There are so many different ways for creators and influencers to make a living, especially when people are spending more than ever on social.
The social commerce industry is projected to reach 6.4 trillion USD (that’s right – trillion) by 2030.
Affiliate marketing is more than a buzzword – it represents an opportunity to make money doing what you love: creating content and recommending products to your audience.
Here’s what influencers and creators need to know about affiliate marketing in 2025.
Table of Contents
What is Affiliate Marketing & Why Should Creators Care?
Affiliate marketing is a strategy where brands and businesses reward creators for driving sales by promoting and linking to their products.
By using custom-built affiliate links for you to post, brands can track the sales that you make by promoting their products and services.
These links are helpful for both the creator and the brand.
Creators get a percentage of the sales made.
Brands can track how many sales each creator makes, meaning they can hire successful creators for future campaigns.
The reason affiliate marketing is so effective is because of the trust that creators have with their audience.
According to October 2024 data from Later’s research team, 55% of consumers have been influenced by a creator to make a purchase in the last year.
If you’ve already built an audience who trusts you, an affiliate marketing campaign is a great way to connect with a brand you believe in, promote it to your audience, and make money in the process.
How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing
If you’ve already established a brand and created a niche for yourself, getting started with affiliate marketing is simple.
Step #1: Connect with Brands or Sign up for an Affiliate Marketing Program
Affiliate marketing only sells when you can authentically endorse products.
You don’t want to set up a campaign based on a product you dislike that might cause issues for your customers. After all, your audience’s trust is what is most important.
Reach out to brands you already love or brands that you have already done paid partnerships for to discuss potentially working together on an affiliate marketing campaign.
You can also sign up for a reputable affiliate program – we’ll discuss that a bit more later
Your Affiliate Marketing Bestie: Later
We’ll let you in on a little secret - there’s another way to connect with brands and start making that sweet affiliate commission.
Hundreds of brands use Later to find creators, like you, to promote and sell their products. Joining our Influencer Index makes it easy to apply for campaigns (as seen above), negotiate terms and conditions, and manage brand deals.
Sign up today to get started.
Step #2: Negotiate Your Terms & Try the Product
Once you and a brand have decided to work together, you’ll need to determine things such as:
Will they pay you an up-front fee for content creation?
What percentage of commission will you receive?
What are the payment terms? (If they’re using Later’s Mavely integration, Mavely will take care of the payout from beginning to end.)
What content would they like to see from you?
What products should you promote?
Then – you need to try the product! You want to promote the brand in a way that is as authentic as possible.
Step #3: Post Your Content & Affiliate Links
The final step is why they hired you – posting content!
You’ll often see creators post stories with affiliate links, making it easy for your audience to click through and purchase products directly from your stories.
Make your affiliate links work harder by adding them to your link in bio page. This creates a one-stop shop for all your product recommendations, making it easy for followers to find and shop your favorites — no matter which platform they found you on.
If you don't have a link in bio page yet, you can get one for free at the link below.
What is an Affiliate Marketing Platform?
Affiliate marketing platforms are platforms creators and brands use to create their affiliate links, with different benefits.
There are many platforms to choose from, and it can get overwhelming. Typically, brands have their favorite platforms, but as you grow your affiliate program, you might also prefer one.
Here are the top eight that we most commonly see used:
Rakuten: A global platform known for premium brand partnerships and robust analytics tools.
Impact: Perfect for scaling your program with automated tools that connect you to the right partners.
Commission Junction (CJ): One of the most established networks, offering detailed performance tracking and reporting.
Partnerize: Enterprise-level platform combining AI technology with partnership management tools.
Ascend: A streamlined platform focusing on connecting brands with niche influencers.
AWIN: Global network operating in 180+ countries, ideal for brands looking to expand internationally.
ShareASale: User-friendly platform (owned by AWIN) that's great for both beginners and experienced marketers.
AvantLink: Specialized network focusing on transparent reporting and niche market partnerships.
That’s a lot of options and might seem a little overwhelming. If you’re collaborating with brands on Later Influence, you can breathe a sigh of relief.
Our affiliate marketing integration with Mavely makes custom links that integrate with all of these major platforms, meaning you don’t have to worry about juggling multiple platforms.
The Top Affiliate Marketing Programs for Influencers
Here are some top affiliate marketing programs you can sign up for.
These programs are particularly popular because they’re easy to use, help you track your payouts, and align well with common content niches.
TikTok Shop Creator Program
The TikTok Shop Creator program allows you to connect with brands looking to run affiliate campaigns right within the TikTok app.
You’ll be able to browse through brands looking for affiliates and once you have been approved, you’ll receive product samples to create your content around.
Affiliate creators must have a minimum of 5,000 followers to participate in the program.
Walmart Creator Affiliate Program
When you become a Walmart creator, you don’t only get affiliate links – you can also create a Walmart storefront to promote your fav products to your customers.
It’s like having a custom shoppable Walmart store linked to your social media, website, or Link in Bio page.
There’s no minimum follow count, making it easy to start creating your storefront and earning money.
Amazon Affiliate Program
One of the biggest affiliate marketing programs on the block, Amazon’s affiliate program lets you make an Amazon storefront with your favorite products, earning up to 10% permission. You can also create affiliate links.
Amazon’s sheer breadth of products means that you can recommend anything from clothes to books to household items and make a commission.
This program is open to creators on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook.
Target Affiliate Program
Target Partners is another easy-to-use affiliate program which allows you to make up to 8% selling your favorite household goods.
Target notes that creators must “run a family-friendly website and have mainly US-based viewership”.
You can apply to be a Target creator here.
Lululemon Affiliate Program & Creator Network
Fitness creators, this one’s for you!
Lululemon actually has 2 different affiliate programs:
The Affiliate Program, which is targeted towards bloggers and editorial publications
The Creator Network, which is for content creators across social media platforms
Not only do you earn commission selling Lululemon products, you also get exclusive insights into what’s new and access to an exclusive affiliate community.
Sephora Affiliate Program
If you’re a beauty blogger, you’re probably using Sephora products already; you’re a perfect candidate for their in-house affiliate program.
In collaboration with Rakuten, Sephora affiliates earn commissions on all of the products that they sell through their social channels. You’ll also get free shipping, free samples, and exclusive product updates.
Start Making Sales with Later
Creating content and building your audience is one thing – turning your passion into profit is another.
With affiliate marketing, you can transform those trusted product recommendations that you’re already providing into your income.
Later helps creators like you make money, whether that be through affiliate marketing or brand partnerships.
Sign up for Later today to start working with your favorite brands and turning your social media presence into a fulfilling career.
