Recruitment, ROI, recognition: the prizes of combining affiliate and influencer marketing

Here, Awin's Sadé Weeden (influencer marketing specialist) explores how the combination of affiliate and influencer marketing can enhance authenticity, measurement, and ROI in digital marketing campaigns.

Influencer marketing has grown into a formidable force in the digital marketing mix. Very few channels can match the authenticity of its promotional methods and the way it builds trust around brands and products.

While traditional influencer campaigns have primarily focused on boosting awareness, the movement is now shifting gears to encompass more sophisticated and impactful efforts, going far beyond simply generating reach.

Data from Sprout Social shows that 49% of consumers now make at least one purchase per month after seeing an influencer post. Whether subtly or overtly, our shopping choices have always been moulded by the narratives we encounter and the individuals that lead them. However, the steady emergence of more tactical and measurable influencer efforts is unmistakable.

Are creators getting savvier? Are marketers demanding clearer evidence of ROI? We are looking at a scenario where both developments are true. Let us examine what the influencer space was missing and understand why the affiliate channel can be everything the influencer space needs right now.

The synergy of influencers and affiliate platforms

Influencer marketing and affiliate marketing each remain powerful in their own right. When blended, become a dynamic pair capable of helping brands resonate with specific audiences and driving measurable outcomes.

On one side, you have influencer marketing; a space bursting with creative talent that holds immense power in today's digital landscape. By collaborating with hand-picked content producers, brands can break through the noise, tap into engaged communities, change perceptions, and foster greater trust and credibility.

Then we have the affiliate channel. The bridge between creativity and data-driven marketing. Affiliate has become a useful answer to stories of marketers facing challenges in measuring influencer ROI. Supplying creators with affiliate links means brands can track every outcome, eliminating doubts as to how they determine success.

If harnessing the power of creativity seems too broad an advantage, here are several immediate benefits of running influencer efforts via an affiliate platform.

Crystal clear insights

Combining influencers and affiliate marketing is a way of applying the same ideas and resources for maximum, measurable impact.

Even brands with solid campaign ideas can grapple with measurement issues, and this impacts everything from ROI to recruitment. Armed with data from an affiliate platform, brands can strategically allocate marketing budgets to the most effective creators who produce tangible results. The affiliate channel provides an easy way to eliminate guesswork, so brands can make calculated, impactful investments that resonate powerfully with different audiences.

Marketers who have invested in the affiliate channel gain extra clarity and control thanks to affiliate commission structures, and reporting. This can transform a troublesome trend in influencer marketing where 30% of investors do not attempt to track ROI, into influencer campaigns that can be controlled and measured effectively.

Recognizing and remunerating influencer impact

Though it is still commonplace for influencers to receive ‘collaboration’ or ‘flat’ fees, where brands pay for posts rather than results, affiliate’s performance-based commission model answers challenges on both sides.

Brands can use their campaign goals to inform how their influencers are paid. They provide commission on each click, impression, or sale, creating a cost-effective partnership while limiting the risk when engaging with new creators.

As influencers become more powerful and the affiliate channel goes far beyond the final click, they can earn recognition for their true impact and a greater stake in the revenue generated by their activities. Structuring partnerships in such a way provides clear evidence of their bottom-line contribution, which can support arguments for rate increases in ways that flat fees cannot.

Paying and earning on performance creates a win-win scenario that ensures fairness with every interaction.

Mining for laser-focused expertise

As affiliate networks have invested more in technology, we see affiliate networks evolving into platforms. In addition to supplying the tools for brands and influencers to manage their respective partnerships, their inherent ability to connect marketers with creators remains true.

It is a quality that should become increasingly valuable given the stories of brands diverting from the old influencer playbook of paying a premium to advertise with global celebrities and shifting their focus to a broader spectrum of micro and nano influencers.

Influencers themselves are moving away from being labelled as generalists and immersing themselves deeply into their chosen niches, emerging as specialists in their chosen fields, topics, and passions. Whether focusing on gut-loving recipes, sustainable fashion, or the latest gadgets, niche influencers will master their chosen domains.

With influencer marketing becoming less of a ‘who has the biggest audience’ numbers game, brands will need extra support to identify hidden gems for their campaigns.

They will find value in affiliate platforms and their partnerships with specialist influencer discovery tools for uncovering specific creators, resulting in greater precision when targeting a specific audience. Meanwhile, influencers can utilize the same networks to approach brands with overlapping audiences.

Embracing innovation and change

As the marketing landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace, staying ahead of the curve demands adaptability, innovation, and a willingness to embrace new approaches, like blending channels for a better outcome.

The leveraging of the affiliate model offers a roadmap for influencer success, where greater structure, clarity, and consideration can benefit both sides of any partnership. That is without mentioning the opportunity for ROI-driven brands to pay on performance and influencers to earn on each result.

Between the empowerment of creators, the improvement of measurement capabilities, and the facilitation of data-driven recruitment, we could be talking about the influencer industry’s best collaboration yet.

Explore how influencer marketing can support your online marketing mix here.