recent activity

My Programs:

• All programs you're in
• Status indicators
• Quick stats per program
• Access program details

My Earnings:

• Total, pending, approved, paid
• Earnings by program
• All conversions
• Search and filter

Marketplace:

• Browse programs
• Apply to new programs
• Filter by category
• View requirements

Settings:

• Profile information
• Payout account
• Notifications
• Account settings

→ Complete Dashboard Guide

Getting Support

When You Need Help

Technical Issues:

• Platform bugs
• Login problems
• Integration errors
• Dashboard issues

Contact: support@refvenue.com

Program Questions:

• Commission disputes
• Approval delays
• Program-specific issues
• Payout questions

Contact: Merchant directly (via program page)

General Questions:

• Best practices
• Strategy advice
• Success tips
• Community

Resources:

• Documentation
• Blog posts
• Video tutorials
• Community forum

Success Tips from Top Affiliates

Build Trust First

"Don't start by selling. Build trust with valuable content, then naturally recommend products you actually use and believe in."

Action: Create 10 valuable pieces of content before heavily promoting.

Focus on Quality

"100 targeted visitors who trust you are worth more than 10,000 random clicks. Focus on building a quality audience."

Action: Define your ideal audience and create content specifically for them.

Be Patient and Consistent

"It took me 6 months to make my first $1,000. Now I make that in a week. Consistency is everything."

Action: Commit to consistent content creation for 6 months minimum.

Track Everything

"You can't improve what you don't measure. Track which content converts, which programs perform, and what works."

Action: Review your dashboard weekly and adjust based on data.

Build Relationships

"The best programs came from reaching out to merchants directly and building relationships beyond the platform."

Action: Engage with merchants, provide feedback, ask questions.

Quick Start Action Plan

Week 1: Setup

Day 1:

• Complete profile
• Setup payout account
• Browse marketplace

Day 2:

• Choose 3-5 programs
• Read all program terms
• Prepare applications

Day 3:

• Submit applications
• Wait for approvals
• Plan content strategy

Week 2: Create

Day 1-2:

• Get approved
• Copy referral links
• Plan first content pieces

Day 3-7:

• Create 3-5 pieces of content
• Include affiliate links
• Add proper disclosures
• Publish/share

Week 3-4: Promote & Optimize

Daily:

• Share content
• Engage with audience
• Monitor dashboard

Weekly:

• Check conversion data
• Analyze what's working
• Create more content
• Test new approaches

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics:

1. Complete Setup

   • Profile complete
   • Payout account active
   • First programs joined

2. Learn More

   • Dashboard Guide
   • Program Details
   • My Earnings
   • Payout Setup

3. Take Action

   • Join your first programs
   • Create your first content
   • Share your first links
   • Make your first sale

4. Stay Connected

   • Check dashboard regularly
   • Read our blog
   • Join community
   • Contact support when needed

Ready to start earning? Head to the Marketplace and apply to your first programs!