While influencer and affiliate marketing discussions often centre on one versus the other, it shouldn’t be a case of either/or, but both. They are not opposite but complementary - something which came out loud and clear from a recent panel discussion. After all, both focus on the same outcome - creating authentic content to help brands build authority, grow their business and make more money - why not do both? 

We’ve uncovered four important points for you to consider when thinking about aligning your influencer and affiliate strategies: 

It’s all about intention

The difference between influencer marketing and the affiliate channel comes down to audience intention and where the user is in the marketing funnel. Consumers accessing affiliate sites want to shop, while those consulting influencers are often looking to learn, search for reviews and discover new products - though some will still have an upfront intention to buy, which is why influencers may sometimes act as affiliates, offering promo codes and similar. 

But ultimately, they’re inextricably aligned. While influencer marketing can impact the initial discovery, the affiliate deal offer can provide the motivation to buy. And being able to link, track and measure both programmes is essential for identifying the best multi-touch attribution approach to adopt. Brands can then understand the value influencers and affiliate channels respectively bring and move away from relying on a crude last-touch attribution model. 

Understanding how your customers buy will steer your focus 

To choose whether influencer or affiliate marketing should be their primary approach, brands must understand their consumers and how they purchase. Brand awareness plays a critical role for luxury and high-ticket items that are bought infrequently, so influencer marketing is vital. Focusing on storytelling to build positive brand associations among consumers is key, so when people are ready to make their buying decision, the brand is front of mind. Here, affiliate marketing would be less effective, but for lower-value impulse purchases, it shows its worth. 

Always be clear upfront

Whether it’s affiliate or influencer marketing, having a defined goal is critical before embarking on any partnership. However,  this must be in line with what the brand delivers. If the KPI is sales but the product doesn’t convert quickly, then this needs rethinking. If the goal is web sign-ups, the site must be optimised to allow this to happen quickly and easily. And with influencers, simply loving their content is not a good enough reason for establishing a relationship with them: the brand must know exactly what they can expect to get out of it and how best to work with them. 

Many companies are tempted to try and insert their marketing messages into the content influencers produce. Avoid this at all costs; it stifles their creativity and authenticity. Influencers don’t use marketing language, and it’s not what their audience expects. Brands see the highest returns when they allow influencers to do what they do best - creating great, engaging content that resonates with their audience. 

Focus on the long term 

Success lies in establishing and nurturing long-term relationships. By its very nature, the affiliate industry supports long-term partnerships, with dedicated teams responsible for merchant relationships. By meeting the consumer at the moment they are researching or considering buying, content is live and available to be surfaced for more extended time periods. 

For influencer marketing, long-term relationships offer greater impact for brands that can find the right partners. This results in more organic and consistent storytelling, with the influencer becoming a natural extension of the brand.

Far from competing, it’s evident that these two channels are aligned, complementary, and even overlapping; we’re now seeing shopping apps that aggregate brands but incorporate influencers to showcase products. This hybrid approach - marrying influencer content with affiliate intent-driven shopping - is a perfect example of the two working together to drive sales.

While success lies in embracing both affiliates and influencers, removing marketing structures or budget silos that prevent them working in unison is critical so that the whole story can be told. Instead of PR, performance and branding all functioning independently, break the walls down, get the teams talking, and align everyone around a single coherent marketing plan. You’re then on to a winning approach. 

Also published in: PerformanceIN

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