Partner marketing is a performance-based marketing model where brands work together with partners to drive sales. A partner program can be run by any business that has a website where users can make a transaction. Instead of paying for impressions or clicks, brands only pay when they get a sale or a lead. This makes partner marketing one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your business.

By joining a partner marketing platform, brands can reach new audiences, increase sales, and diversify their marketing efforts. Partner marketing makes it possible for brands to work with relevant marketing partners that want to earn commissions by promoting products and services. These can include influencers, media houses, apps, tech platforms, comparison sites and similar.

Getting started is easier than you might think. Below, we’ve outlined seven key steps to set up and launch a partner marketing program.

1. Choose a platform

A partner marketing platform is essential for tracking and managing a partner program effectively. Some platforms follow a self-serve model, where brands handle everything themselves — from partner recruitment to campaign management and optimisation. Others offer a managed service, where an experienced team supports strategy, partner recruitment, and ongoing optimisation.

The right choice depends on the level of support the business needs. If the brand is looking to scale efficiently but has limited time or resources to manage partners hands-on, a managed solution can be a smart and effective option.

2. Decide on commission rates

Partner marketing is based on performance – partners only earn money when they generate a sale or lead. There are two common ways to structure commissions.

Offering competitive commission rates is a great way to attract high-quality partners. The best approach is to find the highest commission that still makes the program profitable. It also helps to check what similar brands are offering to stay in line with market expectations.

3. Define partner types

Partners use different promotion methods, and it is important to decide which ones align with your brand. Some common types to consider within partner marketing are:

4. Provide materials and product feeds

To maximise results, provide partners with the resources they need to promote your brand. Provide ad materials, such as logos, a brand description and pre-written copies for emails and social media. Also, offer a product feed, which is a structured text file with product information, pricing, and availability from your e-commerce system. Product feeds are used by price comparison sites, product catalogues and other partners. Many platforms support automated product feed updates, ensuring that partners always display accurate information.

5. Implement tracking

Accurate tracking is essential for a program to work well. This is handled by the platform and is done through a tracking code implemented on the confirmation page of your website. The tracking code is normally one or two lines long. Most partner marketing platforms provide step-by-step tracking setup guidance, making it a seamless process.

Tracking allows brands to:

• Monitor which partners generate sales.
• Measure performance of different marketing efforts.
• Ensure partners are rewarded fairly for their contributions.

6. Create a partner recruitment page

An important way to recruit partners to your partner program is through your own website. By placing a specific landing page on your website with the topic "Partner with us" or "Collaborate with us", you can capture the interest of visitors who already like your products and are willing to recommend you to others. 

To limit your workload, the landing page should link directly to the platform. Many platforms can automatically create sign up pages with your logo and customised content about your brand.

7. Launch and promote your program

Partner marketing is a long term strategy. Reaching optimised volume for a partner program often takes between one and six months, but with continuous optimisation your program can become a profitable channel. Ways to attract and activate partners include:

• Promoting your program through the partner marketing platform.
• Posting on the platform's social media channels.
• Emailing partners that operate in the same segment.
• Sending newsletters to existing partners.
• Directly contacting and recruiting important partners.

If you work with a platform that actively manages your partnerships, these things will be taken care of. 

Conclusion

Partner marketing offers brands a scalable way to grow their business, with low risk. By following these seven steps, brands can set up an attractive program that delivers results. Choosing the right platform, setting competitive commission rates, actively recruiting partners and making sure to optimise the program over time will ensure long-term success.

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.