Both affiliates and partners work for a company to promote and raise awareness of a brand. But what actually is the difference? There are a number of affiliate and partner-based relationships in the business world, but how do these intersect as marketing models? Read on to find out the differences between affiliate and partner marketing.
Main differences between partner and affiliate marketing
The main difference between affiliate and partner marketing is that while an affiliate marketer is funded through performance-based commissions, a partner tends to be compensated regardless of performance. An affiliate makes money based on the number of conversions they bring a company and can work within a cost per action marketing (CPA) model. A CPA is a marketing model in which the business compensates the affiliate for the performance of particular actions, such as watching a video, filling out a form, or making a social media post.
Partner marketing, however, does not strictly need to be based on performance. Partner marketing could look like someone writing an article promoting a brand or curating a social media campaign, in return for a flat fee no matter the results.
In fact, partner marketing could be named a wider category within the business collaboration. Partner marketing has many sub-branches, including influencer marketing, event sponsorship, and distribution partnerships. Affiliate marketing would also come under this umbrella, as a subcategory of partner marketing. Affiliate marketing could also be subdivided into sections such as social media, email, PPC and content-based affiliate marketing.
Influencers and bloggers
What is the difference between a blogger and an influencer? Well, generally, the number of followers. There are a number of categories of influencers, right the way from nano influencers (1,000-10,000 followers) up to mega influencers (1 million+ followers) and each has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. A huge number of content affiliates are also influencers, the reason we know them as affiliates is that they need to sign up to affiliate networks or programs to get paid to promote brands.
Bloggers lucky enough to have amassed a larger following are able to make money through other partner agreements too. This could include product reviews or link placements, but there is usually no guarantee of traffic. Businesses will pay simply for the brand exposure and increased awareness, which makes the deal much easier for the blogger as there is significantly less work involved.
However, this does blur the lines between affiliate and partner. If an affiliate is performance-based and a partner is not, does this mean bloggers taking jobs like the one described above are not in fact affiliates? Basically, an affiliate must have signed up to an affiliate program, whereas a partner could have signed any deals that pay them for advertising the company.
Publishers and advertisers
An advertiser is most commonly a brand which pays to display its adverts on a variety of platforms. A publisher, however, is the person or business who actively displays the adverts across their platform, and is paid per click or per conversion. This definition means that although there is often interchangeability between the terms affiliate and publisher, the use of display adverts is what sets them apart. Affiliates are generally not involved in the placement or display of display ads, and so are not classed as publishers.
Affiliate programs often make use of a varied selection of affiliates and use different levels of influencers, as well as different media and target audiences to try to increase sales.
A publisher would come under the umbrella term affiliate, which is a subcategory of partner. We are starting to see the intricacies of product marketing and the vast array of different marketing solutions available.
In-house affiliate programs vs affiliate networks
There are two main ways of getting affiliates on board with your brand. Companies can either opt for in-house affiliates or network affiliates.
An in-house affiliate is usually hired by an affiliate manager or could be an existing loyal customer. In-house affiliates will often choose products they use themselves and can be much more selective about which products they are promoting. As well as this, in-house affiliates will have a strong relationship with the company they work for, making it more appropriate for in-house affiliates to be considered partners.
On the other hand, network affiliates tend to be much more focused on revenue and are not brand loyal. If a better offer comes along they are likely to take it, even if it means switching the company they are working with.
If a brand is after a long-term solution, it is best to work with content-based affiliates with whom they can build a lasting relationship. With a good relationship and a long-term plan in place, it makes sense to refer to this type of affiliate as a partner.
Conclusion
Considering all of the similarities, there is pretty much no difference between affiliate marketing and partner marketing. Although affiliate marketing is a subcategory of partner marketing, any influencer using affiliate links could also be in receipt of non-performance based commissions. The difference in names is just that, and brands will work out the value of any partner or affiliate and compensate them accordingly. Affiliate/partner marketing channels are fast becoming one of the easiest and most direct methods of driving sales for brands.
If you want to learn even more about how to boost your affiliate marketing, look through our blog or come along to the Affiverse Elevate Summit in June.
