# Affiliate Marketing

When the user wants to plan, implement, or optimize affiliate marketing strategy.

- Repository: https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills (1071 stars)
- Category: Marketing
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-26
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add kostja94/marketing-skills --skill affiliate-marketing -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add kostja94/marketing-skills --skill affiliate-marketing -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add kostja94/marketing-skills --skill affiliate-marketing -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add kostja94/marketing-skills --skill affiliate-marketing -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

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.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Channels: Affiliate

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.

## Initial Assessment

**Project context:** Read root `contextus.md` when present and load only the modules relevant to this task. Without Contextus, use available project material or user-provided facts and ask for missing information; do not create a parallel context system.

Identify:
1. **Product type**: SaaS, AI tool, subscription
2. **Commission model**: Pay-per-sale, pay-per-lead, pay-per-click
3. **Target affiliates**: Content creators, publishers, coupon sites

## Commission Models

| 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.

## Key Terms

| 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 |

## Promotion Channels

The rest: https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills/blob/HEAD/skills/channels/partnerships/affiliate-marketing/SKILL.md