Whitepaper

Pay for performance with partner marketing

What is partner marketing?

Partner marketing is a performance-based marketing model where brands (advertisers) work with third-party partners to drive sales. Instead of paying upfront for clicks or impressions, brands only pay when a sale is made. This gives a risk free and reliable way to increase online sales, making it one of the most cost-effective ways to market online.

By joining a partner marketing platform you can get more traffic, more sales and diversify your marketing without needing lots of resources. You get access to an extensive selection of partners, from influencers to media houses, apps, tech platforms and comparison sites. This helps you diversify your marketing and avoid the pitfalls of relying too heavily on larger platforms.

Who is involved?

Brands

Businesses aiming to increase their online sales.

Partners

Businesses or individuals earning commissions by promoting a brand’s products or services.

Platform

System that connects brands with partners while managing tracking, payments and support.

Consumers

People who purchase products online.

How it works

Brands start by joining a partner marketing platform that connects them with a network of relevant marketing partners. These partners then promote the brand’s products or services through their own channels, such as websites, social media, or apps.

When a consumer clicks on a partner’s link and completes a purchase on the brand’s website, the platform tracks and verifies the transaction. The referring partner earns a commission, which the brand pays through a single monthly invoice. The platform manages all partner payments, ensuring a seamless and efficient process for both brands and partners.

What types of brands can run a partner program?

Any business with an online store that allows customer transactions can benefit from partner marketing. However, there are a few requirements:

An established business

New businesses may need time to refine their offering, and partners typically prefer working with brands that have a proven track record. Given the performance-based setup, partners generally choose brands that are more likely to convert.

An optimised website

Since partners only earn when their activities lead to a sale, your website should be conversion-friendly, ensuring a smooth customer journey and user experience.

Types of partners

Partner marketing allows brands to collaborate with various types of partners, including:

Social media creators

Creators are influencers and profiles with an audience on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and more.

Paid marketing partners

Paid marketing includes partners that run comparison shopping services, search engine ads and social media ads.

Content marketing partners

Content marketing includes content partners ranging from the world’s largest media houses to niche content sites.

Direct marketing partners

Direct marketing includes partners who specialise in running targeted campaigns through email and SMS.

Savings & rewards platforms

Savings & rewards are commonly discount portals and loyalty platforms of different sizes.

Other partners

We also work with other partners, like Adtraction Plus brands that work with brand-to-brand partnerships and mobile apps.

The role of the platform

A partner marketing platform connects brands with partners and streamlines the management of various partnerships. Brands gain access to a wide range of partners to reach more customers, while partners easily find brands that match their audience. The most important functions of the platform are:

Partner access

It can take years for a brand to build up a base of relevant marketing partners. By joining a platform, the brand can instantly connect with an extensive network of trusted partners. The platform manages the partner agreements and consults brands when setting up the commission rates they want to pay the partners.

Tracking

With the performance-based business model, it is crucial to accurately track the traffic and sales partners send. A reliable tracking system provides real-time data, helping brands optimise performance while ensuring partners are rewarded fairly. With different tracking types, you can track conversions, leads, app installs, subscriptions, and a lot more.

Quality

A partner marketing platform ensures high-quality traffic by screening and selecting partners carefully. This helps maintain a trusted network where brands connect with relevant, reliable partners to drive sales.

Support

Partners come in all shapes and sizes, and require different degrees of support. By managing partner support on a daily basis, the platform eases one of the more time-consuming aspects of running a partner program.

Managing payments

Keeping track of commissions and ensuring that partners are paid on time can be time consuming. A partner marketing platform simplifies payments by consolidating all partner commissions into a single monthly invoice.

Why choose partner marketing?

Pay for performance only

You only pay when a sale happens.

Low risk, more growth

No upfront costs, just a predictable cost per sale.

High quality partners

Carefully selected partners.

Reach new customers

Work with a variety of high quality partners to expand your reach.

Conclusion

Partner marketing is one of the most cost-effective digital marketing strategies, allowing brands to pay only for results while diversifying their marketing channels. It’s a low risk, high-reward approach that ensures marketing spend translates directly into sales.

About Adtraction

Adtraction is a leading marketing platform, helping brands attract new customers and increase sales while enabling partners to monetize their content and traffic. The company works with brands across multiple industries, ranging from e-commerce to financial services. With a user-friendly platform, Adtraction connects brands with a diverse range of marketing partners, from influencers and media houses to apps, tech platforms and comparison sites.

The company was established in 2007 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in 12 countries across Europe.

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