Skip to content
Marketing

What is Affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is when a person promotes another company's products and earns a commission for each sale or action they drive. Using special tracking links, affiliates get paid for results — making it a popular, low-risk way to earn online.

See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains affiliate marketing.
▶ Watch the visual lesson

Key things to understand

  • 1Affiliates promote a company's products for commission.
  • 2Special links track which sales they drive.
  • 3They earn only when their referrals convert.
  • 4It's low-risk for businesses, who pay for results.

Frequently asked questions

What is affiliate marketing?
Promoting another company's products via tracked links and earning a commission on the sales you drive.
How do affiliates get paid?
Through commissions tracked by unique links, paid per sale, lead, or click depending on the program.
Is affiliate marketing legitimate?
Yes — it's a widely used model, though disclosure of affiliate links is required for transparency.

Related topics