In this installment of our Ask the Experts series, we’re diving deep into affiliate marketing. Once considered a nice-to-have element of any marketing or PR strategy, affiliate marketing is now a central tenet for a growing number of brands, with agencies like Darby Comm often taking on full-time management as a complement to our PR services. We spoke with experts from two of the top affiliate platforms on the market, AvantLink and impact.com, about why it’s so important for brands in today’s media landscape, how AI impacts affiliate marketing, how to truly measure affiliate success, and so much more.
Meet the Experts:
Ben Hitch | Agency Partnerships Manager | AvantLink
Courtney Vanpraag | Affiliate Coach | impact.com
How did you get started in affiliate marketing?
Ben Hitch: I guess you could say it fell into my lap. I started working with an online publication named CYTIES that was 95% affiliate-based, in terms of revenue, to keep the lights on. I hadn’t had much affiliate experience beforehand, but I quickly had to learn how to navigate through the landscape and use just about every affiliate platform to ensure the partnerships and products we were promoting were linked up correctly. From CYTIES and a few other freelance positions, I landed a job with ECHOS Communications and eventually oversaw the entire affiliate client portfolio…upwards of +/- 20 programs at any given time.
Courtney Vanpraag: Like many in affiliate marketing, I fell into it. My career actually started in aerospace engineering, where I developed skills in data, systems, and problem-solving that have proven invaluable in affiliate. After having my son, long hours were no longer sustainable, so I transitioned into digital marketing for a running shoe company (a natural fit since I was also a running coach). That is where I first discovered affiliate marketing and quickly became hooked. What began as an analyst role at an agency grew into years of managing and scaling programs, and eventually leading teams as a department head. Today, I’m able to merge everything I love—engineering precision, affiliate marketing strategy, and a coach’s mindset—to help agencies integrate affiliate as a revenue stream and successfully launch and scale programs for brands.
Why do you think affiliate marketing is important for brands in today’s media landscape, and what makes affiliate marketing different from traditional digital advertising channels like paid search or social ads?
BH: It’s the latest and greatest version of pay-to-play. It’s almost a must for a brand to have an affiliate program at this point…very least, it certainly benefits them to have one. Instead of cutting a check for paid placement, not knowing what the return will be, if any, it offers brands performance-based accountability and extended reach through trusted partners. Unlike paid search or social ads, which charge for clicks or impressions regardless of outcomes, affiliates’s cost-per-purchase model shifts risk from the brand to the publisher. It is relationship-driven rather than auction-driven, integrates naturally into content that builds trust with consumers, and delivers long-term value since affiliate content can generate sales well beyond the initial campaign. This makes it a highly efficient, authentic, and scalable addition to traditional digital advertising.
CV: Affiliate marketing is performance-based and partnership-driven, which makes it very different from paid search or social. Instead of paying upfront for impressions or clicks, brands pay partners when outcomes like sales, leads, or subscriptions are achieved. This model is both cost-efficient and low-risk, while also building trust, expanding reach, and unlocking valuable PR opportunities. Many top media outlets now even require affiliate links for product coverage, making the channel essential for visibility.
Just as important, affiliate reflects how people shop today. Consumers trust recommendations from publishers, creators, communities, and even friends and family more than traditional ads. With platforms like impact.com, brands gain transparency into the consumer journey, tracking every touchpoint and seeing how partners interact with each other as well as other marketing channels. These insights help brands maximize budgets and drive sustainable growth.
For brands new to affiliate marketing, what should they know before launching a program, and what are the biggest mistakes to avoid?
BH: Before launching an affiliate program, brands should understand that success requires time, strategy, and active management—it’s not an instant sales channel. A strong program depends on competitive commission rates and a diverse mix of publisher partners, supported by ongoing recruitment and relationship-building. The biggest mistakes to avoid include setting uncompetitive rates, over-relying on coupon or cashback sites, treating all affiliates the same, and expecting immediate ROI. Ultimately, affiliate marketing works best when brands view it as a long-term partnership channel rather than a quick, set-and-forget ad tactic.
CV: Affiliate marketing success begins with clear goals, whether that means driving revenue, building brand awareness, or entering new markets. Defining success upfront allows you to design a program that supports those objectives. The right technology is also essential, providing accurate tracking, flexible contracting, partner discovery and recruitment, and transparent reporting to identify real value.
Affiliate marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Long-term success requires ongoing management, consistent communication, and strong relationships with the right partners. The brands that perform best are those that stay engaged, support their partners, and align incentives with their goals to create partnerships that last.
What key metrics should brands focus on to measure the true success of their affiliate programs?
BH: Naturally, sales is the easy answer, but because we have no control over the purchase button, measuring clicks is also vital. Clicks can be viewed as brand awareness and help determine the success of a placement with partners. Brands should go beyond topline revenue and track efficiency (ROAS and CPA), customer quality (new vs. returning buyers and average order value). Ultimately, success isn’t just about sales volume, as much as any merchant and management would hope—it’s about ensuring the program delivers profitable, incremental growth with high-quality customers and a balanced mix of affiliates.
CV: Revenue and growth matter, but the real story for brands comes from deeper metrics such as incrementality, asking whether a sale would have happened without the partner, and customer lifetime value, measuring whether new customers are repurchasing over time.
With impact.com, brands can go beyond surface-level performance and see how much revenue a partner introduced, influenced, closed, or drove independently of other channels. This is especially valuable for partners who play a role early in the customer journey, such as media outlets or creators. These insights allow brands to identify true value, adjust commissioning accordingly, and scale programs more effectively.
From the affiliate’s point of view, what do they look for in a brand’s program before deciding to partner?
BH: Commission rates, cool factor of the brand, and recent or forthcoming product launches. Affiliates and publications should decide whether to partner with a brand based on the program’s overall attractiveness and reliability. They should be looking for competitive commission rates, strong conversion, and products that will resonate with their audience. Ultimately, they want and need the assurance that promoting the brand will deliver both commissions and a positive experience for their audience…a product sample for review certainly doesn’t hurt either.
CV: Affiliates evaluate programs based on attractive commission rates, fair attribution policies, and reliable tracking. They also want flexibility in contracting and a transparent relationship with the brand.
Just as importantly, they look for support and unique incentives such as exclusive offers, promo codes, or branded content opportunities. Affiliates want programs that let them tell genuine stories, not just run ads.
How do you see the emergence of AI search impacting your industry?
BH: AI-powered search is reshaping affiliate marketing by changing how consumers discover and evaluate products. On the opportunity side, affiliates that create high-quality, structured, and trustworthy content may see their recommendations featured directly in AI-driven answers, boosting visibility and conversions. YouTube videos are being featured at the tail end of an AI-generated response, giving that creator access and visibility to a whole new customer base. However, there are challenges: AI could bypass affiliate sites by providing direct answers, limit control over attribution, and favor larger, authoritative sources over smaller publishers. Overall, the shift means affiliates and brands must adapt, which has become almost a daily practice, by focusing on credibility and long-term partnerships to stay competitive.
CV: I see AI-driven search completely changing how consumers discover products. Instead of scrolling through endless results, people are being served curated answers that lean heavily on trusted third-party voices like affiliates, influencers, and publishers. That makes authentic partner content more valuable than ever. The brands that adapt their content for AI visibility and ensure affiliate links are seamlessly integrated into these environments will be the ones that win.
How does your platform typically work with agencies like Darby Comm, and how do affiliate networks like AvantLink and impact.com help brands in the outdoor/endurance/hunt & fish industries connect with the right partners?
BH: Agencies like Darby Communications act as a bridge between outdoor brands and their marketing partners by shaping strategy, coordinating campaigns, and providing creative assets, while also streamlining communications and reporting. Affiliate networks like AvantLink complement this by offering a vetted roster of publishers—gear reviewers, bloggers, and niche media in the outdoor, endurance, and hunt/fish spaces—ensuring brands connect with authentic voices that drive both awareness and sales. Together, the agency provides the storytelling and relationship management, and the network delivers the infrastructure, tracking, and performance-based partnerships that help brands scale effectively.
CV: Impact.com partners with more than 250 agencies worldwide, tailoring support to each one. Through our Agency Partner Program, we collaborate on strategic initiatives and provide certification and resources that help agencies deliver stronger results for the brands they manage. Our role is to equip agencies with the tools and transparency needed to scale programs effectively. On average, brands managed by agencies on impact.com see 40% more productive partnerships.
This model is especially valuable for industries like outdoor, endurance, hunting, and fishing, where credibility is essential. Agencies such as Darby Comm bring deep category expertise and relationships, while impact.com provides the technology for partner discovery, contracting, tracking, and reporting.
What emerging trends in affiliate marketing should outdoor and endurance brands be paying attention to in the next 2–3 years?
BH: Over the next few years, affiliate marketing should continue to shift to a more creator- and content-led ecosystem. Influencers, micro-creators, and brand ambassadors are increasingly moving to commission-based models, while major publishers expand gear reviews (including YouTube-assisted videos) and SEO-driven commerce content. At the same time, brands are integrating affiliate structures into ambassador and community programs to reward authentic supporters and champions of the brand.
CV: Affiliate and influencer convergence is accelerating as the lines between performance PR, influencer, and affiliate blur. We’re also seeing publishers double down on content commerce and shoppable experiences, while micro influencers and advocates are proving to be incredibly powerful. Automation will also play a central role, allowing brands to scale faster while still tailoring engagement.
Where can people connect with you to learn more?
BH: bhitch@avantlink.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhitch/
CV: courtney.vanpraag@impact.com or linkedin.com/in/cvanpraag